Looking Through The Peephole

One afternoon, several years ago when I was a little girl, I was expecting my grandmother to come over to our house. Seeing that it was about time for her to arrive, I went to the living room and decided to look outside so I could see when she pulled up in the driveway. So I stood at the door...and gazed out the peephole. Not a great view! When I looked through that peephole, things looked quite different and far away and I didn't have a full, clear view of everything. When I finally opened the front door, it was a lot easier to see everything.

As I think back on this incident, I realize that we all are looking through a peephole during certain periods of our lives. Tough circumstances arise while we are here on earth that we can't understand. But just as my front yard isn't complete without the trees and the monkey grass, God's good plans for our lives aren't complete without certain situations occurring. When things happen that aren't so pleasant, it's hard to see the full view of God working out something good in our lives. It's just like the old verse says, "Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now." (1 Corinthians 13:12 - New Living Translation)

One day, we won't be looking through a peephole trying to see the full view of God's perfect and wonderful plans that were carried out in our lives. Whether it happens here on earth or in Heaven, one day the front door's going to swing open and we'll see things for what they fully were and we'll understand how the tough situations helped make our life better...how they helped make us better for the Lord.

But what do we do while we are still looking through the peephole? We keep loving God, obeying God, and believing God. We stay confident in His promises that He gives us. We hope in Him when He says to us, " For I will work a work in your days, which ye would not believe, though it be told to you." (Habakkuk 1:5 - King James Version)

Prayer: Dear Father God, I thank You that You have plans for my life that are for my good. I thank You that You have plans for me that show that You care about me and love me. Help me to allow Your perfect will to be done in my life. Even though it's hard to say this, thank You for the tough situations that make me stronger and better in my life and walk with You. Help me, though, to stay confident in You when bad circumstances arise. Help me to remember that You have a purpose for all things and for me and Your purposes are wonderful. Remind me that I will understand it all one day. Strengthen me to always serve You. I love You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

A Lot From A Little

"...Jesus soon saw a great crowd of people climbing the hill, looking for Him. Turning to Philip, He asked, 'Philip, where can we buy bread to feed all of these people?' He was testing Philip, for He already knew what He was going to do. Philip replied, 'It would take a full day's wages to feed them!' Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. 'There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?' 'Tell everyone to sit down,' said Jesus. So all of them - the men alone numbered five thousand - sat down on the grassy slopes. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and passed them out to the people. Afterward, He did the same with the fish. And they all ate until they were full. 'Now gather the leftovers,' Jesus told His disciples, 'so that nothing is wasted.' There were only five barley loaves to start with, but twelve baskets were filled with the pieces of bread the people didn't eat!"

(John 6:5-13, New Living Translation)

Though this boy had only a little bit of food to offer, Jesus used it and made it into a lot of food. So how does this apply to our lives?

Sometimes our lives can seem as though they are useless. Sometimes it seems like we aren't smart enough or strong enough to make our life meaningful.

But, "remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish...and He chose those who are powerless...God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all." (1 Corinthians 1:26-28, NLT)

God doesn't require us to be famous, a genius, a millionaire, a person that many people adore, or a person that has lived a "life of a saint." No, He only requires one thing: willingness. Willingness to give our lives, ourselves, and everything of us to Him...that's all that God wants! Once we do this, He can transform our lives. For it's not by our power, but by His mighty power.

So our lives may have little to offer, but when we give ourselves to Jesus, He works with us and within us and He makes our little life into a meaningful life. Walking with Him is the greatest and biggest thing we could ever do in our lives!

Prayer: Dear God, I know that I cannot make my life into a blessed one full of meaning by myself. But You can, Lord, and that is why I come to You. I believe in Your Son, Jesus Christ, and I accept Him into my heart and life. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness, I pray, for I am sorry for it. I give myself to You and ask You to help me to live the life that You would want me to live - one full of Your Peace, Joy, Strength, Purpose, and Holy Spirit. Thank You that I don't have to be a "brilliant person" in order for You to love me. I love You, too, Savior. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

-Eryn Eubanks (June 17th, 2003)

Thoughts On Communicating With God

Although I may not explain it to you the way a great theologian would, I can tell you from my heart and from my own experiences what prayer means to me. Prayer opens the door to the Kingdom of God -- it's the thing that allows us to "stand boldly before His Throne of Grace." (Hebrews 4:16) It sounds like a gigantic action, doesn't it? Well, it is a powerful thing, but it's not all that hard to do.

Prayer is a conversation with God. It's simply talking to Him like you would talk to a close friend. Unlike most people, though, you can tell God what you really feel and think, and he won't get mad at you or think you're stupid. He delights in you bearing your heart and soul to Him.

Anytime is a good time to pray. The Bible says in First Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing." Imagine that you had a friend who was spending the day with you. No matter where you went or what you did, you would communicate with that person because it would hurt their feelings if you didn't. Well, if you have accepted Jesus into your heart, then you have a friend who spends the days with you. His Name is The Holy Spirit. He is God, the third person of the Trinity, and He loves for us to talk with Him.

Of course, we can't always verbally talk to God, but there are other ways to pray. You can pray in your mind, you can pray through praise and worship songs, or you can pray by writing letters or diary entries to God. But no matter how you may pray, pray in Jesus' Name. For He is the way to the Father. (John 14:6)

There are many great promises in the Bible about prayer. Here are a few of them:

"The Lord is near unto all that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth." (Psalms 145:18)
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (God in Jeremiah 33:3)

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made unto this place." (God in Second Chronicles 7:14-15)

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him [God], that if we ask anything according to His Will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we've desired of Him."  (First John 5:14-15)

"Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you...If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him?" (Jesus in Matthew 7:7, 11 - King James Version and New Living Translation)

"...For your Father [God] knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him." (Matthew 6:6)

Some people think that there is no point in praying because of what Jesus said in Matthew 6:6. But the Lord wants us to pray. Jesus prayed (see Mark 6:46) and many times in His Word He tells us to pray, to ask, to seek, and to knock. Imagine if you had a child that you loved dearly. Let's say that child had some desires and needs that you knew about, yet that child wouldn't tell you. You would feel hurt, wouldn't you? In the same way, God is a loving parent and is hurt when we withhold things from Him.

Well, I hope that these things I have said to you will encourage you to communicate with God. Remember, prayer is a conversation, so God will respond to you. He may not speak with an audible voice, but His Spirit can speak to you through the Bible, your conscious, your feelings, an opportunity, a circumstance, a song, a testimony, a sermon, or a friend. So be alert and listen. God will always listen to you when you pray.

So go ahead...talk to Him. He's longing to hear from you. He's only a prayer away.

(Now it's time for you to pray. I've included parts of a suggested prayer. Wherever you see "...", that's where you say your own personal prayer to the Lord.)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, come into my heart and take my sins away... Help me to make prayer a major part of my life... May I always find You when I pray... I thank You for... I ask You to help these people and situations... Help me in these areas of my life... In Jesus' Holy Name I pray. Amen.

-Eryn Eubanks (May 12th, 2003)

Butterfly Syndrome

Spring has sprung! I'm very happy that it has come. I love spring because, to me, nature is at its prime and it brings me closer to God. Whenever I step outside and feel the warmth of the sun, I feel His Love. When the flowers bloom, I smell the fragrance of Heaven. When the trees are boldly green and the sky is a deep blue, I catch a glimpse of that promised land where the Lord's children will spend eternity. When the wind blows, I feel as though my Heavenly Father has whispered, "I love you and have made this beauty for our enjoyment."

But the greatest thing of spring is to see the lovely monarch and lime colored butterflies flutter happily through the air. It reminds me of the power of God that transforms lives. A child of God has something I like to call "butterfly syndrome." Butterfly syndrome happens when 2 Corinthians 5:17 has come into effect in our lives. That verse says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

Before we ever knew Christ, our life was like a bleak, cold, harsh winter. We were like a caterpillar - not pretty. Inside there was a void, and until it was filled, a beautiful life couldn't be attained.

But then, one day, we met Jesus Christ. We accepted His Love and Forgiveness and we were transformed into something wonderful. "...The new had come!" Just as the caterpillar turned into a glorious butterfly, we had become a "new creation." This came through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. And unlike our physical bodies, as we get some age on our faith, it just gets better and better because "as the clay is in the potter's hands, we are in God's Hands." (Jeremiah 18:6) God works with us like a potter works with clay. The Lord will mold us and make us after His good will, if we only ask Him to. If we get a flaw in us, He'll work with us to get it out and make us better.

So I encourage you this day, if you don't have "butterfly syndrome," catch it, keep it, and pass it on to someone else. Remember, Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly (see John 10:10).

Prayer: Dear God, fill me with Your Love and sweet Holy Spirit. Forgive me of the sins of the old life without You and give me a new blessed life through Your Son, Jesus. Let me be in Your Hands as clay is in a potter's hands. Make me into something beautiful for You and others. Thank You for everything. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

-Eryn Eubanks (April 19th, 2003)

Time, Life, & Change

On the evening of Tuesday, February 25, 2003, I experienced a drastic change in my life. On that date, my grandfather, Billy Mack Eubanks, died at the age of 69. I would have never expected anything like this to happen while I was still a child - it always seemed way down the road of my life.

The passing of my grandfather has shown me a profound truth that I have known for a long time. Time is a gift from God but change can come unexpectedly. Life is short. The Bible says, "Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone - as though we had never been there." (Psalms 103:15-16 NLT) God's Word also says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be of tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14) No matter how old or young we are, we don't have the promise of tomorrow. That's why we need to be ready when the Lord calls us, when it's our time to go.

Jesus came so death didn't have to be a horrible thing for us. He wants to take us to Heaven when we die because He loves us. All you have to do is accept Him into your heart and life. Don't put off accepting Him because you might not be here tomorrow to do it then. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to born, and a time to die..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2) Pa (that's what I called my grandfather) had his season here on earth. While he was here, he accepted Jesus Christ. He didn't have to worry about dying because Jesus gave him eternal life in Heaven. And he didn't have to worry about life because "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8) and Jesus said, "Don't worry about tomorrow." (Matthew 6:34 NLT) When you trust in Jesus, you are in the palm of God's Hand and no one can take you out of His Hand. He'll give His angels charge over you, to keep you. (See Psalm 91:11)

Of course it hurts not having my grandfather here. I miss Pa and it makes you feel different when a loved one isn't here. But I thank God for all the good memories; I loved Pa and he loved me. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) I know that it's easy to think, "How could anything good come from this?" but let me tell you some of the good things that has come from this experience. My grandfather is now in Heaven; he's in a land where there is no pain or sickness, no sorrow, no more parting, no dying, no growing old - a place where joy is in every second of eternal life! And this experience has caused my family and I to come closer to God. It has also encouraged us to stay Heaven bound.

And I encourage you to stay ready for God's call into the life after death. You don't know when that call will come, but if you trust in Jesus, you don't have to worry about time, life, and it's changes or about death.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I accept Your Son, Jesus, into my heart. Take my sins away and help me to live by Your Word. Help me to not be afraid of living, the changes life may bring, or death. Help me to just trust in You and not waste my time here on earth. Keep me ready for Your Call. Thank You for my life, Your Love, and Your Promise of Heaven. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

The Battle

Sin, doing wrong...it's something we all have to deal with. No matter who we are or how long we'll live, we'll have to fight a battle with sin and temptations.

The battle of sin and temptations has been going on since God created the earth and man. We're all familiar with the story of Genesis 3, the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Since that day, sin has been a problem for every person.

But there is hope...the love of God. Even though God despises sin, even though He knows everything about us (see Psalm 139:1), He loved us so much that He made a way for us to have fellowship with Him again. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17)

God loved you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to be the sacrifice for your sins and give you eternal life. He doesn't want to condemn you, He wants to forgive you and help you live right for Him. Just as Jesus said to the woman whom He saved from her stoning for her transgressions, He says this to you, "Neither, do I condemn thee: go and sin no more." (John 8:11)

As long as we're on this earth, we will have to fight this battle of sin, but we don't have to fight it alone. Jesus Christ walks by our side and the Holy Spirit fills us with His strength to do what is right. There will be times when we slip and fall, "for he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust" (Psalms 103: 14 - God knows that we are only human), but "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

God loves you just the way you are and He can make your life beautiful and new. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I know that sin is what separates me from You. Thank You, though, that You loved me so much that You sent Jesus to die for my sins. I accept Him into my heart. Cleanse me of all unrighteousness and help me to live for You. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Press On

Life, at times, can be confusing. Troubling situations can come that make us wonder what God is doing. Maybe you're longing to know the answer to a question that life has thrown at you. At times you may feel that you want to stop in your walk with Jesus because you don't know how to go on. But remember this verse:

"Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: Then He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in spring." (Hosea 6:3 - King James Version & New Living Translation)

Talk to God, read His Word, seek His face, praise Him for his blessings, just don't stop walking with Him. Like Hosea 6:3 says, we shall know if we follow on to know the Lord.

"Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart...Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 29:12-13, 33:3)

The key is to press on, and I encourage you to do this. I've seen God's promises fulfilled and when I kept following Jesus, life's confusion started to fade away and His Peace came. So, my friend...

"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your unplowed ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." (Hosea 10:12)

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, help us in life's confusion, in the times when we can't see clearly. Guide us and help us to continue to seek You. And when we seek You, let Your Peace fill our lives. Thank you for your love for us and be with us in the name of Jesus. Amen.