spiritualsnippets.com

Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Aug 18

Step Out (Of the Boat)

by Brenda Poulos

Matthew 14: 26-31 “And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Now that the Olympics is over, little children everywhere are asking their parents to sign them up for golf lessons, gymnastics—any and all sports represented for the last two weeks.

As someone who has at times tried to walk on curb or low wall, and fallen consistently, I wondered how these gymnasts learned to master walking on a balance beam. I was told they are taught to feel the beam with their feet and not to look down, but focus on something straight ahead. 

This reminded me of the Biblical story of Peter walking on the water. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to do it. 

I’m sure we could all tell stories of times we focused on Jesus and scripture—and times when we tried to do things on our own and things didn’t turn out so well.

When we are confused, discouraged, sad, or angry, we need to remember the story of Peter.

Step out (of the boat) in faith and keep our focus on Jesus.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Aug 11

The Race

by Brenda Poulos

Hebrews 12:1- “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

It has been an exciting two weeks for us as we watched the summer Olympics. There were a total of 45 categories of sports represented. Many of them were “races”—track and field, swimming, cycling, rowing, and so on. 

Each event had rules and specific directions for those competing. In each “race” there were winners. And in each one, some fell short of the goal.

Why didn’t all Olympic competitors succeed? Lack of commitment in practicing? Illness? Injury? There could be many reasons.

I thought about the “race” that God has set out before each of us in this life. Although we are not competing against anyone, the Bible warns us not to be hindered (entangled) by sin. For it is sin that will prevent us from reaching the goal—serving our Lord the best we can… the way He has planned for us.

It could be deficient funds, wrong timing, lack of commitment, life’s distractions—any number of reasons for us to fail as we run life’s race. 

As for myself, I recognize that my own self-consciousness—nervousness in public-speaking— is a hinderance to my personal “race.” 

Once we recognize the deterrents in our lives, we are able to pray for God to help us overcome them. I know He wants each of us to finish well, the race He has marked out for us.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Aug 4

Are You Watching?

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 139:13,14- “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

I am enjoying watching the Olympics. I am in awe of the human body. 

Its capabilities. Strength. Power. Resilence.

While we applaud the performances of these amazing athletes, last night I praised their Creator. 

Tissue. Bone, Organs. Muscles. Senses. He thought of everything, didn’t He?

I love the scripture this week because it shows the depth and intricacy of the love and caring with which He made each of us.

I am especially blessed when I see athletes who give God the glory for their abilities… when they look upward, I sense their gratefulness for His blessings in their accomplishments.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Jul 28

When Hard Times Come

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 3:3– “You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

At our last family celebration, we decided to take a group selfie. We chose the tallest person to operate the camera.

When I open a new jar of pickles or catsup, I call on the person with the strongest hands.

When I need something from the top shelf of the pantry or closet, I ask the person with the longest arms.

But when I need supernatural help, when I seek protection, I run to my Heavenly Father.

All powerful God holds the universe in His Mighty Hands.

I need not tell you that we are living in uncertain times. We are reminded of this daily. And we have every reason to be anxious.

But God tells us not to worry. He reminds us of His love and caring every time we hold a newborn baby, watch a seedling grow, or see His rainbow in the sky.

Don’t give in to worry and doubt.

Let Him shield you when hard times come.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Jul 14

He’s Got This

by Brenda Poulos

Isaiah 46:10- “Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.”

We are being bombarded with newscasts, talk shows, and all sorts of political ads this summer.

They get my heart rate up and make me cranky.

Those two factors can mean a recipe for WORRY.

I find peace and contentment by remembering the phrase, “HE’S GOT THIS.”

We need to keep our eyes focused on THE WORD. God has a purpose and a plan to all He ALLOWS to happen in our world. He knows where all this chaos is leading and like little children, we need to trust our Heavenly Father to take care of it.

We need to stay informed so that we can pray and vote. But, we need to TRUST that He will accomplish HIS PURPOSE.

I wrote the lines above prior to hearing about yesterday’s tragic events. Let’s encourage ourselves by remembering God knows the “intents and purposes” of every heart. He will judge the evil that takes place in our world.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Jul 7

Mending Fences

by Brenda Poulos

My novella, Mending Fences, is now on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats. 
 I previously published this novella in a collection alongside three other authors. It is now available as a stand alone novella with special pricing.


After the death of his beloved grandfather, Mason finds himself torn between the needs of Rose, the aging grandmother who raised him, and the demands of Lee Ann, the mother who abandoned him as a baby.
 
Mason’s relationship with Lee Ann is turbulent and complicated. After marrying the wealthy Rex LeMasters, Lee Ann charged back into Mason’s life, reclaiming him and his older sister, Glory, and moving them from the family ranch in Boise, Idaho to Green River, Washington when Mason was fifteen. His mother has not spoken to Mason’s grandparents since that time.


When Gram takes a fall, Lee Ann at last returns to see her mother—a visit which dredges up memories of a secret buried since Lee Ann’s childhood. 

Will learning the truth about what caused the rift between them so many years ago help them move forward toward reconciliation? Will Lee Ann’s new perspective on the past serve as a catalyst to restore her relationship with her own children?

This novella will inspire you to face your own difficult circumstances, let go of bitterness resulting from past hurts and disappointments and offer forgiveness to the significant people in your life. 
 

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Jun 30

A Chariot of Fire

by Brenda Poulos

2 Kings 2:11- “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.”

My husband and I went to our community pool a few days ago. As we were drying off, a strong wind came out of “nowhere.” 

John grabbed onto a nearby table to steady himself, but the wind literally picked me up and slammed me down onto the cool deck.

I am fine except for a bruised elbow, cut finger, sore hip, and goose egg on the back of my head (which is responsible for a lingering headache).

Thinking about my experience as my husband drove us home, I remembered the story of Elijah and the strong whirlwind that took him up to heaven, an event witnessed by Elisha.

Elijah’s name means, “The Lord is my God.” We speculate that due to the miracles God worked through him, Elijah was spared physical death.

I reread the amazing story of Elijah’s “home going” this morning. He was a man who was faithful and obedient to God. He is also mentioned in several commentaries as perhaps being one of the two future end-time witnesses in the book of Revelation.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Jun 23

Bring a Smile to God’s Face!

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 103:13- “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who
fear him.

I overheard someone on a shuttle recently say, “God’s mad at me.” I’m not sure what the context was for this remark, but it got me thinking.

What does the Bible say about God’s emotions? Can He get angry? Does He laugh? Is He capable of being sad?

I did a little internet search to see what theologians might answer. Overwhelmingly, they said “yes.”

There are hundreds of references supporting this view in Scripture. Here are just a few: John 3:16 (love); Deut.1:37 (anger); Judges 2:18 (pity) grief (Genesis 6:6) and so on.

The difference between God’s emotions and human emotions is that His are for righteous purposes and He has perfect control of them.

As Christians, we seek to make God happy (pleased) by the way we live our lives. Today—and every day—may we bring Him joy and, yes, even laughter! 

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Jun 16

My Son is a Great Father

by Brenda Poulos

1 Thessalonians 1:3- “Constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.”

My youngest grandson is almost four years old. His father is truly a good example of what it means to be a remarkable dad. 

Where did my son get the ability to listen, encourage, and lovingly discipline? How did he develop such patience?

Each of these skills, it seems to me, would require a role model of exceptional character—but as a single mother, I know my son didn’t have that.

Or did he?

He had the example of a good, Christian grandfather who was committed to his family. He had the ultimate example in God, who he learned about at an early age. He had the promises and truths from reading the Bible. He had the fathers of his Christian friends who took an interest in him. He was blessed with Sunday School teachers who loved and nurtured him.

And now, my grandson is experiencing the fruit of many laborers who didn’t know my son would someday have his own son to love, and nurture because of all of these godly men in his life.

Thank you to all of those who had a part in making my son the caring man and father he is today. 

Please know that even if you are not a father, yourself, you may still influence the character of a child who is a neighbor, relative, or student.

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
Jun 9

Are You On “The Fence?”

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 134:2- “Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD!”

Scripture gives Christians the permission to worship with our whole bodies, but many feel reluctant to raise their hands during singing or prayer.

Some feel embarrassed by this outward expression during worship. Others can be barely kept from dancing in the aisles.

The main point is that whatever one does, make sure it is authentic and not coerced.

I have been worshipping the Lord this way for many years, now. There are times when I don’t raise my hands at all; still other instances when my arms ache from being up for so long. For me, raising my hands is born of an overwhelming feeling that begins in my soul and literally raises my spirit to the Throne.

Have there been times when you’ve been so “into” the worship service that you’ve wanted to raise your hands, but thought “No one else has their hands up. What will they think of me?”

Don’t worry about what someone else does or doesn’t do. This is a matter between you and God. 

But, I will tell you this: true worship—no matter what form it takes—is electrifying, exhilarating, and lifts the worshiper to new heights in glorifying God.

If you’ve been on the fence on this issue, try it when you’re alone at home. Turn on some praise music and let your spirit join with His. 

Let the Holy Spirit guide you to new heights of worship!

Biblical lessons Encouraging words

Leave a comment »
«Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Blog at WordPress.com.