COUNT IT ALL JOY

                                                          


Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith (in God) produces endurance, patience and steadfastness.  Let endurance, patience and steadfastness have its full effect that you may be people perfectly and fully developed, lacking nothing.
                                                                                                                                  James 1:2-4

In the spring, it is time to visit the greenhouse after the long, bitterly cold winter.  The colors and aromas of plants and flowers fill me with joy.  I adopt a few and take them home.  If I am wise, however, I will 'harden' them to get them used to living outside in the real world.  Otherwise, when a cold night comes along, the plants will die.  I make sure they get just the right amount of rain -  not enough to drown them.  I place them in the correct amount of sunlight, monitoring  to make sure it is properly balanced for that particular plant.  I am 'hardening' them so they can survive in the real world.

Do you notice that God does the same with us?  He uses unique and individually chosen circumstances to 'harden' us for our lives in this world.

'Hardening' can come in the form of God allowing recurring infections or illnesses that just won't go away.  Sometimes the washing machine, dryer, car, and the roof on the house all seem to break down at the same time, one after another.   Sometimes 'hardening' can be relentless, discouraging and painful.  We begin to fuss and fume. 

Let's consider the truth - that nothing  can come against us that hasn't passed through God's loving hands first.  Yet, in His love, He must allow these things to 'harden' us so that, at the first sign of trouble, we aren't destroyed.   His desire is for us to learn to live in this world to bring Him glory, even in our suffering, as we persevere and endure by His mercy.

What does He want us to do during a 'hardening' chapter of our lives?  He wants us to turn to Him, to cry out to Him in our distress and to trust Him to send help in His perfect timing.

How are you doing with God's 'hardening' of you in your life?  Are you fussing and fuming?  Or are you looking to God for His help, trusting Him no matter how long it takes?

Heavenly Father, thank You that You love me so much that You gently 'harden' me as I walk through this world toward Home.

'Reflections of God's Glory' copyright 2014  Dawn Ulmer  dawn49097@gmail.com

GROANING

Have you heard the groans lately?  On every side, I  hear them and those include the ones I utter.

The long winter in the midwest drew groans with every snowstorm.
Trees groan under the weight of ice or wind damage.
Flowers groan that they had to  remain in the dark to keep warm.
People groan over medical tests, job difficulties, treatment options, surgery, family.
Animals groan as they age.

What is the definition of a groan?
* to make a deep sound because of pain or some strong emotion (such as grief or disappointment)
* to say something that expresses annoyance or unhappiness
* to complain about something

Does this sound familiar?  Have you been groaning over something lately?
There is no need to be ashamed of groaning (except the complaining part of it - that has to go).  We are human.  We can groan in our dismay.

Listen to what scripture says:

'All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay.  For we know that all creation has been GROANING…right up to the present time.  And we…also GROAN to be released from pain and suffering.  We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as His children including the new bodies He has promised us." 
                                                                                                                                      Romans 8:18

So, feel free to groan - you  have good company - all of creation.  In the process, let's not forget:

 '…in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. '
                                                                                                                                 Philippians 4:6-7

'Reflection of God's Glory' copyright 2014 by Dawn Ulmer, dawn49097@gmail.com

I AM HIS

"But when the Holy  Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us:  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control."                                                                       Galatians 5:22-23
I was speaking to my 'little' brother the other day and he stated, "Long ago, I gave my life to God."  I was thrilled to hear that. 

Later, when I got off the phone from talking with him, I began to think….

Yes, we may have given our lives to  God, but have we allowed God to give HIS LIFE  to  us?

Think about it a minute….

Have our lives changed over the years since we gave our lives to Him?  Have we allowed Him to indwell our spirits by His Holy Spirit and infuse us with His characteristics?  (See the scripture above.)

Whereas we once worried, were anxious and troubled about so much, have we allowed Him to flood us with His peace as we learn to trust in His goodness and sovereignty?

Instead of a lack of forgiveness and a blazing bitterness toward others, have we allowed Him to instill a heart of forgiveness and mercy in us?

Are we hungering to get to better know the God to whom we have given our lives?  Do we read His instructions, encouragement, praise and love toward us in His Word?

Instead of going our own way, do we seek God and the way He wants us to go?

Do we love houses, and possessions more than we love and place Him first in our lives?

Giving our lives to God only becomes lip service unless we welcome God, by His Holy Spirit, to become part of us, all of us.

May we give heart service instead of only lip service to God if we truly intend on being and becoming more of His.

DISCOURAGED?

                  Why art thou cast down, O my soul and why are you disquieted within me? 
                                                          Psalm 42:5

Think about it - sometimes we do get discouraged.  Sometimes with good reasons:
You didn't get the job  you wanted….or the promotion….or the pay raise.
Your pregnancy test comes back negative….again.
The cancer has returned and decisions must be made as to treatment options.
Old age is creeping in and you feel it in your joints.  You are in pain.
The car, washing machine and computer all decided to quit at the same time.

No matter what the reason for your discouragement, it is real.  We are human…
                    For He knows our frame, He remembers we are dust.  Psalm 103:14

What we should NOT do:  We should not be giving a stern lecture to ourselves, condemning ourselves for FEELING like we do.  We are human.  We WILL feel various emotions, including discouragement. 

What CAN we do to cope with discouragement ?
1.  Admit that you feel discouraged by what has been happening.  

2.  Trust God and His goodness -  He will only allow circumstances to come to  you which first pass through His loving hand.  Even though difficult, He wants you to depend on Him while He changes the circumstances or carries you through.

        "It is the Lord who goes before you; He will be with you, He will not fail you or 
                  forsake you;  do not fear or be discouraged."  Deuteronomy 31:8

By God's grace as we learn to view things from God's perspective, our eyesight becomes clearer and we find discouragement lifting.

Then we will be able to say with the Psalmist: 
                Why art thou cast down, O my soul and why are you disquieted within me?
                Hope in God for I shall again praise Him, my help and my God.  Psalm 42:5

'Reflections of God's Glory' copyright 2014 Dawn Ulmer deu49097@yahoo.com
                                             Please feel free to share.

GOD'S HELP

  

                                                                

                                                                   GOD'S HELP

                                  I cry to You for help for my heart is overwhelmed.  Psalm 61:2

                                                                O God, be not far from me;

                                           Oh my God,  make haste to help  me.  Psalm 71:12

Have you ever struggled, kicked, screamed and struggled some more?  Maybe it was a physical problem, an emotional problem, a family problem, an on-the-job problem that you were tackling with all your might.  Yet, the problem did not get better, all it did was wear you out. 

Recently I suffered from a gum infection.  I know that my body is designed by the Creator to call the white blood cells to fight infections and to heal.  I waited, rested, ate well, kept  hydrated, kept going to work, doing my daily tasks.    This particular infection, however, would NOT go away.  The battle was wearing me out.  My entire body could feel the toxins spreading.  Finally, I gave up.  A call to the dentist resulted in some help in the form of an antibiotic (which I never like to take unless nothing else works).  Within hours, my body felt at rest.  Help was finally here.  I didn't have to exert so much energy just to move and breathe.   A power greater than myself was fighting the battle.

God - a very present help in time of need.  That is who He loves to be.  When we call upon Him, He answers as only He can in His unique, mighty way.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.  

                                                                                                                              Psalm 107:  3, 19, 28

I don't know about you,  but I'm so thankful that I can cry out to the Lord  and help is always readily available.

Heavenly Father, when I cry out to You for help, thank You that  I can hear you saying, " When you call to Me, I will answer you, I will be with you in trouble, I will rescue you.  Psalm 91:15.  Thank You for Your help!  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

PAST PRESENT FUTURE

Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on  
                 toward the goal for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
                                                         Philippians 3:13

Have you ever felt stuck between the past and the future?  The past can be full of good memories but it also can include regrets, sorrow and grief….  To get stuck in the past is dangerous….the JOY of today is gone.

Are you afraid of what the future holds?  Those fears, also, sap the energy and the joy of NOW and what God has for us.

                 I was young and  now am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken…
                                                             Psalm 37:25

Isn't it time to trust the God we know and put aside the fears?

What does God want us to do TODAY?  He told us! 

                SEE YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS 
                       AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.  
                                                          Matthew 6:33

Yes, we have read these scriptures (above) and believe them in our hearts and head but are we DOING the Word?  Are we forgetting what lies behind?  Are we taking no thought for tomorrow, trusting Him to care for us?  Are we seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness NOW, today?

Heavenly Father, please teach us to DO those things you instruct us to do…. In Jesus'  name.  Amen.

THIRSTING

         

                           …thirst for God, the living God.  Psalm 42:2

Do you know what it is like to be really thirsty, parched,  in desperate need of water?  Our experiences seem nothing compared to those who live in lands with little or no available drinking water.  Yet, sometimes we can truly thirst and we know how that feels.

Recently I had a medical emergency and was not allowed to have water until a certain test was performed the next day.  I was so thirsty, finding myself to be so desperate that I was actually begging for a swab to just wet my lips.  The nurse felt so sorry for me - wanting to give me what I craved - water - but was unable to because of the doctor's strict orders.

I will always remember that night, in torment, tossing and turning, trying to accept the thirst, patiently (or not so patiently) waiting.

I wonder if I thirst for God in the same way?  Is there a craving for Him?  A sense of desperation?  A desire for Him above all else?

The entire experience has opened my eyes to understand a bit more about what thirsting for God means.  It also opens my eyes to realize what Jesus must have felt when, on the cross, He cried out, "I thirst".

May we say with the  psalmist, "As the deer pants for streams of water so I long for You, O God."  Psalm 42:1

SEEING RIGHT SIDE UP

And He (Jesus) caught the blind man by the  hand and led him out of the village, and when He has spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, Do you see anything?

And he looked up and said, I see people, but they look like trees walking.

Then He put His hands on his eyes again, and the man looked intently and he was restored, and saw everything distinctly - even what was in a distance.
                                    Mark 8:23-25

Are we looking at things right side up?  Are we looking at things from God's perspective?  In this world, sometimes it is difficult to see things clearly.  We allow our fears, hopes, anxieties and dreams to shape what we think we see. 

Because our thoughts can mislead us, we need to take those thoughts to God so we can SEE right side up, so we can think His thoughts about a matter.

What helps us think right side up?
Be still before God.
Take our thoughts and emotions to the Throne of God.
Listen to His still small voice which will speak into our hearts and give us peace.
Read His Word for instructions and comfort and…all we need to know.
Obey what He gives us to do.
Trust Him implicitly.

Jesus may need to touch our eyes many times to keep us seeing right side up, but let's go to Him as many times as needed for seeing aright.

Heavenly  Father, Please heal my 'sight' so I can see with Your eyes, think Your thoughts and act accordingly.  In Jesus'  name.  Amen.

'Reflections of God's Glory' copyright 2013 Dawn Ulmer   deu49097@yahoo.com

BE DOERS OF THE WORD

And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to.  If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself.  For if you listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law - the law that set you free - and you do what it says and don't forget what you have heard, then God will bless you for doing it.  James 1:22-23

Recently, at my place of employment in a business banking customer care center,  some training was required for a group of us which would increase our skill sets.  In-depth training was provided.  The manual was full of details to be able to do the tasks to meet the customer's  needs.  We were to use our computers to practice what we read in the manual.   Well, that was great for everyone else who had access to the program.  Due to some glitch, I did not have access.  So, while waiting for the access, I studied that manual, underlined, highlighted and added tabs all week.

When it was time to start taking live calls, I just then received access  to the system.  I found that no matter how hard I'd studied that manual, it was rough navigating since I'd never had the hands-on practice.  After four weeks, I am just now feeling more comfortable at 'doing'.

Through this experience, I was able to catch a glimpse of one of the ways God works in our lives.  He has given me the scriptures to see what is expected.  I can read, underline, study and tab and try to make them a part of my mind and heart - yet without DOING in order to practice what He tells me, learning is incomplete.  I need to hear and DO to be able to make the skills mine.

For example, God tells  us in His Word that we are to forgive those who hurt us.  Just reading that, I can nod my head in agreement.  Yet it isn't until He sends someone along who REALLY hurts me that I must take that nodding of the head in agreement and turn into real, honest hands-on DOING.  It is only in the DOING that a particular quality is added to my life.

How about you?  About what has the Word been speaking to you?  What lies in your pathway which needs the DOING to make it yours?  Let's do it! 

Heavenly Father, please help  me to HEAR what You are telling me and then empower me to DO it.  In Jesus'  name.  Amen.

'Reflections of God's Glory' copyright 2013 by Dawn Ulmer deu49097@yahoo.com

I CAN'T - I CAN

                                                                I Can't
I (Jesus) am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit for apart from Me (Jesus) you can do nothing.                                John 5:5

                                                                 I Can
                   I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.               Philippians 4:13

Have you ever reached a point in your life when you felt like you  could not go one more step?  Maybe it is because of a physical or emotional challenge. You have run out of steam and cannot  keep going …  one more minute.  You are at the end of yourself.  You find yourself saying, "I can't".  You realize that apart from God and His strength you can do nothing.  Your own strength will not get it done.

God hears us when we cry out and admit "I can't"  in our own strength.  Then when we cry out for His help, that's exactly when He steps in to turn the "I can't" into "I CAN".  He knows we are only made of dust and we need all of the help He is so willing to provide to each of us.

I love this scripture from Psalm 18 beginning at verse 6:
In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help.
He heard my voice, my cry to Him reached His ears.
Then the earth quaked and trembled; the foundation  of the mountains shook…
He bowed the heavens and came down.
He reached from on high, He took me, He drew me out of many waters.
He brought me forth into a broad place…
He delivered me….

Heavenly Father, thank You for, so many times,  turning my life from "I Can't" to "I CAN"….  Because of Jesus.  Amen.

'Reflection for God's Glory' copyright 2013 Dawn Ulmer  deu49097@yahoo.com

EVERY WORD

       For out of the fullness - the overflow, the superabundance - of the heart the mouth speaks.

                      The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things,
                    and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things.

  But I (Jesus) tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle 
                                                               word they speak.

      For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be 
                                                        condemned and sentenced.
                                                               Matthew 12:34-37

It is always disconcerting, at work, to be invited to a call listening session.  A small conference room is set up for five customer service representatives, also allowing room for five team leaders and the group leader.   Filing in, a seat is taken, the conference call is prepared  to include those in leadership positions from Pittsburgh, Ohio and Michigan.  A call is chosen from a recent phone interaction with a customer.  Everyone is prepared to listen, with pens in hand.

If the call chosen is yours, you  hold your breath as all ears intently listen to every word - the tone, the pace, the pitch, the content…every detail is listened to and analyzed.  One hopes that a GOOD call is chosen, a strong call. As the tape rolls, you wonder WHAT you said?  How would it measure up to the requirements placed upon us?

This entire evaluation and coaching situation reminds me of how God is recording our every  word.   He hears the actual words we use, the tone, and the motive and intent behind the words.  How careful we need to be with every word we say.

                                          Death and life are in the  power of the tongue. 
                                                                  Proverbs 18:21

God is listening…. 

Heavenly  Father, please set a guard at the door of my lips so that the words I utter may bring honor to You.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

REAL LIFE

…the godly…even in old age will still produce fruit;  they will remain vital and green.  They will declare, "The Lord is just!  He is my rock!  There is nothing but goodness in Him.."     
                                                                                                                            Psalm 92:12-13

A visit to the greenhouse in early spring is always a delight.  This year seemed to be the year of the Ranunculus.  Everywhere I looked, I saw perfection in those blossoms, buds and leaves. 

The Ranunculus had been grown from bulbs and now were a vision of perfection, at the height of their glory.  Of course they were, they were grown in a greenhouse where conditions are ideal.  The lighting, humidity, temperature , soil, fertilizer and watering schedule were perfectly suited to grow them to perfection.

Of course I adopted a few and brought them home to conditions which were not so perfect.  The temperature was not perfect.   The lighting was different.  The watering schedule  was not as precise…and they began to show signs of being in a world which was not all that perfect.

We, too, are in a world where all is not perfect.  Even before and during birth, we experienced the stresses and strains of being human in a broken world.

As years passed, we broke our bones, we experienced illness, we get older, good and not so good memories are housed within our minds.  When we look  at ourselves today, we know clearly that we have been 'through it' in so many ways.

Yet God, in His wisdom, only allows into our lives that which was and is for our ultimate good as we've matured and grown in our spirits, souls and bodies.  He knows the perfect conditions to grow…each of us. 

We can trust that He knows just what He is doing.  We can say with the Psalmist:

There is nothing but goodness in Him!

THE LIGHT

Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world.  If you follow Me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."                   John 8:12

A friend of mine took the photo which is above.  Also being a follower of Jesus and a long time reader of 'Reflections', Fred asked if he could send me a photo around which to write a devotional.  Of course, Fred. 

He sent the photo.  I began to ponder, thinking that Fred may have seen and thought differently than what I was thinking.  I didn't want to trample over what the Lord may have been showing him, so asked him to please share his thoughts.

He did:

1.  The little plant was able to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles by following The Light.

2.  Rising above worldly things , the little plant rose above the other plants on the swamp floor - again, by following The Light.

3.  By following The Light, the little plant was experiencing life in a way that the other plants in the shadows below the boardwalk could not even imagine.

As we follow The Light - Jesus - my prayer to the Father for each of us is:

May we overcome seemingly impossible obstacles by following The Light.

May we rise above worldly trials, tribulations and 'things' by following The Light.

May we have a life  in which we experience Life in a way which we cannot even imagine, it is so good.

Thank you, Father, that You have only good planned for us as we follow The Light.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

               'Reflections for God's Glory' copyright 2013 by Dawn Ulmer deu49097@yahoo.com
                                                      Please feel free to share.

                                        Thank you to Fred Johnson from North Carolina

God's Strength

                              God remains the strength of my heart.             Please read all of Psalm 73

Glorious Destiny

                       You (GOD) guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
                                                                                                                        Please read all of Psalm 73

The Next Generation

                          Let each generation tell its children of Your mighty acts.     Psalm 145:4

FRAGILE WINGS

God says…"you are mine.. I will be with you."  Isaiah 43:1-2

When the weather gets cold each year in the northern and eastern United States, the Monarch butterfly begins its migration south to Mexico, 2500 miles away.

How can these delicately winged creatures fly through rain, wind and hot sun yet still remain intact to begin another generation?  They appear so fragile yet are quite tough and resilient to endure and thrive!

Sometimes living in this world, do you feel like that butterfly - so human, so delicate,    battered as you navigate through your life in this world?  What is the secret that the Monarch knows which keeps them going and which carries them so far?  What is it that we need to know?

Looking a bit deeper in Isaiah 43, I recently was amazed  at these words:

When you go through deep waters and great trouble…
When you go through rivers of difficulty…
When you walk through the fire of oppression….

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name, you are Mine….  When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  

That is the answer!  God is with us as we walk where He wants us to walk.  God is with the Monarchs as they travel this world.  They just do what they were given to do, mile after mile.  May we, too, do what God has given us to do.  He is with us!

Heavenly Father, thank You that I am but dust, delicately made…yet resilient, tough, ready to go the distance as You direct.  Thank you for being with me!  That fact means all the difference to me.  Thank you, in Jesus' name.  Amen.

'Reflection of God's Glory' copyright 2013 by Dawn Ulmer   deu49097@yahoo.com
Thank you to my son, Sam Morrison for allowing the use of the Monarch image.
Please feel free to share.

When Afraid

  
                                      But when I am afraid I put my trust in You.      Psalm 57:3

He is Close

                                    The Lord is close to all who call on Him.        Psalm 145:18

The Lord Helps

                     The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their load.     Psalm 145:15