Author: Barbara

My passion is to encourage women wherever they are on their life journey. In everything I write and in every opportunity to speak, my goal is to offer hope. May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV

Even Now

~ Barbara ~ 6 Comments

Even now, Lord? Even when my years are many and my body aches? Even when my vision is no longer sharp and I don’t hear as clearly? Even when I can’t process thoughts as quickly or forget a word or name?

Yes, even now!

God doesn’t need our energy or youthful vigor to fulfill His purposes. He will display His glory and tell His story through a well-worn vessel that remains stubbornly available. His plans for us don’t end when we reach a particular age or when our mobility becomes a challenge. We are as capable of being used today as we were in our younger years because He sustains us. It is still His strength that carries the day, not ours. It never was.   

Do not despair, my gray-haired friends! He made us and therefore He will carry us through to a victorious end. And until that day, He will rescue, uphold, and support us. Let us be as grateful for our life today as we were in our youth.

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

God’s Palms

~ Barbara ~ 4 Comments

“I will not forget you!” God.
Isaiah 49:15.

Stop for a moment and look at your palms. The lines you see are called palmar flexion creases. The three deep, prominent creases should look familiar to you since you were born with them—they were formed at around the 12th week of gestation. The creases allow the skin to adapt when our hands are active—stretching, folding, or fisting. Without them, our skin would sag.

What would we see if we looked at God’s hands? Figuratively, according to a song we’ve sung since the 1920s, we would see the whole world.

Literally, would we see creases like ours? We may, since we are made in His image.

When we meet Him, I expect we will see the nail holes that make it possible for us to stand in His presence.

But if God extended His hand to us today, palm up, we would see something for our eyes alone—our name. Right there, “Barbara Higby” is prominently engraved on God’s palms. My name, and yours, is inside His grasp, present during every God activity. Read it for yourself in Isaiah 49:16:

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me.

Our names are etched on His palms—permanently, no ball point pen or felt-tip marker. He sees our parameters, our beginning and our end, our restrictions and freedoms, what lies before us and the experiences of our past.

When God opens His hands, He sees us, our name and the life He created.

God Eavesdrops

~ Barbara ~ 1 Comment

Conversations with friends are certainly more intimate than those with neighbors or casual acquaintances. In times of weakness we would be embarrassed if our words were overheard but, hopefully more often, we share honest, intimate thoughts—feelings, hopes, disappointments.

Since we speak from the fullness of our hearts, words between Christians may include personal insights, fresh understanding, and Bible verses. Our conversations include encouragement, counsel, and opportunity to pray together. I can trace areas of personal growth back to conversations with friends who lovingly listened to my heart.

But they weren’t the only ones listening.

Malachi 3:16 tells me someone else heard our words and was equally impressed. I am warmed by the intimacy of Malachi’s revelation:  

Then those who feared [honored] the Lord spoke to one another,
and the Lord listened and heard them;
so a book of remembrance was written before Him
for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.

God eavesdrops on our conversations! Not to find fault, but because He is blessed to hear us voicing our love and respect for Him. Think about a time you overheard someone say something complimentary about you. It’s even more precious because it wasn’t said directly to you but spoken in honor of you. Read the verse again in the MSG Bible:

Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over.
God saw what they were doing and listened in.
A book was opened in God’s presence and minutes were taken of the meeting,
with the names of the God-fearers written down,
all the names of those who honored God’s name.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them,” Jesus (Matt. 18:20).

God’s Secrets

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

Most of us have favorite Bible verses we return to over and over. In the coming weeks I will share a few of mine from an endless list, and I’d love you to tell me your favorites. Today is Psalm 25:14:

The Lord confides in those who fear Him;
He makes His covenant known to them.

This verse overwhelms me with its intimacy, revealing God’s desire to be near us and share His heart with us. He wants to let us in on His secrets and His plans for humanity—the covenant pact between us. He wants to take us into His confidence. Amazing!

Think about who you choose to confide in. I’m guessing it’s not the person you pass by with a “Hi, how are you?” “Fine thanks, how are you?”

We share confidences with those we’ve built a relationship, those who are interested enough to not only listen to our words but also our hearts. Friends care because we have connection, a bond of trust.

God cares about us in that way. He knows our hearts and still enjoys us. He responds to us and, without judgement, He readily listens to our worries and complaints. He has time for us. Can we say the same for our part in the relationship?

Do we rush past God with a, “Hi, how are you?” Does our attitude say, “I’ll get back to when I have time” or “I’ll let you know when I need You”? A relationship requires time if it is to grow in intimacy and trust. I can’t think of a single friendship that is more valuable than one with God.

Can you recall a time when you took a child aside to point out a hidden beauty, a pretty picture, or amusing bird? All you needed to say was, “Come here, I want to show you something.” They are like sponges and take it all in, eager and inquisitive. They trust us to reveal something new and wonderful.

I’m honored that God wants to confide in me. I want to hear His secrets and wonder at His revelations. I am committed to more than, “I’m glad you care, but I’ll see you later.”

How precious is His invitation to sit awhile and hear His heart!