by Catherine McDaugale | Aug 15, 2021 | Christian Living, Life
Good things come to those who wait. That old adage is not necessarily true. You can wait for a good thing your whole life and never get it.
And where is the good thing supposed to come from? A popular notion is that the universe is the arbiter of who gets what. I’ve heard people say something like, “The universe is against me,” when they don’t get something they want. Others believe in karma, saying they didn’t get something because they did something they weren’t supposed to do or said something they shouldn’t have said.
But the truth is that the universe doesn’t give you anything. The universe is a created thing, not the creator. Instead,
[e]very good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Faither of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17 (NKJV))
God gives us good things.
God gives good things to those who love Him and to those who don’t. Jesus taught us that God the Father “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45 (NKJV)). Think about it. God blesses those who aren’t following Him with all sorts of good things – like family, good health, and money.
But if you are God’s child then you also have a promise to hold onto. God has promised,
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11(NKJV))
Uprightly means without blemish, complete, perfect, without spot, undefiled. God looks on those who follow Jesus as ones who walk uprightly. They obtain their righteousness – their uprightness – not from what they have done but through their faith in Jesus (Philippians 3:9). So, if you are following Jesus, God promises that He will not withhold a good thing from you.
If you have been praying for something that seems good and God has not given it to you then it is not good for you. It may be that the timing is not right. Or it may be something that will never be good for you.
Unlike you, God knows everything. He is eternal and knows all things (1 John 3:20; Revelation 1:8-9). God knows the beginning from the end (Isaiah 46:9-10). He knows everything about you (Psalm 139:1-4). He knows exactly what would happen if He gives something to you – what you will do with it and how it will affect you. In other words, God knows if the thing you’ve been wanting would be good for you.
Let’s put it in perspective. We’ve all seen children who want things they shouldn’t have. Maybe a child wants to eat a candy bar just before dinner. His father tells the child no, and the child gets angry. Why? The child wants the candy right at that moment. But the father knows it would spoil the child’s appetite. If the child eats the candy before dinner, he won’t eat the nutritious food that his body needs. It’s not that the father will never allow the child to eat the candy. The timing is not right.
Or maybe the child wants to play in the street. The father doesn’t let the child do so because the child could get hurt by a passing car. The father will never give his child permission to play in the street. Doing so would never be good for the child.
How much more does God the Father know what is and isn’t good for us than our earthly fathers ever did. God knows what is not good for us now and what will never be good for us. We can trust Him to do what is best for us.
by Catherine McDaugale | Aug 1, 2021 | Ministry, Thoughts
As I was reading through Genesis the other day, I came to the part where Abraham’s servant goes to get a bride for Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham asked his servant to swear that he would not take a bride for Isaac from one of the women in the land where they were living but that he would go back to his family for a bride (Genesis 24:2-4). The servant did so and traveled to the place where Abraham had once lived (Genesis 24:9-10).
After the servant came to that place, he went to the well in the evening when the women would go to draw water (Genesis 24:11). Then he prayed.
O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, “Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,” and she says, “Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink” – let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. (Genesis 24:12-14 (NKJV))
While he was still praying, Rebekah came to the well to draw water (Genesis 24:15). When he asked Rebekah for a drink, she agreed (Genesis 24:17-18). Then Rebekah offered – on her own – to draw water for his camels (Genesis 24:19).
This was no small task. A camel is a desert animal that can go a long time without drinking water. But when it does, a camel will drink about 30 gallons. And the servant had brought ten camels with him (Genesis 24:10). That’s about 300 gallons of water that Rebekah had to draw from the well!
God had answered the servant’s prayer while he was still speaking it. Amazing. Then it struck me. This is not the only woman we meet at a well in the Bible. And the two women were so very different.
We meet the other woman in the book of John. Jesus and His disciples were traveling from Jerusalem to the Galilee, and Jesus “needed” to go through Samaria (John 4:3-4 (NKJV)). Going through Samaria would break the Jewish practice of going around Samaria. The reason it was a big deal for the Jewish people to travel through that area is another blog post in itself. For our purposes here, let’s just say that it was not a common thing to do.
When Jesus and His disciples reached a certain well, the disciples went into the city to buy food (John 4:6, 8). But Jesus sat by the well on the edge of the city (John 4:6). As we read further, we see that Jesus had a plan for a woman who He would meet there.
What a stark difference there was between the woman Jesus ministered to and Rebekah:
- Rebekah was a young, beautiful woman, while the other woman was older (Genesis 24:16; John 4:18).
- Rebekah was a virgin; the other woman had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband (Genesis 24:16; John 4:18).
- Rebekah went to the well in the evening, which was the usual time women would go to draw water because it was cooler; the other woman went at noon in the heat of the day, probably to avoid the other women (Genesis 24:11; John 4:6).
In short, Rebekah was vibrant and ready to begin a new life; the other woman was broken and likely felt worthless.
You may be more like Rebekah: younger, raised in a good family, eager to serve the Lord. Or you may be more like the other woman: feeling run down, regretful about wasting portions of your life by living in sin. Whatever your story, whatever your past, it’s not too late. God can still work through your life. The amazing thing we see from these two women is not what they did but what God can do.
Regardless of where you are in your life, God can do His work through you if you are willing and available. The important things the two women had in common was their availability and their willingness to be used by God for His purposes.
When asked if she was willing to go with Abraham’s servant to become Isaac’s bride, Rebekah answered, “I will go” (Genesis 24:58 (NKJV)). Rebekah didn’t hesitate. She was willing to go to a different land and become a wife to a man she had never met because it was God’s plan. The night before, the servant had recounted the oath he had sworn to Abraham, his journey to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham’s family, his prayer at the well when he arrived, and God’s answer to His prayer “before [he] had finished speaking in [his] heart” (Genesis 24:34-47 (NKJV)). She witnessed the servant’s praise that he gave to God when the prayer had been answered (Genesis 24:48, 52).
Rebekah went even though it must have been scary, going to the unknown, which would change her circumstances for the rest of her life. Yet, she went. And God blessed Rebekah with being the mother of Jacob (whose name was later changed to Israel). Rebekah’s grandchildren became the 12 tribes of Israel from whom the Messiah Jesus would eventually be born.
The other woman also chose to make herself available to do God’s work. After meeting the Messiah Jesus, she left her waterpot to go into the city to tell everyone about Jesus (John 4:28-29). She brought the men of her city to meet Jesus (John 4:30). As a result of her testimony, many of them believed (John 4:39-42).
Whatever your story, God has a purpose for your life too. He has fashioned days for you (Psalm 139:16). Will you choose to make yourself available to walk in the days God has made for you?
by Catherine McDaugale | Jun 1, 2021 | Christian Living, Life, Spiritual Growth
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. (Psalm 127:1 (NKJV))
The Hebrew word for vain in this verse means useless, empty, worthless. When you are building your house – your family – it must be built by God. If it’s not built by God your labor is useless, empty, worthless.
Jesus told us what happens when we labor in vain.
Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. (Matthew 7:24-27 (NKJV))
Unfortunately, I can attest to the truth of these verses. I didn’t come to the Lord until later in life, when my son was 15 years old. Before I started following Jesus, I got married, and we had our son. And I began building our house on the principles of this world. I read many, many books on parenting. We took parenting classes. I applied the principles I learned in the books and the classes. I even applied things I had learned from watching television shows that depicted a family life I admired.
I was told, and believed, that a woman could have it all, could do it all. I could have my career, rear my child, make money, and build a household. I could be everywhere and do everything. I could file motions with the court in the morning, help my son with his homework late in the afternoon, make dinner for our family, and bake cookies in the evening. I was assured that it was okay to put my child in the care of others during the daytime, so I could pursue my career and give my son a better life.
Brick by brick, we assembled our house on various worldly principles. We encouraged our son to modify his behavior through rewards and incentives. We imposed consistent rules, limiting television and video games. We provided our son with opportunities to experience different activities, so he could find something he enjoyed. We traveled. We placed an emphasis on our son’s education. We ate dinner as a family. We ensured that we knew where our son was at all times.
Many of those principles are good things in and of themselves. The problem was the foundation. Instead of a solid foundation, I was building right on the ground that was there. I didn’t first ensure the principles were built on the Rock of Jesus.
When I submitted my life to Jesus, I added to the bricks rather than starting a new structure. I added to the house that was already there. Sure, my personal foundation was now strong. Jesus became my foundation, and I was building a new life brick by brick as I learned new Biblical principles. But I didn’t start building anew when it came to our family.
Instead, I simply added to the bricks; I added new rules. Now it was a rule that we all go to church together on a Sunday. I tried to get my son involved with the other teens at our church. We began to pray before we ate family meals. I started reading my Bible some and went to a few Bible studies. I started listening to Christian music part of the time. But the bricks were placed on top of what was already there.
I didn’t address my son’s heart. I don’t think I understood that I needed to. I didn’t explain to him the change that Jesus had made in my life. I didn’t tell him why we were doing some things differently. I thought he would understand solely by observation. Besides, we were the parents, and he was the child. It wasn’t a matter of explaining our actions.
Then one day, without warning, a storm came, and the house fell.
And great was its fall.
Because of my spiritual immaturity at that point, I went back to the world for answers when the house fell. I read every parenting book I could find and talked to a counselor. Nothing made sense. Nothing explained what had happened. I sifted through the rubble for a long time, trying to salvage bits and pieces until the Lord showed me it needed to be cleared away and rebuilt on Him.
Then, as we turned to Jesus, God started rebuilding our house. Slowly, God helped us to clear the rubble. He helped us to lay a sure foundation. My husband and I started building on that foundation, on the truths that Jesus had taught us. The house was rebuilt with the assistance of our loving, faithful God. Our marriage is now stronger than it has ever been because it is built on the solid foundation of Jesus. Since we’ve rebuilt our house, we’ve had other storms come our way. But our new house has endured them all. Praise God, because He is faithful!
What is your house built on? If it is not built on Jesus, the Rock, it’s never too late to rebuild. But you must make a choice to build your house on Him. If you don’t choose to build your house on Jesus and His teachings, the choice will be made for you.
Choose this day whom you will serve. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)).
by Catherine McDaugale | May 1, 2021 | Christian Living, Life, Thoughts
This past year has been difficult for everyone. COVID-19 has impacted all of our lives in varying ways. Some have lost family members or friends. Others have lost jobs or their businesses. Although not everyone has lost loved ones or their livelihood, we have all been impacted in some way.
It seems the world changed overnight. If you had told me a few years ago that there would be a time when I’d be working from home for over a year and would be required to wear a mask every time I went to the grocery store or to church, I would have thought you were crazy.
Along with the difficulties, people have experienced feelings of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, sadness, isolation, and loneliness. What should we do with these feelings? The Bible gives us the answer. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us,
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJV)
Talk to God about how you are feeling, about the things that have been happening in your life. Tell Him what you need and how you feel. Nothing will surprise Him. He already knows all your thoughts (Psalm 139:2). Telling God about your feelings isn’t for God’s benefit, it’s for your benefit. God wants us to come to Him with everything that we’re thinking about because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
When you come to God, thank Him for what He has already done in your life. Spend time in fellowship with Him. In exchange, God has promised to give you a peace that surpasses all understanding. It’s not natural to feel a sense of peace during times of difficulty. It’s a supernatural peace that can only come from trusting God.
After you have prayed through the verses in Philippians 4:6-7, don’t stop there. Look at the next verse,
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)).
You see, trying not to think about something doesn’t work. When you tell yourself, “I will not think about it,” inevitably you do think about whatever “it” is. Instead, we need to replace those thoughts by meditating on the things that God tells us to focus on.
Biblical meditation is different from the meditation that is practiced in yoga or other disciplines, in which you seek to empty your mind. The Greek word for meditate in Philippians means to reason or think on. The New Living Translation tells us to “[f]ix your thoughts on.” The idea is to ruminate or chew on those things. For example, you can take a Bible verse, memorize it, and then think about it word by word. Ask yourself about the verse’s context – where is it in the Bible, what are the verses around it, what does the verse mean? Think about what the verse tells you about God. Ask yourself how the verse applies to your life.
We can choose what we think about. If I want to think about an elephant, suddenly I have a picture of an elephant in my mind. I can picture what it looks like. If I meditate on that elephant, I can see its color, its shape, and the lines in its hide. Maybe the elephant starts to eat something by picking it up with its trunk. You get the idea. You can decide to do that with anything.
But as we saw, the Bible gives us a list of things we should think about. The first thing that we are told to meditate on in Philippians 4:8 is “whatever things are true.” There is a difference between what is true and what is false. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines the word “true” as something that is “in accordance with the actual state of affairs,” and truth means “reality” or “the quality or state of being accurate.” Conversely, things are false if they are not true.
Absolute truth is something that is true and does not change no matter what your circumstances are. Some people deny that there can be absolute truth. Instead, they believe that truth is relative. Relativism is a belief that truth is based on a person’s own experiences, that truth changes from person to person.
But the Bible teaches us that there is absolute truth. We know that Jesus is truth (John 14:6). Meditate on the things that Jesus has done for you. Jesus died for your sins on the cross so your sins could be forgiven. If you decide to follow Jesus, your sins will be forgiven, and you will have eternal life (John 3:16).
We also know that God’s Word, the Bible, is true. The Bible tells us that God “made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and [He] preserve[s] them all” (Nehemiah 9:6 (NKJV)). God is the Creator. Meditate on that. When you see a beautiful sunset, remember that it was made by God. The majestic mountains – God. The vast oceans – also made by God.
Thinking about even one aspect of God’s creation is amazing. God created flowers. He didn’t make just one flower in a single color. No, He created many, many types of flowers in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. Flowers come in just about every conceivable color that you could imagine. They are various shades of purple, pink, red, yellow, white, and orange. There are lilies, tulips, roses, bougainvillea, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, dahlias, carnations, peonies, daffodils, irises, sunflowers, buttercups, orchids, marigolds, petunias, daisies, and many more. And did you know that an artichoke is actually a flower? And capers are pickled flower buds. Even more astonishing is that a fig is technically not a fruit but an inverted flower. It is truly awesome when you think about it. God is awesome!
If something pops into your mind while you’re thinking about the things that God told you to meditate on, take that thought captive. The Bible instructs us to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV)). Don’t allow yourself to continue to think about that thought. It will derail you and you will start to think about your problems and feel anxious again. Instead of letting that thought take your mind off the things of God, recognize that it’s there, capture it, and ask God to take it out of your mind. Ask God to help you keep your mind focused on Him. He will help you if you ask. Train your mind to meditate on the things God has told you to think about. When you do, you will experience the peace that God has promised.
