She stared at the ceiling as her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the rising sun piercing through the window.

It would be another dry, rainless day.

She got out of bed and rushed to the room where the two jars laid on the floor. She looked at them and wondered whether this would be the day when provision would finally cease.

Reluctantly, she reached into the first jar of clay and smiled when the oily texture touched her fingers. She brought them to her mouth, closing her eyes while savoring the best oil she had ever tasted.

With the other, trembling hand, she reached for the second jar, where an abundance of soft flour greeted her touch.

She closed her eyes.

“Jehovah,” she whispered

The word of the prophet did not fail.

‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth. (1 Kings 17:14 NASB)

In the seventeenth chapter of 1 Kings, we meet this most intriguing character, placed in a land permeated by idolatry and sin.

We don’t know her name, but her story is forever etched in the history of Israel as one of the first times we witness God’s grace touch a gentile in a miraculous way. Not only did the widow who lodged Elijah experienced God’s supernatural provision, but also her son became the first person chosen by God to resurrect from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24).

In a small, rundown home, where Baal was once worshipped and lives were broken, God’s mercy came down, changing the hearts and the lives of a poor mom and her boy.

This is only one of the stories in Scriptures where God used a heathen to bless one of His own. Throughout His Word, we see God use Israel’s enemies to bring forth blessings, gentiles to accomplish His will, and times of great distress to draw His people closer to Him.

Indeed, this truth, engraved throughout scriptures and translated in one of the Apostle Paul’s most inspired messages to the church, should bring us great perspective when we face difficulties and enemies… or when life’s circumstances do not make sense:

And we know that God CAUSES ALL THINGS to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NASB – emphasis mine)

We all have found ourselves in situations when we honestly believe that we have everything in our hands to make things work out, and yet, we witness our castles fall apart.

Whether it is the marriage that struggles, the child that rebels, the tragedy that strikes, the job that ends, the dream that is shattered… we shake our heads, perplexed, wondering…

What did I do to deserve this?

In the aftermath of disappointment and pain, some of us give up. Some of us take that last bit of flour and oil, turn our backs to the prophet, and bake that last bread, our last material resource, leaning on our own understanding of the situation before us… choosing to move forward without God.

That was not the case for the widow in Sidon.

She did not know Israel’s God. But the numerous accounts of the One who opened the Red Sea and delivered the giants of the land into Israel’s hands had certainly reached her ears… thus she chose to obey Him and open her heart to become a recipient of His grace.

Because she did, she witnessed “the bowl of flour did not exhaust nor the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:16)

God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good to those who love Him and say YES to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 – paraphrased)

God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good to those who love Him and say YES to His purpose. #RechargeWednesday
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What is your “ALL THINGS” today, my friend?

Are all doors closing?

Perhaps you are heading to divorce court?

Is your child breaking your heart?

Or are you waiting for the healing to come?

Are your enemies oppressing you?

Or has the death of a loved one robbed you of all desire to live?

Whatever your empty bowl is today, hear the voice of the prophet to the widow – that same voice calls you to obey, even if it does not make sense.

For “all things” can only work together for your good, and according to His perfect purpose for your life, if you deliberately make the choice to not lean on your own understanding, but rather, reach out into that empty bowl, by faith… believing that the Maker of the stars is able to give you mercy, protection, provision, healing and grace… In HIS time and once again.

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As we talked about our children, she shared some of her teen’s struggles with his faith and how she felt like God was stretching her faith.

“Lord, you take care of me, and I take care of them!” she said.

We both burst out laughing, amused by the truth behind the joke.

We were talking about how hard it is for us, moms, to relinquish our children’s care to God, unreservedly. Indeed, our tendency is to pray… and then worry.  And invariably, pick up our children back from the altar of surrender, in an attempt to solve their problems ourselves. We can’t stand the thought of Junior hurting.

What if God allows them to make bad choices? What if the only way their character can be molded is through pain and suffering?

Oh, no, Lord. Not that, please!

Yet, if we believe that God indeed works everything together for our good… and His glory (Romans 8:28), then why do we fret? Can we not look back and realize that we have matured and grown spiritually with our past mistakes? Can we not remember that our bad choices broke us over and over again; making us run to Him who mends the shattered hearts?

Is it really so bad that our teenager or young adult child questions God? Wouldn’t we rather them question Him, prove Him faithful, thus finding Jesus as the only Way, Truth and Life… on their own?

Is it really so bad that our teenager or young adult child questions God? Wouldn’t we rather them question Him, prove Him faithful, thus finding Jesus as the only Way, Truth and Life… on their own? #MondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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I personally want my babies to love Jesus because they have experienced Him as their faithful and true friend, not because I told them to. Unfortunately, I also know that they’ll probably have to suffer before their love for the Master is perfected.

I personally want my babies to love Jesus because they have experienced Him as their faithful and true friend, not because I told them to. #MondayMotivation #MondayDevotional
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And how will they prove Him if they don’t feel they need Him?

And how will they feel they need Him without pain?

Still… this momma’s heart cringes to think of letting them go…

Meanwhile, God whispers:

“Have I not made them? Knit each one of their cells in your womb?”

“Do I not love them more than you do?”

Do.You.Trust.ME?

“He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Genesis 22:12

It may just be that your call today is similar to Abraham’s, who was asked to bring his only promised son to the altar of sacrifice. The heart of the story was never about Isaac’s life. It was about Abraham’s heart. Likewise, the trials our children go through bring forth an awesome opportunity for our spiritual growth as parents.

You see, in the process of working on our children, God works on us as well: Shaping our prayer life. Strengthening our testimony. Reminding us of His faithfulness. Keeping us dependent upon Him. Teaching us real TRUST, as we bring our most precious possessions to the altar of sacrifice, as if to say: They are yours anyway, Lord.  

These are all good things.

They’re the good that is birthed out of the bad: Closeness to Yahweh. Deeper love. Genuine Trust.

So here is a challenge, my friend:

If your child or anyone else in your life is wandering away from the Master, will you bring him or her to the altar of sacrifice today? Will you choose to trust that the same God who asks you to cease striving and surrender them to Him, will certainly provide the ram for the sacrifice?

If your child or anyone else in your life is wandering away from the Master, will you bring him or her to the altar of sacrifice today? Will you choose to trust that the same God who asks you to cease striving and surrender them to…
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Because just as He did for Abraham, He wants to bless you beyond measure for your faith.

So why don’t we join in prayer, hands held up to Heaven in surrender, calling upon our children’s Maker today:

YOU take care of them, Lord. They’re not mine, anyway.

I.Trust.YOU.

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A father loses his job. Again. An airplane falls, killing a loved one. A young mother loses her baby. A fire assails a home where a couple and their three young children sleep. The children escape, but their mother dies.

Hurricane Dorian devastates the beautiful Bahamas, leaving a pathway of death, loss and unimaginable pain behind.

“I don’t understand the purpose in this. Do you?”

A dear friend asked me this very question recently.  This sweet and godly woman has gone through unimaginable pain and suffering for the past several years. Her honest question echoes in the hearts of all of us when life doesn’t make sense. When it feels like God has forgotten us. When we can’t find the purpose behind the pain.

Whether we voice it or not, the question remains: “What’s your purpose in this, Father?”

“No, I don’t understand it. I don’t. But I have to trust that God has a purpose. We just can’t see it yet,” I said.

Her question caught me off guard, but I answered her with strong conviction. I have walked with Jesus for long enough to know that He does have a purpose for every suffering He allows in His children’s lives. Indeed, I have experienced His purposeful design through pain and loss, and I can testify that He does make all things work together for our good and for His glory. I’ve proven this truth. I believe it.

But that does not ease the pain when we’re going through the valley. When life doesn’t make sense and seems to be getting worse instead of better.

Believing God works everything together for our good does not ease the pain when we're going through the valley.
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As I continued talking to my friend, Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 came to mind:

“Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”

Among all New Testament characters, the dear apostle knew pain like no other follower of Jesus at that time. He was blind, beaten, scorned, persecuted, shipwrecked, imprisoned and tempted. Even so, he responded with steadfast faith throughout each trial: “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Therefore, it seems only fair that God would remove this one issue that plagued Paul. He seemed to have had enough when he pleaded with the Father to remove the thorn in his flesh, whatever that was. And yet, even though we never see this giant of faith ask for relief before, God told him he should just accept it.

That would have been a tough pill to swallow, had God not explained why the “thorn” had to remain: so that God’s power (and purpose) would be perfected in Paul’s weakness.

It’s hard to look past our pain…

Indeed, it’s humanly impossible to understand how a disease or a death in the family can work together for our good. Only when we look back in our lives can we understand the higher purpose beyond each valley we crossed:

… Like the people who are impacted by the way we respond; silent witnesses that draw strength from our testimony.

… Like the unnecessary things that we end up leaving behind in the valley: Materials possessions that we used to value become unimportant; little things that we used to sweat over gain new perspective. Shackles of pride crumble.

… Like the Fruit of the Spirit, which grows in us IF we allow God to shape us in each valley, thus finding ourselves growing in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22).

… Like the pockets of rest that we find in the most unusual, unexpected places… things we used to take for granted: The smile of a loved one. The encouraging words of a friend. The pleasure of laughter. The importance of a loving touch.

… Like God’s divine provision for our material needs, or for just enough strength to keep on keeping on.

All these things are a reflection of His love and supernatural power, being perfected in us as we walk through our desolate places.

But there’s one more thing – one of the most important gifts in the valley:

Fireproofing our faith.

You see, it’s easy to trust God at His Word when we don’t have to prove it. When life is all roses and no thorns.

Yes, singing His praises is a piece of cake when life is easy.  Reciting His Word is natural when the sun is shining outside.

But when the storms assail us… when our loved ones leave us, when our health fails us or our financial stability disappears… When there is no hope… and yet, we find hope against all odds and we can still find the strength to thank Him and praise Him…

Then and only then, can we say that our faith is true – tested and proven.

It’s when our everything runs out that we can prove Him enough.

It’s when our everything runs out that we can prove Him enough. #RechargeWednesday
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It’s through the trials and valleys that His power is perfected in our weakness… that His love is reinstated and our faith, refurbished.

You may not see it today, my friend. But you can trust that there’s a reason for your valley. One day you’ll look back and you’ll see the faces of the people you’ve impacted… … And the birth of a new purpose because you chose blind trust and kept walking, one step at a time, and against all odds.

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LINKUP is open! #HurricaneDorian made me think about the storms of life... and the despair and confusion that we find when we are blind to the purpose of the storms. Join us?
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The post Blind to God’s Purpose in the Storm {Recharge Wednesday LINKUP} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

Do you have any idea of the details of circumstances that had to happen from the beginning of time, so you would be exactly who you are, where you are, at this point in history?

The question lingered in my mind while the preacher continued his sermon.

I don’t remember who said it, if I heard it on TV, radio or at church. All I remember is that the question made me reminisce details from my life story which helped shape my character, direct my path and prepare me to do what I do today.

From my youth in south Brazil and the decisions my parents made for my education, to the precise circumstances that took place before I met my husband; from the moment I answered the call to write, to the very details that had to take place so I could write this column. I cannot look back without realizing that my life has been intrinsically weaved, orchestrated and guided by God’s masterful hands.

This concept is well-known in literary works and film productions. It is called “the backstory.” A backstory, also known as background story, is a set of events created for a plot, presented as preceding and leading up to that plot, which gives credibility to the central message. It is a literary device of a narrative history which presents earlier events that support the narrative of primary interest. Even purely historical works selectively reveal backstory to the audience. Without a backstory, any work of fiction or historical accounts lose credibility.

Last November, my husband and I drove across town to watch Joe Wright’s “The Darkest Hour” on its release night. The acclaimed movie tells the thrilling and true story that happened at the height of World War II when, within days of becoming Great Britain’s Prime Minister, Winston Churchill must choose between accepting to negotiate peace with Nazi Germany or stand firm to fight for the freedom and ideals of his beloved nation.

With the unstoppable Nazi forces rolling across Europe and an imminent threat of invasion, Churchill makes a tough decision against his own party, with the watchful eye of a skeptical king and an uninformed and divided public. Churchill’s “darkest hour” is a perfect example of one simple decision that could have changed the course of history — a backstory detail of modern history that shaped the world as it is today.

Agnostics and atheists see one’s backstory as happenstance or a natural evolution of events. I personally cannot wrap my mind around that concept. No. I am not that smart or wise to bring about so many details and shape my own destiny. Neither do I believe in accidents. Just as scientists know that small changes in the eccentricity of Earth’s orbit could bring about ice ages, I am well aware that small changes to my backstory would certainly have altered my life’s plot.

Because I firmly believe that nothing happens by chance, I have become increasingly aware of that tug in my heart when I don’t have peace about something, or when I feel compelled to do something that does not make sense. As I watch my backstory unfold, I certainly understand why. Ignoring that lack of peace has only led to disaster in the past. Likewise, moving forward when God prompted me to, even against all odds and critics, has led me to fulfill dreams and witness miracles.

The awareness that nothing happens by chance should completely change the way we see life’s trials and victories, as well as make us think twice before making certain decisions.

If we believe there is a God in heaven Who loves us and wants the best for us, we should also trust that even our darkest hours can work together for our good, if we respond the right way.
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Indeed, I believe that our darkest hour in the hands of Almighty God has the potential to become a light to others and even the very highlight of our backstory in the future.

This article was originally published on Patricia’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – July 7th, 2018.

The post Absolutely NOTHING Happens by Chance {The Atlanta Journal Constitution} appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

The picture depicted an old, burned-out mountain shack. After the fire, the family’s sole possession was destroyed, and the picture shows that only the chimney remained standing. In front of the devastated home stood an old man, dressed in his underclothes, with a small boy by his side. It was evident by the boy’s distressed face that he had been crying. At the bottom of the painting, the artist added a caption with the words he believed the old man was saying to the boy. This simple sentence described the man’s faith and hope for the future, despite his dire circumstances:

“Hush child, God ain’t dead!”

DeLoach recounts his reaction to the painting: “That vivid picture of the burned-out mountain shack, that old man, the weeping child, and those words ‘God ain’t dead’ keep returning to my mind. Instead of it being a reminder of the despair of life, it has come to be a reminder of hope! I need reminders that there is hope in this world. In the midst of all of life’s troubles and failures, I need mental pictures to remind me that all is not lost, as long as God is alive and in control of his world.”

I thought about this story after a conversation I had with my oldest daughter, regarding the increase of suicide among young girls. She was troubled by the number of teenagers and young adults she encounters, who bear scars in their arms and wrists, evidence of their profound despair and hopelessness.

The conversation prompted me to do some research on the stats of suicide in America.

According to a report released by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2015, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming the lives of almost 45,000 Americans every year. Furthermore, after a steady decline in the ’80s and ’90s, statistics now show that the suicide rate has increased steadily in the past several years, with one group standing out — girls between the ages of 10 and 14. Although they make a small portion of the total of suicides, the rate for this group has increased more than any other, tripling over 15 years from 0.5 to 1.7 per 100,000 people.

Hopelessness is the feeling at the center of each suicide attempt. Despaired souls look at their past and present, and lose the faith to believe that there can be a better, brighter future. Their hearts become anchored in the bleakness of current circumstances, and thus death seems to be the only answer to end their agony. They leave behind baffled family members, who were often clueless of the measure of their pain.

To most of us, the idea is unthinkable — suicide does not even cross our minds. But as a new year begins, I can’t help but wonder how many of us feel hopeless, nevertheless. We look at the year that passed, realizing that our problems have not ended with the old year. Addictions were not overcome. The job offer was not extended. Marriages were not improved. Prodigal children are yet to come home.

We may even become cynical toward God, secretly doubting the words that our lips proclaim at church. “There is no way that this situation will work out for my good,” we may say to ourselves.

But the old man in the picture reminds me of a truth that has been tested and proven in my own life, each time that outwardly hopeless circumstances threatened to steal my future, and every time I chose, against all odds, to trust and believe: So long as there is a God in heaven, there is hope for his creation.

Indeed, this belief has sustained my soul through many a trial: If only we can give God one more day, seek his help and the help of those around us; if only we can remind our hearts that “God ain’t dead,” he is faithful to lift our lives from the ashes, or sustain us until the storm passes by.

This article was originally published on Patricia Holbrook’s column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) on Saturday – January 6, 2018.

#Hopelessness and the increasing #suicide rate in America - A reflection for the New Year
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It would be another dry, rainless day.

She got out of bed and rushed to the room where the two jars laid on the floor.

She looked at them, and wondered whether this would be the day when provision would finally cease.

Reluctantly, she reached into the first jar of clay, and smiled when the oily texture touched her fingers. She brought them to her mouth, closing her eyes, while savoring the best oil she had ever tasted.

With the other, trembling hand, she reached for the second jar, where an abundance of soft flour greeted her touch.

She closed her eyes.

Jehovah.

The word of the prophet would not fail.

‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the LORD sends rain on the face of the earth. (1 Kings 17:14 NASB)

In the seventeenth chapter of 1 Kings, we meet this most intriguing character, placed in a land permeated by idolatry and sin.

We don’t know her name, but her story is forever etched in the history of Israel as one of the first times we witness God’s grace touch a gentile in a miraculous way.

Not only did the widow who lodged Elijah experience God’s supernatural provision, but also her son became the first person chosen by God to resurrect from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24).

In a small, rundown home, where Baal was once worshipped and lives were broken, God’s mercy came down, changing the hearts and the lives of a poor mom and her boy.

This is only one of the stories in Scriptures where God used a heathen to bless one of His own. Throughout Scriptures, we see God use Israel’s enemies to bring forth blessings, gentiles to accomplish His will, and times of great distress to draw His people closer to Him.

Indeed, this truth, engraved throughout scriptures and translated in one of the Apostle Paul’s most inspired messages to the church, should bring us great perspective when we face difficulties and enemies… or when life’s circumstances do not make sense:

And we know that God CAUSES ALL THINGS to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NASB – emphasis mine)

It’s not a matter of IF, but a matter of WHEN life does not make sense.
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We all have found ourselves in situations when we honestly believe that we have everything in our hands to make things work out, and yet, we witness our castles fall apart.

Whether it is the marriage that struggles, the child that rebels, the tragedy that strikes, the job that ends, the dream that is shattered… we shake our heads, perplexed, wondering…

What did I do to deserve this?

In the aftermath of disappointment and pain, some of us give up.

Some of us take that last bit of flour and oil, turn our backs to the prophet, and bake that last bread, our last material resource, leaning on our own understanding of the situation before us… choosing to move forward without God.

We will never know what was waiting for us on the other side of valley. Because we chose to give in… or give up.

That was not the case for the widow in Sidon.

She did not know Israel’s God.

But the numerous accounts of the One who opened the Red Sea and delivered the giants of the land into Israel’s hands had certainly reached her ears… thus she chose to obey Him and open her heart to become a recipient of His grace.

Because she did, she witnessed “the bowl of flour not exhaust nor the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:16)

God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good to those who love Him and say YES to His purpose.

What is your “ALL THINGS” today, my friend?
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Are all doors closing?

Perhaps you are heading to divorce court?

Is your child breaking your heart?

Or are you waiting for the healing to come?

Are your enemies oppressing you?

Or has the death of a loved one robbed you of all desire to live?

Whatever your empty bowl is today, hear the voice of the prophet to the widow – that same voice calls you to obey, even if it does not make sense.

For “all things” can only work together for your good, and according to His perfect purpose for your life, if you deliberately make the choice to not lean on your own understanding, but rather, reach out into that empty bowl, by faith… believing that the One who spoke the stars into existence is able to give you mercy, protection, provision, healing and grace… In HIS time and once again.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

The post What Is Your Empty Jar Today? appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.