For I know the plans I have for declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

It’s the middle of the night and my mind is running fast, reviewing the painful memories from the past. As a child I considered myself a victim. A victim of circumstances, body and soul raped, innocence lost. My childhood was snatched away; no longer was I a pure little girl with precious treasure, but rather an object used for the gratification of others. Physically, emotionally, mentally broken, thinking this is what I was created for, this is my life, and it’s my fault. Bearing a burden of guilt and shame, my very character called into question. God of heaven above, You are Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient. You are my hope, my peace, my refuge and strength, my deliverer, strong tower, my present help in times of trouble. If this is who You say You are then where are You? Why God? Why me? You’ve made a mistake. My innocence is gone! I’m useless, worthless, unwanted, and unlovable. The pain and suffering has left my soul scarred. There are painful memories that still lurk within a torched and searching soul. I searched for love, freedom, protection, comfort and acceptance from the very God Who said when thy father and thy mother forsake thee He would take me up. I searched for the God who said that He would never leave me nor forsake me or give me more than I could bear; the same God who told the storm to HUSH and it ceased. I searched for Him, asking Him to take me away from my misery and HE FOUND ME!!

There was a time when I asked Him, “Why have you made me the victim?” I’ve heard that a victim is an unfortunate person who suffers from adversity. They are weak, powerless and live in fear. That is who I was!! “Lord above!! I thank you that today because of YOU I am no longer a victim! I am a new creation in Christ! Old things are passed away! Today, I am a victor!! I have victory in Jesus! I no longer look through the eyes of a victim who asks God “why me?” Instead I look through the eyes of a victor. A victor is a combatant who is able to defeat such adversity. They endure and grow strong in You through their pain, for Your glory. Today as a conqueror I can look through the eyes of a victor who asks God “Why did this come my way, what do You want to change in me? How will Your Name be glorified through this?” I’ve come to understand that what we go through is simply a part of life in a fallen world filled with sin.

The Question Is: Knowing that victory can come through our adversity, how will we respond to it? Will we let the distress or the trouble define our character, or will we stand in the midst of it and be free in Christ?

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free; and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” ~ Galatians 5:1

I am a victor who has found her victory in Jesus! So I ask you today, which are you…Victim or Victor…You be the Judge!!!!

Zakira Whitaker

DIGGING DEEPER

Psalm 103:17,18

17But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,

18to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.

Join us this week for Victory Week 3 with Dr. Glenn Blossom and Dr. Charles Zimmerman. If you can’t attend, tune in online at www.americaskeswick.org at 9:30 and and 7:00 PM Monday through Thursday.

Isaiah 58: 13-14
13 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
from doing your pleasure on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
and the holy day of the LORD honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
14 then you shall take delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Sisters, as you read this devotional today about the Sabbath I don’t want you to read it as Old Testament law. A got-to, have-to, ought-to, boring, stare-at-the-walls day of doing nothing because you are supposed to observe the Sabbath.

More than ever, ladies, we need a day of rest. Have you ever considered that our bodies were not created or designed to work seven days a week? Why would God work six days and rest the seventh if He intended us to work seven? It’s not that God couldn’t work seven but He got the job done in six and rested on the seventh. Nothing in all of God’s creation was unintentional, or accidental. There was a reason He created in six and rested on the seventh. He wasn’t tired.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2:1-3

Our bodies physically need rest. Our brains need a break. Thus the Sabbath. It’s not that difficult to do IF we set aside all those things we think we MUST do and IN FAITH honor one day a week as a day holy unto the Lord. I emphasize the part that it must be done IN FAITH. It will take faith to believe that somehow you will still get all those things done that are demanding your time. You may not be able to do it all at once, it may take a few months to whittle down all the things you have been doing on your day of rest. It may be Sunday, or yours may be Tuesday or Friday. It doesn’t really matter. PICK ONE. What does a Sabbath look like in the 21st Century? How will you personalize your Sabbath? What can you do different than the other 6 days of the week to cultivate an atmosphere of rest for your body and soul? This is not about a law; it’s about God’s love and care for us because He knows how He created us.

Rest. Sister, Rest.

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 103:15,16
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.

Join us this week for Victory Week 3 with Dr. Glenn Blossom and Dr. Charles Zimmerman. If you can’t attend, tune in online at http://www.americaskeswick.org/ at 9:30 and and 7:00 PM Monday through Thursday.

Oh, dear one, are you growing weary of your meditation and memorizing? Don’t give up!! If you have not joined the journey, jump in now. This week we will be meditating on Psalm 103:15-19. If memorizing all 5 verses, select one or two such as 17 +18 or just 19. Every word of Scripture you memorize has eternal value because God’s Word is forever settled in heaven, it never changes.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from
everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.

Commentary:”As for man, his days are as grass, which grows of out the earth, rises but a little way above it, and soon withers. Man, in his best estate, is but like a flower of the field, which, though distinguished a little from the grass, will wither with it. The flower of the garden is commonly more choice and valuable, and though in its own nature withering, will last the longer for its being sheltered by the garden wall and the gardener’s care; but the flower of the field (to which life is compared) is not only withering in itself, but exposed to the cold blasts, and liable to be cropped and trodden on by the beasts of the field. Man’s life is not only wasting of itself, but its period may be anticipated by a thousand accidents. God consider this, and pities him; let him consider it himself, and be humble.” [Matthew Henry’s Commentary in One Volume pg. 688]

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

Join us this week for Victory Week 3 with Dr. Glenn Blossom and Dr. Charles Zimmerman. If you can’t attend, tune in online at www.americaskeswick.org at 9:30 and and 7:00 PM Monday through Thursday.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is HIS STEADFAST LOVE TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM;12 as far as the east is from the west,so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children,so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

Points to Ponder: Have you noticed, as I have, in the verses we have been meditating on and memorizing, the constant reminder of God’s steadfast love? Over and over again, the Psalmist refers to the Lord Almighty’s steadfast love for us.

Steadfast: firmly fixed in place: immovable; not subject to change; firm in belief, determination, or adherence [www.merriam-webster.com 7.23.10] God’s love for us is firmly fixed in place, immovable, not subject to change – it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Him. His love for you is steadfast, unchanging regardless of what you do or don’t do today. God loves you right now, right this minute, both now and forever. His love does not grow, change or wane. It is.

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

How many times have I heard that? In fact, I’ve often been the one saying it. Of course, it is a wonderful exhortation because so often we get snagged in the horizontal and fail to remember the vertical. However, what is the underlying premise of that saying? “Have a little faith”? I believe when we say it, hear it, the implication is – have a little faith that it will turn out okay, you’ll get what you want, things will go your way, etc. Right?

Recently, I was reading through Hebrews 11, the very familiar “faith” chapter. The “who’s who” of men and women of faith. The list, though not by any means exhaustive, it is just the same impressive. The chapter starts out great:

By faith, Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice…
By faith, Enoch was taken up so he should not see death…
By faith, Noah…constructed an ark.
By faith, Abraham…went to live in the land of promise…
By faith, Sarah herself received the power to conceive…
By faith, Abraham…offered up Isaac…
By faith, Isaac invoked further blessings on Jacob and Esau…
By faith, Jacob…blessed each of the sons of Joseph…
By faith, Joseph…gave directions concerning his bones…
By faith, Moses…was hidden three months by his parents…
By faith, Moses…refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter…
By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea on dry land…
By faith, the walls of Jericho fell…
By faith, Rahab the prostitute did not perish…

Hebrews 11:32-35a And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection.

This is how we want to view faith, don’t we? If the chapter stopped there we could be comforted in believing a little faith would result in things going well with us but half way through verse 35 the tenor of the chapter changes.

Hebrews 11:35b-40 Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated- 38of whom the world was not worthy- wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Having faith is vital. The righteous shall live by faith….Galatians 3:11

But is faith a magic pill, a rabbit’s foot that is our “credit card” to get what we want and how we want? By no means ~ faith is not me-centered it is Christ-centered. It is Christ-centered because He is the Faithful One, worthy of our worship, trust and belief. It is believing that His purpose, His plan, His method is the perfect purpose, plan and method for me specifically. That His way in my life is perfect-EVEN WHEN I CAN’T UNDERSTAND IT. He does. Faith is knowing I can trust Him even when I don’t get what I want or how I want it. Faith is about Him not about me.

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

DIGGING DEEPER
14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.

Today is the last day of Victory Week #2. Join us at 9:30 am with Dr. David Epstein or 6:30 pm with Dr. Roger Willmore, either here or on-line at www.americaskeswick.org.

Hebrews 12:14-15 (NKJV) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled…

I was visiting a friend recently and admiring the garden and landscape work she and her husband have done in front of their home. She pointed out to me a tree that has yet to be removed, and what a bother the roots from it have been as they’ve tried to put in new plants. It reminded me of a bush I dug out of my yard back in the early summer. It was constantly sending out shoots that I was pulling up to keep it from spreading through the whole yard. It wasn’t a particularly pretty bush, or anything special, so I finally cut it down and dug it up and threw it away.

But the funny thing is, everytime I go out and wander in the yard, I still find shoots from that bush that need to be pulled out. There are roots under the ground that keep trying to start a new bush.

As I was telling my friend about this, it reminded me of the verse about not letting any root of bitterness take hold in our lives. It is so easy to let those little thoughts of hurt and resentment to take root, and before long, you’ve got little shoots of bitterness springing up all over the place. And if we don’t keep up with the weed pulling, before long there’s a full grown plant that has taken over – springing up to cause trouble.

Pursuing peace with all people is not an easy task. People will disappoint us. Let’s face it, we all fall short of the grace of God, and need a daily, fresh supply to keep our hearts soft, and make those roots easy to pull out. I’m going to use my gardening time as an opportunity for the Lord to keep my heart free of the weeds and roots of bitterness. How about you? Need to do some gardening?

Ruth Schmidt is on full-time staff at America’s Keswick, and grateful to be a daughter of the King.

DIGGING DEEPER
Psalm 103
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.

Join us for VICTORY WEEK #2. Drs. David Epstein and Roger Willmore will be sharing the WORD at America’s KESWICK. If you can’t drive in for a meeting, you can watch the morning and evening services right from our website: http://www.americaskeswick.org beginning at 9:30 am and 7:00 pm.

Psalm 103:14-16 “…for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” 1 Corinthians 15:53 “For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality.”

There comes a time in each person’s life when you finally realize your mortality. A point that you come to…oh, somewhere around the age of fifty…that you realize there is probably more years behind you than you have ahead of you. For the one who knows Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life, they know this is not the end, only the beginning.

In an instant our eyes will no longer see this world but the next. In an instant we will no longer hear or see the loved ones we leave behind but see the face of Jesus. In an instant we will leave behind our earthly bodies and receive our eternal body. In an instant we become a memory.

Even so as we live our day to day lives we tend to forget where we came from and that each one of us has a date and time when we will finally see Jesus face to face. God never forgets that we are dust. In the midst of that I realize that God so loved this piece of dust….me…that He sent his precious Son to die for me so that I might live not as dust in eternity, but as an heir of the Father! This just boggles my mind! Talk about your upgrades! I do have His promise of eternal life. Psalm 49:15 “But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.” John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”

These are great words of assurance…and there are so many more in His Word. Because of His Word I know where I’m going someday. What is so very sad is that not everybody has that assurance. Some believe everybody goes to heaven. Some believe that when you die you are no more…there is no heaven or hell. What about you? What do you believe?

I know most of you reading this devotional know Jesus as Lord and Savior, but I’m speaking to the one that has never made a profession of faith. You can be assured of where you will be when you take your last breath here on the earth and your first breath in heaven. Jesus said in John 11:26: “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior you can remedy that today…right now…if you don’t know what to pray, call your pastor, your believer friend, call us at America’s Keswick and someone would love to share the gospel with you and His promises will be yours. It will all happen in an instant.

DIGGING DEEPER: Psalm 103 – 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 36 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and one granddaughter! She serves at America’s Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

Join us for VICTORY WEEK #2. Drs. David Epstein and Roger Willmore will be sharing the WORD at America’s KESWICK. If you can’t drive in for a meeting, you can watch the morning and evening services right from our website: http://www.americaskeswick.org beginning at 9:30 am and 7:00 pm.

Psalm 103: 11-14

This week, we continue in Psalm 103, by the time we are done we will have considered/memorized the entire Psalm.

My husband was commenting the other night as I shared my verse with him how UN-poetic I am. He is very poetic. He loves poetry and on occasion writes beautiful poetry. I, on the other hand, have always struggled with poetry. Not to make fun, but in my mind there are simpler, clearer ways to say things. I don’t believe it is sin on my part, but rather more the way I’m wired. All that to say, memorizing Psalms, which are poetic in nature, has really stretched me. Poor Allen, Bill and Jim as they listen to me share my verses. I may have the words right but I know it does not sound like piety coming out of my mouth. Are you like me? Press on. Don’t give up. There is ALWAYS value to memorizing the WORD of GOD. Press on sister. Ask the Lord to help you “get it.” I have to.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

Commentary:
“Where is poetry found in the OT? …songs and prayers of praise and lament most naturally cluster in the book of Psalms, although they can be found elsewhere in the OT as well.” 1

Psalm 103:11-14 “These are three comparisons for the kindness of God toward his people, to show its abundance…decisiveness…and enduring quality… God is father to his people as a whole …and to the particular faithful members. ..” “He knows our frame. As the ESV footnote explains, this could also be ‘he knows how we are formed,’ which, together with we are dust looks back to Gen. 2:7. The Lord remembers the finiteness of the human perspective (“dust” is not eternal or omniscient), and he is patient with his people.” 2

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

1 ESV Study Bible “Poetic and Wisdom Literature” pg. 866
2 ESV Study Bible Study notes – pg. 1068

Join us for VICTORY WEEK #2. Drs. David Epstein and Roger Willmore will be sharing the WORD at America’s KESWICK. If you can’t drive in for a meeting, you can watch the morning and evening services right from our website: http://www.americaskeswick.org beginning at 9:30 am and 7:00 pm.

Points to Ponder

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.

Points to Ponder:
Do you see it? Every verse in this selection exudes grace. Without the Gospel, without God, what does each one of us deserve? Oppression, ignorance, justice, wrath, anger and penalty. But by God’s grace what do we (His children) receive? Righteousness, justice, insight and knowledge of the Holy, mercy, grace, abundant steadfast love and forgiveness. Can we rejoice in that today? By His grace, you and I didn’t get what we deserved. Hallelujah!!

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.

Isaiah 64:4 From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.

A not-so-subtle reminder today of God’s care and provision for each of us.
How often do we run ahead of God trying this way and that to make things work out?

Oh, sister, I shudder to think how many times I’ve taken things into my own hands and missed the opportunity to be wowed by the hand of God.

I can think of several occasions when I chose to wait past the 9th, 10th and even 11th hour believing God would indeed act on my behalf – and indeed He did in amazing, unexpected ways. I wish I could say this is my norm, but alas it is not.

Admittedly, it seems to be a fine line between waiting for God in faith, and doing all that is up to me to do. All too often people say “but God gave us a brain to figure it out.” That thinking will stomp all over a walk of faith.

I am not suggesting or encouraging laziness – the walk of a believer is by no means passive. Waiting for God is heart attitude of rest, peace, trust and faith, believing God will act on our behalf in His perfect time.

Diane

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries and Acting Director of Development at America’s KESWICK. In addition to her Keswick responsibilities which keep her busy, she loves to read, write and teach, travel and laugh with her grandchildren. Diane has been married to her husband John over 25 years. She has 2 children, 2+ grandchildren, 3 step-children, and 7 step-grandchildren.