Faith and Rejoicing

December 19, 2024 Martha Rodman2 Comments

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Philippians 4:4 ESV.

I read this verse in the NLT this week. It says: Always be full of joy in the Lord, I say it again–rejoice. What a challenge! Paul writes about many things through his letters, but to tell us to always be full of joy, or rejoicing? Many of my friends and family members face challenging situations. These situations are not ones that would naturally lead them to be full of joy. Or are they?

I will admit that many in my life are surrounded by life’s difficulties: financial, health and relational. But, so was the church at Philippi! Paul founded this church during his second missionary journey and developed a close relationship with them. The book (letter) is so encouraging, even though Paul is likely writing this letter from prison. As I ponder what makes him capable of encouraging them to rejoice always? I realize, once again, it is his own relationship with Jesus.

My friends, when we forget to focus on Him, it is easy to fall into discouragement and depression. Last night I heard some test results that are not trending in the way we want. My heart said, “no, Lord”. I began to focus on her numbers and grew sadder. But then the Holy Spirit stopped me, and I had to say, Lord, I choose to trust You. I choose to know you are bigger than these test results. In the midst of this battle, I reminded myself that the government is upon His shoulders, not mine. He rules and reigns over all things. We do not have to walk this alone, but with Him and His plan.

Peace was restored. I can’t rejoice at this point in the test results. However, I can rejoice in the fact that God is in charge. All night I thought about this encouragement by Paul. Always be full of joy. “Father, I am not full of joy, I only am about 25% joyful right now. Please help me.” I deliberately reminded myself of who our Savior is and what He has done for me and others. Joy started to grow. My friends, this continues to be a learning process in my life, rejoicing always isn’t for our natural man!

Today I read through the book of 1 Peter. These gentile believers were living in Asia Minor and were suffering persecution because of their beliefs.3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:3-5. NLT. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I forget to live with “great expectation”. The things of this world become so real, I forget they are temporary. What joy to know that God is protecting us by His power. Our enemy would like us to quit trusting Him. To think our faith is in vain, but in actuality, we have a living faith. A living faith that He wants to grow and develop so we can be overcomers, no matter what we face. James reminds us to count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. James 1: 2-3.

There is that word again, joy. It isn’t easy to “count it all joy”. Maybe our first response is to whine or feel fear. Once we finish with that, we need to “count it all joy”. To learn to rejoice in all things, we need to find Him in our circumstances. We have to search for Him in each situation. Where is He? What is He trying to do in and through it? We can’t do that until and unless we apply His Word to our circumstance. I searched my concordance for all the verses containing the word “rejoice”. There are a lot! Just reading them, cause my joy level to increase.

Remember, this is Paul, writing through the Holy Spirit, that wrote this encouragement to always be full of joy. He endured so much more than most of us can even imagine. I believe he must have found a secret in getting through them, and that secret was rejoicing. I would like to encourage you to start to look at your situation. Then start to thank God (the beginning of rejoicing) for the most difficult thing in your life. Bring Him into it. Thank Him for what He has planned. Follow the Spirit and you will find heaviness and sadness fleeing away. Joy will come. Do it out loud. Something about declaring and thanking Him (the person we trust!) out loud begins to break through our old thought patterns. I did this for the situation I talked about above. I realized that person belongs to Christ, and she is in His hands. He only wants what is best for her. I am not stopping praying for healing for her, because that is the children’s bread. However, I am choosing not to be influenced by the test numbers either.

Often we think the word “rejoice” is a spontaneous reaction to circumstances. Where we laugh out loud or possibly jump up and down in glee. However, to a believer, it is a response to knowing that God is working His salvation in it. He is also working His salvation through it. There is an anticipation of what He is going to do in and through it. Expectation of His moving becomes our focus and trust.

Friends, rejoicing is something that often must be a choice. But, as we choose to rejoice, faith will arise and we will see His handiwork in our situation. Try it! It works.

Father, please teach us how to rejoice. There are so many reasons to doubt, dread, and fear in our lives. But the good news You have brought to us, gives us even more reason to rejoice! In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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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.

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Faith and Giving God Time

November 21, 2024 Martha Rodman1 Comment

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11. ESV.

I am borrowing my focus today from Pastor Louie Giglio’s teaching on the book of Joshua. Our Life Group finished this study and his last point really affected me. The above scripture is God’s promise to work His good for us. The final thoughts in the Joshua teaching focused on the burying of Joseph’s bones. From his request, to his final burial spot, took many,many years. Joseph was embalmed in Egypt before the Exodus. The Israelite’s spent 40 years in the wilderness. Then they fought to take the land before they found a place to bury Joseph. Joseph trusted God’s promise and the Israelites to fulfill their promise to him. It took time. Pastor Giglio’s encouragement that affected me so much was a simple statement: Give God Time.

Give God time to answer your prayers. Do not judge too quickly that His seeming quiet means He is not moving. Give God Time to work the change you’ve asked Him to do in yourself and others.

This is a simple message and reminder. God sees you and your situation. He is working behind the scenes, out of your sight; but He is working. How do we know? Because He is a promise keeper.

The story of the importunate judge is not my favorite. But there are some wonderful insights we can learn from it, if we keep reading. And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming. Luke 18:1-5. During this period in time, women were prohibited from going to court. Their husband or other male family member would usually bribe the judge to hear their case. This widow was alone. She had no male relative. She had no money to bribe the court. But she used what she had: her voice. She would show up and shout into the tent (which was the courtroom of the day) making herself a nuisance. The heartless judge finally heard her case, simply to get rid of her. I’m always relieved to read that part. Whew, justice was finally done.

When we keep reading: 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” We discover we have an elder brother who loves and makes intercession for us. We are not alone when we face our mountains. It is up to us to stir our faith. We must stand strong. We must give God the time to work on our behalf, without fear, without doubt. No matter how long it takes.

When we face adversity, it is often tempting to run and hide. Our God wants us to stand tall with courage, declare His Word in the matter. Not our feelings, not our fears, but His faith. When my husband was in the hospital after his massive stroke, the doctors wanted me to just let him die. We kept praying for healing and declaring God’s victory. They kept telling me how severe his situation was. They even refused to give him a feeding tube because they claimed it wasn’t “ethical”. My response was, I wouldn’t let my dog die of starvation, much less my husband. It was very difficult to defy their “expertise”. We prevailed and brought him home, where he lived two and half more years. Was it difficult? Yes. Was it worth it? Oh, yes.

I think I am still giving God time. I want to see the fullness of His plan and purpose through that season and my widowhood. So many good things have happened. I get to watch God change lives through our Life Group and the Senior Life Ministry I get to direct. Though my heart still aches for my husband and our marriage, I am giving God more time to work all things together for His good. I am learning the truth of 2 Corinthians 12:15, And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls. We are not our own, my friends. We have been bought with a price for a purpose. Some of the spending our God uses us for may not be comfortable. It may also not be logical to our earthly minds. Just as our cash is ours to spend as we choose, we are His to spend as He chooses. We may not discover the fullness of His purchase till heaven, and we have to be ok with that.

I believe God uses everything we go through in this life, if we let Him. It’s our choice to trust Him or not. A miscarriage, disabling injury, or financial catastrophe are emotionally devastating. The good news, after giving God time they can actually be the beginning of some amazing opportunities. Keep on trusting Him, my friends. I have some friends facing some difficult challenges and it is hard to watch. United together in prayer and faith, we will see God’s purpose, and that is always good!

Father, I pray with my friends who are struggling with your time table. I ask you encourage them today, with your presence and comfort. I thank you for teaching us how to give you time to work for us, in us and through us. You are more than able to do abundantly above all we can think or ask, so we choose to trust you today. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Faith and Authority

October 10, 2024 Martha Rodman1 Comment

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Luke 10:19.

And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. Mark 3, :14-15. Jesus gave these 12 men authority. The Greek word used here is: exousia. Exousia means authority or the right to act. It also infers the privilege to act. Combined with the word dunamis (might) enables us to follow through with everything the Holy Spirit instructs us to do. Jesus authorized and equipped these disciples with the power needed to go to teach, preach, and bring deliverance to those they met. We have been given this same authority. The question is, do we walk in it?

I pondered what would it look like if we, as believers live confident in this power and authority. Hurricane Helene raised havoc in Florida two weeks ago. I watched a video where this couple walked the perimeter of their property, declaring God’s protection around their land. Trees fell all along their boundary, but none fell on their property. Two of my friends have family right in the path of Hurricane Milton. Prayers were prayed for protection for them, and even though one had a tree fall on a car–there was no damage to that car–no scratch or even a dent! Her mom said, “It was like God gently laid the tree down”. I also know, some did not fare as well. Lives were lost, property damaged and that makes me sad. What happens if our own soul forgets the authority we have been given and we don’t pray? We don’t engage that authority? I think it is another tactic of our enemy to keep us functioning less than we have been given.

My friends, I want to remind all of us: we need to not only know we have been given authority, we need to be bold and use it. Many of my friends have been getting hit hard with life’s challenges, that they admitted it was even hard to pray because they didn’t even know where to begin. I have been there. What a sneaky enemy we have! He wants to undermine our authority because he is afraid of what would happen if we walked daily with our God given authority. I want to remind all of us, we have been given this power, the question is are we going to walk in it?

The hurricane victory stories are encouraging to hear. Every victory builds our faith. When my husband suffered his debilitating stroke, we prayed for healing. They told me he is blind, deaf and will never come out of this. We kept praying. I admit, I was tempted to listen to the doctors. But, I also kept hearing a sermon he preached: “most people want to see a miracle, but they don’t want to need one, to see one”. He lived his life to show forth God’s glory. So, with the help of our faith-filled children and God’s family, we kept trusting and believing. He eventually learned to walk again, eat again and know us. We exercised the exousia and dunamis power we received from the Lord, and saw miraculous results. I am using those stories to fight for others in their cancer journeys, today.

I admit there are days when the cares of this world overwhelms and overshadows the fact I have this authority. When this happens, I definitely live beneath the privilege I have as a believer, and in reality, I think like a victim. My “feels” start trying to lead, rather than my faith. When my soul starts to complain “it’s not fair”, or “why, Lord?”, fear grows and my faith shrinks. But, when I remember I have been given authority things begin to change. Jesus told us in Luke 10:19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure them. (We won’t go into stupid foolish actions). The question is, do I believe God has really given us power over our enemy? Or am I a victim of his actions?

My friends, I want to encourage all of us to walk in our authority. Do not let the bigness of the situation limit your prayers. Remind yourself of the miracles Jesus performed. Many of them came from his heart of compassion. If you find your faith small, ask Him to enlarge it. Take the time to study His Word and learn about this authority we have been given. Let His love lead you. James 4:2, reminds us “we have not because we ask not”. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. Let’s begin to ask largely in His name.

Sunday, my friend who is a middle school counselor, asked me to pray a big prayer. She told me that from the month of October to the middle of January , suicide among teenagers takes a big leap in numbers, please pray. I then talked with our Youth Pastor, asking what we, as Senior Life ministry, could pray for them. I found out some of our youth group members had confided in them that they were thinking of taking their own lives. We must pray as if we believe in the prayer we are praying. I believe lives are being saved because of these on-going prayers. Our nation needs help and that must come from people who walk in God’s authority. Do not let the enemy keep you smaller than you are. Stand up in God’s love, in His mercy, and declare His Word over your circumstance. If you don’t know His will in your situation, ask Him to show you. Take time to build your faith in that area and pray. Get together with other believers. Some things need the “two or three touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:19.

Father, I thank you for helping us understand how to use the authority you have entrusted us with. Forgive us for living underneath life’s circumstances instead above it. Thank you for the reminder we are not victims, but victors no matter our situation. We choose to partner with you, dear heavenly Father. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Faith and Honest Conversation with God

September 26, 2024 Martha Rodman1 Comment

I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. Psalm 142:1

I have been under the weather for almost a week. It started with a slight sore throat and moved into a massive headache and sinus involvement. Sneezing, coughing and body aches came along. My eyes didn’t seem to be focusing either. Maybe it was my head pain, but I couldn’t think through what to take to feel better.

I went through one of the most frustrating and sense of isolation times in my widowhood. Reading the OTC meds in my cupboard became very frustrating. I was supposed to pick my sister up from the airport shuttle, and knew I couldn’t drive, so with effort I reached out to our other sister and she was able to do it. She also brought me meds and food.

I don’t know what was the most challenging–feeling so awful or the inability to read instructions and there is nobody here to help me do it. It definitely was a time I cried out to the Lord. He sent me the help I needed, but at the time I felt very vulnerable (as well as feverish, chilled and wimpy!). The good news is as I asked for prayer, many reached out and ask how they could help. I am so blessed.

A few days later, as I am still recovering, I had an open and honest conversation with the Lord. I liken it to those conversations you have with your spouse. The “this is the truth” of how I am feeling conversation. It came complete with heart transparency, ugly crying and all the emotions that come with that. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a different level of honesty than I have gone with Him for a while. Oh, I have had plenty of repentance prayers, along with ‘help me, Lord’ etc., but this was deeper than those. It was raw and real. My prayer began “O, Lord, I am a lousy daughter…and moved on from there.” The funny thing is He didn’t use words to re-align my thinking, He used His Presence. After my honest conversation (it went quite deeper), I sat there in wonder.

An amazing sense of peace, safety and love descended. It was incredible. My spirit and soul felt refreshed and clean; like David must have felt when he prayed in Psalm 51:10. Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. I realized I had not taken the time to share these thoughts with Him. Most of my prayers (conversation) have been supplication and intercession on behalf of others. They included thanksgiving and gratitude for answers, but not the sharing of what was really going on in my heart with His heart. We need many prayers, my friends.

Like any relationship, we need to communicate. He communicated to me that day through my daily Bible reading. I found hope, encouragement and needed thought adjustments! My reading actually helped precipitate our conversation.

As I write this, my thoughts are turned to the state of Florida and Hurricane Helene. My heart is interceding for all the people as they prepare for a Category 4 storm. I’m asking for His intervention and trusting He has a plan in place to show off His loving care. Ezra 9 declares the sin that brought consequences upon the Israelites. I am interceding on behalf of our nation for repentance and mercy. These are also honest conversations we can have with our Savior, trusting Him and His purpose in and through our lives.

Take the time, my friends, to talk with Him. There is freedom to receive as we interact on a deep personal level. It is a good thing that we will pass on that freedom to others!

Father, I thank you for your gracious listening to my heart cry. I thank you for your mercy on my soul, and on all your children. Please show us how to have honest, faith-filled conversations with you, that avail much. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Faith and “Faith Legs”

June 6, 2024 Martha RodmanLeave a comment

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Hebrews 12:12 NLT

This past week a friend and member of our small group received some very disappointing news. It was very hard to hear, and it was one of those situations where much prayer had gone forth, with good expectations and then poor choices happened and sad news followed. Our small group is really family, so what hurts one hurts us all. As I wrote to encourage her, I actually wrote, “we’ve all had heart pain that knocks us sideways. You are not alone. We are with you. You will get your faith legs back. They actually are still there.” This was the first time I have ever used the phrase “faith legs”.

Most of us take our legs for granted. I watch my grandchildren hop up from the floor and run around, without thinking! This past year I have had trouble with my knees. Naturally, I have had to slow down a bit when rising from chairs and think twice about floor sitting with my granddaughter because I have to get up again! This has made me much more aware of my legs. We need them to walk, run, hop or skip! But our spiritual legs are even more important.

Spiritual battles are taking place all around us, in us, and hopefully through us to victories. Spiritual battles take courage. There are times, even with our spiritual armor put in place, we can receive wounds. We make it through a rough battle, celebrating God’s victory, breathing a sigh of relief. But we may not realize we have sustained some damage. When the next battle comes around, we may be reluctant to engage. This is Satan’s further attempt at sidelining God’s warriors. We find our hands tired (feeble) and our knees weak.

After my knees started protesting their job, I went to physical therapy. My PT person showed me various exercises to strengthen my knees–but mainly she said the thing I needed to do was strengthen my hips. I needed strong hips to give me stronger knees and legs. After a season of PT, I finally had an MRI, which discovered, not arthritis, but damaged tendons and ligaments. My orthopedic appointment yielded a “come back and see me when you don’t feel safe to walk across the floor”. When our spiritual knees and hands are weakened, we need strengthening exercises to become strong again. We need to go back to the Lord, asking for strength and restoration. There is healing in the Presence of the Lord. If we feel frustrated or weak, guilt may keep us from seeking Him, because we think we should/could have been stronger. Weakness just shows us where we need to be strengthened. There should be no guilt involved.

This comes back to “faith legs”. Paul tells the Ephesians: A final word: Be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:10. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Ephesians 13:11. It is God’s intention that we learn how to stand firm in our faith. Even amid any no’s we might receive. Disappointments are difficult to process. But they shouldn’t stop us from fighting on. Victories will never be won without a battle.

What may look like failure for a season, is just that. A season. Part of our walk with the Lord is understanding how to fall and then get back up. The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. Proverbs 24:16. My friends, we must set ourselves to rise again, not stay down. Often condemnation tries to keep us down, don’t let it. Remember: there is no condemnation to those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1. When he says no, he means it!

Our getting up and back into the fight helps encourage others to do the same. Isaiah 35 encourages us: With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. Say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies, He is coming to save you. Isaiah 25:3-4. Encouraging others also helps encourage ourselves.

Strengthening our spiritual knees is done with prayer, worship and standing on the Word. Jesus’ parable about the house built on the rock versus the house built on the sand is true. If we find ourselves wobbly in the storms, we can discover if we are really standing on Him and His Word, or ourselves? Tests and trials come. If there are weak spots in your foundation, strengthen them with the Word. Keep on pursuing Him and His ways. Strengthen those faith legs, my friend. We need you!

Father, I thank you for showing us our weak areas. I thank you we can go back to you and learn to strengthen those weak areas. Teach us to walk, with the whole armor of God, not just the parts we think are important. Teach us to wield the sword of the Spirit as well. Thank you for stronger faith legs today. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Faith and Once Again God’s Grace

May 30, 2024 Martha RodmanLeave a comment

Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous. Psalm 143:1

I have begun to love this Psalm. It was written by David during some very trying times. One way we can encourage ourself in the Lord is, like David, by reminding himself of God’s character traits. He reminds God is his faithfulness and righteousness. This past week has been a tough one for me. I found myself emotionally struggling for God’s footing and direction, when I came across Psalm 143. It was like a life-line for me.

Verse three: my enemy has chased me. He has knocked me to the ground and forces me to live in darkness like those in the grave. This is literally what David had to do. He was chased by enemies and was forced to live in very dark caves to preserve his own life. Often, it seems I chase my own self into dark caves, because I get my eyes off God and His light. He promises us that He is the light in our darkness. Our enemy can try to chase us to the dark, or we can choose to run to the light. Self pity, selfishness and woe is me thoughts lead us to dark places, don’t they? Thanksgiving, gratitude and hope lead us to the light.

But David goes even deeper into his complaints. I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. When we feel all hope is gone and allow fear to step in, we can also feel paralyzed with fear. It is a horrible feeling. When Darryl had his stroke, I immediately turned to the Lord. Riding in the aide car to the hospital, I found myself praying “I am not ready to be a widow, but I throw myself on to the rock of your righteousness”. It was only by God’s grace that I knew where to turn. My heart hurts for those who do not even know they have a God they can turn to. Before Darryl became a Christian and he was in life or death situations, he told me “I never cried out to anyone. It was just me and me alone and it was scary.” We need to share the good news that there is a God and He cares.

David then begins to remind himself of God and His works. I remember days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depressions deepens. Don’t turn away from me, or I will die. Psalm 143: 5-7. When we go through life’s challenges (or curve balls, like last weeks post), we need to stop and be honest with the Lord. As I read this Psalm last Friday, I felt like David. I needed Him to come and show me what to do. As I shared this scripture with someone, they asked, are you depressed? I could honestly answer the situation was depressing, but no, I am not depressed. But just reading David’s honest sharing with the Lord, helped me lift my load.

I began to gain even more hope as I read on. Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Psalm 143:8. Oh my friends, He longs to show us where and how to walk through our difficulties. Even when He seems silent, His grace is there helping us as we give ourselves to Him.

So David is going to the Light. He continues on by verse 10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life, because of your faithfulness bring me out of this distress. In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies and destroy all my foes, for I am your servant. Psalm 143: 10-12. NLT. This is quite a different ending from David’s beginning isn’t it?

David, once again, shows us how to go through hard things. We can learn to look for the light, remembering every testimony He has already given us. Tests and trials are God’s way of enhancing our relationship with Him. David shared his feelings, but he didn’t let them hinder him from moving on. Our enemy would love to shrink our God to his size and his ways. But His ways are not only higher than our ways, they always lead us to freedom and more grace. Have you prayed about your trial, or just complained about it?? Only when we take the time to pray about things, do they really change. Usually our heart changes first, then our circumstances. We can always trust His grace to bring us through everyone. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16.

Father, I thank you for helping us in our time of need by your abundant grace. I ask you to remind us to ask for your help, no matter what we face. It is Your grace that shows up when we feel alone, depressed and paralyzed with fear. David did not stay in fear or depressed, but overcame by God’s grace, and so can we. In Jesus Name, amen.

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Faith and Life’s Curve Balls

May 24, 2024 Martha Rodman2 Comments

You saw me before I was born, every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. Psalm 139:16 NLT

This scripture is such a comfort to me…especially when life’s curve balls (to me) happen! Our family has been thrown a few good size ones. The first was when my husband had his stroke in 2010 and then passed in 2012. It was a challenge, but I leaned upon Him and He held us. I learned how to manage some of life’s larger curve balls.

Two years ago, my son and his wife lost a special little girl, named Madeline, at only five months gestation. It was a rough time, not only emotionally but also physically, for my daughter-in-law. Last year, we celebrated the birth of their fourth child, another sweet girl, Sofia. However, Becca hemorrhaged soon after delivery, and we came close to losing her. So grateful for God’s grace and the hospital team that saved her life. This curve was not only unexpected, but I will admit it was traumatizing. I had to ask the Lord for restorative grace. I learned to focus on the actual good outcome, not focusing on the “what could have happened” scenarios. Thankfulness and gratitude became healing for me.

S0 this year, I was looking forward to a more “normal” summer. Celebrating with family and enjoying the Pacific Northwest’s special summer days. But, we have been challenged once again to trust our God and His plans. Our dear Becca has been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Not only do I ask for your prayers, but I want to share with you some things I’ve learned from walking already through this new curve ball of life.

Once again, I am challenged to trust our God and His character. It is discovery time in my own soul of whether I trust Him or do I need to grow in more trust. My son has also been fighting sickness for quite a while, so it is hard to keep praying and expecting health and there hasn’t been a breakthrough. I felt the Holy Spirit asked me if I trusted Him with my son. I had to stop and consider. We know the journey and diagnosis that Becca faces, but they can’t seem to figure out what’s wrong with him. I had to admit to the Lord that it was scary and frustrating to keep expecting him to rise up healed. I know it will happen. I read something yesterday about delayed or seemingly unanswered prayers. When we get frustrated or angry because they aren’t answered we can change our perspective and spend the time praying to get to know Him better. Our time spent asking is not in vain and we need to continue with the knowledge and peace that the answer and timing is in His hands. But the more we wait with Him, the more we grow in our relationship with Him. The promises in His Word have become even more precious to me, a deeper learning lesson.

I woke up about 2:30 a.m. praying for them, this morning. As I talked to the Lord about them, He showed me the need for someone to help with the baby during the day. My son asked me if I could hang out with their one-year-old today, as the Lord had already shown me! So another lesson I keep learning is trusting Him to set the course of my day. God had already shown me the need! As I drove to their home, I talked to the Lord about how to best to help them get the most rest. I asked if I could bring her back to my house, and they said yes. My lesson in dealing with life’s curve balls is obeying the Holy Spirit.

As I rocked her to sleep listening to my Spotify prayer channel, we both rested in the Presence of the Lord. I figured out how to transfer her to the couch…and she slept much longer than her normal morning nap. As we sat together, I realized that part of God’s character is that He sits with us and loves us amid of our challenging times. When we understand the truth of 1 John 4:13 it becomes easier to trust. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. Reminding myself of God’s love for each of our family members is always a good start for life’s curve balls.

Another thing I have learned about life’s curve balls is they don’t come alone. They are usually multifaceted and multilevel. In our situation, we also get to walk the journey with their four children. We are helping them through their fears and concerns. It is one thing to trust the Lord with your own health, but another with our children and grandchildren. I know He is teaching us all lessons in his faithfulness. It is part of dealing with life’s curve balls, isn’t it?

We’ve learned you need a team. These bigger balls can’t be handled by themselves. God has provided a wonderful support team with Becca’s parents and her sister. They actually live next door. We They have their own challenges too…so we need good communication. When life throws you curve balls, make sure you have a team. It is best to develop those relationships pre-curve, but sometimes God sends you added experienced team members in the midst. People who have been through what you are going through can be great encouragers!

Life’s curve balls happen to everyone. You are not alone. Life’s curve balls can either make us bitter, or better. We can grow in our compassion or withdraw inside ourselves. Or maybe for a season, as we adjust, a bit of both. But the good news is He understands. He is not caught unaware of our days, our experiences and our challenges. I believe we will move through this challenge stronger than ever. We are celebrating so many areas where God has already answered with a yes. But we still need to rehearse that through praise, thanksgiving and reminding ourselves during the tougher times. If you are struggling mid curve, take the time to examine your wins. Because of His goodness, I know you have them.

This journey will not be easy, but we believe with God’s help, it is doable. We expect to learn much along the way, but also are choosing to live and enjoy, as best as possible, life each day. I know there will probably be more curve balls ahead, but we trust Him even more than ever.

Father, it is not only encouraging that you have recorded the days of our life, but we know that You’ve determined that these things are going to work out for good for everyone concerned. Please help us trust You with every curve ball this life has for us. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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Faith and Heart Sickness

April 25, 2024 Martha Rodman2 Comments

I am sick at heart. How long O Lord, until you restore me? Psalm 6:3

These past few weeks I haven’t felt well. Congestion, coughing, fatigue and sinus issues were robbing me of my focus and well being. I called to make Drs. appointment, but he was on vacation, so it took two weeks. I thought, surely I will be better by then, but in fact it was worse. He ordered a chest x-ray, put me on antibiotics and recommended the usual OTC meds and rest.

Then, Sunday morning as I read Psalm 6, I came across this little verse where David confessed, “I am sick at heart.” I realized that not only was my body sick, but my heart was as well. I confessed to the Lord: “I admit to you this is where I am, right or wrong. My heart is sick.” It took courage to admit it. It was humbling. It was also freeing.

One description of a sick heart is one that is grieving, very disappointed, and feeling dejected. Some of life’s realities have caught me off guard lately. Unexpected difficult diagnosis, unexpected loss, or my feeling of inadequacy have left my heart feeling sick.

David goes on in the rest of the verse, “How long, O Lord, until you restore me?” As I meditated on that verse, I realized what David must have. I can’t restore my own heart. I need Him to do it. I need to trust Him to help me. Even with David asking the Lord, “how long” there is an element that it will happen. He expected to be restored. I got real honest with myself and Him. How about you? Are there any parts of your heart that may be sick? Do you have the courage to admit it? It happens to all of us, eventually. Confessing my emotions and thoughts to Him began to bring relief.

I kept reading Psalm after Psalm. Seeing myself in some of them, and being encouraged as David and the other writers shared their own struggles, was like sitting under a waterfall shower. I felt washed and free. My heart’s restoration had begun.

But I also felt unexpectedly exhausted. I went to bed and slept for two hours, woke up and went back to sleep for more. This is not something I usually can do during the day, but I woke refreshed, strengthened both in my heart and my body. For this, I am very thankful.

I asked the Lord, “how do I protect my heart from getting sick?” Then I thought maybe the right question would be first, “Can I protect my heart from getting sick?” I think that is probably more accurate. I think in our fallen world, it isn’t practical to think we won’t suffer disappointment, dejection or grief. It is one of the side effects of loving people. Our heart hurts for them and with them.

What am I trying to say? Don’t keep pushing through, or pretending your heart is ok, when it isn’t. Take the time to take it to the Lord and let Him restore your soul. Part of hurting with others is part of our fellowshipping in His suffering. He gets it and He cares that we do. We are called to bear or share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6: 2.NLT. Helping lift their load requires us to get close and personal, and that may involve some hurt. It is part of the loving package. But don’t forget, we also get to rejoice with those who rejoice! Romans 12:15. NLT.

Father, I ask that you examine our hearts and see if we are carrying any heart sickness. Please bring your restoration to those areas and help us not to be afraid of heart pain, because you aren’t. Thank you for bearing our burdens and teaching us to carry others, In Jesus’ Name, amen.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

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Faith and Worship Reset

March 28, 2024 Martha Rodman1 Comment

You must worship only the Lord you God. He is the one who will rescue from your enemies. 2 Kings 17:39 NLT.

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I like to skip over introductions and prefaces, and get to the “meat” of the things. I discovered I do that a lot when I am praying. This means I often just jump in to talking to the Lord about my issues or my friends and family concerns. I do this without taking the time to worship and honor Him. It means I have inadvertently developed a habit and left out an important part of prayer: worship. I know that there are several different types of prayer: thanksgiving, intercession, adoration and supplication, for example. But I felt the Holy Spirit touch this area in my prayer life for a re-set.

I am changing my ways, not legalistically, but relationally. Now, as I take the time to stop and acknowledge Him with a worshipful and honoring heart, it is like a reset. Worship is an attitude of the heart and when our attitude is in order, it affects our actions. I so appreciate it when my grandchildren take the time to ask me for a snack, rather than assuming they can barge in and raid my snack cupboard! Even though, it is where they will end up going anyway, after I usually say “yes”. I think it must be the same with our Lord. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful or dishonoring to Him, but now that I have consciously added it back, it has been a blessing.

Worship re-focuses me on who He is. It is a humbling position where we bow our heart before Him. When I do, I find it resets my heart and focuses on what is important, not necessarily urgent. My quick prayers are heard, I know, but they don’t really build the relationship I want with Him. Including a time of worship brings re-connection in some new ways.

When Jesus was teaching his disciples how to pray, He left us a pattern found in Matthew 6. Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. As I read through this passage again, I found myself repenting for my arrogance. The first thing Jesus wants is His Father’s name to be kept holy and honored. I love the scripture in Hebrews that reminds us we can come boldly into the throne of God in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) But making a habit of not taking the time to honor and acknowledge Him in His position eventually robs me of the deeper relationship I long to have with Him. The joy of sitting quietly, acknowledging Him and His position in my life, has added such and awareness of His presence into every area of my life.

Maybe, this is just my personal issue. If so, that’s ok. Making a habit to consciously, respectfully honor Him and His position with my words, not just my heart has been a good thing for me. Does He want to make any changes in your life?

As we approach this Easter and all the celebration, help us honor and glorify you in whatever way You desire. You are so worthy, my Lord of all our praise and worship.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for teaching me how to honor and worship you through prayer. Please keep on working to teach us your heart and your ways. Thank you, for loving us enough to keep perfecting us, no matter what the area. In Jesus’ Name, amen.