Book Review [Katharina & Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun & a Renegade Monk by Michelle DeRusha]

Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk by Michelle DeRusha
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Katharina was quite the inspiration! Although this book was not what I expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting to learn so much on the difficulties women faced during this time period. I wasn't expecting to learn about Katharina's tremendous work ethic! I wasn't expecting to fall in love with the Luther household. And I truly wasn't expecting conviction upon reading of Katharina's work ethic. But these aren't the only unexpected, wonderful results of reading this book, which I encourage you to do as well! You will be thankful for it, I can promise you that.

I cannot even begin to sing my gratitude for living in the 21st century. The view of women in general has changed significantly. We have citizenship rights, for example, and if our spouse passes away (or if we choose not to marry at all) we will not be condemned or feared to be a witch with extreme sexual passions that cannot be tamed. Documents like Malleus Maleficarum (known as the Hammer of Witches) is now considered ludicrous for statements such as, 

"a woman was a liar by nature; vain in gait, posture, and habit; and insatiable in carnal lust, as well as wicked: "a foe to friendship, an unescapable punishment, a necessary evil, a natural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic danger, a delectable detriment, an evil of nature, painted with fair colors! A woman either loves or hates there is no third grade. When a woman thinks alone, she thinks evil. All [witchcraft] comes from carnal lust, which is in women insatiable." (p. 171) 

When I read those lines my jaw dropped to the ground. I was more than shocked and appalled for these women! My sympathy for their extreme adversity ran so deeply that my head was overwhelmed by my shaking it. With that, I thanked God for our equality in Christ. That before Him I am no better than a king, the president, a man, or any human in history - no matter the race, nationality, or physical disposition - like everyone I am a sinner in need of a Savior. And because of my faith in Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection I am like any other believer - whether king, president, man, or human - no matter the race, nationality, or physical disposition - I am righteous and holy because of the work of Christ in my life. Hallelujah!

I am also incredibly thankful modern appliances that only require me to walk up and down the stairs and not to the river to wash my clothing - even in the dead of winter! Or the ability to vacuum my rug rather than beat the dirt out. Or my dishwasher, crockpot, &etc. that have essentially made me lazier than the women during 1500's. Katharina woke at 4am and hit the floor running. Her 17 hour work day included being a brewmaster, house manager of the many guests who lived in their home, wife, and mother. She raised her own livestock, slaughtered them, and prepared them for meals. She tended her own garden and bees. She was also a nurse whose son, Paul (a doctor), commended her for her knowledge of the medical profession. In fact, when the Black Plague hit their town, she tended to the sick in the cloister where they lived. Still, that isn't the part that struck me - she tended to the sick and gave birth to a child right in the middle of it!

This woman!

Another fact that struck me was that Martin tried to pay her for reading the Bible through in a year. She refused, but he wrote of her that she knew the Psalm's by heart better than anyone he knew (including himself). Amazing.

Katharina is a woman I cannot wait to meet. Although this was a book about her revolutionary marriage (she was a nun and her husband a monk) and despite my joy in reading about their marriage and how they faced adversity together or reared their children (which was one of my favorite parts because of statements like, 

"Luther understood parenting as nothing less than a holy calling. "The greatest good in married life, that which makes all suffering and labor worthwhile, is that God grants offspring and commands that they be brought up to worship and serve Him, he wrote in 1522, before he was married or had children of his own. "In all the world this is the noblest and most precious work, because to God there can be nothing dearer than the salvation of souls." ... [Luther] considered there no greater or nobler authority on earth than that of parents over their children. Yet the comments and stories sprinkled throughout Table Talk, the ender letters Luther penned to his wife, and the portraits depicting Luther and his family also reveal something obvious yet not often mentioned: Luther and Katharina had fun with their kids and enjoyed spending time with them. They delighted in their children's antics and their innocent comments and expressions. Love and joy were obviously abundant in the Luther household." p.233-234) 

My favorite pieces to learn were that of Katharina and how Martin - despite what the world at that time said about women - had a deep and abiding love, trust, and respect for his wife. Even after he passed away, his trust for her was immense when you read his will which was revolutionary for that time. What he gave her and entrusted her with was unheard of which caused a lot of heartache for Katharina. Still, when her husband died she proved her resourcefulness, her intelligence, and her innovation. I am still amazed and inspired by her and how she came alongside her husband - a man who changed history by standing up for truth!

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Because I can't help myself (seriously, it's that good!) I had to share one of my favorite quotes, 

"[Martin Luther's] understanding of grace-based faith versus works-based faith was more than a personal revelation; it informed his entire rebellion against the church. After all, if human beings couldn't possibly earn salvation by their good works, if human beings had no righteousness of their own and were entirely dependent on Christ for their salvation and hope, where, then, did that leave good works like pilgrimages and fasting? Where did that leave the notion of purgatory? Where did that leave the monastic vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity? Where did that leave the pope, with his sales of indulgences, and the priests, doling out penance in the confessionals? Luther came to believe that the church to which he had dedicated his life was built on sand, and each abuse, each indulgence, added an unsustainable weight to the structure. In his eyes, Romans 1:17 obliterated the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church." p.91-92

Tuesday's Top Ten [Favorite Billy Graham Quotes]

Billy Graham's wife, Ruth, is someone I admire for so many reasons and I've written about her a few times: 

• What is Your Purpose?
• Friends I Haven't Even Met
• Prayer for a Husband

The wives of pastors are so often overlooked and it's so often that these women put themselves aside for the sake of the preaching of the gospel. These women who come alongside and serve their husband, helping him, loving him, and denying self. I admire that so much. Do you know how much strength, self-control, perseverance, dedication, hard work, and love is required to accomplish that? Though her husband is the one widely known, it is she who he credits most often for what he accomplished in his life (see #2 and 3). Though I spent more time reading her work, he is also someone I admire.

The respect for this couple grew immensely after reading Ruth Bell Graham's Footprints of a Pilgrim. And even more so when I listened to Billy pay tribute to his wife, who died 10+ years before her husband. I'm sure that those 10 years were difficult for him and it thrills my heart to know that what he says about death is now his reality, 

"Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God." 

He is in the presence of God! If it were for nothing else he said, I would respect him for that one alone. It is by far my favorite.

There is so much to be said about this man, but like Jennifer Briggs Kaski, I enjoy hearing what he said. Still, I love how Kaski wrote about him in the intro to her book, Quotable Billy Graham, "He has preached to more than a hundred million people, from tents to cathedrals to stadiums. About three million people have answered his urgent admonitions to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A 1995 crusade in Puerto Rico was translated into 116 languages and watched by 1.5 million people. All this by a man born in 1918, who has never held office, scored a touchdown, cut a CD, made a movie, or pocketed a million in a year. Yet he has made Gallup's list of the world's ten most-admired men forty-one times in fifty-three years. His book Angels sold a million copies in ninety days in 1975. He was presented with America's 114th Congressional Medal of Freedom." And she wrote this book in 2002, so it is quite old! Imagine all that he did and said between the publishing of this book and the day he died! Enough on that, listen to what he had to say, especially on his wife...

2. "She's been a marvelous person to be able to stay here, raise five children, nineteen grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. She's been the one that's done the work and kept up with them and talked with them and loved them, taught them Scriptures and so forth. She let me travel all over the world preaching the gospel. I think if there's any secret in our marriage, it's Ruth. There's very few women I've ever known like her." (Midwest Today, January 1997)

3. On Ruth's illness, "It didn't test my faith because I knew she was going to be all right whether she lived or died, because she lives halfway in heaven anyway." What a marvelous thing to be said of anyone...

4. He said something very similar about himself, "My home is in heaven. I'm just traveling through this world."

5. He told students in 1964 at Harvard Divinity School . . . “I used to think that in evangelism I had to do it all, but now I approach evangelism with a totally different attitude. I approach it with complete relaxation. First of all, I don’t believe that any man can come to Christ unless the Holy Spirit has prepared his heart. Secondly, I don’t believe any man can come to Christ unless God drives him. My job is to proclaim the message. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to do the work, period.” (Catherwood, 230) John Piper's "God Did the Work, Period" Tribute to Billy Graham

6. "I'm not going to heaven because I'm good. I'm not going to heaven because I preach to a lot of people. I'm going to heaven because of God's grace and mercy in Christ on the Cross. I haven't worked for it. It's a free gift from God for me." 

7. "I've stuck to the same message. I have different texts, different illustrations and different stories and all the rest, but the Gospel is the Gospel. There's only one Gospel, and the human heart is the same." (Midwest Today, January 1997)

8. "I remember when President (Lyndon) Johnson thought that I should run for president and he said his organization would back me, or the other party, the same thing. Those were not even temptations. I just said, "I will never do anything in my entire life except preach the Gospel." (Fox News Sunday, January 1, 2000)

9. "In 1951, when there was segregating of the audience in Chattanooga, Tennessee, they put ropes up to divide the audience, with the black people sitting behind and the whites sitting up front. I went down and personally removed the ropes." (Midwest Today, January 1997)

10. "You cannot control the length of your life. You can control the depth."

Although I enjoy reading and listening to Billy Graham, he is not my hero. Christ alone has the key to my heart and while I feel paying tribute to Billy Graham is a good thing, let's not forget the reason why Billy Graham lived - for the glory of God alone. With that said, here's one to end with...

 "American youth must have a hero. It may be a football player, a general in the army, or some other glamorous person. Jesus Christ is the hero of my soul and the coach of my life." 

Book Review [Rory Feek's "This Life I Live"]

I doubt Rory Feek will ever read my review, so what bugged me most about his book isn't for him, it's for my readers in case you pick up his book.

I encourage you to read autobiographies and biographies like they're going out of style. We have so much to learn from others when you open the page of a book. And I learned a lot from Rory even if there were some foundational issues that I'll address here.

Rory spends a lot of time talking about his past. The guilt, anguish and shame of it all. I admire him for that. It takes a lot of guts to talk about past mistakes with open frankness. He said something that I really like,

"There are chapters in a person's life that you don't want to write. Things that you don't want to talk about. I would've thought for me it would be parts of my past that I am embarrassed about or ashamed of. But strangely, I don't have any problem writing about those things. I can see now where they have led and what they've taught me and how important they are to the bigger story that God has been telling with my life. And my hope is that in my being honest about who I was... who I am... it might encourage someone, the way that my wife's courage in life and in death has encouraged me and others." (p.247) 

That statement was an excellent piece to read after the first 100+ pages where I felt he was still holding on to the guilt, anguish and shame he felt because of past mistakes.

So here's what I have to say about that: if you put your faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ - that He died on the cross for sin according to Scripture, that He was buried, and that He rose on the third day according to Scriptures - do not let guilt consume you. Jesus died for your sin, who are you to remember it? It is the only weapon Satan had against us - sin. He likes to remind us of it, remind us of our depravity, because it takes our mind off the things that are above - on the gift of grace and righteousness given from Jesus Christ, his enemy who defeated Him because He conquered death and sin on the cross!

Do not ever, ever forget that truth.

The second piece of this book that bugged me was this ideal most Christians have about being a Christian: change. True, heart change. For some reason we think we have the power to do so. We forget verses like Ephesians 2:1 where it clearly states that we are dead in our trespasses and that we follow the prince of the power of the air and that we are children of wrath. We forget passages like Romans 3:1-11 where it says that no one, not even one does good, no one seeks for God, no one understands. We glaze over Scripture that deals with the depth of sin, not ever realizing our position before God is hopeless. We are absolutely nothing, nothing without Jesus Christ who (thank goodness) died for those trespasses that made us dead while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). We miss portions of Scripture where it clearly states that this work of redemption "is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8) We are so sinful that we want to take the glory away from Christ and give ourselves credit for the change and then we forget who to rely on when the change desperately needs to occur.

You cannot change you. You cannot, with your own attempts, become a better wife, mother, person. You just can't on your own accord. We are ruled by our desires. Our desire is sin. We covet. We lie. We are greedy. Faithless. Heartless. Boastful. Inventors of evil. Envious. Disobedient to parents, or any authority for that matter. And before you stop reading, I suggest you turn to places like Romans 1-3 or Ephesians 2, "And you are dead in your trespasses..." Those things I said are direct quotes from the apostle Paul himself.

We are enemies of God because God is at war with sin, and we are sinners (another truth from Romans). Plus, Ephesians 2 is pretty darn plain, we are dead in our trespasses. And there is nothing more for a dead-man to do than stink.

So I wish Rory said less about what he felt he had to do to be a better man and more time on the gospel. 

We need Jesus. He changes hearts. Through HIM and HIS perfection do we become better from the inside out.

So I wish Rory shared exactly what he believed about the God he serves. Or exactly what his faith was in. Here's why I make such a big stink about this: Satan serves God (Read Job 1:6-12 where we see that Satan is subject to the authority of God. Satan himself must give an account of his actions.) Satan believes in God, he knows he exists, and knows God's word better than the best theologian. I am not saying that Rory's belief in God is fake, I'm just saying that Christians spend too much time saying, I believe in God without a firm stance on the gospel - the only means of salvation.

That's what I did before I was truly a believer. I claimed I believed in God, but the name of Jesus curdled my stomach. I couldn't stand other people sharing His name. I loathed the idea of going to church. I had zero desire to open my Bible. And yet, I said out loud that I was a "Christian" when I was far from it. I slept around. I drank too much. I was lazy. Glutenous. Loud-mouthed. Disobedient to parents and despised authority. I was selfish.

It was only when I heard the gospel (for the thousandth time) but finally understanding that I could do nothing for my salvation and I could do nothing on my own accord to become a better person. That is the work of Christ! He did the work when He died on the cross according to Scripture, was buried, that He was raised from the dead on the third day according to Scripture and there are witnesses to prove it (1 Corithians 15:3).

And he gets the glory for it.

So the grace He gives is a gift. And the work He does He does for His glory.

"For we are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which GOD PREPARED beforehand that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 (Caps mine.) 

Workmanship can be translated to literally mean, poem. We are His poem. I find that beautiful. With each stanza He is changing us, creating beautiful poetry and He will be get the credit for His work.

I must simply hold fast to my faith. Rest in Christ, know (with every ounce of my being) verses like Galations 2:20,

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." 

I must understand that my old self is gone and I am a new creation in Jesus. While living in Christ, I begin to loathe the sin that once held me captive, but does no longer! Because of Christ I can be victorious and pray that God kill it in me because I know He is capable and He will. And as I read my Bible these truths permeate throughout, helping me rest and draw closer to God as He reveals Himself in it. I pray that for Rory - that He takes his talent for words and makes the message of Christ clear to his readers. That he uses his God given influence to be a witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Write "Jesus died on the cross. Jesus was buried. And HALLELUJAH! Jesus rose again!" Nothing else saves. Nothing else changes lives eternally. Nothing.

Don't mince words with a simple, I believe in God. Satan loves that. Share the only defense we have against Satan - Jesus died for my sin and you can no longer hold the guilt and fear against me. And just in case Rory does read this - if that's what Joey believed, that is what you should fearlessly share.  

-----

One of my favorite parts of the book was that they hit their knees in prayer for everything. The difficulties in their marriage, health, music career, money, everything. And Rory has these amazing truths woven throughout, like this one amazing example on page 167 where the book became hard to put down, 

"[Joey] let the music go. She didn't need it anymore, not the way she did before. She could finally open her hand and give it to Him. Completely.

And I think it was then, and only then, that He could give it to her. The music. The dream she'd always wanted. To sing on a stage and have a million people watching and hearing her. 

He was about to give it to her.

Only because now she didn't need it.

That's when He does it sometimes. And He'll do it in a way that you never expected. 

That's what He did with us, anyway."

Tuesday's Top Ten [Blessings to Beginning Your Day in Scripture]

I read a momma blogger who challenged women to begin their day in Scripture with a question, what does it matter if your home is a mess, if you're a mess on the inside? She asked it with much better clarity and fluidity than I just did, but for the life of me I cannot seem to find who wrote it; but I have not forgotten it. I take joy in tackling this challenge because I know that my focus must be internally and eternally valuable, otherwise I risk being self-reliant, lazy, disheartened, and forgetful.

Reading my bible is a daily undertaking with many, many blessings...

1. Scripture exists for our instruction. (Romans 15:4) Reading word by word, sentence by sentence, book by book teaches believers about who God is, what He has done, and the promises He made. The more we read the more we learn about GOD. The more time we spend in Scripture the more God will open eyes to the truth found in His words.

2. Scripture exists for our encouragement. (Romans 15:4) God has said all He needed to say for our encouragement through Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ we have hope. Jesus offers promises of eternal life through faith alone in Him alone (Romans 6:23). When we read about who God is, what He has done, and the evidence of promises kept to people like Abraham and Sarah, or King David, or Moses, or Joshua we can trust that God keeps His word. If He said it, it will be so. And Jesus said that He is life and that by believing in Him, we will be saved (John 20:30-31, the purpose of John) then we know it is true. That is so incredibly encouraging!

3. Scripture exists to help us endure. Jesus struggled in his life. He was persecuted, hated, beat, and sentenced to death. We - as His followers - are not promised an easy life. Jesus said that because He is hated, and we love Him, we too will be hated. However, we are promised that if we persevere to the end, that if we run the race set before us, that if we hold fast to the only thing that will save us: the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus - then we will spend an eternity with Jesus in His glory! That gives us reason to endure whatever God gives and whatever God takes away. No matter what God put in our path, we know He is working for our good and for His glory (Romans 8:28). Like Paul wrote in Romans 8:18, consider the sufferings of this present time to be nothing in comparison to the glory that is to be revealed to us. Wait, like creation, with eager longing for the return of Christ. Because nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39). When we learn about this total security in Christ we should be encouraged as we endure trials, temptations, persecution, famine, danger, life, death, rulers, or anything else on all creation.

4. Meditate on God's wondrous works and you will laugh at the time to come (Proverbs 31:25). When you look at all that God has done (just look outside your window and notice the sky, the sun, the clouds, the moon, the stars, the trees, the plants, the birds - all of which exists to prove He is real - Romans 1:21) you will find comfort. He created the earth, the heavens and all that is in it and all of it exists to reveal the power of His word. Also, when you read portions of Scripture like Psalm 104 (my favorite Psalm right now) or Matthew 6:19-33 you begin to notice that He feeds the lions, the birds, He clothes the flowers; His creation looks to Him for food (Psalm 104:27-30). When you consider God's wondrous works (like Elihu told Job to do after losing everything) then you - like Job - will marvel at God, rest in His sovereign hand, and realize that you can laugh at the time to come because God.is.in.control. If He feeds the birds and lions and clothes the flowers, then He will take care of you. Grow in your faith as you meditate on His works every morning. As your faith grows so will your strength and you will not faint on the day of adversity (Proverbs 24:10)

5. When trials come, because they will come, you will be at ease, without dread of disaster (Proverbs 1:33). There are two times in my life where Scripture offered the only comfort in a moment of calamity and heartache. The first was when I received a disparaging text from a friend. The only thing I wanted to do was go back to the hotel room and read my Bible. Once everyone was asleep I pulled out my ESV Bible app and began reading in the Psalms. Psalm after Psalm after Psalm soothed my heart and put my soul at ease until I fell into a restful sleep. God is good. God is faithful. God is sovereign. When my focus changed from the problem to the Problem Solver I was encouraged beyond words. I praised Him for that time, thanking Him for opening my eyes and putting my heart at ease. The second time Scripture comforted my heart the most was after the recent death of a friend. I found out she had passed away at Menard's, shopping with my husband. I didn't have access to a Bible and I was carrying around my two year old. The week before her death I memorized with my children Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." As I wept and walked around Menard's the Holy Spirit kept bringing this verse to mind. When I went home that evening to reread it, I was renewed again by the amazing God we serve,

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. ... Come behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

As God opens my eyes to Scripture like that doubt gives way to faith though my heart is breaking, fear gives way to fearlessness as I trust in the sovereign God of the universe, sorrow is intermixed with joy as I praise God for who He is. And I know that when trials come again - because they will come - I will be at ease, I will be still for HE.IS.GOD.

6. Faith originates from the word of God. (Hebrews 11:1-3) This portion of Scripture defines faith so well: the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. What is assurance? What does it mean to be assured of something? It means we have confidence, a guaranty, we have freedom from doubt. Isn't that an amazing thought? We have confidence in the things hoped for. We have freedom from doubt from these promises God gave: He promised an eternity in His presence because of our faith in Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection on the cross (Romans 10:9, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, Ephesians 2:10-10, &etc.) Because God has promised; I believe, with confidence, that it will happen.

The second part to that definition is conviction. What is conviction? If you're convicted of something you have a fixed or firm belief due to evidence. What is our evidence? Keep reading in Hebrews,

"For by [faith] the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."

We look to creation and know that, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1. How did He create it? by the word of God! We can look to His works of the past (i.e. the creation of His world by His word) to give us confidence of future promises! God spoke. And it was so. Faith does not focus on uncertainties, or unknowns, or trials, or future possibilities; faith looks up to the Creator and meditates on His wondrous works, trusting by faith alone in Christ alone through Scripture alone.

7. Faith is sustained by the word of God. How do we remain steadfast in our faith while living in a world full of lies? Through faith alone in Christ alone found in Scripture alone. It is there we find the hope of salvation offered in the gift of salvation by Christ's death, burial and resurrection. We hold fast to the Jesus Christ of the Bible so that we are not swayed by "human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes, by every wind of doctrine, by empty/hallow philosophy, or tossed to and fro by the waves" (Ephesians 4:14 and Colossians 2:8).

8. Seeing that God is faithful to His word results in a whole-hearted trust in GOD. For example, He promises Abraham and Sarah they will have a child in their old age. Sarah spent her life barren. That resulted in years of heart break. BUT God is faithful to His promise and gives her a child. Sarah experienced -first-hand- God fulfilling His promise. Therefore, she trusted God (Hebrews 11:11, 1 Peter 3:5-6). With endless examples like this to follow throughout Scripture, we too grow in our faith knowing God will come back and give us Himself. He fulfilled promise after promise after promise, reading His faithfulness results in assurance for readers who believe it to be true.

9. God's word gives confidence with a clean conscience. God has promised that because of our faith "that Jesus died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) that we will be saved (Romans 10:9). We have complete assurance that Jesus became sin to take the wrath for that sin on our behalf. Due to this fact, we have confidence of a clean conscience and are able to enter the holiest of holy places: the presence of God! (Hebrews 4:16, 10:19)

10. Knowing God according to what He has said about Himself in His word results in fearlessness. That was how Peter described Sarah, "she did not fear anything that was frightening" because she trusted in God. (1 Peter 3:6) And we have something better than Sarah! We have the Bible, a book that she did not have. The more that we as women read it and take note God's attributes or God's sovereignty, the more fearless we become as our trust grows. And that is what God finds beautiful - a full and complete trust in Him (1 Peter 3:4).

Plus one...

You will be like a tree. If your delight is in the whole of God's Word, and if you meditate on it day and night, you will be like a tree, "planted by streams of water, that yields fruit in its season, and its leave does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:2-4) You will have what you need, you will be useful, you will be eternal, productive, you will have substance - unlike the chaff described in the very next verse. Reading the Bible every day produces amazing results. God will not waste the time you spend in it; you will be blessed. Read it.
Meditate on it.
Memorize it.
Study it.
Learn it.
Grow in it.
Put these words all over your home.
Discover who God is according to what it says.
Be changed by it.

Beginning your day learning about God - who He is, what He has done, the promises He kept and will keep - encourages your soul, gives you reason to endure, relieves you of self-reliance, renews and sustains faith, offers freedom from doubt, ables you to laugh at the time to come, makes you fearless and confident and strong.

That is a pretty incredible way to begin your day.

Most Impactful Scripture of 2017

As I read through my Bible, I'm always amazed at how (no matter how many times I've read from Genesis to Revelation) something new is learned, something new encourages me, some new revelation blows my mind. There are specific portions of Scripture that I can point to that were most impactful as I reflect on the year. One year it was Romans 11:33 - 12:2, another was Job 38-41, or Ephesians 2:1-10, another was Exodus 1-15. I debated for a long time between Luke 1:1-55 or Psalm 46. I decided on the later.

Grab your Bible marking pens, if you mark your Bible. Here's my key:

(I gave that only because I'm going to mark the Psalm as I marked it in my Bible, that way you understand the colors.)

TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF THE SONS OF KORAH. 

ACCORDING TO ALAMOTH. A SONG.

God is our refuge and strength, 

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, 

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,  

though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High. 

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; 

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord of hosts is with us; 

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; 

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

"Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among all the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!"

The Lord of hosts is with us; 

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46

(*Note - The underlined portion is underlined in red. Whenever things are repeated, I know it's important.)

Mind Boggling Details About This Psalm.

From the beginning you see who God is. He is a refuge. He is the source of His people's strength.

And for those reasons, they will not fear even if the earth falls apart. 

There is a complete trust in God in the midst of colossal calamity.

From the first three verses it is clear that the Psalmist wrote this for Israelites as a means to teach them (through music) to have faith in God - no matter what. And it continues to enthrall the singer...

The city of God = Jerusalem. In the time this Psalm was written God was in the midst of this city. His presence was in the temple. Today, that is not the case. His dwelling place is in his people through the Holy Spirit. The Bride of Christ (those who have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone) are "the holy habitation of the Most High".  Back then the Israelites could look to the temple and feel secure of the promised protection because of their faith, today we rest in the security of salvation through Christ alone, who gives the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49) - the guarantee of our inheritance until we die and acquire possession of it (Ephesians 1:13-14). The promised inheritance is an eternity with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in the city that is to come (Revelation 22:3). This city will not be moved! Jesus will reign supreme as King in this eternal kingdom!

The moment God speaks - all of this turmoil will end.

As God's people look at the works of God, as they reflect on his sovereignty (how he brought desolations on the earth, and then how he ended it - verses 8-9) and rest in this phenomenal truth:

"Be still, and know that I am God. 

I will be exalted among the nations, 

I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10 

then they have full assurance that God is with us and God is our fortress. He will not fail.

Why This Psalm Moved Me to the Core.

I have full assurance that because of my faith in the fact that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, that I am His. The same power that rose Jesus from the dead is the same power that resides in me (Luke 24:49, Ephesians 1:13-14). These truths alone help me rest knowing that because Jesus did all the work, I have nothing to fear. Nothing can separate me from His love. 

When I read Psalms like this I am moved beyond words. God is my refuge. He is the source of my strength. He is my fortress. He is in control of the desolations (verse 8b) and He brings them to an end (verse 9). When I read attributes (yellow) like "he utters his voice, the earth melts." (verse 6) I find myself in awe (and a bit fearful) of this powerful God of the universe. 

Those verses are an amazing introduction to what God states in verse 10, "Be still, and know that I am God." 

Though the earth fails.

Though wars wage.

Though earthquakes quake.

Though volcanoes erupt.

Though glaciers melt.

Though presidents fail.

Though fires break out.

Just be still. Be still and know that God is God. He is in control, He is with His people. He is our fortress. 

That is extremely comforting after this last year. So much has happened. Though January and February of 2017 were two of the hardest months I've ever experienced, though April brought many changes to my lifestyle, though July 8 brought sorrow, be still and know that God is God. He will be exalted. He will reign supreme in 2018 as well as He did in 2017. Of that I am certain. 

That is the woman I must become, a woman who laughs at the time to come (Proverbs 31:25). Who, like Sarah, considers God faithful to deliver on His promises (Hebrews 11:11) and does not fear anything that is frightening (1 Peter 3:6b). Though the earth fails, though nations wage war, though earthquakes quake, and fires roar, I do not have to fear because God is God and He is in control.

Story Behind It.
In my daily reading I reached this Psalm the week before a friend passed away. I was so moved by this Psalm I wrote down verse 10 so I could be reminded of it daily, thus committing it to memory. It was this Psalm the Holy Spirit brought to mind over and over and over again after learning of her death. In moments when I felt my faith might fail, or that my assurance was tested, or grief overwhelmed me, I opened my Bible to this Psalm over and over again. And in those moments when my Bible wasn't readily available, "Be still, and know that I am God" played time and time again. This portion of Scripture offered immense comfort in the midst of sorrow.

Just be still.

Then this Christmas my sister-in-law made me the most precious gift. She visited a few weeks after all of this, and I honestly do not remember if I told her this story or not, but I am incredibly thankful for what she made me. It is near and dear to my heart...

What an incredible reminder this verse holds of this last year, which will now hang in our home for years to come. So no matter what God gives or takes away, just be still and know that God is God.

Be fearless.

Book of the Week [Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers]

I do not typically recommend love stories. When I wrote a top ten recommending romances, I struggled coming up with 10 worth recommending, but this one made my all-time favorites list (and there are only 7 on that list). I've read many, many excellent books, but there aren't many that challenge my thinking, affect me emotionally, teach me, and entertain all at once. This book is all that and more!

Every woman needs to read this book!

There are not many books I take the time to read more than once. The is one such book. The second time through was even better than the first time. The first time I read it quickly in an effort to find out what was going to happen next; I can hardly stand not knowing how the story will end and this one definitely has a one of a kind ending worth talking about! It is, by far, my favorite part of the book. Without giving too much away, I will just say that it a beautiful picture for believers as we stand unashamed before Christ because of His incredible, never-ending, abounding love for His own.

Read my review here and then read it for yourself.

Tuesday's Top Ten [Bible Verses Relevant to Presidential Elections]

"... there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Romans 13:1 If it were true in Paul's time (the author of Romans) then it's true today. And what was Paul's advice to the Roman Christians who endured persecution from the rulers (instituted by God)? Submit to them. Therefore, we shall as well and TRUST God's plan, whatever it may be.

"The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men." Daniel 4:17 If it was true in Daniels time that God, the Most High, rules the kingdom of men and sets over it whom he will, then I believe that our unchanging, all-powerful, all mighty, sovereign God still rules the kingdom of men and sets over it whomever HE chooses. And from the looks of it, it'll be the lowliest.

"The kings heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." Proverbs 21:1 If God controls the heart of a king, I am 110% convinced that includes the president of the United States. Do I know why things are going the way they're going? Nope. I am not God and I do not know what the future holds except this: He wins. (Read Revelation 19:11 - 20.)

Have you read the story of how God saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt? (Exodus 1 - 15) Time and time and time again God tells Moses that He is going to harden Pharaoh's heart. Pharaoh. The king of Egypt. A man whom the people worshiped as a god. (Remember? The kings heart is a stream of water int he hand of the Lord.) Egypt at this time was one of the most powerful nations in the world (sound familiar?  Hmmmm... like the United States is today?) Read statements like, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go." (Exodus 4:21) and again in 7:3, "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them." and again in 9:12, "But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses."  and again in 9:14-16, "I will send all my plagues on you yourself, and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth." again in 10:1-2 and 10:20 and 10:27 and 11:10 and 14:4, 8, 17. What was God's reasoning? To proclaim HIS NAME! So that the most powerful nation on the earth and the people of Israel knew that HE IS GOD and there is none like Him. He will do what He will do when He pleases because He is God and it is HIS NAME and HIS WORD that will endure for all eternity (Psalm 138:2). It is just as true now as it was in the day of Moses! He will harden hearts and His Name will be proclaimed, even kings and presidents IF it is HIS will.

So what must we do? Like the Israelites coming out of Egypt: Be silent. He does the fighting. We must only trust in HIS plan, "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." (Exodus 14:14) How did God fight and win? Read the story in Exodus and then in Revelation 19-20. He wins. He ALWAYS wins. So no matter the outcome of this presidential election, HE WON.

"Behold I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Revelation 22:12 No matter the president chosen on this day or from now until the day Jesus returns, HE is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega. The King of kings and Lord of lords who institutes authority, sets over rulers, rules the kingdom of men, and holds the hearts of every ruler in his hand as though it were a stream of water. He is worthy of praise and our complete and utter trust.

"I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away." Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 God has decreed everything that's going to happen and He does things for a purpose. Who are we to question it? It's already been done.

Plus we do not understand His thoughts or His ways! "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:8-11 Can't get much clearer than that. Whatever He says will be done and it will accomplish His purpose and it will succeed, because He declared it. That is as true in Isaiah's time as it is today!

Because, "For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps." Psalm 135:6

and He also declares things that have not been done, "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose;' Isaiah 46:10

And 11 for good measure:
If you don't like this truth I dare you to take it up with God! Job tried with comments such as, "Today also my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy on account of my groaning. Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments." (Job 23:1-4) What bold arrogance! And it would be easy for us to justify his complaint, after all he had much to be bitter about. He lost everything. Yet, we complain as much, or more, than Job making comments such as, "Today my complaint is bitter on account of the new president! Oh, that I knew where I could find God that I might come to his throne! I would lay my case before him, because my way is best and I would argue the authority he set in place because I know best." You might receive such responses such as this, "Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? Have you an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his? Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. Pour out the overflowings of your anger, and look on everyone who is around and abase him. Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them all in the dust together; bind their faces in the world below. Then will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you." (God's response to Job in 40:8-14.) In other words, can you do such things as command lightening to strike a mark (Job 36: 32, 38:35) or lay the foundation of an earth (Job 38:4) or loose the cords of Orion (Job 38:31) or thunder with a voice like his or adorn yourself with majesty and dignity, glory and splendor? You can't?! Well then stop and consider the wondrous works of God (Job 37:14) and do nothing else! Respond as Job does after hearing the word of God, "I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:2) Hallelujah and AMEN!

No matter the president, no matter your earthly circumstances, look up, watching and waiting for the returning of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is King. And the one who will stand as President will be President because it is HIS will. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is outside of His control. Not even the President of the United States.

Whew. What an amazing relief.

Now, go do your duty and prayerfully vote, but vote resting in the almighty sovereignty of God, knowing that not one purpose of His can be thwarted and whatever He pleases, He does, because He.is.God. 

Great Poetry Reading Day

Today is GREAT POETRY READING day! I'm a big fan of good poetry so I think this is a wonderful day to celebrate. I'll give you some of my favorites...

These are a few in my girls library that we enjoy reading occasionally. One of my personal favorites is from Ghastlies, Goops, & Pincushions by X.J. Kennedy, 

A Giraffe's Laughs Last

When spied on in a zoo, Giraffe

Neglects his tree-leaf diet

To take a look at you and laugh - 

Your short neck! What a riot!

He grins and grins from ear to ear. 

If you've not yet departed,

In several days you'll get to hear 

The throaty laugh you started.

Isn't that a great one?

Another great one from A Child's Book of Poems by Victor Hugo,

One of my favorites since high school, that always made me cry, is The Panther by Rainer Maria Rilke,

His vision, from the constantly passing bars,

has grown so weary that it cannot hold

anything else. It seems to him there are

a thousand bars; and behind the bars, no world.

As he paces in cramped circles, over and over,

the movement of his powerful soft strides

is like a ritual dance around a center

in which a mighty will stands paralyzed.

Only at times, the curtain of the pupils

lifts, quietly--. An image enters in,

rushes down through the tensed, arrested muscles,

plunges into the heart and is gone.

And then there are these gems,

The Valley of Vision is a collection of puritan prayers by Arthur Bennett. I have so many favorites that I cannot share them all, but here are pieces I have written down and scattered throughout my house,

Or these that I've shared on my blog before...

BUT one my all time favorite from this book is the very first one titled, The Valley of Vision (others include Love Lustres at Calvary, Deliverance, and Regeneration)

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly,

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision,

where i live in the depths but see thee in the heights; 

hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine; 

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty

thy glory in my valley.

A Gospel Primer is not a book of poetry, but Milton Vincent did write The Gospel Narrative: Prose Version, which I highly recommend reading and holding onto. It's a great one to end on...

Beholding the heavens, I now understand

God measured them all with the breadth of His hand.

He fashioned the trillions of stars in the sky,

The sun and the moon He established on high.

All heaven and earth, which He made in six days, 

Show daily and nightly His merit of praise.

So wondrously caring is God every day, 

Creating, sustaining my life every way.

Each breath I intake, every beat of my heart,

All pleasures well-tasted are His to impart.

Indeed, for such blessings He should be adored

And honored supremely as eminent Lord.

In fact, for this purpose He brought me to be, 

That I might His glory and kindliness see

And cherish Him fully in all of my days, 

Obeying with pleasure whatever he says, 

Fulfilling the calling He's laid upon me

To show forth His glory deliberately.

Yet I could not fail God much worse than I've done.

Ignoring His glory, for mine I have run.

I've spurned a life under His wisdom and care, 

Begrudged Him the throne and pretended me there.

A prideful and lust-laden path I have trod,

Transgressing all Ten great Commandments of God. 

My foolish rebellion gives God every right

To damn me with haste to the miserable plight

Of terrible judgments in His Lake of Fire,

Where wrath is most fierce and will never expire.

With wickedest sinners I truly should know

The worst of Hell's furies for failing God so.

So this is my status and these are my flaws

Apart from Christ Jesus and His saving cause: 

I carry sin's guilt and am gripped by sin's pow'r,

Held fast to its various lusts ev'ry hour,

Deserving of flames, both within and without,

And sliding t'ward Hell as I toss all about,

Too reprobate even to play a small part

In clearing my record or changing my heart

To pacify wrath and be worthy of grace,

To make myself lovely and win God's embrace.

Completely condemned by God's Law in its whole,

I've nothing to offer to ransom my soul.

But wonder of wonders, so great to behold,

My God chose to save me with method so bold.

What I could not render,

God fully has done, and doing, He rendered it all through His Son.

He sent Christ to die on the cross for my sin

To suffer my anguish, my pardon to win.

Amazing it is, when I stop to regard, 

That God would consent to an anguish so hard,

Surrend'ring His Son unto mayhem and death,

To torturous writhing 'til His final breath.

'Why does God forsake Me?' alone Jesus cried;

Yet God left Him hanging until He had died.

That Jesus was willing His life to lay down,

Be scourged and insulted and wear thorny crown

For one such as I who had spited God so,

Amazes and blesses and makes me to know

That greater a lover is no man than He, 

Who laid down His life for a sinner like me.

Now after Christ died

He was placed in a tomb,

Which first was a grave,

But then served as a womb,

Travailing and quaking the day He was raised

And brought forth by God to be handled and praised.

The Firstborn from death on that day emerged He

With power to save to the utmost degree.

At God's own right hand Christ now reigns from on high,

A Friend in high places to sinners who cry

To Him for forgiveness, their evils confessed.

He gives them a pardon and then makes them blessed.

As prince He is Savior to all who believe,

Who come to Him humbly His grace to receive.

Now when my time came and to Jesus I cried,

He gave me the pardon for which I had sighed,

He cleansed me completely from wrongs I had done, 

Released me from bondage to sins, every one.

He shattered sin's chains which had held me before, 

And thus made me free not to sin any more.

A child of the Father He made me to be

And gave me the Spirit as His guarantee

That, being God's child, I will one day obtain

A heavenly treasure that never will wane.

While in me, the Spirit gives power and love

And sweet premonitions of glory above.

In saving, God also did justify me,

Accounting me righteous by His own decree,

Declaring me guiltless of all of my sin,

And bringing His wrath against me to an end.

This wrath Christ appeased in full brunt on the Tree,

When, bearing my sin, He endured it for me.

So now God relates to me only with grace,

The former wrath banished without any trace!

And each day I'm made a bit more as I should,

His grace using all things to render me good.

Yes, even in trials God's grace abounds too

And does me the good He assigns it to do.

And when I am sinning God's grace does abound,

Ensuring my justified status is sound.

No wrath is awakened in God at my sin,

BECAUSE CHRIST APPEASED IT 

(to say so again).

God's heart pulses only with passionate grace, 

Which jealousy wants me back in His embrace.

God does not require even that I confess,

Before He desires His forgiveness to press.

Forgiveness has been in His heart all along; 

And when I approach Him to make right my wrong,

He runs up to greet me and draws to me near,

Embracing and kissing and ready to clear. 

God does see my sins and He grieves at them so,

For when I am sinning, His love I don't know. 

He even will send me some heart-rending pain,

So I'll learn new ways and His holiness gain.

His disciplines always are with love imbued,

A love that seeks ever my ultimate good.

So this is my story; ongoing it is.

How shall I thank God for this gospel of His?

A gift that keeps giving, the gospel confers 

The bounty of heaven each time I rehearse.

Deserve it?

I don't on my holiest day;

But this is salvation, and herein I'll stay.

I can't help myself when I see books of poetry - they are all over my house. They are fantastic books to pick up and read one if I have a few minutes to do so, but they are great books with which to decorate...

Poetry is great for so many reasons - they make me laugh, smile, cry and speak to my soul - it only makes sense that they become an integral addition to my decorating and my life!