Faith and Application

February 6, 2025 Martha RodmanLeave a comment

Listen to the words of the wise; apply your heart to instruction. For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart and always ready on your lips. I am teaching you today—yes, you so you will trust in the Lord. Proverbs 22:17-19. NLT.

I have been having an ongoing conversation with the Lord. We have discussed why so many in their later season of life experience so many challenges. It seems the advertised “golden” years are not as golden as the commercials would like to portray! People hear about the joys of retirement with traveling, golfing, or cruising. However, many seniors face unexpected physical diagnoses. These diagnoses can limit their mobility and interactions. Last year I got to experience physical therapy for the first time because of a knee condition. Now both knees are complaining and I need to courage up to tackle a flight of stairs! These are fairly common complaints for those of us in our 70’s.

There is also the hovering concern or specter of dementia! Oh, I forgot a word or date. Could this be an early sign of dementia or Alzheimer’s? So what are we to do? Let fear ruin our lives? That definitely is not the answer! So I prayed and talked with the Lord about navigating these older years. I asked Him why things seem to be so hard. He shared a simple insight. He said it is time to apply all the lessons about Him we have already learned. Every lesson about His trustworthiness and His faithfulness, we are to put into practice. It is a time to lean ever more upon Him and what His Word has to say in every situation.

Often we can move through life with our heads full of knowledge about God and His ways. It is when we face challenges to actually apply what we know , is when we find out how much faith we truly have. Jesus told us that in this world we would suffer tribulations. James is very clear on this as well. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know when your faith is tested, endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1: 2-4. My senior friends, if your faith is being tested, it is a good thing. It is not easy, but He will work it out for your good. It will also benefit others. This is not just for senior friends, but for all of God’s children.

He also reminded me. These years are our last opportunity to show what it means to be a believer in Him. Whether or not we like it, people are watching you. Your family, friends and acquaintances really need us to model what it means to be a believer during trying times. When my sister was first diagnosed with lymphoma, God led me to Philippians 4:6-7. Very simple and familiar scriptures, but they became very real to me. Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. I keep applying these lessons through her breast cancer journey and now her heart and kidney concerns. The don’t worry part is challenging, but I am getting better at it!

My friends, it is not God’s plan that we simply spout platitudes about His goodness, but we must believe it. When faced with the trials of our faith, we must know that 2 Peter 1:3 is true. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. There is no disqualifying circumstance to this verse. He has given us everything we need for living a godly life, the choice is “do we believe it?”. Oh my friends, the lessons you are learning today will benefit you greatly. They will help you, no matter what you face tomorrow. Many times it is the small things that help us endure. I remember singing (very croakedly) “this is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it), during the first few weeks after my husband’s stroke. It came from deep within my spirit from the earlier lessons He taught me. This simple scripture helped me get through those tough days.

So no matter what season of life, learn to apply what you know. If you need more help in a matter, ask Him for it–or a good friend. Remember, He is our teacher. What a blessing it brings to Him, when we apply what we know!

Father, I thank you for teaching us how to apply Your Word to every circumstance we find ourselves in. I thank you we don’t have to worry about our future, because you are already in it. Prepare us for our future, but helping us learn to walk with you today. Help us truly “apply our heart to your instruction”. In Jesus’s Name, amen.

Uncategorized

Faith and Hope Less

January 30, 2025 Martha RodmanLeave a comment

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15: 13 NLT.

I had the chance to talk with another widow this week. Her husband and mother passed very close together about four years ago. She is a firm believer. She wasn’t questioning God’s goodness. Instead, she was seeking to learn how to walk through these sometimes paralyzing struggles that grief can often bring. Somehow during the conversation, someone used the word “hopeless.” As we talked, I thought about “hope less.” versus hopeless. Had my hope level dropped amid so many challenges?

Think about a thermometer. When we take temperatures for fevers, we want the numbers to go down. Can you see it now? A hope thermometer? Is your hope increasing or decreasing? I had to admit that in some areas my hope is less than it used to be. It was a reality check, but in a good way. Life hasn’t been easy for many lately. Those close to me have been dealing with very hard things. I talked with a lady yesterday at church. She had been a wonderful life group leader. She shared she had to step down, because her husband was diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer’s. Her mom had passed away from the same disease, so she knows sort of what lies ahead.

She told me, I still believe in our God who heals, and am trusting Him for our future. When life sends us these curves, it is hard. Many older saints are facing even more difficult trials than ever before. I asked the Lord about it, and He said, “it’s time to apply everything we’ve learned in the past”. It is not a time to give up and lose hope or heart. It is a time to lean even harder on Him and His character. This last season of our life gives us the opportunity to really live as an example of the believer. Not easy, but it must be doable!

I realized I had actually lost some hope (hope less). I began to pray and ask Him to help me. Proverbs 13:12, is very clear: hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. NLT. When things are “deferred” put off, delayed or even suspended we can become discouraged. Little children can fuss and fume over short delays, but as we mature we can endure it a bit better. There comes a time when we have to admit, “Lord, I think my heart is sick”. You may be trusting Him for healing, finances, a relationship fix etc. But it hasn’t happened yet. So what do we do? Grow sicker and sicker? No, my friend. We need to go back to the Lord. I wanted my husband to miraculously recover from his heart attack and stroke. When we began to see improvement, we were all so excited. But, after caring, trusting, praying and loving him, two and half years later he joined Jesus.

So now what? I admitted my heart was sick. I had many conversations with Him, sharing my feelings and disappointments. Some I wrote, some were simply heart felt prayers. I had learned enough about Him I did not stop until peace came. The scripture in Romans 15:13 tells us He is the God of ALL hope. So it makes sense to go back to the source and ask Him to restore your hope. Paul was praying for the Roman church, that the God, the source of hope, would fill them completely with joy and peace. He wanted them to experience the fullness of the Good News. This is God’s wish for us, that we will be filled completely with joy and peace. I admit, I am still working on that!

Hope can be a bit elusive at times, which is why we find this exhortation in Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Isn’t this the crux of the matter? Do we believe He is trustworthy? When hope wanes, we often take our eyes off Him and onto the immensity of the situation. Our enemy wants us to blame God, get us to believe “if He really cared…” (you fill in the blank!) Paul told Timothy, This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of believers. 1 Timothy 4:10. I want to remind you and me today that He has already proven His loving care. Do whatever you have to do to focus on the Living Loving God, then your hope will rise.

Psalm 119:74 states: May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word. If you lose hope, many around you will too. But if you stand strong in God’s Word, you will also strengthen those around you. Lately, when I turn on either my Alexa or Spotify worship, there are so many songs about warfare and struggles. It made me wonder if God is causing His artists to write and produce such songs. We must need them. I found my faith rising as I listened to these encouraging sounds. If you are not a musician like me, we can forget about adding it to our warfare weaponry. But when I do, it is so refreshing.

I want to remind us again that in this world we are going to have trials and tribulations. We can either become hope less, or grow in our hope.

Not just regular hope, but confident hope. Hope that makes us not ashamed or afraid. Do I feel disappointed in myself that my hope thermometer went down? Of course, I felt disappointed. However, I am so grateful for the Holy Spirit. He helped me get back on the right path. Remember Romans 5:4-6. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and dies for us sinners.

Father, I thank you for showing us that even though we may lose some hope, we don’t have to become hopeless. You teach us to not lose hope. We can hold on and not become hopeless. Help us to grow in Your hope, a hope that encourages us to trust You no matter our journey. You are the source of all Hope and we can depend on you. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Uncategorized

Faith and Guard Duty

December 12, 2024 Martha Rodman1 Comment

Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love. I Corinthians 16:13. NLT.

Oak Harbor is the home of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. The station itself has two different locations with at least four manned gates. The men and women who guard these gates must stay vigilant. They must check every car and their occupants for the proper clearance documents. I am sure there are times they don’t “feel” like being so vigilant, but their training keeps us safe.

Scripture also gives us a responsibility to be a “guard”. Every believer must accept this duty call, or deal with the circumstances. What are we called to guard? Our hearts! Proverbs 4:23 tells us not only what we need to guard, but why. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. We must guard our hearts above everything else in our lives; our marriage, our children our jobs. Why? Because out of it flows the issues of life. Everything we do, think or dream comes from our hearts; which is why they must be guarded, and guarded well.

You don’t need a guard, unless there is an enemy. The Bible clarifies that we have one. He uses various tactics in his warfare against us, one of which is appealing to our pride. He wants to make us feel we are somehow the exception to the need to avoid temptations. He lures us into feeling it’s ok to watch media that portrays adultery, pornography, cursing, and hatred. We don’t think it will affect us. But sadly, it is not true. We must protect our hearts from fantasies. We must also avoid comparisons. Avoiding things that erode our love for our spouse and our children is essential. This is one area our hearts must be guarded.

Another tactic is fear. If allowed, he floods our hearts and minds with the “what ifs of life”. Unless we guard our hearts well, insecurity and fear will overwhelm us. Our life will grow smaller and smaller as we attempt to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. God’s goal for us is to enlarge our lives, not shrink them!

One of my fears, during the early years of our marriage, was that something would happen to my husband. Praying one day, the Holy Spirit showed me, that although this fear was “normal”, it wasn’t trusting Him. As I continued to pray about the situation, He led me to Hebrews 13:5-6. As I read and meditated on these scriptures, peace and trust descended. Don’t love money, be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, I will never fail you. I will never abandon you. So we can say with confidence, The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? NLT. This scripture became a guard over my heart whenever those fears would try to rise again. When it happened, I went back to this scripture and reminded God of this promise.

There is more good news. We have a helper to help guard our hearts and that is the peace of God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7. If we pay attention, the peace of God functions almost like a guard dog. When a guard dog sense danger, he begins with a low growl and his hackles rise. Pay attention to the peace of God abiding in your hearts. If/when you find that peace disturbed, pay attention. Something is up. Take the time to pray or think through the situation. Your guard dog is warning.

God has given us the breastplate of righteousness to protect our hearts. If you have ignored it and walked in unrighteousness, your heart is unprotected. This can lead to heartbreak. If you find yourself in this situation, repent and go back to your first love. Put on the whole armor of God, not just part. Then you will walk in peace.

Satan loves to attack our hearts because from them comes our dreams, our passions and our future. If he can use discouragement, disappointment or even disillusionment, he will have won. His desire is to get us to lose heart and quit walking in God’s ways. If he wins with these tactics, not only will we suffer but also those around us, including the next generation.

Friends, if you recognize your heart is damaged, please remind yourself of Psalm 147:3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Go to Him. Acknowledge your broken heart and your need for His care. Take the time to sit in His Presence and allow His healing to flow in you and through you. It will be worth it. Allow His Spirit to wash away any bitter infection, unforgiveness, disappointment, or anger. These things will sabotage your future relationship with God and with others. God has planned a much better future for you than that!

“British royal guard png sticker“/ CC0 1.0

Father, I ask that You help us guard our hearts. Let Your peace reign strong and well in every area of our hearts. Help us pay attention whenever our peace is disturbed. Thank you for healing every brokenhearted person reading this post. Give hope where hope has gone, In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Uncategorized

Faith and Worry

April 4, 2024 Martha RodmanLeave a comment

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

Don’t you love the encouragement found in this scripture? When I read it, it is like a refreshing cup of water reminding me that all I have to do when I feel overwhelmed with worry or anxiety, to simply come to Him. Not to the TV, not to books or food, but come to the one who really is in charge of my life. When I do come in humility and sincerity, I find rest for my soul, along with grace for the right yoke and burden that I am supposed to be carrying.

I spent some time this morning reading through an old journal. This journal began in August 2012 when I was still a caregiver for my husband. It took me through his subsequent heart attack and a blood clot which lodged in his right leg that took his life. As I reminisced about this tough season, I was reminded of God’s faithfulness. August 23, 2012, I wrote: I don’t know how to take care of Darryl. I get so scared that I am paralyzed to move ahead. I need you to give me wisdom and insight. I am glad for the little things that show healing and development. I do not want to be a whiner or a crier. I need you to help me. I trust you. Today, we shall move ahead. I shall have a productive day. Satan shall not win. Is the paralyzed feeling coming from “do the right thing”? Afraid to do wrong? Be wrong? (Apparently I was reading in Colossians, for I went on to write:)

Colossians 3: receive: let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Remain: let the word of God richly dwell within you. Respond: whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Remember: Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are beneath, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. So here I am, waiting, trusting, needing you more than ever. Yes, Lord come, deliver me once again from myself…from the good girl mask.

Little did I know that six weeks later, I would be a widow. My caregiving was over. My prayers for wisdom and insight would be answered unexpectedly with my Darryl’s passing. Looking back at those days, I remember feeling so much pressure to do and be the “right” thing for Darryl and a concern for being and doing the “right” thing as a Christian–hence the “good girl mask” statement. I’m proud of myself for “coming” to the Lord with my fears and concerns. As I continued to read through this journal, I found so many times where I came to Him for help and guidance, crying out as David did for his help. Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; heart my urgent cry. I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me. Psalm 86:6-7. NLT. My current journal reflects the same cry for help as well, but also increased statements of trusting Him, so growth!

Dear friends, He is able and so willing to help us in our time of need. Do not be afraid to come to Him, as you are right now. Praying through those things that you are struggling with. He truly is our help in time of need. Don’t wait till you are overwhelmed, but meet with Him daily to sort through the things that are trying to distract or discourage you, before they just get bigger; robbing you of your joy.

Father, I thank you for this wonderful reminder that we can come to you and find rest for our souls, no matter our situation and circumstance. The rest and relief as we come is so amazing. It changes our perspective and restores hope. Thank you, dear Lord, for truly being a help in our time of need. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Uncategorized

Faith and Challenges: When it gets Real

October 6, 2017 Martha RodmanLeave a comment

For the past ten months I have been focusing on what it would look like if we truly walked in faith in our everyday life circumstances. God has been taking me deeper in this area than ever before. Scripture says Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. So how do we apply faith when dealing with situations that have an unknown or perhaps could lead to unwelcome outcomes?

Due to privacy issues, I won’t reveal the persons name, at their request. This week I accompanied someone close to me to the hospital to have a diagnostic CT scan to try to find the source of their discomfort. The physician assistant requested the scan, expecting to find some diverticulitis. However, after the scan was over we were requested to return immediately to medical clinic. As we rode back to the clinic I prayed that whatever was revealed it was under the Name of Jesus. It did not reign over it.

As we waited in the waiting room peace still prevailed I could tell my dear one was not feeling well. They ushered us back and informed us there was a mass in the abdomen–looking like the pancreas, spleen and abdomen were involved. Later testing revealed it is a 10 cm tumor. I mentioned, God has a plan. The PA asked if the patient prayed and when the answer was affirmative, she asked if she could pray for us! As we held hands and she prayed we felt the presence of God and still we walked in His peace.

Obviously this is a lot to process and absorbed. As we drove to their house and shared the news with their spouse you can imagine shock and disbelief along with many hugs and reassurances took place. I left them and went home to do some phone calling and processing myself.

The next morning God led me to Philippians 4:6-7. I just knew this was His strategy for those of us who are family and friends could apply to this situation. I want to pass it on to you. It is applicable to any situation actually. It is not a new revelation, but it was so clear to me that as I have employed its strategy peace prevails and faith keeps us on the path.

Don’t worry about anything: instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Step 1. Don’t worry about anything. Wow, this can be a tough one. I realize I need to capture those stray fear thoughts, those what if thoughts, but what about this type of thoughts. Our first challenge was not to go “OH NO” the pancreas is involved, and the survival rate of pancreatic cancer is not good. I had to take my mind off those statistics and put them on the God who reigns over everything. We had no sure diagnosis at that time. So I chose to not let my mind go to the worse case scenario. It took a bit of effort not to, but as I reminded myself we don’t know the specific situation as yet, so don’t go there. Two days later and with God’s amazing scheduling, there is a clearer understanding of what organs are involved. However, we still do not have the pathology report, so I choose to do the next step.

Step 2. Pray about everything. Instead of worrying, pray. Capture those rogue fear thoughts with prayer. Talk to Him about your fears and concerns. I was reminded again of the blessing of having the Holy Spirit as my prayer partner! He loves those involved. After Starla, the PA’s prayer I added one of my own. God, get every good thing you can out of this because you know this is hard. Use it for your good. In Jesus Name, amen.

Step 3. Tell God what you need. Scripture exhorts us not to borrow trouble from tomorrow, but to live each day with trust in Him. So every day, I ask Him for the grace for the day and for His direction specifically needed for this situation. Clear diagnosis, wisdom for which hospital, doctors, pain and nausea control, good communication and rest are some of the prayers we have prayed. Peace for family members who are struggling with fear is a big one. Taking one bite at time this elephant will be walked out. (Mixed metaphor I know!)

Step 4. Thank him for ll he has done. We have already seen his hand in this situation. We thanked him for sunny days and His love for us. Cultivating thankfulness during stressful times is a tool to maintaining faith and grace in the situation. It is a great reminder of who we are placing our faith in and what he can and will do. He has not and will leave us in our trials by ourselves, but he comes into the midst with his presence.

Step 5. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds everything we can understand. We cannot try to figure out everything right now. The “why’s” are a big detractor during stressful challenges. This is not the time to try to figure everything out. Walk in the peace he gives and rest in that. Cast the other concerns on him and watch his hand move.

Step 6: His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. We need to let his peace guard our hearts and our minds, otherwise they will be assaulted with tormenting fears and all the worse case scenarios that most will never happen. Those thoughts rob us of the gift of our todays. I believe we are going to continue to see God’s hand moving and I trust this child of God will enjoy long days on this earth. However, there are times when our natural best case scenario doesn’t happen and perhaps our loved ones are taken home. God is still in control and still moving His good purpose and will. Just as in everything else, do not let the enemy of your soul steal the gift of the present with those you love.

These steps are not new to me. However, when the Lord showed me them clearly as his strategy I knew I needed to share them. Please pray for us as we walk this faith journey. Sometimes it feels like we have been pushed into an alternate reality. I am so thankful for our loving gracious God that helps us in times of trouble. God bless you today as you face your challenges–big or small he does care for us in them all.