GodandMe2theMax

Twenty more hours...

Twenty more hours.

That's how much longer I have until my husband returns from Africa. Just twenty more hours. In many ways, this has been the roughest trip for me with him away. You see, when we're most vulnerable, that's when the enemy tries to attack. And attack he did the last two weeks...mostly in our family. Many of you know Jacob's past health struggles, and unfortunately, they have decided to come to the forefront again, just in time for me to deal with them all on my own.

And therein lies the problem. The words "on my own." How often do we go through life, thinking we're 'on our own' with the feelings we have. We have our little pity parties because things aren't going the way we think they should. We think we're the only one who feels this way. We focus so much on ourselves that we forget to look outward. It's when we look at others, we realize how insignificant and small the problems we deal with really are. We get ourselves up in a tizzy thinking about all the issues at hand instead of thanking God for his bountiful blessings.

And truly, I am so blessed and rich with friends in my life. While Frank has been gone, one friend brought me dinner, another family had us over for dinner, and another family took us out to a restaurant for dinner. How awesome is that? Beyond words. Lord, forgive me for thinking "I'm on my own." Even more, Lord, You are here. You are here when Jacob struggles with behavior. You are here when Amber struggles with more hours of homework than she gets sleep. You are here in my sleepless nights of solitude. You are here, and I am never alone. Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you or forsake you."

And so, twenty more hours. That's twenty hours to turn my frown upside down. Twenty more hours to offer a helping hand to someone else. That's twenty more hours to try to encourage someone else. And that's twenty more hours to praise my God in the storms of life.

So when you're in a countdown, like I currently am, holding your breath until that moment you've waited for finally arrives, instead of trying to hold out, use every minute that you can for God. Praise Him. And thank Him that you have just twenty more hours.

 

Psalm 66:1-7 "Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious. Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, the sing praise to your name. Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf! He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the waters on foot, let us rejoice in Him. He rules forever by His power, his eyes watch the nations – let not the rebellious rise up against Him.’”

Pass the oranges, please...

Proverbs 11:25  "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

On Saturday, I sat outside in the sun at my son's soccer game.  The wind was gently blowing, but frankly, it was stinkin' hot for being so early in the season.  The sun was beating down on my already sunburned arms from last week's game.  Now, I've never been a big fan of oranges...they're just too messy for me.  But as the sun was beating, I started to think how refreshing an orange would be about that time.  You see, it was our turn to bring oranges for the half time snack.  We were well into the second half of the game, so I went on the hunt for some leftovers.  I found several bags were left, still on ice.  Wow!  For someone who doesn't really care for oranges, I inhaled in a matter of minutes the equivalent of about three entire oranges.  "Refreshing" doesn't even begin to describe it.

Now think about it.  What if you could offer ice cold, fresh oranges to someone in the hot Texas sun?  What if you saw someone out there who was dehydrated, and you could offer exactly what they need?  How would that make you feel?  Take a look at the verse to memorize for this week.  Proverbs 11:25  "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." 

Our Sunday morning worship service was a tremendous example of this verse.  Our church is involved in a community development  project in a little village called Bukabwa, located in the Mara region in Tanzania, East Africa.  Bukabwa is a community of about 5,000 people that before a few weeks ago, literally had no hope.  Two of our pastors and my husband Frank just returned from Bukabwa last week.  Our church's vision for this community is to not only meet their spiritual needs (there's no church even in this entire area) but also to partner with the African Inland Church to teach them micro-finance, transforming little by little, the entire community.  Our pastor shared with us that to sponsor a pastor for one year, build a church building and a home for the pastor next to it, it will take only $5,000.  He then did an uncharacteristic move.  He asked our church family to donate on the spot to meet this need.

Now, he didn't just take an offering.  He asked people to come forward and lay their offering on the platform.  I sing on the worship team, and I can't even start to tell you what this did for our team as we sang.  "Give me one pure and holy passion."  People started lining the aisle.  "Give me one magnificent obsession."  One by one they came forward and left their offering on the alter.  There was a line to get to the front of the church.  "Give me one glorious ambition for my life.  To know and follow hard after You." 

God's people gave generously Sunday morning.  It refreshed me.  It refreshed so many on our worship team that at one point in the response song, several of us were so filled with tears that we couldn't even sing.  I don't know the final numbers yet, but I do know that there was a lot more than $5000 given. 

As if God didn't already show up and show off, a friend unexpectedly handed me a generous donation today for the mission trip to Colombia my daughter and I will be going on this July.  Fundraising has been slow for us, and this gift definitely was an unforeseen blessing.  Half of the money is due by the end of the month, and we are still far from that goal, but this gift definitely helped boost us closer.  Yes, in more than one way, God's people brought ice cold refreshing oranges to church.

We have probably all been recipients of unexpected blessings like I've mentioned above.  But, how many of us have been the giver?  Have you ever given out of obedience, even though you don't really have the money to do so?  The Bible is very clear about the principle of giving.  Give, and it will come back to you.  I've seen it over and over again.  (Luke 6:38)  There's been several times in our family's life that we knew God was definitely telling us to give, even though we really didn't have the means to do so.  I can testify that every time we've been obedient in giving, God has refreshed us in return.  Sometimes the refreshment is monitary, but always it's spiritually refreshing.

Break out the oranges and give where God leads.  Abundant, refreshing blessings are waiting.  Try it.  You might just find you like oranges!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

What's the plan, Stan? Are you in?

Job 42:2  "I know that You can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted."

"So what's the plan, Stan?"  This is a common phrase I use around my house when trying to decipher and understand the family intentions.  We often have a little pow-wow to make sure we're all on the same page for the day.  I am a mile-a-minute person; one who would have company every night if my husband would allow me to do so.  But I also love to have a plan.  I like to be "in the know" and surprises are not my preferences.  "What's the plan, Stan" is not only a good phrase, but a wise one in my house.

So I got to thinking.  OK, God's name isn't Stan, and I don't mean to speak to Him with disrespect, but seriously, how many times do we stop and ask God, "So whats Your plan?"  Yes, if we are seasoned Christians, we know some of His plans.  But is this a daily question we ask?  Do we earnestly seek out His plan by reading Scripture daily and apply it to our life?  Or are we casually going through our days, half heartedly thinking if our actions fit into God's plan?

If you don't know, I am the President of Ministry Travel, a travel agency who specializes in discount international airfare for missionaries, churches, and the non profit world.  It was another crazy week at work last week.  We had staff members on vacation for Christmas, so we were already working with a reduced staff.  On top of that, Europe was ill prepared for a major snowstorm that hit, causing quite a few of my passengers to experience cancelled flights, leaving them stranded here in the states for a mission trip, or stranded in Europe, trying to make it home by Christmas.  I had read Job 42:2 in my quiet time this last week, and I found myself sharing this verse with some of my clients who were very discouraged due to their plans being delayed and even cancelled.  I reminded them that our plans are not always His plans.  I reminded them that no plan of God's can be stopped.  I love how God can use what we read to encourage others.  I kid you not, every time He impresses on my heart a special verse during my quiet time, I end up coming across someone who needs to hear those exact words.  But, if we're not actively searching Scriptures and trying to see how they apply to us, how will we know God's plan?  How can we have words of encouragement to share with someone else? 

"I know you can do all things; no plan of Yours can be thwarted."  In context, this was Job talking to God.  It was recorded at the very end of the trials Job endured.  Job was humbled, and eventually his material possessions were restored, and he received even greater blessings than he had before.  He persisted in trusting God, and he was rewarded for it.

Like Job, we often can't see the plan God has unfolding for us.  But Job was a great example of unwavering faith.  He knew God's ultimate plan was sovereign.  He knew God was in control, even when his friends denied him.  He knew God had a plan, even when his family was stripped away.  That's what faith is all about.  We put our faith in Christ, and we trust Him, knowing He knows what's best.

So with the year coming to a close, with only a few days of 2010 left, I can't help but ask God, what's Your plan?  You see, if no plan of His can be thwarted, then it's a no brainer.  I want my plans to be God's plans.  I don't want to make my own agenda and then ask Him to bless it "after the fact."  I want to be zeroed in on THE plan, because no plan of His can be stopped.  And by the way, if that's the case, which we know it is, I sure want to be part of the plan and not looking on the outside watching His plan unfold.  I mean, not only should we be asking God what His plan is, but we should be asking Him to use us to fulfil it.  True to my mile-a-minute form, I want to be right there in the middle of the action, carrying out God's plan for my life.

Let's finish out 2010 and begin 2011 on the right path -- God's.  So what's the plan, Stan?  Are you in? 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

Be Sure your sins will find you out...Proverbs 28:13

Proverbs 28:13  "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

Be sure your sins will find you out.

It was our first year of marriage, and it was Halloween time.  Candy was everywhere in the stores.  If you know me, you know chocolate is my weakness.  Everywhere I turned, it seemed like those bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were calling my name.  We really had no money, and in fact, at that time, we were going in the hole each month.  But those Reese's Cups still kept a-calling. 

My husband was a pastor in Ohio, and I remembered hearing another lady in the church talk about her "stash" of chocolate that she hid from her husband.  (She had chocolate-induced migraines, but she loved her chocolate so much that it was worth it.  Her husband, however, was not so fond of the migraines, and that's why she felt the need to have her "stash.")  Lightbulb illuminated in my head.  Hmmm.  Maybe I could go ahead and get those Reese's Cups and just have my little "stash" so my husband wouldn't know...

Now, problem #1 with that is that I knew my husband wouldn't want me to waste money we didn't have on chocolate.  Problem #2 is that my husband doesn't even like chocolate.  We had no children at the time to get into my little greedy stockpile, so there was absolutely no need to hide my purchase.  The truth is, if I did give in to temptation and purchase those Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, it really would have been ok with him.  It would not have been the unpardonable sin in the Banfill home to spend $3 on something we didn't need.  So if I did go ahead and purchase those Reese's Cups, I certainly didn't need to hide them.  

But no.  Not only did I buy, but I also stashed those Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in what I thought was a very safe place.  Now, you have to understand.  I was young.  And apparently, I wasn't only young, I was stupid, too.  You see, I grew up in a home with an electric stove, but the home we lived in during our first few years of marriage had a gas oven.  You may know where this is going, and it is not a pretty thought.  Yes, I stashed that bag of Reese's Cups in the "storage" drawer of the oven.  A storage drawer, right?  That's where my mom always kept a bunch of pots/pans/lids when I was growing up.  Little did I know that in a gas oven, that's no storage drawer -- that's called a broiler.

So one Wednesday, I called up my husband at the church and asked him what he wanted for dinner.  "Spaghetti?"  I suggested.  "No, how about fishsticks?"  he replied.  "How about spaghetti?"  "No fishsticks."  We went back and forth, but when it was apparent I would not be persuading him, I actually said in gest, "OK, I will be a submissive wife and make those fishsticks."

That's when the problem started.

I pre-heated the oven, and then I jumped on the couch in the other room and turned on Oprah.  Now, I always kept my oven pretty clean, so when I was on the couch and smelled something burning, I just assumed something had spilled over into the stove from the previous time it was used.  I jumped up, pulled the layer of tin foil off the wire rack, put the fishsticks in, and jumped back on the couch to watch more Oprah.

Within a few minutes, I looked up and noticed soot flying out of my kitchen.  I jumped up and ran to the kitchen, only to find flames shooting out of the back of my oven, my kitchen filled with smoke, and me still clueless as to the problem.  I called my husband at the church, trying to stretch the phone cord almost out the door to get away from the smoke.  My husband had already left the church, so then I decided to call 911.  Why I decided to call him first instead of the fire department, I can't even explain.  I told you I was young and stupid. 

The fire department came.  They cleared the house, and eventually they let me back in one of the back bedrooms.  I cried, still unaware of the real problem.  My husband came home, noticing the fire department at our house.  In a panic, I heard him yell, "Where's my wife?  Is she ok?"  They directed him to me in the back of the house.  I remember crying in his arms, shaking like a crying baby.  He consoled me and tried to calm me down.  Once the fire was put out, we ventured to the kitchen to talk to the firemen. 

"Do you know what caused it?"  I asked.  The fireman pulled what was left of my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup stash out of the broiler.  "Yes, ma'am.  Can you tell me what this is?"  Eyes wide open, embarrassed, with shock on my face, I answered, "Uh, those are my Reese's Cups I was hiding from my husband." 

The fireman then pulled out my fishsticks from the oven.  His exact words, "Ma'am, I don't think your sausages are salvageable."  Those fishsticks that Frank had his heart set on had shrivelled and darkened up to what looked like Jimmy Dean's breakfast sausages.  I was too much of a basket case to realize I really needed a picture of them, for posterity's sake.  What I wouldn't do to show you the end result of those poor fishsticks.

We ended up having to eat dinner out at the local Chinese restaurant.  Here's the kicker, and it's proof God has a sense of humor.  I mentioned it was a Wednesday.  We had prayer meeting that night, and we were doing spiritual preparation for a revival that was upcoming at our church.  In our prayer meeting, Frank called out a list of references, with those in the congregation randomly volunteering to look up the verses and read them when he called for it.  The verse I randomly chose:  "The Lord does not delight in burnt offerings."

Now, I can look back at that story and laugh.  It's ok, you can, too.  I used to be so embarrassed by it, but I've grown up a little, and I can now laugh at myself.  After all, that was almost twenty years ago!  But the truth is, every thing that led to that fiasco was sin.  Let's call it for what it was.  Sure, there's no sin in buying a bag of candy.  But if you know you really shouldn't, if you know you can't afford it, and certainly, if you think you have to hide the fact that you bought it, there's definite sin involved.  Yes, the Lord did not delight in my burnt offering that day.

Over the last few days, the Lord has repeatedly brought this story to mind, for various reasons.  He's also brought to my mind the question of hidden sin.  Just as regularly as we spend time in prayer interceding for others and praising God, we should also be asking Him to reveal sin in our lives.  This is something too often we neglect to do as Christians.  This is something I've not been disciplined to do, either.  Yet, it's what God expects, nonetheless.

The verse for this week says a person who conceals sin does not prosper.  It goes on to say that if we confess our sin and renounce it, we will find mercy.  Maybe you're not concealing sin, like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup kind of sin, but do you have unconfessed sin in your life?  When is the last time you've asked the Lord to show you what cancerous sin areas He wants to carve away?  The verse says we should renounce our sin.  That means to turn from it! 

I challenge you to make a list of sins.  If you're having trouble thinking of any, you can find some in Colossians 3:7-8.  Are any of these present in your life:  anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language, lies?  Later in the chapter, Paul tells us to have compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.  Those are character qualities Christ commands, and if they aren't present, then that's sin, too.  Think of the fruits of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23.  What is the antithesis of those things mentioned?

I'll be honest, my first reaction to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the past has been nothing short of lust, but I'm hoping to change that now.  I hope the next time you see a Reese's Cup, you'll use it as a reminder for self-examination.  To grow closer in our walk with the Lord, we must have regular times of confession, admitting the sin.  Then we must also renounce the sin and turn from it. 

Confession and renouncing sin can be painful and raw.  I admit it, it's not easy seeing the ugly truth about yourself...the truth you try to hide from everyone...the truth you don't want anyone to see.  The end result, however, is being conformed to God's image.  I don't know about you, but that is my end goal, no matter how hard it hurts.  That's what matters in life, becoming more like Christ.  It's my prayer for each of you this week that you will set aside time for prayer focusing on confession of sins.

Be sure your sin will find you out.  Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, anyone?

 

 

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

Hurt on the court?

Psalm 55:22  "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

A few years ago I was coaching a volleyball game when one of my girls got hurt on the court.  When it was apparent she was not able to continue playing, her dad came on to the court to her rescue.  He is a big firefighter, but a gentle giant.  He assessed his daughter's situation, and then scooped her up into his arms and carried her off the court.  It was an incredibly moving sight to see.

That's the image I get when I read this verse.  It says you should "cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you."  Just like my player cried out to her daddy for help, we should do the same to our Heavenly Daddy.  When we do, He scoops us into His arms and sustains us.  He never let's the righteous fall.

With that said, however, how many times do we cast our cares on Him, but instead we try to bear our own burdens?  Giving it all up and over to Him, and leaving it with Him is not easy.  But the verse for this week promises us that God will sustain us.  It doesn't say to cast our cares on God and we'll be able to handle things a little better.  No, it doesn't even say to tell God all about it and you'll be able manage through the tough times. 

The notes in my NIV Study Bible for a similar passage in I Peter 5:7 say it better than I can:  "Carrying your worries, stresses, and daily struggles by yourself show that you have not trusted God fully with your life.  It takes humility, however, to recognize that God cares, to admit your need, and to let other in God's family help you.  sometimes we think that struggles caused by our on sin and foolishness are not God's concern.  But when we turn to God in repentance, He will bear the weight even of those struggles.  Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passivity.  Don't submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls circumstances."

So here's the question.  Are you going to let our Heavenly Firefighter scoop you up off the court?  Are you going to cry out to Him, cast your cares on Him, and let Him sustain you?  I hope you'll evaluate life's circumstances, your reaction to them, and see if you're allowing this verse to be true in your life.  Definitely for me, I've got a lot of evaluating to do!

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 

 

 

Do you have a green thumb?

Isaiah 58:11  "The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

A green thumb I do not have; a black one I do.  I have never been very successful at not killing a plant in my home.  Well, make that with the exception of one special plant that was given to me when I had cancer.  Both my husband and I are both shocked that it is still alive, thanks to him more than me, three years and counting now.

What does a plant need to grow?  Two simple things - water and exposure to the sun.  When it doesn't get one or both of these things, it slowly fades and eventually loses life. Why do plants die?  Truthfully, it's not because we have a knack for plants, the real reason is because of lack of discipline, attention, and care for the plant on our part.   So really, is "I don't have a green thumb" an actual excuse?  (I don't think I'll ever be able to use that one again!)

Hmmm.  Isn't that the same thing with our Christian walk?   In order to keep growing, what do we need?  We need fed and exposure to the Son, Jesus Christ.  If we don't continue to get these things, just like a plant, we will fade, leaving our soul into a drought.  Yes, that "black thumb" can be self-imposed, because of our own lack of discipline and attention to spiritual matters.

But the good news is that God always has a green thumb.  All we have to do is to turn to Him.  Re-read the verse for this week and listen to what He does (paraphrased):  The Lord will guide us continually.  He will satisfy our soul during a drought.  He will strengthen our bones, and we will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water that never runs dry! 

Are you feeling like a weak plant lately, starving for water, strength fading, leaves turning brown?  Are you in a spiritual drought?  I'm so glad God has the never ending supply of "miracle grow."  Just turn to Him and be disciplined to give your spiritual life what it needs.  Turn to Him.  Discipline yourself to "water" yourself each day.  I don't know about you, but I want to keep growing.  I'm so thankful for this reminder that God's springs of water never run dry.

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

Fearing God like Niagara Falls...

Psalm 25:14  "The Lord confides in those who fear Him; He makes His covenant known to them."

I have a friend who emailed me recently, sharing some very poignant details in her life.  These are details that she's not proud of, but she knew I would not judge her and that I would pray for her.  She considered me a good enough friend to share these intimate details, and that left me humbled.  She confided in me, and although the news she was sharing wasn't good, it left me feeling good about our friendship.

You've probably been there.  A friend has poured out their heart to you.  Good or bad situation, the friendship and intimacy you have with your friend when confidence is shared is a feeling you can't really describe.  Now transfer that feeling to the Lord.  The verse for this week says "The Lord confides in those who fear Him."

I just love this verse.  To think that God would think so highly of me that He would reveal His secrets to me!  If I feel good when a friend confides in me, how much more should I feel if God confides in me!  And what do I need to do for Him to confide in me?  I need to fear Him.

Fear.  "A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain."  But that's not the fear God is talking about here.  No, this fear is that reverent respect and awe for God kind of fear.  When I try to think of an example of how to describe it, I think about Niagara Falls.  I grew up just a few hours away from this great site, and if you've ever seen Niagara Falls in person, it doesn't take long for you to realize you need to fear it.  Water flows from Niagara Falls at a rate of 150,000 gallons per second.  That's like pouring 83 swimming pools full of water over the falls per second!  That's a lot of water!

Whenever I visit the Falls, it's standard protocol to pay a visit to the most popular attraction, the "Maid of the Mist."  It's a "must do," especially for first time visitors to the falls.  The "Maid of the Mist" takes you on a boat ride down the Niagara River, getting as close to the awesome power of the falls that you would want to get.  It's there, staring at this majestic wonder of God's handiwork, being soaked from the splashes of it's downpour, that you understand the Biblical meaning of fear.  I can't help but look at Niagara Falls and think of God's awesome power.  That's how God wants us to respect Him, His power, and who He is.  This is the kind of fear that the verse is talking about. 

You see, sometimes we talk to God flippantly.  We take Him for granted.  We forget just about how mighty and powerful He is.  We expect Him to answer our pleas and come to our beckon call.  I'm not proud of it, but I'm one of those people who do just that.  Guilty as charged.  But when we approach Him with fear, when we remember who we are and our position in Him, the verse says He will make His promises (covenants) known to us. 

I don't know about you, but I would consider it an honor to have God confide in me.  Just like the feeling I have when a friend shares her innermost heart, if God Almighty shared with me His plan and thoughts about me, well, there's no words to really describe that feeling.  As I spend time in prayer with God this week, and as I work to memorize this verse, I'm asking God to remind me to approach Him with this Niagara Falls kind of fear.  What an honor it would be for God to confide in me, all because I love Him and fear Him.

 

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

 

 



 

Monday Memory Verse - I Peter 5:10 - Spiritual Wipeout

I Peter 5:10  "And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

Have you ever seen the television show Wipeout?  It's where contestants go through a brutal obstacle course, with traps and distractions thrown at them along the way, in hopes that they will stumble, take longer to finish, and possibly even give up.  We've watched it a number of times, and it's not uncommon to see at least one contestant make it all the way to the finals, only to give up because they can't seem to overcome the challenging course.  Now, don't get me wrong, if I were a contestant, I would probably give up in the first round.  It's a brutal way to win money, being punched in the face with obstacles, catapulted through the sky into raging waters, jumping from platform to platform while cement is poured on you.  Yes, those are just a few of the things the contestants have to overcome.  Bottom line, the one with the best time in the final wins $50,000.  It's quite the entertaining show, but as I started to think about the verse to focus on this week, it's also a good parallel to life.

To understand the verse to memorize for this week a little better, I want to back up to verses eight and nine.  Peter says "Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."  Then verse ten,  "And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

Sometimes this life we live is just like Wipeout.  Satan is throwing distractions at our life, trying to mess up our secure footing, trying to get our eyes off the prize, even trying to make us give up.  We may get hit with satan's cement, making it feel like we're stuck and can't keep moving forward.  We may get catapulted into the raging waters and feel like we're alone out there.  But the Bible says we need to have self control and be alert and aware that he's out there trying to attack. He would want nothing more than for a Christian to give up on their calling to follow Christ.  He wants nothing more than to wipeout a Christian.

But verse nine says we should resist him and stand firm in our faith.  It also reminds us that there are other Christians going through this same struggles that we're facing.  Of course God is there to help us get through tough times, but He also gives us Christian friends for support and encouragement!

Then the verse to memorize for this week, verse ten.  After we've suffered a little while, God will restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast.  How encouraging is that?  Yes, we may go through some sufferings, satan may even throw some pretty difficult obstacles our way and try to wipe us out, but God promises that He will give us the strength to finish the course.  He puts our feet on a rock and gives us a firm foundation!  (PSalm 40:2)

Are you facing spiritual wipeout today?  Are you wanting to give up?  Remember these verses as you memorize this week.  Be alert and ready to stand against the attacks of satan.  Rely on the Godly friends that God has placed in your life.  And  don't forget that God is going to help you get through the course.  You can't do it by yourself, it's only through His power that you will have the strength you need.  No, I'm determined I will not wipeout for God.  How about you?

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com

Against All Hope...Not with God!

Against all hope.  Have you ever faced this kind of situation in your life?  You can't possibly see an "out" to what you're going through?  Things look so impossible that you don't know how you'll make it?

I can remember back when we first moved to Texas.  We were faith-based missionaries, which means we raised all of our financial income from family and friends.  When we moved here, we had about 80% of the support we needed, but within a few months, that dropped substantially.  There was one Saturday evening that my husband came to me and said, "Well, do you want the good news or the bad news?"  Now, if you know me, I hate that kind of thing.  Just tell me like it is--and in a hurry!  I noticed he had both hands filled with papers.  He stretched out one hand and said, "Well, we have enough money to pay our tithe at church tomorrow and enough for our mortgage that's due on Monday."  I kind of knew what was coming next, but I had to ask, "And the bad news?"  Frank then outstretched the other hand and said we had about $1000 of bills that were due by Wednesday."  Of course, we stopped and prayed for the situation, but not about what to do.  I remember commenting that God didn't bring us all the way to Texas to ruin our perfect credit we had worked to maintain all our married life.  No, we didn't pray for wisdom on what to do, that was a no-brainer, we would pay our mortgage and tithe. 

What happened in the next 48 hours was something only God could do.  You see, we told no one of our situation.  Not a soul.  But God knew, and He's the only One who counts.  On Sunday morning, someone walked up to us with an envelope.  He said that when he was praying the night before, the Lord told him to give that money to us.  His family had never given to our ministry in the past, nor have they since.  When we opened the envelope, we found $500 enclosed.  Later at church, someone else gave us a check, and Monday morning in the mail, we had yet another check, received unexpectantly.  On Wednesday, when our bills were due, we had exactly to the penny enough money to pay them.  God is a pretty amazing mathematician, isn't He?  I heard someone say this last weekend that He has Divine Math.  That is the only way to explain how He worked in our situation that looked hopeless.

This morning I was reading in Romans chapter four, and my eyes were drawn to verses eighteen to twenty-one.  "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.'  Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead -- since he was about a hundred years old -- and that Sarah's womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised."

If anyone was facing a hopeless situation, it was Abraham.  But the Bible says that against all hope, he believed.  He had almost everything going against him, he was old, his wife was not only old but also barren...key words: almost everything going against him.  Because if God was for him, who could be against him?  (Romans 8)

I don't know about you, but sometimes it's easy to lose focus on God's promises in my life.  Sometimes I need just a little reminder of how providential God is.  Patience in seeing God's plan is not my best virtue.  I said it earlier, I hate surprises...just tell me like it is, so I can process things and deal with them.  But God doesn't work like that, and even though it's against my nature, for that, I'm thankful.  I'm glad He alone knows the future for me, and right now, I jut need to rest in His promises.  There's hundreds of them throughout Scripture, but here's just a few I can think of:

Hebrews 13:5  "I will never leave you or forsake you."
Proverbs 1:33 "Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease without fear of harm."
Matthew 11:28  "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Isaiah 40:29  "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."
Psalm 32:8  "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you and watch over you."
Jeremiah 29:13  "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with your whole heart."
Philippians 4:7  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Lamentations 3:22-24  "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness.  I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him.'"
Jeremiah 33:3  "Call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know."
I John 5:14  "This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
I John 1:9  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
James 1:5  "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
Zephaniah 3:17  "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you.  He will quiet you with His love.  he will rejoice over you with singing."
Psalm 147:3  "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."
Ephesians 3:20  "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us."

Against all hope?  No light at the end of the tunnel?  Never, with God.  I'm so thankful for God's Word, the Bible, and for the promises it contains.  I definitely needed the reminder from Abraham this morning!  My God is faithful!

---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com