do you feel like you are in life’s furnace right now?  it can get pretty hot in there. trials are just that, very trying.  And sometimes the heat is really turned up.  there are references like “out of the fire and into the frying pan”, perhaps meaning sometimes there is no escape from what we are experiencing, we just have to get through it.  or that often we go from one trial to another trial, from one furnace to another furnace, each hotter than the one before.

In the Old Testament, Daniel’s three friends had their own firsthand experience with an extremely hot, fiery furnace, prepared just for them as a punishment because they worshiped and obeyed God rather than the current king, Nebuchadnezzar.

Here’s how it went down, “Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed.  He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual . . . .”  (as if a furnace isn’t hot enough already?  talk about your basic overkill)  But there’s more, the king is taking no chances in his punishment of these three dissenters, he intends to make an example of them for everyone to witness.

So our story continues, “and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.  The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.”  I think at this point in the story we can agree, dear readers, that these circumstances appear too hot and too hopeless for us to even consider an outcome other than what the king intended, the certain death of these three dissenters.

But the story is not over yet, dear readers.  Let’s read on!  “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’  They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’  He said, ‘Look!  I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’ ”

I love that last verse because it tells me so many things about the time I spend in the furnaces of this present life.  First of all, I am not alone!  Jesus is right here with me, just as He was with the three in the king’s furnace.  They were not spared from the furnace but God was right there with them in their furnace.

Now here’s something really amazing.  Are you ready?  While in the furnace, the three men were UNBOUND and UNHARMED!  That’s right.  I had to read that again for myself.  I would naturally assume that the furnace is a place of bondage and damage.  And it is.  BUT,  Jesus’ presence in the furnace with me changes all that, His presence changes everything!

So even though I am not free from the furnace, I am free even in the furnace.  And so are you.  We are free in the furnace, unbound and unharmed, just as Daniel’s three friends were.  Why did it take me so long to learn this truth?  The furnace is not pleasant, the furnace is not fun, the furnace is unbearably hot and harsh BUT the furnace is where I experience my Savior’s comforting, sustaining, uplifting, empowering, loving, healing, redeeming, reconciling, delivering, freeing, forgiving, protecting, providing, peace-granting presence as in no other place or circumstance in my life.

Those three men were thrown into the furnace bound BUT they left the furnace unbound.  Why?  Because in the furnace they were set free.  Christ’s presence in their furnace with them set them free and kept them from harm.

While in the furnace, I am refined – I leave behind what is unnecessary, it is burned away.  I leave behind what weighs me down, the flames graciously rob me of my burdens, which I mistakenly thought were treasures.  I leave behind my self will and take up my Savior’s will and purpose.  I come out of the furnace as gold.  ” . . . when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”  (Job 23:10)

So let’s see how this story ends, shall we?  “Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out!  Come here!’  So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire,  . . .   They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.”   (Daniel 3:19-27)

God leaves no doubt!  He is able to deliver me from whatever furnace I find myself currently in.  And God is able to deliver you, too.  But while I wait to be delivered from the furnace, I can walk unbound and unharmed with Jesus.  I will take courage from these words in Isaiah 43:1-2; ” . . . this is what the Lord says – . . .  I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

Life in the furnace is hot and harsh and hard BUT  the flames will not set me ablaze.  That’s God’s promise, I have His word on it!

sincerely,       Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m thinking the question was “what would you do for a kit-kat bar?”  but then I remember it was “what would you do for a Klondike bar?”  (probably a lot, I love ice cream)  But today I found out just how far I would go for a coupon to save some money on my groceries.  It all started out innocently enough.  I was making good time in the store, my cart had everything on my list and I was in the checkout line.

It was then I realized that my coupons for today’s purchases were still in my car. In my hurry, I had forgotten to bring them in with me.  Well, the line was long and the carts were full, so –  you guessed it.  I gambled and ran, no sprinted out to the parking lot, to my car, to retrieve my oh so valuable coupons.  I was back with time to spare.  As I sorted my coupons, I noticed the one for the yogurt I had purchased said, “good with the purchase of six.”  Now wouldn’t you know,  you guessed it.  I had five in my cart.  (always read the fine print before purchasing)  I eyed the line and calculated my chances of getting to the back of the store, where the yogurt was, and back to the checkout line in time.  I gambled and ran, again!

I sprinted and arrived back with my most important, sixth yogurt in hand, in time to start putting my items on the belt.  As I did this, I looked again at my handfull of coupons and (I am not making this up)  the yogurt coupon was now missing!  Only one explanation was possible.  I had dropped it somewhere between checkout and the refrigerated foods at the back of the store during my mad sprint.  This was too much.  I had come too far to admit defeat now!

So back I sprinted, retracing my steps.  As my groceries were moving at breakneck speed down the cashier’s conveyor belt, I was moving at what I hoped was an equally breakneck speed through the aisles of the store.  Who would win this race?  I was determined it would be me!  And fate stepped in to help me out in this moment.  I found my prized coupon on the floor about midway through the store.  I didn’t have to go all the way back to the yogurt section for a third time.

Proudly presenting my one dollar and fifty cents off (the purchase of six) coupon to the cashier, I congratulated myself on overcoming all odds and obstacles that stood between me and my saving some money.  (look for a movie to be made about this victory in the near future)

So this got me to thinking  . . .  I did all this to save one dollar and fifty cents.  Am I as intentional, as persistent, as determined when it comes to my relationship with my Heavenly Father?  Do I pursue Him with anything like the determination with which I pursued redeeming that coupon?  What would I do for  . . .  a chance to know Him more fully?  a chance to walk with Him more closely?  a chance to hear His voice more clearly?  What would I do for the opportunity to serve Him more completely?

Am I as determined to redeem my time as I was to redeem my coupon today?  Both have an expiration date!  But one has eternal consequences – the other is inconsequential.  And yet which one did I passionately pursue today in the grocery store?  I need to pursue my God with the persistence and single-mindedness with which I pursued redeeming a simple coupon this morning!

That is how I want to spend my days – overcoming all odds and obstacles that stand between me and the purposeful pursuit of my Heavenly Father and all that He stands ready to reveal to me or to anyone who would seek His face.  What would I do for  . . .  my Heavenly Father?  run, sprint, return again, and again – as many times as it takes .

Today, I let nothing stop me from redeeming my coupon.  Everyday, I want to live in such a way that no obstacle will stop me from redeeming my time with God, nor from using my time for God’s purposes.

“Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  (Psalm 90:12)

“Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”  (Ephesians 5:15-16)

“This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it – the Lord is His name:  ‘Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ ”  (Jeremiah 33:2-3)

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

 

taxes are taking their toll on me, both literally and figuratively.  It is time to pay the piper, which begs the question, “just who is the piper and why should I pay him (or her) anything?”  Caesar is long gone and a huge bureaucracy has taken his place.  and they want my money.  for a good cause they say. . . .  but do I have a say in how they spend my money?  I think not.  I think I should.

I was closer than I knew when I referred to taxes as a toll just now.  The word toll is traceable to the Greek word, “telones”  which means, are you ready?  – tax collector!  Yes, taxes are taking their toll on me, and taxes are the toll on me.  So I continue to fight the good fight, filling out forms to be filed with other forms, until fully filled out forms are filed, filling full the file cabinets that are stored in the secret places everywhere, or until forms fill all the clouds in cyberspace, leaving no room for anything else in the cloud.  Then what will we do?

Can you run out of cloud space?  will there be no music, no photos, no art?  only forms, fully filled and filed, finding themselves filling the clouds of cyberspace.  I know space is infinite, but is cyberspace infinite? or will we eventually run out of room for all this information, taxing as it may be?  inquiring minds want to know –

well, all this pondering is allowing me to procrastinate, thus avoiding the taxing work of doing my taxes, which continue to take their toll on me at present, which is mainly my time and attention, which I would prefer to spend elsewhere.  But then, who wouldn’t?  (well maybe CPA’s? – but that’s another post all together)

so, dear readers, I will continue to rant and to rail against, well perhaps not taxes themselves, our government does do some things we need done, but more against the convoluted and crazy process of forms and figures that we must navigate in order to comply correctly with current tax law.  Tax forms are exhausting and confusing and they defy all laws of logic.

I will continue to “render unto Caesar” no matter how difficult the process; which at the moment involves multiplying line 4 by 7.5%, entering that amount on another line, subtracting that from the amount on line 10 and then entering that amount on line 17 of a completely different form, and then adding it to the amount on line 16 and then entering that amount or whichever is the lesser of that or amount “x” on yet another line of yet a different form and then . . .  well, the end is nowhere in sight but you get the idea . . .

rendering is going to take some time . . .

sincerely,        Grace Day

 

 

 

I find that doing my taxes is extremely taxing!  (pun intended)  this definitely qualifies as a cruel and unusual “form” of punishment.  (or punishment by multiple, menacing, meandering forms)  I am wondering, “who thinks up these forms anyway?”  They don’t make any sense and the rules keep changing.  I thought taxes was one of the two “certain” things, but there is nothing certain about tax laws and by extension, tax forms, except that they are ever changing and always confusing.

Accountants are supposed to be straight laced and straight forward.  But there is nothing straight forward about these forms!  If there were, would we need the hefty instruction manuals that accompany each form?  (now there’s an entertaining and relaxing read if you are looking for something both fun and informative)

And there are taxes for everything. There is income tax and property tax and sales tax and state tax and local tax and gas tax and capital gains tax and tax on interest income and tax on IRA distributions, etc. etc.  If the government can name it, they will claim (tax) it.

What to do?

“Jesus said, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.’ ”  (Matthew 22:21)

okay, but I’m still taxed to the max, (and I have not been lax)  just trying to figure out my tax!

sincerely,     Grace Day

 

 

 

 

 

Paul had thorns, I have them too.  Thorns by definition are painful.  I would avoid them if I could, but I can’t.  And so, like Paul, I must learn to live life with the thorns ever present.  Thorns are something I must endure but surely not something for which I am thankful.  Or am I?

Paul was.  He was thankful for his “thorn in the flesh” as he called it in 2 Corinthians 12.  Paul even said, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  Paul found that when he had no power of his own to rely on, he relied instead on God’s power and God’s power was made perfect in his weakness.  (2 Cor. 12:9)

My thorns are painful and they are not all thorns in the flesh, like Paul’s was.  If truth be told, my thorns are thorns in the heart.  Physical pain is challenging for sure, but emotional pain cuts even deeper, lasts far longer, and is far more debilitating than physical pain.  Thorns that cause emotional pain cripple and paralyze me far longer than any physical injury ever could.

Yet in James I am told to “Consider it pure joy,  . . .  whenever you (I) face trials of many kinds, because (I can) know that the testing of (my) faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that (I) may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  (James 1:2-4)

Well, I’m guessing perseverance has not finished its work in me because I seem to be lacking many things and am keenly aware of my lack when the thorns rise up to remind me of their presence with me on my journey.  (as if I could forget)  The thorns will not be ignored, overlooked, nor forgotten.  But I get to choose my reaction to my thorns.

Peter talks about the thorns in life saying, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”  (1 Peter 1:6-7)  My thorns are testing, refining and strengthening my faith, making it what it should be ultimately.  And so that I might be “lacking nothing, but be mature and complete” as James stated, my thorns are meant to produce in me goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.  (2 Peter 1:5-7)  It is up to me to allow my thorns to do their work.

I would rather avoid the thorns than face them.  However, it is the thorns that make me desperate for my Heavenly Father’s face, it is the thorns that drive me to my knees, it is the thorns that send me running into my Creator’s presence seeking His solace, wisdom, guidance, grace and power to continue to walk in this broken world in a way that honors Him.

It is the pain of the thorns that teaches me compassion for others.  It is the pain of my thorns that calls me to care for others in their painful times.  It is the thorns that test and strengthen my faith.  It is the thorns that keep me close to God.  It is the thorns that help me realize my dependence upon my Heavenly Father and it is the thorns that keep me from going my own selfish, sinful way.

I don’t feel thankful for the thorns in this life, but I trust that my thorns are accomplishing in my life things far better than what a thornless life would give to me.  “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”  (2 Corinthians 4:17)

So perhaps I will change my prayer from “please take away the thorns and the pain they bring” to “thank you Lord, for the thorns.”  And just maybe in the stillness as I listen, I will hear,  “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

And I will know, like Paul, the thorns that are making me weak with pain, are actually making me stronger.  Then I will say along with Paul, “when I am weak, then I am strong.”   and I will be thankful for the thorns.

sincerely,              Grace Day

 

 

He is truly blest who has a friend, for the joys of friendship never end –

but rather grow as on time goes, unfolding slowly as the rose,

until full bloom at last attained, each from the other strength does gain.

and even though may come the rain, it only sees the friendship grow, just as it also helps the rose.

But unlike the rose, whose beauty realized then fades away – our friendship as our lives will stay,

refined by time along the way, its’ beauty never fully realized.

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”  (Proverbs (17:17)

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”  (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)

sincerely,         Grace Day

that is the question, but the answer is both – fear and don’t fear.  Now if that seems to you to be impossible (you can’t be fearing and not fearing at the same time, they are mutually exclusive) then you would be correct, except for this paradox:  when I fear God I don’t need to fear anything or anyone else!

God’s word tells me that, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”  (Proverbs 29:25)  Conversely I am told, “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.” (Proverbs 14:27)  So fearing God leads me to life, fearing man leads to my downfall or death. Seems an easy choice to me.

Luke 12:4-5 is advice I take to heart, Jesus says, “I tell you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear him.”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  (Proverbs 9:10)  “The fear of the Lord leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.”  (Proverbs 19:23)  “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”  (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Everything good seems to start with fearing God; wisdom, knowledge, resting content,  being kept safe, being lead from the snare of death to the fountain of life. When I fear God I have no need to fear men.  “in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”  (Psalm 56:11)

I also don’t need to fear my circumstances.  “But now, this is what the Lord says – . . . ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;  . . .  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through  the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”  (Isaiah 43:1-2)

Those last words bring to my mind Daniel’s three friends walking around in the fiery furnace that king Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into all because they did not fear him but feared God instead.  (so they obeyed God and not the king, which made the king angry)  Those are pretty scary circumstances but God tells me to fear not even when my circumstances would seem to warrant my fearing. Daniel’s three friends had their fear in the right place and it worked out pretty well for them.  They didn’t even smell like smoke, nor was a hair of their heads singed, when they came out of the furnace!  My misplaced fear often has me filled with needless worry and anxiety as I face life’s difficult circumstances.  But I am told not to fear my circumstances.

The angels told the shepherds to fear not, the night they came to them to announce Jesus’ birth.  Isaiah 41:10 tells me, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  Jesus told His disciples, ” . . .  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  (John 14:27)  Seems as often as I am told to fear God, I am told not to fear my circumstances or other people.

1 Peter 2:17 sums it up this way, “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”  I am never instructed to fear anything or anyone BUT God Himself.  And that fear, I am told, leads to eternal life.  I don’t have to live a fear filled life if my only fear is that reverential, over-riding, inexpressible awe that only God can command, that is due only to God because He alone is worthy to be feared and to be worshiped.

In Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13 tells me that my whole duty is to fear God and to keep His commandments.  John 14:21 says that “Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me.”  And as I live loving God and experiencing His love, these words are proved true, “There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  (1 John 4:18)

But God’s perfect love frees me to live life without fear, as more than a conqueror, all because when I fear God and only God, His perfect love drives out all other, lesser fears.  Indeed, “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”  (2 Timothy 1:7)

One well placed fear of God allows me to live life free of all the other fears that would plague and paralyze me, preventing me from living the abundant life that Jesus calls me and all who love Him to live.  So I will fear  . . .  and because I do,  I will fear not!

sincerely,         Grace Day

 

 

 

 

it was gaudy, it was flashy, it was flamboyant, it was showy, it was shiny, it was green, it was bright green, it was practically glowing green – it was St. Patrick’s Day and it was a gift – a gift of kindness, a gift of generosity, a gift of inclusion, a gift of good will, a gift of friendship bestowed freely upon me in the moment (seeing as how I was dressed in just jeans with browns and tans the only colors on me) she obviously saw that I was in need of some sprucing up on this St. Patrick’s Day Sunday morning at church.

and so I wore this precious gift around my neck and hanging down for the entire service, even when I went up front to sing; my pleasure at being the recipient of her kindness far outweighing any imagined embarrassment I might feel at sporting such an eye-catching accessory.  It was itchy and it was cumbersome but I fought against every urge to remove it prematurely; such a small sacrifice on my part compared to the joy with which she bestowed the gift and the grateful surprise with which I received it.

and so, dear readers, that’s the whole of the story – the small act of kindness that impacted my day for the better today.  the pebble has been thrown upon the still water, now let the ripples roll, let me reach out to those around me – with gifts of kindness, inclusion and generosity.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  (James 1:17)

sincerely,        Grace Day

 

 

 

” . . . ‘Look!  I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”  (Daniel 3:25)

It was You in the furnace, You were there all along –  it was You by my side, when everything went wrong.

It was You called Abraham, to follow You and believe – You led him to the Promised Land, Your blessings he received.

It was You rescued Joseph from the pit of his brothers’ evil plan – it was You put him in Egypt, to rule over Pharaoh’s land.

It was You in the bush, burning so bright – it was You in my darkness, You are the Light.

It was You at the Red Sea, You are the Way – it was You in the desert, leading them each day.

You were the manna, You were water from the rock – You were their Shepherd, Israel, Your flock.

It was You called out to Samuel, it was You in Daniel’s den – it was You at the walls of Jericho, assuring they would win.

It was You with shepherd David, when he faced the giant tall – with only stones and a slingshot, he saw that giant fall.

It was You on the road, making Paul’s eyes blind – helping him to see, Your identity to find.

It was You at creation, when the earth was born – it was You in the manger, when salvation took form.

It was You before beginnings, it is You in this moment now – it will be You in the ending, when before Your throne I bow.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”  (Hebrews 13:8)

“Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

sincerely,      Grace Day

 

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”  (Matthew 10:42)   I have a cup of soup friend (well, actually she is a full service friend, a friend for all seasons, if you will – but lately she has been my cup of soup friend.)

And let me tell you, a cup of hot soup in winter, IS the proverbial cup of cold water in summer that Jesus was talking about in Matthew.  It renews and refreshes the soul just like water in the desert does.  This is what my friend has been doing for me, one cup of kindness at a time.  It may seem a small thing, this sharing of a cup of soup, but it is the small things that often have the biggest impact.  One of life’s many paradoxes to be sure.  (besides, this is homemade soup, so it is really good!)

Her gift of a cup of soup is her thoughtfulness, caring, and generosity put into practice, a tangible expression of my friend’s caring for me and for others as God would have each of us to do.  Now I don’t have my friend’s culinary skills, not even close.  So I have to figure out what my cup of soup is that I can share generously with others to show them God’s love and care.

How do I show kindness to others?  Then I thought of Proverbs 16:24 which tells me, “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” My cup of soup could be a cup of kind words spoken/given to others throughout the day, especially to those who are otherwise invisible, overlooked and unappreciated as they go quietly about their day.  I may not be aware of who it is that I come in contact with each day, who is literally starving for a cup of kind words.

So I need to share as many cups of kindness as I can, no need to be stingy with words of affirmation and encouragement.  Because Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death,”   I want to help with my words, not harm.

My cup of soup friend has reminded me that kindness can be best served a cup at a time, to one person at a time, one day at a time.  This is how she is changing, this is how I can change, this is how we change our world for the better – one cup of soup at a time.

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”  (Proverbs 25:11)

sincerely,       Grace Day