Pleasure in Pain

Jeremiah 15:18 "Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?" I, like many others can definitely relate to that.

For almost two years now I have dealt with chronic pain in my sacroiliac joint; which has led to pain in my lower back, and most recently caused sciatica. The pain does not cease. Some days, getting out of bed was a chore. I would have to set my alarm earlier than normal just to be sure that I could get out of bed in time to make it to work. Medical doctors were quick to treat the symptom, offering shots and pain pills. I don't even like the thoughts of either. So I tried natural remedies, physical therapy, and chiropractors. The latter of these seemed to help the most. But nothing has cured or stopped my pain.

I began reading the story of Job again. Here is a man who knew pain. He suffered great emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual pain. No one understood his plight. I can relate to that too.... Wow how many times have I been asked if I was harboring deep bitterness, hiding sins, or simply lacking faith. I have been told by so many well meaning Christians, "You are healed so you need to just walk in faith." Really? That would be great.... if only I could walk.

So, I pray. And I press on. Trying to deal with this as gracefully as possible. Some days that is simple enough; then there are days when there is no hiding my pain. Through it all I have held to the truth... God can and will heal, in His time. But after reading in the book of Job, I realize that it is really not important. There is something else so much more important than my healing.

After loosing his wealth, children, wife, and his health, Job then realizes his friends were gone as well. They came to visit him and "comfort" him in his time of need... by rebuking him and telling him to repent for whatever wrong he has committed. Wow, I am so glad my friends are not like his. But his response to them got my attention.

He didn't relent on speaking out on his innocence... and he went a little further. He mentioned his pain, then spoke on a more important matter. What does his pain matter? There is so much more to the book of Job then patience and pain....

Job 9:32-33

32 "He is not a man like me that I might answer him,
that we might confront each other in court.
33 If only there were someone to arbitrate between us,
to lay his hand upon us both,

No, He is not like a man. He is mighty and perfect in every way. Job and his "friends" continued their conversation until, finally, God spoke. But, rather than answering Job's questions or addressing his concerns, God quickly pointed out Who He was, and still is. . . He questioned Job.

Job 38:3-9
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone-
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
9 when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness....

This got me to thinking... What is more important? My situations, or having a relationship with the One Who knows all, makes all, and takes care of all. . . My pain cowers in the shadows of my relationship with God. I am blessed! And just like in Job 6:10, "Then I would still have this consolation— my joy in unrelenting pain—that I had not denied the words of the Holy One......" I have that consolation as well.

God I thank you that I know and am known by you.... Lord thank you so much that I do have an intercessor (Job 9:33) with you arbitrating on my behalf. I am blessed to see what matters in this life... and that is You.

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Any Suggetions?

Blog is about to celebrate its first year and almost 13000 hits!!! YAY! I am getting ready to start blogging on some topics near and dear to my heart over the next few weeks. . . Any comments/suggestions on things you would like to know more about? Let me know either post a comment or send me an email = bekah.lynne@yahoo.com.

If I could become a Women of Faith speaker, what would I talk about?

If I could become a Women of Faith speaker,
I would speak on a topic so near and dear to the Father's heart. . . I am worth it to Him; and so are you!

In a world where image is everything, how do I look? Every day I see images thrown at me of this world's opinion of beauty. Do I fit the mold? Am I pretty? Acceptance is everything. . .will I be rejected? Am I good enough? I know that 1 Peter 3:3-4 tells me "...beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight" What does that look like and does God see me as beautiful? Will He love me?

The Word of God tells me in Psalm 139:14 that I was fearfully and wonderfully made and in 1 Samuel 12:22 I read that the Lord was pleased to make me His own (For the sake of His great name the LORD will not reject His people, because the LORD was pleased to make you His own). Ephesians 2:10 states that I am the workmanship of God....

As a daughter of Christ (Galatians 4:7 ~ So you are no longer a slave, but a son/daughter; and since you are a son/daughter, God has made you also an heir) this means everything to me. A daughter fearfully and wonderfully fashioned in the image of a loving God ~ Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them".

I am a woman; I am a daughter. I was made in the image of the Father. A beautiful being loved by God (John 15:9). A daughter set apart from this world and its standards (John 15:19). A daughter chosen to be the salt of the earth. . .to be a city on a hill. A child of God chosen to be free from this world and its standards (Galatians 5:13).

I know that I am what I am by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10). I am God's child (1 John 3:1). When the Father looks at me He sees His image. A former slave who has been redeemed and not only adopted into His family; but also given the wisdom, righteousness, and holiness of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

When He looks at me, He looks at me with love. He sees His workmanship and is pleased to call me His. Even at my lowest, He can look upon me with love and see the beauty of His image in my heart. Through His eyes there is no condemnation (Romans 8:1). . . And He loves me. Loves me enough to sacrifice His only son so that He can be near me. . .so that He can have a relationship with me (John 3:16). He paid the ultimate price. I am so beautiful and wonderful to Him that He would choose to suffer rather than spend eternity without me. . .and so are you.

He says, through Christ, You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and part of a royal priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:9). You are set apart as am I. Daughters created in the image of a mighty and loving God.

Lord I pray that all may know You and see themselves as You do:

You are my strength when I am weak
Yours alone is the love I seek
To touch Your heart in Heaven from where I stand
To walk with You and hold your hand
To be guided by Your shining light
To see myself as in Your sight
To love the beauty of my soul
Assured that You have made me whole.

He Calls Me His Child

Your love washes over me
Like a gentle rain;
Your grace has set me free
From all of my pain.

My eyes forever behold
the beauty of Your face
My heart is now bold,
basking in Your grace.

How amazing is the touch,
From Your mighty hand.
I no longer need a crutch,
By Your power I can stand.

Stand upon this Holy rock
Where I will embrace Your love.
For my heart you did unlock,
When you called me from above.

I Like My Eggs Sunny~Side Up

OK, Random title. You should be used to that with me. I kinda think it fits my mood right now.

Things are changing. It is so easy on this roller coaster called life to get too involved in the ups and the downs... It makes you loose track of what is important in your life... it can make you forget who you are and how you came to be.

Just a reminder. We are all made unique.
Psalm 139: 13-14 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

We should all have these verses etched into the very cells making up our hearts! Psalm 139 speaks about how God knows everything about who we are. He created my inmost being.

Psalm 139:1-17
O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!



God knows what I am going to say before I say it! Psalm 139 says He perceives our thoughts from afar! He knows when we rise and when we sleep. . .and yet He loves us. He created us. He made us unique.

He knows my favorite color is green. He knows I like to shoot guns and tinker with old cars. He knows my favorite drink is Caribou Coffee with heavy cream and splenda. He knows I prefer dresses and high heels to anything else I have to wear. No matter where I am in life, He sees me. No matter what my situation, He is aware. He knows I like my eggs sunny-side up. These are characteristics that make me who I am and He isn't wanting to change those things.

God search my heart! Remind me that I am an individual; fearfully and wonderfully made. Help me to see Your fingerprints on my very DNA. Help me to understand that my differences were instilled in me for a glorious reason and it is ok for me to be unique!

This Kiss

I love the way Faith Hill describes a kiss in her song "This Kiss"

"It's the way you love me
It's a feeling like this
It's centripetal motion
It's perpetual bliss
It's that pivotal moment
It's, ah subliminal
This kiss, this kiss, it's criminal
This kiss, this kiss"


In our society, as in most, a kiss is (or should be) a very intimate act of endearment. One kisses another to show their love. If only for a second, two mouths embrace; caressing as skin reaches out to skin. It is thought , some 2000 years before the birth of my Jesus, that males and females, in an act to symbolize spiritual union, would bring their faces close to each other.
Why a kiss? A kiss satisfies a hunger that wells deep within the human body. A desire to touch and embrace… A longing for human contact. This longing dates back to the beginning of time. Genesis 2:18, “The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) Chapter 1:2

"(Beloved )Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine."

As beautiful as a kiss between a man and a woman in love can be; it pales when compared to a kiss from an almighty God. I am His. The thought of His kiss, His face coming close to mine, forming a union uncompared propels my heart forward. . . It is the reason my heart beats. God that my desire for you would be strengthened. . . Help me to see Your kisses, everyday.

Leave your comment below = what are some God kisses you have received lately?

It's Not What You Know; It's WHO You Know

Connections are an important part of everyday life. Today, the right connection can help you land the "big breaks" you are hoping for. I know all to well that it takes knowing the right person in order to have the best outcome for any given situation (i.e. the right job, the best deal on a car, waiting in line at a sold out event...). As a Christian, your life should center around one connection. . .One unmistakably important connection.

In the 1940's Ira Stanphill, a music instructor and song writer, didn't seem to know much about life. His wife left him, his world started to fall apart, and he sank quickly into a deep depression. He didn't know what to do. His life skills had not prepared him for life's setbacks.

Hebrews Chapter 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Ira hoped for a better life. Like so many of us he had tried to work out the problems in his life through the knowledge he has. He hoped his circumstances would turn around; however, he knew he couldn't rely on his own knowledge. With all the uncertainty in his life, it is amazing that he was able to put his faith into anything. . .let alone a God he had never seen. But He did. He left his problems with the One he knew would have the answers. When he did, peace flowed over him like a melody, and he was able to pen the following song:

I know Who Holds Tomorrow

I don't know about tomorrow;
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from its sunshine
For its skies may turn to grey.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said.
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know who holds tomorrow
And I know who holds my hand.

Every step is getting brighter
As the golden stairs I climb;
Every burden's getting lighter,
Every cloud is silver-lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eye;
At the ending of the rainbow
Where the mountains touch the sky.

I don't know about tomorrow;
It may bring me poverty.
But the one who feeds the sparrow,
Is the one who stands by me.
And the path that is my portion
May be through the flame or flood;
But His presence goes before me
And I'm covered with His blood.



Just like Ira, I don't know about tomorrow; but I do know Who holds it.... and I know Him who holds me. I know that His plans are not to harm me; but rather to prosper me. I hold fast to Romans 8:18 that through my faith in Him, His glory will be revealed in me.

1 Peter 1:6-9
"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

I know Who holds tomorrow! I love Who holds tomorrow! I trust Who holds tomorrow. It is Who I know. . . AND don't forget He knows you and me ~ Psalm 139.