“The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (Pro. 16:33).

How could that passage describe our lives any better? We make “To Do” lists day after day and only manage to scratch off an item or two, yet we work or run full tilt 24/7.  We plan, and “life” throws us a curve.  Long before we grow into our teen years, the fact that we are really not in charge like we would like to be, hits us like a tsunami.

My husband and I were returning by night coach from a lectureship in the Southern part of the state, when suddenly someone shook me awake and said, “We are here at Central Station; we have to get down now because the train must go to the shed for cleaning and repairs.”

Walk?

Now?

I can’t see where I am going; my eyes are so scratchy from long hours without drops to moisten them, I can scarcely focus on anything. I frantically grab a comb from the backpack and try to smooth the stray hairs to keep from shocking others on the platform. The wind outside makes that a vain effort. So I walk, stagger, and then….

Hardly a hundred yards down the platform, I suddenly remembered that my glasses were still in the mesh pocket at one end of my berth.  My husband ran back to look for them, but of course they were gone already. There must have been a lesson I needed to learn about being a good steward.

Do we pay lip service to Romans 8:28 where God declares that he is the one working all things together, and then plan like we are the ones who control our destiny and day to day activities.  All things in any language leaves out nothing. He makes the same declaration in Ephesians 1:12 where he works all things according to the counsel of his own will. God has created man for his purpose, and works all things together for the good of the ones who know that purpose (Romans 8:28). But how many comfort themselves that God is working for them, and yet have no inkling of the purpose for God making this world?

Again, in Proverbs 16:9, he makes the same declaration – A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps. Literally, man devises the way he wants to go but it is the Lord who ‘erects’ his steps. No wonder he warns us to acknowledge him in all our ways so that he will make our paths straight (Pro. 3:6). Once again, he challenges us: how can we understand our way if the Lord is the one who is directing our steps (Pro. 20:24). Of course we can give the answer – God’s word can make us to know ourselves as he knows us (1 Cor. 13:12). Without God’s word explaining what is happening, we walk on in darkness like the rest of the world and don’t know at what we stumble (Pro. 4:19).

Man is not in control, but is fully dependent on the Lord to produce anything of eternal value. All else is temporary, a waste of time and a vanity. We do need to acknowledge him in everything we do or plan to do, so that he will erect our steps (Pro. 16:9) and direct our paths (make our paths straight – Pro. 3:6).

–Beth Johnson

Women’s Studies

Muliebral Viewpoint

Articles and Books by Beth Johnson

There are many tough truths we have to deal with daily and I have written some of them down. Today’s lesson will be about “Worry.”  Perhaps reading the scriptures will help those which have trouble in these specific areas to work on them in light of what God’s Word says about them.

We worry.  And who among us does not have trouble in this area?  A very hard habit to break.  I too have a great amount of trouble in this area, but I’m diligently working on this area of my life.  I expect a number of us have a daily problem with worry.  The faithful child of God should be ever trustful in Him and not worry, but that said, we all have trouble in these areas and as we read our scriptures daily will get better in this area and learn to trust in Him.  He will not leave His faithful children, but wants us to trust in Him in all areas of our lives.

Be careful for nothing;  but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”    Philippians 4:6-7

“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.”    I Peter 5:7

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought (anxiety) for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink;  nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.  Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?   Behold the fowls of the air:  for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns;  yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.  Are ye not much better than they?  Which of you by taking thought (anxiety) can add one cubit unto his stature?  And why take ye thought (anxiety) for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;  they toil not, neither do they spin:  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?   Therefore take no thought, (anxiety) saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:  for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness;  and all these things shall be added unto you.  Take therefore no thought (anxiety) for the morrow:  for the morrow shall take thought (anxiety) for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”     Matthew 6:25-34

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:  for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”     Hebrews 13:5

“And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee;  He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee:  fear not, neither be dismayed.”    Deuteronomy 31:8

As I write these words of encouragement from Scripture.  My friend literally made himself sick worrying about mechanical problems with his truck.  I told him he would have it repaired by next week, but he worried so much he became ill.  He is better today.  I asked him if the truck was repaired any faster by his worrying about it through the night.  He said, “no”.  He knows he shouldn’t worry, but I told him I understood.  I too have been there as well and many, many others.  He’s working in these areas of his Christian life, but growth can be painful and getting rid of bad habits as well.  As in another article I wrote.  It takes the average person to break a bad habit to a good habit about 21 days.  With our Lord’s help, we will learn to be more trustful of Him and not worry quite so much.

“Never hate.  Don’t worry.  Live simply.  Expect a little.  Give a lot.  Always smile.  Live with love.  Draw closer to God.”     ~  American Cattlemen

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”   Romans 8:28

Have you ever thought that our lives are filled with mountains and valleys? These are the typical ups and downs of living. There are high points and low points. There are great days and bad days. We all have them.

Even the great days, the high points, the ups, the mountains have a down side. How we handle those mountains and valleys in our daily lives will determine who we are and the strength of our faith.

I have been thinking about some illustrations of this found in scripture. It didn’t take long to come up with several.

The first one that came to mind was Moses in Exodus 32. When Moses came to Mt. Sinai, God called him to go up to the top of the mountain. I can only imagine how Moses felt as he ascended that mountain, knowing that he would come in contact with the almighty God.

At the appointed time, God gave him the Ten Commandments and other laws; and Moses began his descent. He had to have felt “on top of the world” as he traveled downward to greet the people of God and share God’s gift with them. That is what you call a true mountaintop experience.

At the foot of the mountain he heard a noise, and there he found the people dancing, worshiping a golden calf, violating all that God instructed His people to do. This was a true “valley” experience.

Another mountain experience that comes to mind in found in Matthew 17. Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain and there He was transfigured (changed) in front of them.

These three disciples were able to see the Lord’s appearance changed, and they also saw Moses and Elijah standing with them. Don’t you know that they were excited to see men they had only read about standing in their presence?

Peter was so excited that he wanted them to make three tabernacles, one for Jesus and one each for Moses and Elijah. It took a voice from heaven to make Peter understand that Jesus was the one to be honored and not Moses and Elijah. His “mountain” turned to a “valley” very quickly.

The third example that comes to mind is found in Acts 17. Paul arrived in the city of Athens. There he encountered philosophers and worshipers of many strange gods.

Paul found an altar the Athenians had built to “The Unknown God.” Paul saw the results of their idol worship, and he spoke to them about the true God. Things were going well until he told them about the resurrection of the dead. Some were excited to hear that Jesus had risen from the dead and wanted to hear more, but others mocked him and wanted him gone. Paul’s mountaintop experience turned to a valley experience, and he had to leave.

Each day we experience both mountains and valleys. We have those days when everything goes well and we feel on top of the world. One word, one person, one action can change our mountain to a valley.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (KJV).

If we are obedient to God’s commands, everything (the mountains and the valleys) will work for good.

Sandra Oliver

“Saw you standing in the middle of the thunder and lightning. I know you feel like you just can’t win, but you’re trying. It’s hard to keep on keeping on when you’re being pushed around. Don’t even know which way is up, you just keep spinning down, round, down. Every storm runs out of rain, just like every dark night turns into day. Every heartache will fade away, just like every storm runs out of rain.”

Gary Allan, Lyrics and Music

Sooner or later storm clouds come into our lives, and it tears our hearts out when sorrows come. The sadness engulfs us, threatening to overwhelm us. Our eyes fill with tears, our hearts are heavy, we struggle to find the light, struggle to find Him, to hold on while our knees buckle beneath the weight. At times the hurt is so buried in our hearts that only our Father is able to understand the pain, and during those times we don’t believe the sun will shine again, that we will laugh again. Our hearts ache and we feel lost. We want to shut the world out and heal our wounds. Pain so unbearable we can’t speak or eat, and it is hard to look on the bright side, when you have been taken by surprise at something that you never saw coming and during those times we wonder why bad things happen to good people. The eternal “Why?”

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.” Job 1:1

Job lost all of his wealth, servants, children….. “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground,and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” Job 1:20-22

Job lost his health, and his wife said unto him in Chapter 2: 9, “……Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” His wife, the love his life, instead of sympathizing told him to “curse God and die.”
“In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” Verse 10

In these times of severe trials, tribulations, sorrow, let the faithful child of God trust in Him to see us through…..He saw me through, and He will see you through. II Corinthians 12:9-10, Romans 8:28

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-15

“Grief changes us
The pain sculpts us
Into someone who,
Understands more deeply
Hurts more often
Appreciates more quickly
Cries more easily
Hopes more desperately
Loves more openly.”

Eileen Light