God’s Assurance and Rest for the Believer

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” -Psalm 4:8 (ESV)

The focal verse which I have committed to memory is very helpful in my life and I practice its truth. When I need it, I gratefully receive much-needed rest through refreshing sleep. I memorized the verse in the King James Version long ago: “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.”

      I missed posting devotional thoughts yesterday because I was sitting beside a friend critically ill in the hospital. I had occasion to quote the verse, even there, as I caught a little rest while the patient rested. And then home, where I did rest and become restored, the verse again brought assurance of God’s help and restoration.

      Notice the double action on the part of the believer: “I will both lie down and sleep. Not lie down and toss and turn, but lie down and sleep. Not take a sleeping pill, but depend on the Lord God to bring the sleep and rest I need. I testify to the fact that I can do this. When I “both lie down and sleep” I am able, with God’s help, to lay aside troubles because I “take them to the Lord and leave them there” as the old gospel song declares. What is the result: “the Lord makes me dwell in safety.” He restores me, body, mind and soul.

      I pray that readers of this devotional post can learn, regardless of the concerns and worries, the unfinished tasks of the day, the accumulated troubles one usually thinks about, that when trying to rest, you can take the sound advice of this verse to heart and learn to rely on the Lord and accept the sweet and refreshing rest He wants to give each of His children! How grateful we should be for this provision from the Lord. He gives restoration and health—and oftentimes—a solution through our subconscious of what we should do when we arise, refreshed. And on arising we declare: “This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24).

      I leave you, not only with the English Standard and King James versions of Psalm 4:8, but also of Eugene Peterson’s translation of the verse in his The Message contemporary language version: “At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep. For you, God, have put my life back together.”

      Prayer. Thank You, Lord, for sweet rest and sleep when we need it. Thank You that this means of our physical restoration is part of our nature, we your children, made in Your image. Even early in the Bible we learned from You to rest, because You yourself rested after all Your work of creation as we learn in Genesis 2:4: “On the seventh day…You rested.” And you created a time of rest for us so that we, too, can benefit from restful sleep. Thank You, Lord, that You restore us when we are weary by healthful, healing sleep. And, Lord, bless those who can’t sleep for various reasons, those who are sick, who work long hours, and those who care for the sick, because sometimes we need to be awake and doing. In Jesus’ name. Amen! -Ethylene Dyer Jones 01.14.2017.

(Personal note: Please continue prayers for my friend, W. Dalton Smith, WW II Veteran, who is critical and in need of rest, sleep, comfort. Room 623. Medical Center of Middle Georgia, 777 Hemlock St., Macon, GA 31201). – Ethylene Dyer Jones

A List of Godly Virtues

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” -1 Peter 3:8-9 (ESV).

Peter the Apostle wrote his epistles to instruct Christians in how to live. In context, his “finally” transitions here from the preceding instructions he had given to wives and husbands as to how they should live together in harmony and love (see 1 Peter 1-7). Peter had also included earlier in his letter how Christians should behave in a society where they were sometimes persecuted for their faith, how they should honor governing powers, and how, living as strangers in a land not predominantly Christian they were to lead faithful and exemplary lives.

      “Finally,” denotes a transition and a call to take special notice. Then he summarizes by giving a list of virtues that should be practiced by every faithful Christian. Let’s examine Peter’s list of virtues:

      “Unity of mind” calls Christians to live in harmony with one another. We have different gifts, different ideas and talents to bring to our church work and our Christian life lived out in the world. Like a quartet or choir that sings different parts, we can join in harmony of spirit and purpose to produce what is beautiful.

      “Sympathy” indicates that we really care for one another and those who are hurting. We feel with them and seek to comfort and help them.

      “Brotherly love” leads to Christian action. The Christian loves, but also he acts to extend that love in good works and consideration of others’ needs.

      “A tender heart” leads us to act upon our sympathy (compassion) and brotherly love. We cannot insulate ourselves to the needs of others. Jesus taught us that if we help the “least of these” we are doing the deeds as “unto Him.” (see Matthew 25:31-40).

      “Humility” is a virtue we cultivate, not seeking to call attention to our deeds of mercy but doing them “as unto the Lord.”

      Live to bless rather than to retaliate. Not “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” which is retaliation, living on the human level; but “return good for evil,” which is living a merciful and caring life, as Jesus has taught us and as He set the example for us to do. And note that when we bless others, we also receive a blessing.

      In this list of godly virtues, Peter is not calling upon Christians to do some impossible acts or to isolate themselves from real life. Rather, he is reminding Christians to approach life with positive and God-led virtues, and by faith and with the Lord’s guidance and direction to live a life worthy of the calling and the name Christian (like Christ).

      Prayer: Lord, help us absorb the meaning of these godly virtues; but more than knowing what they mean, help us to so incorporate them into our lives and manner of living that we can make a difference where we are, for Jesus’s sake today. - Ethelene Dyer Jones 10.01.2016.

Whether in Adversity or in Prosperity

“In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.” -Ecclesiastes 7:14 (ESV).

     As Christians, we need to cultivate the perspective of not being discouraged when times are hard for us; neither should we be “holier than thou” or arrogant when things go well with us. “The Preacher” who wrote Ecclesiastes said God “made the day of prosperity as well as the day of adversity.”

      Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe, a noted Bible scholar, comments: “God balances our lives by giving us enough blessings to keep us happy and enough burdens to keep us humble.” (The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: “Ecclesiastes”. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook. 2007, p. 1131).

      Consider the example of Job in the Bible. In trying to explain his dire circumstances after he lost everything, Job’s friends used an old widely-held maxim that indicated those in God’s favor prosper and those who are out of His favor suffer.

We have not moved far from that stance in our modern-day thinking. We still at times are judgmental of those with great prosperity as well as those who, as we say of the indigent and poor, “are down-and-out.”

      Paul the Apostle touched strongly facing both adversity and prosperity in his letter to the Philippians: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned n whatever situation, I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13, ESV).

      Even though we cannot know the future, as the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, we “know who holds the future,” as the words of the gospel song remind us.

Prayer: God, give me confidence in You and Your promises. Whether I have adversity or prosperity, let me know that the future is in Your hands. In the present, help me walk worthily of my calling, so that, whether in hard times or easy times I know assuredly that you are with me, I follow your footsteps, and You bear me up and carry me.” Amen. -Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.23.2016

On This Day of International Peace

“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” -1 Peter 2:11.
     “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” -Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV)
     Today, September 21, has been set aside as “World Peace Day” or “The International Day of Peace.” The day was established by a resolution in 1981 in the United Nations General Assembly sponsored by the United Kingdom and Costa Rica. The first observance was held September 21, 1982. Since then, the International Day of Peace has been devoted to commemorating and upholding the ideals of peace. A review of yearly themes and emphases show the importance placed on peace.
     This plea came from UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon as we begin the 2016 observance: “Let us all work together to help all human beings achieve dignity and equality; to build a greater planet, and to make sure no one is left behind.” The theme for 2016 is “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.” From now through 2030, are specific yearly goals, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (which can be accessed online, with explanations and pictures).  These cover poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, water and sanitation, energy, Infrastructure-Industry-Innovation, reducing inequalities among countries, sustainable cities and communities, consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on the land, peace and justice, and global partnerships to reach developmental goals. 
     When we think about our history as a people, we remember that God created man and gave him the mission and responsibility of caring for the earth (see Genesis 1:27-31). Then man, who was created to have power of choice and made in the image of God, made wrong choices, and subsequently we have been suffering the consequences of sin and what it can do in people and in our environment. We are as “strangers” upon the earth because for those of us who love the Lord, our eternal dwelling is in heaven. But while we are here, we have responsibilities to interact with each other, to use our God-given mind and ingenuity to live together peaceably, and to seek to make our earthly dwelling productive and as peaceful as possible. Paul wrote in Ephesians of a battle of major proportions, our wrestling against “cosmic powers in present darkness.” He urged us to “put on the whole armor of God” (see Ephesians 6:10-20). We seek to legislate peace-attaining laws and set developmental guidelines to help us achieve worldwide peace. But it is one-by one, individually, that we achieve “peace, and love and faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 6:23-24). - Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.21.2016

The Lord Frees the Prisoner

“The Lord sets the prisoner free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners.” -Psalm 7b, 8, 9a (ESV).

     The prisoner propelled his wheel chair down the walkway from the large prison to the gate. A guard walked beside him. When they reached the gate, the guard knew the combination to open the gate, and the man propelled himself across that line from imprisonment for twenty years to freedom. The prisoner’s debt to society had been paid. Ahead lay a future of uncertainty, but without the constraints and restrictions of prison. Even though the gate closed behind him, only the Lord could set the prisoner free, like opening the eyes of the blind, to trust that which lay ahead. Only the Lord could watch over the sojourner and lift him up, helping to supply his needs in the free world.

     The morning’s overcast sky had faded to bright sunlight as friends waited for the prisoner’s release. They had come to give him transportation to his destination, a far distance from the prison. The flags on tall poles outside the prison unfurled in the morning breeze. These symbols of freedom of nation and state seemed to be waving a welcome to the prisoner, a visible reminder that, as we often hear, “freedom is not free.”

     Across the many miles from prison to the releasee’s destination was beautiful countryside that brought into vision one majestic landscape after another. Twice hawks rose and winged their way into the sky. The driver and the other passenger did not notice the hawks, but the releasee was delighted to see these stately birds as they rose in flight.

     Cattle grazing in pastures were identified by him as to their breed. Baled hay in just-mown fields was noted as food for winter’s store and bounty from God’s hands. Upon arriving near the mountains, his former home, the horizon lay in azure lines. With joy he exulted in seeing the mountains. He was able to identify and name the highest peaks. His delight and rejoicing in the beauty of nature was evident in words of thanks from his lips as the travelers proceeded northward. 

     In prearrangement with the prisoner’s counselor, I had agreed I would provide safe and dependable transportation for the freed man to his parole destination. He was not a stranger to me. I had visited him in prison, and for fourteen years I had “taught him by correspondence,” because he had asked me to be his instructor in creative writing. As we ate lunch, he quoted one of the poems he had composed in prison, one that he had both penned and memorized, anticipating the day of his release.

     That day’s journey and the prisoner’s release taught me so much about the mercy of a loving God and the importance of gratitude. Twenty years is a long time to be in prison, to be confined and restricted. God sets the prisoner free from bad memories, from sins that restrain and hamper, from weights too heavy to bear. God offers freedom to newness of life with Him and provides safety for the sojourner. -Ethelene Dyer Jones 09.15.2016

Learning to Wait Patiently

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.” -Isaiah 40:31.  “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.-Psalm 37:7.  “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” -Psalm 37:4  (KJV).

Waiting for some special event or even for some ‘ordinary’ occurrence to transpire is not always easy.  But if we can be patient while waiting and make even the waiting time productive, we will grow stronger in the process.  Today for our meditation on waiting patiently, I offer thoughts from my poem, Waiting. (This poem was composed 11.03.2006 when circumstances demanded much patience.)

Why am I impatient, Lord,

When You speak of peace and rest?

Your time is not in earthly hours;

Your Way a higher quest.

While waiting may I take the time

To savor each good hour.

May I learn the added blessings

That come from Your great power.

Patience fosters fortitude.

From each grows a mighty Vine

Called abiding in the Spirit

And dependence on the line

Of daily prayer and supplication,

Of relying on Your Word:

Your promises to us who follow

That your grace will undergird.

Strength as in eagle’s mighty wings

That bear the peerless bird in flight

Is promised for my journey

Through cloudy day or darkest night.

I will take courage in the waiting,

Delight myself in God’s rich store,

Build memories of the good days

And anticipate many more

Spent in God’s perfect time frame

Gaining patience day by day

Until His wondrous mural

Is completed in His way.                                  - 

Ethelene Dyer Jones 06.27.2016

Memory Verse: Inner Peace

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” -John 14:27 (NKJV)

True peace is inward and can come only from a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
      The occasion of this statement from Jesus that He would give His disciples peace was made in the Upper Room on the night He was betrayed. He was facing death on the cross, yet He said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.” He who knew peace in what He was doing wanted His followers then and now to know the source of peace and the means of peace. Even amidst conflict, the believer can have the confidence and peace that come from trusting in Christ and relying on His promises. It is through faith that we know the peace Jesus promised.

      Hymns and their words are inspiring and helpful to me as I think of the inner peace Jesus gives. There’s the rousing spiritual “I’ve Got Peace Like a River” with the old words of the spiritual tune arranged by William J. Reynolds:
“I’ve got peace like a river, Ive’ got peace like a river;
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.”
Then in the second and third verses we add appropriately, “I’ve got love….” “I’ve got joy…”
      If I want a quieter expression, I remember words by Edgar Page Stites (1836-1923) in the hymn “Trusting Jesus,” set to music by that revival musician of another century, Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908):
“Simply trusting ev’ry day, Trusting thro’ a story way;
Even when my faith is small, Trusting Jesus that is all.
Trusting as the moments fly, Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall; Trusting Jesus, that is all.”
      Prayer: Father when all around us our times are troubled, may we remember the source of inner peace and “let not our hearts be troubled; neither let them be afraid, “ but trust wholly in the Lord. - Ethelene Dyer Jones 06.25.2016