Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

From Matthew Henry's commentary: "Known unto God are all his works, for known unto him are all his thoughts (Acts 15:18) and his works agree exactly with his thoughts; he does all according to the counsel of his will. We often do not know our own thoughts, nor know our own mind, but God is never at any uncertainty within himself. We are sometimes ready to fear that God’s designs concerning us are all against us; but he knows the contrary concerning his own people, that they are thoughts of good and not of evil; even that which seems evil is designed for good. His thoughts are all working towards the expected end, which he will give in due time. The end they expect will come, though perhaps not when they expect it. Let them have patience till the fruit is ripe, and then they shall have it. He will give them an end, and expectation, so it is in the original... He will give them to see the expectation, that end which they desire and hope for, and have been long waiting for. He will give them, not the expectations of their fears, nor the expectations of their fancies, but the expectations of their faith, the end which he has promised and which will turn for the best to them."

(To read the complete text, here's the link .)

Thank you notes for our troops!

I found a site where you can send thank you notes to our troops serving overseas. Please take a few moments to send a note of thanks to those who are fighting for our freedoms so far from home.

You can follow the link below or from the website list in the right hand column.
Let's Say Thanks

Christmas thoughts

I wrote my Christmas meditations on my other blog. If you are interested, you can read them at: hisbeloved.geeksforchrist.com

Merry Christmas to one and all!

Thoughts on 1 Timothy 2: 1-4

I was reading this morning in I Timothy 2 and came across verses 1-4:

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

The literal meaning of authority here is “the act of overhanging” or “the thing which overhangs”. Our husbands are our covering, our overhanging, if you will. Just as you would pray for any other leadership, so should you pray for your husband.

As I read, I wondered what each of those words meant, so I looked them up. Supplication is “a seeking, asking, entreaty” to God. It stresses the sense of need. A prayer is simply a prayer addressed to God. Intercessions means “a lighting upon, meeting with” or “a conversation” hence, “a petition”. It is a technical term for approaching a king. Giving of thanks is just that, showing thankfulness for something. (All the definitions come from www.blueletterbible.org searches.)

So we are to express our husband’s needs, pray for him, approach our King with our petitions for him and give thanks for him too. We may be tempted to forget to give thanks for him, but this is just as important to God as the intercessions.

I think any of us who are wives can see why this would lead to a quiet and peaceable life. When we are praying for our husbands, there is a peace from God that calms our hearts; for we know that we have done what God has called us to do; to be his helpmeet and his support. We have done this in the most important way possible by remembering him to our Father.

Some of us wonder how we are to preach the gospel when we are “merely” housewives. Here is one way to do that. You see, people are always watching, inside and outside the church. When you are seeking to honor and respect the authority God has placed you under, others take notice, especially in our modern “it’s all about me” mentality. It automatically sets you apart from those who would rather promote themselves. Our attitude is a testament to God’s offering of salvation and peace.

So as you go through your day today, washing dishes, running errands, etc… pray for your husband and enjoy the quiet and peace God is waiting to give you in your heart (not necessarily with the kids around).

Wisdom or the Chambers of Death

I was going to write my own words but when God's already said it, I don't need to write it on my own. Just a thought for today.

Proverbs 7
1: My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2: Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3: Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4: Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6: For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7: And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8: Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9: In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11: (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13: So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14: I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15: Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16: I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17: I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18: Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19: For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21: With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22: He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23: Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24: Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25: Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26: For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27: Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

A Domestic Revelation

I was in the middle of making dinner last night and had a revelation. You see, when I was growing up, I hated cooking. I would rather do almost anything than cook. I would volunteer to clean bathrooms, vacuum floors, wash dishes, almost anything but cook. It was so boring and without imagination. Yes, Anne Shirley and I were two peas in a pod that way. The only chore in my mind that was worse than cooking was gardening; all the dirt and bugs and hot sun. UGH!!!

In April I got married. During our engagement, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I would manage to cook three meals a day. I prayed and ask God to please do a miracle and help me learn to like cooking. I expected it would be a struggle of monumental proportions. I expected months of drudgery and toil, trying to make sure I kept a good attitude. I was ready for trouble.

Seven months past and I forgot all about my prayer...until the revelation last night. I realized, as I was cutting potatoes that I have missed cooking. (It had been a few days since I had made a dinner, between visiting family and leftovers.) I also realized that there hasn't been a single day that I have hated cooking since I got married. Oh, there have been days I didn't feel like cooking, being pregnant will do that to you. But I enjoy being in my own kitchen, using my own pans, bowls and dishes. And I love seeing my husband enjoying his dinner after a day of work.

So this has taught me two things. The first is that while I may forget what I prayed for, God never forgets or stops working on the needs of His children. And second that when you are willing to do what God has called you to do, He will give you all you need to complete the task: even something as big as actually enjoying cooking. :D