Does it Matter?

The Psalmist prayed, Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me (Psalm 19:13a NKJV).

When I read the above verse, I wanted to learn more. What did David mean by presumptuous sins?

The NLT uses the word “deliberate,” and the NIV uses “willful.”

Presumptuous sins are those deliberate, willful acts that we do or things we say when we know we shouldn’t. We assume God will forgive us. 

This disturbs me. Does it you?

In his book, Conversation with God, Lloyd John Ogilvie states, “In short, presumptuous sins are those we do willfully, while falsely thinking it doesn’t really matter.”

Which sins don’t matter?

Are we taking liberties that aren’t ours to take? I’m not talking about those who think they are Christians because they are good, moral people and attend church. I’m talking about me—a believer. A follower of Christ.

David’s prayer caused me to ask, what sins do I commit that would be considered willful? The ones I think don’t really matter. I’ve failed to pray when I said I would. Lacked concern for someone who could use my help. Talked about someone unfairly. Grumbled and complained.

Should I sweep these matters under a rug because God understands, or do I need to repent in total surrender to Him?

I hope to live for God and possess a righteous character. My prayer is for the Holy Spirit to convict me when I fall into deliberate sin. I want to confess these sins and surrender my all to Christ, so I grow in my life with God and honor Him. 

Like David, I don’t want sin to have dominion over me. I wish to have a greater impact on those around me and be led by faith, hope, and love. To be an effective witness and spread mercy and grace. I desire to reach out and help someone less fortunate, encourage others with God’s Word, pray for the sick and hurting, and be a friend.

David continued his prayer, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer (Psalm 19:14 NKJV). 

This verse, too, is my prayer. 

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Photo by Juliet Furst - Unsplash

Faith Conquers Fear

This past week my husband, Kenn, and I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, for the Gideons International Convention. We met new friends, visited with old friends, partook of amazing worship, listened to powerful testimonies, and enjoyed God’s Word. During this inspirational time of worship, fear attacked. But faith conquers fear.

On Wednesday, I got stuck in an elevator after the housekeeper placed her arms inside to keep the doors from closing. She asked me a question and walked away. The doors remained open six inches which caused the alarm to sound. I punched the button on the panel to open the door—nothing. When I pressed the close button, still nothing. I tried the lobby and our floor’s button with no results. The doors wouldn’t budge when I stuck my arms in between them to pry them open. My heart rate intensified. After what seemed like hours (two minutes), the housekeeper returned and pried the doors open from the outside. After she forced them open, they closed on their own, and I was on my way to the lobby. Everything was fine.

Rarely do I remember dreams, but that night I had an eerie one. Kenn and I stood inside a store. I moved away from him and walked outdoors. The parking lot was dark and vacant except for two cars, and neither belonged to us. I turned to go back inside to find my husband, but the store was empty. Not only of people but of everything. The lights were bright inside, and the sliding doors were open six inches. But nothing remained in the store.

When I awoke, I determined everything wasn’t fine. Fear tried to take hold of me. I said out loud, “I will not give in to fear,” and I quoted 2 Timothy 1:7.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love
and of a sound mind (NKJV).

On Thursday night, fear again attacked my dreams. This time, someone knocked on my hotel room door. I opened the door to a woman and asked her in a panicked voice, “Where’s Kenn?”

Again, I repeated 2 Timothy 1:7. Every time I remembered either dream, I repeated this verse because Scripture wields power and builds our faith. I took fearful thoughts captive and overcame them with the Word of God.

Friday evening after a banquet, Kenn’s supervisor, Rodney, requested his help, and I returned to our room. Forty-five minutes later, I received a call from Rodney. “LuAnn. Kenn had an accident. The freight elevator doors smashed his hand. He passed out, and his hand is swollen, but he’s okay. You should come down here.” I grabbed my purse in case we’d need to make a trip to the hospital and took the elevator.

On my way, fear spoke. “He’s worse than what Rodney told you. Remember your dreams?”

I once again declared God’s Word and repeated, “I will not give in to fear.”

Kenn sat in a chair with beads of sweat on his forehead. His hand was under a plastic bag filled with ice. He looked up at me and said, “I’m okay. Don’t worry.” Two EMTs arrived a few minutes later with a gurney, took his vitals, and recommended he visit the emergency room for x-rays. They offered him a ride, but he chose to bypass the ambulance. We spent the next three hours at an ER in downtown Atlanta. We returned to the hotel around 3:00 a.m.

I’m grateful there were no broken bones and that the weird dreams stopped.

Fear comes from the enemy. Our faith in God combats it. When fear speaks, refuse to listen. Speak the Word of God, and keep your focus on Christ. Trust in Him and His Word.

For I hold you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you” (Isaiah 41:13 NLT).

Empty and Alone

Have you felt empty and alone while surrounded by a group of people? Perhaps coworkers, friends, or family?

Although the Lord filled our emptiness with hope when we accepted His gift of salvation, we may experience struggles. A child led astray. A relationship gone bad. The life-threatening illness or death of a loved one. Many circumstances take us to places of weariness where our hearts become empty. We feel alone. We may think, “No one understands my suffering. How can they? They’re not me.”

During these times, it’s often difficult to turn to the only One who can help—the One who loves us with His perfect love. The Lord should be our first place to turn, but often He’s our last.

My third pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Devastated, I mourned for weeks. Women who shared that they too lost their babies didn’t bring me comfort or relief. Only the Lord brought peace. But several weeks passed before I allowed Him to minister to me. 

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed (Psalm 34:17-18 NLT).

When I first called out to the Lord, they were cries of frustration. “Why did this happen to me?” And cries of guilt. “What did I do to cause this?” When I turned from frustration and guilt to faith and trust in God, He comforted me. 

The Lord understands our feelings and our emptiness. He experienced abandonment, physical and emotional pain, and He endured the cross. Is there a greater anguish to suffer?

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depth of the earth (Psalm 71:20 NLT).

Take comfort in Christ and turn to Him first. Allow Him to heal your emptiness and restore you to life.

If you have received the gift of eternal life and hold on to the truth of God’s Word, your reward will outweigh the troubles and heartache of this world. 

My prayer for you today comes from Romans 15:13.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit (NLT). Amen.

Thankful in All

A few weeks ago, I posted on Facebook about our faulty hot water heater. We endured twelve days of cold showers. “Lord,” I said, “Are you preparing us for another short-term mission trip?” If so, my husband and youngest daughter passed. I cheated. I showered in cold water but washed my hair in the kitchen sink with water I heated on the stove.

My husband took a different approach. Instead of a mission trip, he looked at the situation as a blessing. Hubby insisted there were four benefits to not having hot water.

• We saved money. Our shower time decreased. We wanted out of the frigid water as quickly as possible.

• If we flushed the toilet while another family member was bathing, the water temperature in the shower did not fluctuate.

• When we came out of the shower, a blast of cold air did not smack into our bodies because our bodies were already cold.

• Most important, we learned to appreciate the blessing of hot water and not take it for granted.

I agree with his assessment. My shower time decreased by half, no obvious change in water temperature, and cool room air on a cold body wasn’t as noticeable as cool air on a warm body.

Not only is hot water a blessing, clean water is a gift. We rarely recognize how blessed we are until we go without something for a few days. Heating water on the stove was a minor inconvenience as we waited for parts to arrive but doable. I tried not to complain and stay thankful for water even if it was cold. Many people in developing countries would rejoice if they had clean water.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT).

I’m thankful for hot, warm, and cold water. And I’m grateful I belong to Christ Jesus.

What are you thankful for today?