Author: Stephanie Wolfe

“That corn is going to be hip-high by the 4th of July!”

That is the statement my daughter made as we drove by the cornfield on our way to town this morning. And she is right, the corn is already knee-high. The rains a few weeks ago and now the high heat must be great growing weather for the corn.

The farmers rely on the benefits of the rain. Most do not have massive sprinkling systems to cover their crops. And even if they did, water from a well or water treatment plant will never be as perfect as the rain that falls from the heavens above.

There are a few reasons why rainwater is best (yes, I had to do a little research:).

1 – Rainwater is 100% soft water. It is free of salts, minerals, treatment chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.
2 – Rainwater is slightly acidic. I don’t pretend to understand all the science stuff, but by God’s design rainwater is the exact ph range for anything that grows in the ground.
3 – Rainwater contains nitrates which are an important macronutrient for plants to thrive.

Isaiah 55 tells us that God’s word is just as irresistible and effective as the rain is for plants.

The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the fame and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)

We need God’s Word, straight from the Bible, no substitutes. It is like using tap water on your plants, it keeps the plants alive and growing, but never flourishing. There are so many places to read about God’s word…social media, magazines, pamphlets, books, even this Bible Journal which we write every week. But there is no true replacement for God’s Word.

When we feel run down, burnt out, or just plain tired, we need to run to God’s Word for rejuvenation. Just like the rain brings a dry, brown, crinkly plant back to life. The Word gives us what we need to continue through our day.

Just like the plants and fields need rain from heaven, we need God’s word daily. If we go too many days without being in the Bible, we may feel dry and unfruitful. But all it takes is cracking that book open and reading a few verses. God’s word is alive and will reach into your heart if you let it.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Hebrews 4:12

Today in Acts 8:26-40 we learn two things:

1-God has positioned each of us here for this moment.
2-God meets us where we are.

Philip was sent to meet with a man who was a high-ranking official in the Ethiopian government. This Ethiopian man had come to Jerusalem to worship. So God sent Philip to him to help him understand what he was reading in the book of Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man relied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
Acts 8:29-31

Philip listened to the Holy Spirit and followed through. Something that I could definitely improve on.  He walked to the man’s carriage and shared the good news. Through Philip, God met this man where he was and brought him to where he needed to be. Philip was able to take the passage the man was reading and point to his need to be rescued. He was able to tell how Jesus perfectly filled that role for him, died and rose from the dead to conquer his sins and bring him to eternal life.

God does the same for you and me, he meets us where we are.

We need constant reminders that God meets us right where we are and that He has taken care of our sin.

God sends people into our lives, just as he sent Philip to stand by a carriage and interpret what the man was reading. God sends people into our lives with spiritual needs that must be met. He sends people in our families, in our jobs, in our neighborhoods who need to have someone explain to them what God has done. He often meets people where they are through you and me. You and I get to share God’s truths with those around us.

Do you recall a time you had to stand up in front of many important people and give a speech?  I remember giving a few speeches in college, where I researched my  information and then practiced it so many times I had it memorized.  I probably did not come across very convincing since I gave the speeches only because I had to for a grade.  

I recall a time probably 20 years ago when I gave my testimony to a group of women.  I was nervous and I am sure I stumbled over my words, but I knew that God would use my words and speak to the women I was speaking to.  I was filled with the Holy Spirit who helped me tell of God’s love and redemption in my life.  

Today we read of Stephen, the first martyr, in Acts 7:23-43.  Stephen was a man who was full of faith and the Holy Spirit.  He was full of grace.  He was doing miracles.  He was a man who was living out his faith and doing it with boldness.

Because of who Stephen was and his boldness performing signs and wonders, he grew great opposition from the Synagogue leaders, the Sanhedrin.  The Sanhedrin began to create false witnesses who claimed that Stephen had blasphemed God.  Because of this, Stephen had to stand before the court and give a long speech of Moses in the Old Testament and how it related to Jesus’work through his death and resurrection.  

Stephen could have turned away from these people, but he chose to stand in front of them in his faith and speek boldly to them.  He did not choose to turn from his faith or take the easy way out.  The Holy Spirit filled him with courage and wisdom to speak to the Sanhedrin.  Stephen did not know what the outcome would be, but he boldly proclaimed the Word of God.  

We have the same choice in our daily life.  We can stay “safe” and not say what we feel God prompting us to say to another.  Or, we can boldly profess Who Jesus is, what He has done in our lives, and tell of the Promise of Heaven.  

Be Bold-Speak Up

The book of Joel gives us two commands. The first command is the importance of listening to God. But, listening to God is not enough, the second command is God’s desire that His people tell others what they have heard.

Hear this, you leaders of the people. Listen, all who live in the land. In all your history, has anything like this happened before? Tell your children about it in the years to come, and let your children tell their children. Pass the story down from generation to generation.
Joel 1:2-3

The following verses in Joel chapter 1 describe the national disaster that Israel faced. A terrible plague of locusts destroyed the land. They stripped bare every growing thing. A nation-wide drought and famine hit the land. God uses Joel to call the people together for prayer and fasting.

Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the Lord your God and cry out to him there.
Joel 1:14

We have experienced national calamity in the past week… again. Joel is giving us a reminder that we should follow his words and cry out to God. We may not be facing the same trials as the people of Israel, but we face horrors that we cannot fathom. God hears the cries of His people. We are called to listen to God and pass on what we hear to others. God is calling Israel to turn back to Him. He is doing the same today.

Joel reminds his people that the day of the Lord is near.

The day of the Lord is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be!
Joel 1:15

God is calling His people to turn back to Him. He is calling our attention every day. Through the horrible tragedies we see happen in our nation God is asking us to cry out to Him. To stop, to listen, to tell others of Jesus.

He is coming.

In the days before we had our iphone in our hand, pocket or purse 24/7, we had to call the front desk at a hotel and set up a wake up call.  Now we just set our alarm and do not have to ask anyone for assistance.

I remember the sound of that phone ringing to wake us up early in the morning at the hotel, usually to get up and get ready to head to a sporting event for my kids. I groggily got out of bed and began the process of getting myself and the family ready for the day.  That wake up call did nothing to transform me, but it did get me out of bed in the early morning.

Today in our reading Ezekiel 1-2:1 we read about the prophet Ezekiel and the wake up call he received from God. My wake up call was disturbing for a moment, but Ezekials wake up call was a reminder from God that He sat on the throne and is full of glory and goodness.

The chapter begins describing Ezekiel as a 30 year old man sitting by the river Chebar. Ezekiel was a prisoner who was taken captive by the Baylonians. While sitting in captivity, he sees an amazingly strange vision from the Lord.

I challenge you to open your Bible and read the vision that Ezekiel had, it will cause you to pause and imagine what it would have been like to see what he saw…

*vs4 – a great storm, lightning, fire inside the cloud, fire glowing like gleaming amber
*vs5 – four living beings that looked human
*vs6 – they each had four faces and four wings
*vs7 – their legs were straight, and their feet had hooves that shone like burnished bronze
*vs8 – human hands under their wings
*vs9 – each one moved straight forward in any direction without turning around
*vs10 – Each had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle at the back.
*vs11 – each had 2 pairs of outstretched wings
*vs13 – The living beings looked like bright coals of fire and flashed like lightening
*vs15 – Each had a wheel attached to the ground
*vs16 – The wheels sparkled and had a second wheel turning crosswise within it.
*vs18 – The rims of the wheels were covered with eyes all around

Verses 19-28 describe the holy splendor that shines all around the throne of God.

All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me. “Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.”
Ezekiel 1:28-2:1

This vision gives us a glimpse of the glory of God. We think we may know who God is, but in reading this passage we are in awe of Who God really is and What He is capable of. We have the opportunity to open our mind and give God the praise of being even bigger and more powerful than we can imagine. May we have a wake up call that gives us a glimpse of the glory of Who God is and be transformed more and more into His likeness.

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
2 Corinthians 3:18

It is easy to read Psalm 102 because it is so relatable. If you can’t personally relate to the trials and tribulations this psalmist records, you definitely know someone near you that is facing hardship. We can all identify with the frustration and discouragement we read in this chapter.

The first eleven verses of Psalm 102 describe the trials we face…

102:3 – my days disappear like smoke, my bones burn like a furnace
102:4 – my heart is struck down like grass and has withered
102:5 – because of my loud groaning, I am skin and bones
102:7 – I lie awake, lonely
102:8 – my enemies taunt me day after day
102:9 – my tears run down into my drink
102:11 – My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows. I am withering away like grass.

BUT…..

The the psalmist gives us hope and changes everything with this one word…”but”.

But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation.
Psalm 102:12

This life gives us challenging and scary circumstances, BUT one day, it will change! When Christ returns to rule and reign for 1000 years, it will all be different. He will have mercy on those living.

You will arise and have mercy on Jerusalem – and now is the time to pity her, now is the time you promised to help.
Pslam 102:13

The city and the people have endured much hardship, but will be restored. Jesus will appear and rule and reign again. The prayers of those with little hope will be heard. The Lord will be praised. Life on earth will be different.

Let this be recorded for a generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord. Tell them the Lord looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven to hear the groans of the prisoners, to release those condemned to die. And so the Lord’s fame will be celebrated in Zion, his praises in Jerusalem, when multitudes gather together and kingdoms come to worship the Lord.
Psalm 102:18-22

We will face struggles, fears and trials, BUT we have God’s promises to hold onto. We have the promise that life on earth will be different. We have hope when we put our trust in Him. Jesus promises that He is with us to the end of the age. This is His promise to us.

And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:20

I am ashamed to admit that I still find myself questioning God and not fully trusting Him and His promises.  I am definitely getting better at it, but it is not 100% natural to turn directly to Him first.  When I have to face my fears in certain situations, I find I battle in my mind before I turn to God.  

Today in Psalm 56, we read:

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust;  I shall not be afraid.  What can flesh do to me?

Psalm 56:3-4

“In God We Trust” can be see on our money.  We say these words in our pledge of allegiance and our national anthem.  It is easy to say in the pledge, or sing about, or even read.  But, is it that easy to apply to our lives when we face a fear?

King David experienced all kinds of fears, anxieties, and pain.  Just because he loved the Lord didn’t mean his life was easy.  Psalm 56 shows us that he was fearing for his life.  It proves to us that when he was afraid, he put his trust in God.  

When we believe in God we have a choice.  We can choose to live in fear, or we can choose give our fear to God and let our faith turn into trust.  When we turn to God our perspective changes.  We can focus on how big God is instead of how big our fear is.  Our faith will grow as we remember that God is for us and we can trust in His promises.

Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call.  This I know, that God is for me.  In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust;  I shall not be afraid.  What can man do to me?

Pslam 56:9-11

Let those who are wise understand these things.  Let those with discernment listen carefully.  The paths of the Lord are true and right, and righteous people live by walking in them.  But in those paths sinners stumble and fall.

Hosea 14:9

This last verse in Hosea chapter 14 sums up the entire book and presents us with a response. 

There are two paths for each of us to choose.  There is God’s way and then there is the way that Israel took. God has given each of us the freedom to choose which path we will take.  The question is, which way will we choose?

We have been reading about Israel and their choices to not follow God’s ways.  We have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes.  The wise person will take heart and listen and obey God and choose to walk in His ways.

The foolish person will continue to stumble in their sinful ways.  They will disregard God’s commandments.  God will continue to seek and appeal to the sinner, but they will not listen or turn from their ways.  

We have the awesome opportunity to bring our sins to God and He will forgive them.  Then he will delight in us and we will delight in Him.

The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness;  my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever.  

Hosea 14:4

God, thank you for Your faithfulness to all, even when we go astray.  Thank you for your promises and forgiveness.  Thank You that even when we choose the wrong path, you are still there loving us and calling us back to You.  Thank You for saving us.  Amen

God’s promise for Israel is His promise also to us:

I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven.  Israel will blossom like the lily;  it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon.  

Hosea 14:6

The weather is finally giving us a glimpse of warmer days and sunny skies.  Every few days we seem to get a “tease” of what is coming.  As spring arrives it is time for some spring cleaning.  Yesterday, I began with tackling a bookshelf that had been cluttered to the max over the winter.  On one shelf I found a large family photo album.  The next hour was spent looking through every page and feeling the deep love that I have for my children.  It was hard to put it down and move on.  The memories lived on in me throughout the day.

The photos were of my children when they were small.  Oh what dreams and hopes I had for them.  At young ages, the sky was the limit and I as a young mom I dreamed they would have fabulous futures in front of them.  

As children mature, mistakes are made and we as parents are humbled.  Some mistakes can have catastrophic consequences.  But a parents’ love never fails for their child.  God had the same problem.  Today’s reading, Hosea 11:1-11, is a beautiful passage of God’s love for his children.  In this passage we read of all God has done for his children, Israel.  The more God called them, the more they turned from him.  

Hosea uses his writing to try and persuade the people of Israel to reform their ways, to return to God.  In Hosea 11, he uses the language of the love of a parent for her children.  

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.  Israel called to the Egyptians even as Israel was leaving them.  They kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.  It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the hand, but they never knew that I healed them.

Hosea 11:1-3

God had been with Israel from the beginning.  Loving them, providing for them, healing them, and leading them.  He was faithfully leading them as their father, but they forgot what it meant to be His child.

We can easily imagine ourselves, and our children in Israel’s shoes.  We have so much in common with these people.  We do not live as we should live.  We forget what God has done for us.  We ignore the hand who heals us.  The amazing part of this story is the faithfulness of God even though we fall short over and over again. 

Oh, how can I give you up, Israel?  How can I let you go?  How can I destroy you like Admah or demolish you like Zeboiim?  My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.

Hosea 11:8

While we are like the Israelites and continue to wander, we are not lost.  God will never lose us.  He will roar and we will return to Him.

For someday the people will follow me.  I, the Lord, will roar like a lion.  And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west.

Hosea 11:10

We have a divine parent who exceeds all of our parental expectations.  God has a parental love that never gives up on us, His children, no matter how much we wander.

The stage is set…

Sunday is Coming!

This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath.  As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.  (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.)  Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet.  The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body.  Joseph bought a long sheet of lined cloth.  The he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock.  The he rolled a stone in front of the entrance.  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.

Mark 15:42-47

Jesus is buried.  Dead.  But, this is NOT the end of the story.

The stage is set for the greatest miracle in history.  

The resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

Sunday is COMING!!!