Lesson from a Puzzle

by Sue Huey

Used by permission

This is probably my favorite puzzle we have done so far. Puzzles come in assorted sizes and take different lengths of time to complete. Sometimes they're fun, sometimes they're when the last piece is put in, the puzzle is finished. And so it is with our lives. Some are longer than others, and we all face  frustrating times, sometimes they're boring, sometimes they're challenging. But one thing they all have in common is that when the last piece is put in, the puzzle is finished. And so it is with our lives. Some are longer than others, and we all face challenges. But one thing is certain; one day the "last piece will be put in place" and our life will be over. But the difference between our life and a puzzle is that we don't know when ours will be finished. Our Creator has the Master Plan and we can't see it from our side. And so, we must be ready.

The first Mother's Day I spent without a mother was 1985. My mom had passed away just a few weeks earlier, and to us, it seemed she was gone too soon. It was sad and it was difficult, but I remember being so excited for her because her cancer was gone and I knew she was in the presence of her Savior. We knew her faith and trust was in Christ alone and it gave us great peace and joy. Do you have that peace?

John 14:6 Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

If this were your last day, would you be ready to face eternity? We need to believe in Jesus and receive him as our Savior so we can become a child of God.  And if you are ready, tell your loved ones, so they will be able to have peace when your last "piece" has been put in place. Have a blessed day!

Jesus Our Rock

by Sue Huey

Used by permission

Life today in these troubled times can be dark and unsettling, and often overwhelming.  But I choose not to be sucked in by the darkness.  

Psalm 60:2 says, "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I."  The rock is not a thing, but a person, and His name is Jesus.  He is the Rock of our salvation and we are to run to Him.  He wants to protect us and to give us the strength we need day to day to keep us from being overwhelmed.  He is our shelter in the time of storm!

I'm so thankful that Jesus is not only our Rock but that He came to earth to be the Light of the World.  If we put our faith and trust in Him, we no longer need to walk in darkness.  And once we've experienced Him and His saving power, we're not to turn off our light and hide, but we are to be proclaiming the praises of Him who called us out of the darkness and into His marvelous light.  We need to keep on pushing back the darkness and sharing the Light of Jesus, who has come to seek and to save those who are lost and in need of a Savior.

A Shelter in the Time of Storm

The Lord's our Rock, in Him we hide.
A shelter in the time of storm;
Secure whatever ill betide,
A shelter in the time of storm.

Refrain:
O Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A weary land, a weary land;
O Jesus is a Rock in a weary land,
A shelter in the time of storm.

On the Victory Side

by Sue Huey
Used by permission

There is so much darkness in our world today. 2020 has been quite the year, and humanly speaking, our future is not looking too bright. COVID-19. The government controls. The racial tension. The looting. The rioting. The burning. The destruction of our nation and its history. The division of our nation. Our freedoms are disappearing right before our very eyes. Sin is rampant. Truth is trampled on. It’s a very bleak outlook for our beloved country and sad and scary time to be alive.

But, thank God, Jesus is the Answer! We know that in the end, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and every tongue will acknowledge God. ( Romans 14:11) For those of us who know Jesus, a glorious future is awaiting us. We will spend all of eternity with Him, with no more sorrow, no more tears, worshiping, and praising Him forever.

We’ll be going through some trials in the meantime, but we are on the victory side, and nothing can touch us that doesn’t have God’s approval. He has the final say. He is the VIctor, and this should encourage us to be steadfast and enthusiastically serving and praising Him, for none of it is in vain.

If you don’t know Jesus, Romans 10:13 tells us, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” You can become a child of God simply by calling on Him and asking Him to forgive you of your sins and trusting Him with your eternity. Then you too can enjoy walking with Jesus and can look forward to an eternity with Him.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

This song came to mind - one that we sang often when I was growing up.

On the victory side, On the victory side
No foe can harm me, no fear can alarm me,
On the victory side.
On the victory side, On the victory side
With Christ within, the fight we'll win.
On the victory side.

Waiting on God

by Sue Huey
Used by permission

Who likes to wait?  No one that I know enjoys waiting.  We're so impatient.  In a world of instant and immediate gratification for so many things, waiting seems so tedious.  Why does everything have to take so long?  Sometimes we're waiting for God to work in our lives and we feel like nothing is happening.  Does He see me?  Does He hear me?  We feel like waiting on God is wasted time.  But I love this verse I read this morning.

Isaiah  64:4  Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

Wow!  What a verse!  God is not just doing nothing while we are waiting.  He is up to something!  He's acting on my behalf while I am waiting!

Several years ago God gave me a perfect illustration of this. Clay bought me a beautiful plant for Mother’s Day. At that time I knew almost nothing about plants. Other than some purple petunias I recognized, I thought the rest was just different types of greenery. But a couple days later, some tiny yellow flowers popped out. Then a patch of bright pink flowers, and then some little white ones. I was so surprised to see the plants blooming when I thought it was just greenery. And then much later, another plant with very dark green leaves that I had been tempted to pull out because I thought it was not very pretty was suddenly bearing the most beautiful lavender flowers! What a surprise! I had no idea these late bursts of color were coming.

I felt like God spoke to my heart and said, “That is what I’m doing in your life. You sometimes feel like you are just wasting time and waiting for nothing. But you can’t always see what I’m doing, and so you have no idea of what I am planning while you are waiting. Just trust me. Not only are you growing, but what I am doing in your life will become more beautiful with time.”

I’m so thankful for this beautiful illustration that God gave me of His promises. God doesn’t work on our timetable, and sometimes things take way longer than we ever expected. In Ephesians 3:20 He tells us that He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. If God cares that much to surprise us in nature with flowers when we expect none, surely he wants to do so much more in our lives.