An Open Hand / Christi Davis

Christi Davis

Pastor's Wife

Central Baptist Church

Alvarado, TX

An Open Hand

As we enter the hottest part of the summer, you might be a little weary after camps, conferences, VBS, etc. By sharing a principle from the Word of God that I learned as a young person in Jr. Church, I wanted to encourage you that your labor is not in vain.  What you teach now will be a seed planted in the heart of a child that God can use much later in their lives.

“The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” These were the words that spilled from my lips at what many would say was one of the worst moments of my life.  These words came out, not because I am “Super Christian,” but because of a biblical principle that my mom taught me in Jr. Church and lived before me from the time I was young.  Today, I want to share with you the principle of living with “An Open Hand.”

To understand why I described this as one of the worst moments of my life, you need to know that I struggled with infertility and PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) for years.  God gave us a miracle son, Ben, in 1989; but after tests, surgery, and many tears, I had contented myself that one child was God’s plan.  The PCOS had gotten to the place where I had been on birth control for several years just to be able to function.  Fast forward to April of 2004, and I was in the ER hemorrhaging.  What I expected was to be rushed in for an emergency hysterectomy, but what the charge nurse said instead was, “It’s a baby. You’ve lost a baby.” WHAT?  HOW? The questions raced through my mind, but “The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord” came out my mouth.  

Often during that 15 years, I told the Lord that I could not handle a miscarriage.  Not after wanting another baby so badly, but here I was holding a 14-week-old baby (not fetus).  But within minutes, God gave me 3 things to thank him for – 1. I did not know I was pregnant, so I was not excited about it. 2. The baby was big enough for me to hold, so I could say “I love you and I’ll see you in heaven.” 3. I CAN GET PREGNANT – Infertile Myrtle got pregnant over birth control.

Why did I share this back story? My husband says because women just like to cry, but really it is so you can see how important it is to keep teaching and training our children whether it is at home or in a church ministry.  When they are in an ER someday, they will need those principles in their core.  They will need the Lord to bring back to mind an object lesson with the teacher holding a Hershey’s bar in one hand and nails in the other.  Chocolate representing the good things that come into our lives and nails the bad. She then showed her hand stretched flat, “An Open Hand,” so that God could give and take away.  What did I learn from the object lesson and the teacher that lived it before me?

1. The bad things don’t hurt as badly if your hand is open. In that ER, I could still see her clenching her fist on those nails, with pain evident in her face as she did.  She opened her hands for us to see the marks the nails left.  She then held them with an “Open Hand” and said that they didn’t hurt as badly this way.  In 2019, I now ask you. Is there some bad thing past or present that your hand in clenched around? God did not intend it to cause you that much pain.  He is the God of all comfort who wants to speak, “Peace, be still,” if we will but let him.
2. The good things can be destroyed if we clench our hands around them.  I can see her crushing the candy bar and saying, “It’s mine and nobody else can have it.” Instead of enjoying it, she ended up destroying it.  As a mom and a pastor’s wife, two applications cross my mind.  Our children are the “heritage of the Lord." They need the freedom to grow up and follow God’s will for their lives (even if it means your grandbaby lives in Oklahoma).  Then as a pastor’s wife, we have to be willing to let God move people into and out of our church.  It is His church and His people to do with as he pleases.  We should not stand in God’s way.
3. If our hand is open, God can add to and take away the good and bad at his pleasure.  Remember, Psalm 68:19, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits." Now fast forward from that worst moment to April 26, 2005, almost one year to the day. I walked into the same hospital only this time, I delivered a healthy baby boy, Sam.  In 2008, I made a return trip for the birth of our Emma Bug.  I often wondered, if God would have sent Sam and Emma if my hand had been clenched around the loss.

“The Lord giveth and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

“And let us not be weary in well doing…”  Keep on teaching, they may not need your lesson today, but they will someday.

Consider Him / Tammy Goddard

Tammy Goddard

Pastor's Wife

Faith Baptist Church

Wildomar, CA

Consider Him

Disappointments, trials, and tragedies will eventually find their way into our lives. Everyone, at some point in their life, will face a difficult time.  How do we keep our sanity when these times come?  How do we overcome them and keep them from overcoming us?

 

Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

We receive perfect or complete peace when we keep our thoughts on God instead of focusing on the trial.

Proverbs 18:10  “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.”

Safety comes from dwelling on who God is (the name of God) rather than focusing on the trial.

Hebrews 12:1b-3  “….and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

The strength to endure comes from considering who Jesus is and what he has done for us instead of focusing on the trial.

One of the names of God that can bring comfort during difficult days is, "The Almighty." As we meditate on the fact that our God is The Almighty God,  He promises to give our troubled hearts peace, security, and strength. Let's Consider Him Who is "The Almighty God."

Psalm 91

Psalm 91:1 “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

There are many benefits of abiding under a shadow.  One such benefit is protection from physical harm. In Southern California, where I live, we get some sweltering days.  When it is 115 degrees, people search for shade if they must be outside for any length of time. They want to avoid the pain and danger of a sunburn or heat stroke.

A shadow also gives comfort and refreshment. Have you ever stood in the shade on a hot day and felt a refreshing breeze blowing on your face? The shadow makes it bearable to be outside during those times of intense heat.

We have an Almighty God who wants us to dwell under the protection of his shadow.  He wants to protect us from the fiery trials that threaten to harm us.   The only way to abide under a shadow is to stay close to the object that is creating it.  We must remember that the Almighty God has promised to take care of us. If we abide under his shadow, we like the Psalmist can say, “…He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

In verse four, we read, “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”  Here we find what it means to dwell in the secret place.  “His truth” is the secret place.  If we live in His Word and let it dwell in us, we will abide under His shadow.

Let us look at a few things that we have available to us as we abide under the shadow of the Almighty:

Deliverance

3“Surely he shall deliver thee…”

14“Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.”

The Almighty God invites us to a place of deliverance. He promises to deliver those who abide in His Word.  He does not say He might deliver us. He says, "Surely he shall…" Do not leave the place of a "sure" deliverance.

Protection

4 “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

When the most powerful One of all is our protection, we have nothing to lose.  We have nothing to fear.  God is Almighty.  Whatever we are facing is not bigger than our Almighty God.  Stay in the place of the Almighty's protection.

Courage

5 “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Fear can destroy us.  It clouds our judgment. When fear motivates us, we can hurt both ourselves and our loved ones.  When we abide under the shadow of the Almighty, He will take away our fear and through His Word give us the courage to face each day. Do not walk away from the courage that comes from abiding in the shadow of the Almighty.

Power over evil

9 “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

In this world, we will face evil.  God promises divine power over evil to those who abide in His shadow.  Under this shadow, we will find the angles of Almighty God watching, protecting, and holding us in their hands to give us power over the evil that threatens to destroy us.  Remember, the angles of an Almighty God are waiting to hold us in their hands and provide us with power over evil if we dwell in His secret place.

We can be tempted to allow the trials and disappointments of life to cause us to move away from the Almighty One and thus lose the protection of His shadow. We must remember that there is no safer place to be than under the protection of the most powerful One of all.

Who is Our God?  He is "The Almighty." Are you abiding in the shadow of the Almighty?

"...For consider him...lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."

He Careth for YOU! / Charity Graber

Charity Graber

Pastor's Wife

Cornerstone Baptist Church

Vinton, IA

He Careth for YOU!

2 Chronicles 16:12 KJV
?And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great : yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians."

In 2017, I was diagnosed with a fructose intolerance. This was found out after many many months of doctor visits, tests, and extensive blood work, scopes and ultrasounds. Every single day I would wake up not knowing what was wrong with me and what foods I would eat that would set me on the path of feeling miserable and tired. Being a stay at home mom of 4 wonderful children required all the strength I could give every day. But during this time of stress and anxiety, I learned to rely on God like no other. In the verse above we see that King Asa had a disease in his feet and instead of going to the Lord for help, he chose physicians. Please don't get me wrong, because I love living in modern times and having modern medicine, but when was the last time we just went before the Lord with our physical problems. Or prayed that God would give our doctors wisdom in diagnosing our issues. I went 6 months to many doctors and they could not find what was wrong with me. I had to learn to get in my Bible and learn to give my everything to God and trust Him that He knows what is best for me. I wonder if the outcome of King Asa would have been different if he had gone to the Lord instead of His physicians. Let's begin today to take our eyes off our physical problems and turn to the Great Physician to give us peace and strength to face the good days and the bad. 1 Peter 5:7- Casting all your care upon Him: for He careth for you. The bodies we have been given from the Lord, are tools that we can use to proclaim His goodness. My friend ,whatever physical health problems you are facing today, whether you or a loved one, give it to the Lord and allow Him to work through you to bring peace and healing. And praise Him for modern medicine!

The Unlikely Choice / Sharon Rabon

Sharon Rabon

Pastor's Wife

Beacon Baptist Church

Raleigh, NC

The Unlikely Choice

I was born in a modest, Christian home in the countryside of Alabama. My parents reared me in church. They taught me to love the Lord and to serve others. There was never a question in our home of whether or not we would attend church on Sunday or Wednesday. Often, we would even attend other people’s churches during their revival meetings. After graduating from high school, I married my high school sweetheart, Tim Rabon. We moved to Nashville, Ten¬nessee, where he finished college and I attended a few classes at night. Upon my husband’s college graduation he began ministering at our church in Raleigh. Neither of us had hands on training, only a desire to serve and please the Lord. From that day until the present the Lord has taken me step by step in the growth of my Christian life. There is no reason except the Lord’s choosing why I am a pastor’s wife today.

Have you ever wondered why or if God would use you in His work? God chooses to use imper-fect people to carry out his work. That’s why you and I are perfect candidates! The Bible tells us in the book of Esther that Esther was parentless and a slave girl, yet God used her to save His people from the wicked Haman. Esther 2:15 clearly states that Esther “obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.” The book of I Samuel speaks of Hannah who was a barren, depressed housewife until God allowed her to birth Samuel. She then trained Samuel for full-time service, just in case God called. And He did call! These two ladies were not born with super spiritual abilities. They were just normal women with average problems; not capable on their own of doing anything for God.


What kind of woman is God looking for?
1. God is looking for a woman with a yielded life. He is not looking for a woman with self-confidence.
2. God is looking for a woman that will trust Him. He is not going to give you all the answers up front. You must believe and trust that His thoughts and ways are much better than yours.
3. God is looking for a woman with no excuses. You may think that you have no tact, time or talents. Those things do not matter to God. God will only call you to complete a job He knows you can handle by His power. You must go in the strength God has given you even if you don’t think it is enough.
Where were you born? When were you saved? Did you receive special training for God’s work? Are you doing anything for the Lord at the present time? God can choose anyone He pleases to accomplish His work on this earth. He often chooses unlikely candidates like you and me, with absolutely no qualifications, so He alone receives the glory. Walk by faith, realizing that God can and will use you!

The Most Important Book in the World! / Carol Tudor

Carol Tudor

Agape Baptist Church

Stockton, MO

The Most Important Book in the World! 

Five years ago my husband and I began reading the Bible through in 90 days- it’s reading 13 chapters a day- give or take- due to short chapters and longer chapters. We read along with listening to a Bible DVD - so we are hearing it and seeing it. The DVD helps keep you going and stay on plan. When we see something we want to look up we mark down a note and go back to study it. I cancelled my daily newspaper, my cooking channels and got up a little earlier to begin this plan. I always used the excuse that I was too busy to read more than 15-20 minutes a day.
This plan translates into reading it through 4X a year! I cannot tell you how much this has helped me!

Here at Agape’ Ranch we have an Assistant Pastor, Frank Burton, who told us an interesting story. Seventeen years ago he heard David Gibbs talk about reading the Bible through in one month! Pastor Burton spoke with Bro Gibbs after the sermon and told him he did not have time to do that. Bro. Gibbs sat down with Bro. Burton and showed him in his schedule where he had 3 hours a day available. So Seventeen years ago Bro Burton started reading it through in one month! That’s 204 times !!!! Bro Burton weeps as he Preaches. What a heart he has! We were challenged!
My husband started on New Years Day, reading the Bible through in one month.

Why not kick your Bible reading up a notch??
You may not be ready for either of these plans, but could you double what you are doing right now?
I’ve heard many ladies say how excited they are that they finished every season of Downtown Abbey. How much is that counting for eternity? I have decreased my TV viewing, my mystery book reading, my FB time in order to have plenty of time for the Word of God!
I have seen healing in my life. I have strength that is not my own.
Just a few thoughts at the beginning of this beautiful New Year!

Help! Identity Crisis / Linda Gangemella

Linda Gangemella

Special Music / Piano / Nursery / Hospitality

First State Baptist Church

Wilmington, DE

HELP! IDENTITY CRISIS 

Often at parties or in Sunday School class we play the game "Who am I?" Play along with me for a moment. Here are the clues. I write nursery and cleaning schedules. I teach a class. I try to speak to everyone at Church on Sunday. I entertain strangers - often with no advance notice. I need to be ready to rejoice and cry with others...many times on the same day. "Who am I?"

For 35 years I was privileged to hold that title (33 of those years in the same church). For most of that time I loved my "job". For all the other times I tried to remember Paul's advice in Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in respect of want for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." My life's verse was Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." That verse carried me through many situations and I know that most of you can relate. Then one day in December, 2016, at the age of 55, my beloved pastor husband died of cancer. The ministry job of being a pastor's wife which I had been almost my entire life suddenly ended. A pastor's/missionary's widow loses not only her husband, but the only pastor she has known for years, her title, her ministry, most likely her church, and often herself. My new verse that I clung to was Psalm 61:1-3 "hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the ends of the earth will I cry unto Thee when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. for thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy."

Over the past 2 and a half years I have been in the process of discovering the new me. Of course I am doing it kicking and screaming as I "Just do the next thing" (Elisabeth Elliot). God guided me gently and allowed to be surrounded by a loving church family and people that helped me with things I didn't think I could do.

I have found that I really didn't know how to minister to those who lost spouses when I was a Pastor's wife. Of course, I knew the right words to say but it wasn't until I was on the other side of the coin that I realized I didn't have a clue! The people that helped me the most in that aspect were those who had lost spouses as well. that's why God gave us II Corinthians 1:3b-4 "...the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." I have been blessed and encouraged by the ladies on this site who have been where I am and have shared their journey with me.

As pastors'/missionaries' wives remember the widows in your church. Don't feel you have to do it all yourself....but create a culture among the people in your church of having compassion on others and putting that into action. Remembering special occasions or "just because"

moments with flowers, a card, a call, a text; planning ahead for someone to help with yard work, snow removal, and the hundred and one other things that come up (especially if the widow was a spoiled wife like me!); inviting them over for dinner, games, or an outing (Psalm 68:6); helping with children so she can have a "sanity day or hour"....lots of ideas. The main thing is TO KEEP IN TOUCH. Finding a new identity is brutal but made so much easier with genuine, caring, friends.

For my fellow widows, I have recently been looking at I Timothy 5:10 (and that is a whole other article!) and it inspires me to keep doing what I can in ministry even though I am not "the Pastor's wife" anymore. ( I did eventually find I needed to move to a new church where I could continue my journey but this is a personal choice that is different for each "former" pastor's wife). Galatians 6:9 is feeling more a part of my life again.

In closing, in the middle of my identity crisis one thing has NOT changed. I am still the beloved daughter of my heavenly Father who will never leave me nor forsake me and who DAILY loadeth me with benefits. I am a masterpiece in the making.

When There's No Peace / Rebecca Gage

Rebecca Gage

Pastor's Wife

First Baptist Church

Decatur, TX

When there’s no peace....

   Awhile back I heard this song and it talks about how we have no peace, when our world is filled with trouble, we can have peace. Not the peace that you get after the kids go to bed(although that’s nice too!),not the peace before a storm rolls in, not the peace that comes as you fall asleep; but deep lasting peace.
   Peace so strong that it covers all the noises that wreck our spirit, peace so strong nothing can blow it away, so strong that it is unexplainable, it passeth all understanding.
This peace can’t be bought, sold, or exchanged. It can’t be traded.
     Without this peace we are but little birds, blow asunder in the strong winds, we are like the light feather that spins and falls to the ground. Without this peace we have no joy, no lasting happiness.
    This world throws its fancies at us telling us to trust its false voice of peace. The life of money, fame, is shown as the ultimate of achievement in today’s voice of peace and satisfaction.
  Our heart constantly looks for and longs for deep fullness in our lives, something to fill the emptiness and sadness. We all need it!
     The One who gives us this peace is waiting with open arms and a ready hug to give us this peace. Jesus Christ is the only One who can give lasting peace, real peace. His peace passeth all understanding . Philippians 4:7 says it will keep you.... keep you! What an amazing promise.
   Remember sweet Christian, when you are feeling low and like no one sees or cares, run to Jesus. Run to Him, for He alone gives lasting and full peace.