The. Lord. Is.

~ Barbara ~ 2 Comments

The Lord is. Have you stopped to consider the significance of that 2-letter word? For one, it is present tense. Of course the Lord also was and will be, but sometimes those tenses are easier to accept than the present. Sometimes it is only by faith that we sense and believe that God is, and is active and alive in our lives. That’s where selah comes in. Pause and calmly think “The Lord is.” Let that truth soak through your fears and unrest.

He is—He exists, breaths, continues, endures, thrives, subsists—He lives. He is ever-present and always attentive to us, actively interested in our hopes and desires, disappointments and pain. Look at the picture of the shepherd who is watching a sheep wander away and let these words from Psalm 23 take hold. The shepherd—and the Shepherd—is alert to every sheep in his flock.

The Lord is my Shepherd—He feeds me, protects me, and gives me rest for my body and soul. Nothing I feel or fear changes the fact that the Lord is. That truth is more reliable than my emotions or despair, more trustworthy than any dangers and doubts I face.

Whether I struggle with hardships or watch the trials of friends or dismay over news reports, the fact remains: The Lord is.

Photo by Sally Teschon

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart

I Have a Shepherd

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

I suspect Psalm 23 may be the best known of all psalms. Often read at funerals, it wraps around us like a familiar, cozy afghan. But the comfort it’s designed to give goes far deeper. Like the stitches woven to create our favorite blanket, the psalmist wove words to cover us with far-reaching assurances. It deserves a deeper look and meditative understanding. Over the coming weeks we will do just that. Get ready to nestle yourself under its covering.

“The Lord is my Shepherd.” Lord is understood as one who has power and authority over others, a ruler to whom allegiance and service is due. In the best case scenario, such a lord would be benevolent, caring for those under his leadership. In the Christian’s case, our Lord is that and more, so much more. Our Lord is a shepherd who lovingly tends to the needs of His people—but we’ll discuss Shepherd later.

Submitting to the care of a lord can offer peace or anxiety, depending on his goodness and our trust. The Lord spoken of in Psalm 23 is good and reliable. We will see that as we progress through the psalm, but at this point we simply need to recognize Him as Lord and, more than that, “The Lord.”

He is above all others, preeminent and unsurpassed. There is no authority that can challenge Him—important to remember in our troubling times. He has the ultimate power, the highest purpose, the perfect plan, the final say. He is The Lord of all lords.

When you read Psalm 23:1, savor these first two words—no lovingly crafted afghan can compare to the comfort found there.

Photo by Sally Teschon

Finding Hope, 65 Meditations for a Broken Heart by Barbara Higby

Powerful Words from Generous Hearts

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

I was recently doubting myself in two areas. In each instance someone spoke words that flipped my perspective and sparked joy.

First, I was feeling down about my hair—I’m losing it! Not a big deal, but a distraction. I faithfully thanked God it wasn’t due to disease or chemo treatments, just another aging nuisance. Still, I told Him I’d really like it to stop.

We attend a super-friendly church and each Sunday are enthusiastically greeted like our being there is the best thing ever. Two weeks ago the greeter, a stranger to me, exclaimed, “I love your hair! It looks so healthy!” Now, people may have commented on my hair style or color, but no one ever has remarked on its health. I’m guessing you’ve never been told that either. What an unusual comment—and exactly what I needed to hear! I thanked her for being so outgoing and unwittingly building me up. Now I brush the hair off my shoulders and say to myself, “What healthy hair!” You know, I think less is falling!

The second self-doubt came this morning. I felt dry and was praying about what to post this week. I questioned if I should take a blog break. In the middle of my musing a new friend texted me, “I felt compelled to start reading your blog! I’ve read a few and I’m now a subscriber!” Wow! Then a second friend in the chat responded that she knew nothing about following a blog, “I was just reading it. So good!” They knew nothing about my struggle but spoke words of life and… here I am!

I hope you’re encouraged to speak up, to let compliments and positive words flow. We’ve had this safety measure drilled in us: “If you see something, say something.” Let’s steal the mantra to remind us to say kind words to others.  

Ephesians tells us to speak…“what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (4:29). In the communications I described words were spoken to build me up. The speakers didn’t know of my need, but God did, and He used them to bless.

Friends, let’s be generous with words that compliment, edify, and encourage. According to Proverbs 25:11 (ESV),

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

Share a golden apple today!

No Fear Here, 2

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

Any parent or grandparent can fall prey to fear when we look at the dangers our children face in today’s society. We must take a stand and declare, “No fear here!”

This article lifted my heart—I hope it does the same for you.

Don’t Feel Sorry or Fear for your Kids
Raise Them up to Walk in Faith

Don’t feel sorry or fear for your kids because the world they’re growing up in is not what it used to be.

God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident.

  • Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God.
  • Train them up in the authority of His Word.
  • Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control.
  • Empower them to know they can change the world.

Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it.

Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan.

  • He knew Daniel could handle the lions’ den.
  • He knew David could handle Goliath.
  • He knew Esther could handle Haman.
  • He knew Peter could handle persecution.

He knows that your children can handle whatever challenges they face in their life. He created them specifically for it!

Don’t be scared for your children, but be honored that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime. Rise to the challenge.

Raise Daniels, Davids, Esthers, and Peters!

God isn’t scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world.

He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth.

Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them … they were born for such a time as this.

—Alex Cravens, Russellville, Arkansas,
featured on Randy Alcorn’s website: eternal perspectives ministry