New Covenant Church

Without Dread

 

“But whoso hearkens to me [Wisdom] shall dwell securely and in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil.” Proverbs 1:33 AMP

 

I went on and on, testing my husband’s patience and getting myself all upset, and when I found out the details, I also discovered God had gone before me. There was nothing to fear.

I hate to watch the news. Everywhere you turn there is death, turmoil, insecurity, and danger. Keeping a right perspective is difficult. Reacting rather than praying and trusting is a natural reaction, but not a necessary one.

When I think of all the time I have spent worrying and trying to make certain things were worked out the way I thought they should be, it is appalling. All that time and energy which could have been put to good use was wasted because God was going before me. He knows what will happen and He knows what I will need, and His arrangements are always better than what I had in mind.

Time on my knees is more valuable than time on the phone or time fretting. All the peace and security I long for is already there for me. I just have to quiet my heart and trust in the Lord. When I found out the details of the situation, I also found out I did not need to worry myself or vex my husband, I only needed to pray and wait on God to work it out. I seem to have to learn that lesson over and over again.

People often wonder why I spend so much time writing devotionals, leading Bible studies year after year, searching the scriptures for wisdom—without it I lose my anchor. I have nothing to ground me and keep me where I need to be. I wander away so quickly if I am not careful to hide God’s word in my heart and then ask Him first before I react.

My dad was one of the godliest and wise men I will ever know. As I read his Bible following his death I could see why. He read a chapter of Proverbs every day. He knew it so well that it spilled over into everything he did, whether it was fulfilling some office at church, dealing with a client in his insurance business, or just guiding his children with wise words.

Solomon wrote that if we listen to God we will be without fear and full of confident trust. That’s the way I want to live.

 

© Copyright, May 3, 2012 by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman. All Rights Reserved.

http://normagail-2mefromhim.blogspot.com

The Beginning of Knowledge

“The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7 AMP

My heart ached. After one month of praying, talking over the phone, and studying to answer her questions the woman was leaving the Bible Study Fellowship class because she couldn’t accept that the study of Genesis taught Creation and not evolution. I had prayed and hoped that she would remain. We were almost through that section, and if she would stay in class the Lord could work on her heart. She admitted she had little Bible knowledge.

            Many women have left classes I have led over the years, and each and every one hurts, for different reasons, even if I know they are solid in their faith and the Lord is moving them on to something new, I miss them. But this was different. I wasn’t certain this woman knew the Lord. Nothing from our conversations had indicated to me that she did. I had to let her go, praying that in His time, God would bring her to the knowledge of Himself and the salvation He offers.

            The first chapter of Proverbs gives insight into why Solomon’s words were being written down, but also the reason for all of scripture, “for gaining wisdom and instruction.” We live in a confusing world where everyone claims to have the answer to any question life gives us. We are bombarded with information everywhere we turn. How our lives turn out depends on where we choose to go for the answer.

            There was a time in my life when I went to church, but did not understand that the answers I searched for were contained within the black-bound Bible up on my closet shelf. I regret to say it looks worn out because of lack of use and falling off my closet shelf.

            Then I accepted Christ as my Savior and developed insatiable desire for His word. As I read, God’s truth sunk deep in my heart. It changed my life and thinking. I have not needed to look elsewhere for wisdom about life since that time.

            I still wonder about that woman and pray she finds God’s truth in answer to her questions.

            Where do you go when you need answers to life? Determine to spend time looking into God’s word daily, for only then will you find true answers which lead to wisdom.

 

© Copyright, May 3, 2012 by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman. All Rights Reserved.

The Reflection of Jesus

 

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

 

I hung up the phone feeling as if I could have offered more comfort, shared more wisdom, and offered my friend more help. There are times we each have to face the pain the Lord allows into our lives and let Him guide us through. There are times when we have to cry and reconcile; learning to accept that often life is just plain hard.

So many people in my life or the lives of those close to me are going through difficulties. Many face a change in circumstances which will change everything for the rest of their lives. Some face the possibility of death.

It is easy to ask “why,” to let ourselves be dragged down to the point where we forget to look to Jesus for help. God never promised us a life that is free of pain and trouble. In fact, He promised quite the opposite, but He did promise the strength to see us through it.

The apostles suffered for their faith. Yet Paul said that the suffering we experience in this world should be considered nothing compared to the glory which will belong to those who persevere. The hope we have for our time in this world is the help and comfort of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us to get through. Our real hope lays in the future, when we reach heaven, and when Jesus returns.

If life is too much for you, take it to the foot of God’s throne, seek Him in prayer for the moment by moment ability to see you through. Don’t be surprised that you suffer, or fight the pain that God allows in this life; embrace it as an opportunity to grow closer to Him. It is the reason He is called the “God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.”

A plaque once hung in my daughter’s room which depicted a little girl looking into the water, but the reflection looking back was the face of Jesus. He wants us to be like Him. Being molded into shape is often a painful process, but the product, our hope of glory, is worth it.

He never promised trouble-free living, but the enabling to persevere. Let Him give you His peace in the midst of your trial so that the world will see Him reflected in you.

 

 

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, April 27, 2012. All Rights Reserved.

Just Do It

 

“…Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6b

 

I stared at the computer screen in surprise. The offer from a year before to write a weekly devotional for the church webpage was growing into a ministry, but not just one touching friends and family, one reaching people across the world. How did it happen?

            Out of the weekly devotional came the idea for a blog. I had no idea who would read it. I still don’t. Someone mentions it now and then, and it thrills me, as it would any writer. But as I looked at the stats on readership I realized it was growing into something I never expected. Simply sitting at my computer, doing what I love, was reaching people in far off places for Christ: Russia, Germany, Canada, the UK, Brazil, France, Malaysia, the Philippines, Latvia—wherever that is, people were reading my blog.

            If we make ourselves available, God will bless. If we step out in obedience, He will be faithful. We say those things and profess to believe them, but then we are completely blown away when He does what He promised.

            I spoke to a group of young women recently on spiritual gifts. I urged them to take a test, pray, see what they most loved doing, and ask God how He could use it. We all have gifts, some small, some huge, but God gave them all, and if we let Him, He will use them for His purposes.

            I know my gifts are teaching, exhortation and encouragement. But I also know that I have physical limitations. I have health conditions which made me realize a long time ago that small ministries were what God had for me. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re only asked to be faithful to use and multiply whatever God has given us.

            I lead a small women’s bhible study. I write a weekly devotional read by a very small sampling of people, but somehow it made it to Russia, and Latvia of all places. I wanted to be a missionary. Perhaps I am, just not in the way I thought.

            What do you do well? How can it be used by God? Ask God to show you what He wants you to do. Then just do it, to the best of your ability, and wait to see where He takes you.

 

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston-Holtman, April 19, 2012. All rights reserved.

Change in Plans

 

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3

 

            The tiny bundle placed in my arms was warm and sweet, the answer to years of prayers, heartache, and uncertainty. My husband and I stood in the chapel and the adoption agency with tears of joy in our eyes as we looked at our son. The day of delayed flights and rushing through airports was a microcosm of the turmoil of tests, surgeries and years of waiting.

            Four long years of hoping for a child were over, culminating in the joy of a three-week-old baby boy, wide awake and somehow aware that his world was changing forever. He looked around, taking everything in. A sensitive, reflective child, he has always had a tender heart and gentle spirit.

            Twenty-one months later a phone call during the Super Bowl brought us a baby girl who has never ceased to bring excitement into our lives. Arriving two years earlier than we thought possible, becoming an amazing athlete and never slowing down once, she never fails to surprise us.

            My husband and I had often talked about adoption when we were dating. We were products of the “zero-population” generation. We talked about having two children and then adopting two more. God’s plans didn’t include the biological children. He had something so much more special, a plan to show us His loving control over our circumstances, while accomplishing His perfect purposes.

            As friends had two or even three children in the time it took us to have one, we learned that God’s plan is unique for each of us, but always meant to make us fall on our knees and acknowledge His loving sovereignty.

            Perhaps you have seen your dreams all turn to dust and your hopes fall to the ground, nothing growing to fruition, nothing turning out the way you planned. You may carry the scars from battling disappointment and confusion about where God is leading you. It may seem He doesn’t care and has turned a deaf ear to your prayers.

            When doubt and disappointment seem to follow you everywhere you turn, turn to Jesus and lay your hopes and dreams at His feet. Commit to serve Him no matter where He is leading and He will establish a way for you that is far higher and better than anything you ever imagined.

 

Copyright April 16, 2012 by Norma Thurston-Holtman. All rights reserved.

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

 

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain…I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:4, 14a

 

            There was never much doubt about what career path I would follow. I can’t sit at the bedside of a loved one and do nothing. Even though my own health issues ended my nursing career many years ago, if someone I love is ill, I have to be washing, feeding, keeping track of vital signs and finding out test results.

What has grown out of a lifelong fascination with the human body is an overwhelming awe of God. How someone could think the human body gradually evolved from some primordial slime is beyond comprehension.

            Whether assisting with the birth of a child, caring for someone as they heal from a terrible accident or illness, or standing at a death bed, I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. Read Genesis 2 and imagine the Creator God kneeling, kneading and molding as He “…formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” Psalm 139 says, “…you knit me together in my mother’s womb…my frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place…your eyes saw my unformed body.”

            I recently heard of a young man with terrible birth defects who came to know the Lord as his Savior when he heard those words and realized God made him just as he was meant to be for God’s purposes.

            As I stand in an Intensive Care Unit and watch the different indicators on the monitor, I measure how much man knows about the human body, yet truly how much more is incomprehensible. Conception, birth, healing, and death are cause for great wonder. God created something so marvelous, with such wonderful physical and mental capabilities.

            When you feel as if God is far from you, or question His existence, think on the loving care He took when He made you. You are a unique creation, different from anyone who ever lived or ever will live. God is never finished with us here on this earth. If you choose to follow Him, He will continue working to make you like Him throughout your life.

            What God is doing may be too lofty for you to comprehend, but you can trust Him to make all things right when you know that He, Himself, formed you for a special purpose. Seek Him and trust Him with all your heart.

 

See Nick Vujicic - http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=W5mbldTkruM&feature=share

 

© Copyright, Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, March 25, 2012. All rights acknowledged.

The Gift of Friendship

 

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

 

Sometimes life can get us down. However, this morning I heard from friends of over thirty years, relationships which have endured many trials and triumphs. They both brought great consolation and rejoicing to my heart as I thought of these dear ones who have been faithful friends for all our adult lives.

            In recent weeks I have been to a funeral at the church where I grew up and was married. God called my family elsewhere many years ago. The change left broken relationships, but over the years the differences faded, and those old friends now welcome us when we meet.

            I have sat with an old family friend and tried to bring a bit of encouragement as she goes through a difficult trial. I have been blessed to hear that a poem, written in my own time of difficulty, brought comfort to my sister and a friend in their own current trials. I will have lunch with two friends who now worship at another church, but rejoice in the common ground which continues to hold us close. Jesus is the great common denominator for His followers.

            Life is full of changes, but our hearts always need friends. God’s word is a guidebook to successful relationships. In the body of Christ, there are relationships which last for a season and some that last for a lifetime, but we will all be together in eternity where earthly differences no longer matter.

            An old adage says, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, and the other gold.” Never neglect to pray for and be thankful for your friendships. Do your best to keep them intact, even when differences of opinion occur.

            Thank God for your best friends, the ones you run to knowing they will always be there, the ones who know you so well that you don’t have to explain details, just fill in recent events. Maintain relationships where you are the encourager and helper to a lonely soul with few to lean on in times of need. Keep a few friendships with non-believers, that you might be a witness in love.

            Thank God for the friends He has given you. Do your best to show love at all times, especially when adversity comes. Seek to settle differences without severing relationships.

 

© Copyright by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, March 15, 2012. All rights reserved.

The Palm of the Master’s Hand

 

One after another like snowflakes

The trials keep tumbling down.

Sometimes hope disappears into silence

As the snowflakes cover the ground.

 

I forget as I stand there thinking

As it seems to cover my dreams,

There is a God Who is watching o’er me,

And the fear is the Enemy’s scheme.

 

Sometimes when I wake in the morning,

I feel still surrounded by night,

I forget the One I belong to,

It is not my battle to fight.

 

I hold onto things so tightly

I forget they are not really mine.

I fail to remember my Father

Makes things beautiful in His own time.

 

I get blinded by the blizzard around me.

I lose sight of the brightly lit home,

Forgetting there is a strong life-line,

If I hold tightly I cannot roam.

 

When I take time to look at the snowflakes,

When their difference and intricacy I see,

There is evidence of my dear Maker,

Who has a beautiful purpose for me.

 

It is never His purpose to blind me,

To wander helpless is Satan’s plan.

The loving God Who guides my life

Always stands, holding open His hands.

 

All the wealth of His great treasures,

The abundance of his magnificent stores,

Lie open before me for the taking

If I cling to my Master and Lord.

 

Every doubt and fear of the blinding storm

Comes from forgetting Who made the Plan.

He will never let go or leave me

When I rest in the palm of His hand.

 

© Copyright March 21, 2008, by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman. All right reserved.

Do not use without permission of the author.

Change

 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Hebrews 13:8

 

            The decision was made. There was no going back. My husband and I, two city born and bred adults, moved to three acres in the mountains. Our grown children, our mothers, our church, and my husband’s job were in town, a minimum of thirty minutes away.

            In our first winter we had eighty inches of snow, an amazing amount in the desert southwest. No more quick runs to the grocery store, no more walking a short distance in my bathrobe for the newspaper, no more running to the next door for a cup of sugar. I don’t adapt to change easily, but my whole way of living changed.

            Changes take us out of our comfort-zone. They challenge us to add new dimensions to our personalities and our routines. They cause us to meet new people, learn new skills, and accept different ways of doing things. They can also make us uncomfortable, nervous, and in some cases, threaten our sense of well-being.

            When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He left a quiet life as a small town carpenter, to do things which were not well accepted by the religious authorities, his family, or hometown friends. He had no permanent home. His followers weren’t certain who they were following. He was misunderstood, threatened, and tempted by Satan. Through obedience and trust in God, He made such an impact that human history, religion, and our calendar were forever changed.  

When changes come, Jesus would have me remember that He is sovereign over all. Nothing happens unless He allows it for His purposes. Understanding that, and trusting in Him, I can become more flexible. Trusting in His promises, even in times of turmoil will enable me to grow and mature, becoming more like Him.

            Lord, help me choose to face changes with a sense of anticipation, knowing that you alone are in control and will never let go of me. Guide me and help me grow when life brings changes and challenges. Help me trust you that, while things and people often change, you never will. Your person, purposes, and promises remain the same.

 

© Copyright March 5, 2012 by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman. All rights reserved.

Use only with permission of the author.

Safety From the Flood

 

“The LORD is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. But he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night.” Nahum 1:7-8

 

            The pain can be relentless, day and night. The diagnosis came after many years of unexplained suffering. It was a welcome relief to have a reason, but no one really knew what to do about it. More than twenty years have come and gone, I have learned to live with a certain level of pain, but there are times it does seem like an overwhelming flood.

            We all have enemies of different kinds, finances, marital problems, infertility, anger, loneliness, fears, depression, anything which keeps us from living in victory, things which prevent us from doing everyday things.

            Paul struggled with his thorn in the flesh. He pleaded for the Lord to take it away, but God’s answer was no. He tells about being beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, imprisoned, hungry, and hated. He was perhaps the most fearless of God’s early messengers, yet he suffered greatly.

            It is easy to use a problem as an excuse. Some do prevent us from doing something for God. However, giving in not only keeps us from blessing others, but from being blessed in return.

            Paul chose to boast in his weaknesses. He knew that being weak in some area was cause to rely on God all the more. Sometimes we experience a little time on the shelf when we truly cannot do something. We must learn to differentiate between being truly unable, and simply wanting an excuse.

            Jesus called us to be overcomers, to have an attitude of being able to do all things through His strength. He is there when troubles come, a safe haven to shelter us and heal us. When we do experience a time of helplessness and need, though, we must remember His promises that the day will come when He will sweep away all of our enemies and persevere until that day.

            Think about what truly is your thorn in the flesh. Realize that God wants to show His power through you. Your affliction may be an opportunity to bless someone else by your perseverance, or to grow in your trust in Him.

Trust God to be close to you when enemies attack, and watch Him pursue them into the darkness.

 

© Copyright, Norma Gail Thurston Holtman, February 18, 2012. All rights reserved.

Use only with permission of the author.