Category Archives: Laurie’s Posts

There’s an ugly, little secret no one ever told me about doing God’s will. But I found out about it anyway, and you probably have, too. Still, it’s not something we often talk about – even though we probably should. So, let’s just get it out on the table and talk about it right now, okay?

I want to do God’s will. You want to do God’s will. And that’s good, right?

So then, why is doing God’s will so difficult at times?

The answer to that question, and the ugly, little secret we both know, is found in 1 Corinthians 16:9. See it right there in my Bible?

It says, “There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me” (1 Cor. 16:9 NLT).

In this passage, Paul bravely professes what we often prefer to keep secret:

Doing God’s will is difficult because it always invites and involves opposition. And none of us want to think about — much less talk about — that, do we?

So when we read a hard-to-hear passage like 1 Corinthians 16:9, we subconsciously stick our fingers in our ears and do the la-la-la-I-can’t-hear-you routine.

But the fact remains that doing God’s will has always been difficult, and it has always involved opposition.

It’s what Abel experienced from Cain.

It’s what David experienced from Saul.

It’s what Jeremiah and the prophets experienced from their own people.

It’s what Jesus experienced from the angry mob.

From the first pages of Genesis to the final chapters of Revelation, the overwhelming evidence clearly reveals that:

Even when God gives us a wide-open door.

Even when God calls us to a great work.

Even then, we will experience opposition.

It’s Monday, precious sister, and a week full of wide-open doors to do a great work for God are before you. You will have the blessing of sharing your faith, of standing up for the truth, and of being a light in the darkness. But these same blessed opportunities will also bring opposition.

So don’t stick your fingers in your ears. And don’t stick your head in the sand either. Instead, view opposition to God’s will for what it really is: proof indeed that you really are in God’s will. And in really good company, too.

Your sister who is praying for you this week,

A new week stretches out before you today.

A new week filled with . . .

Blessings and challenges.

Ups and downs.

Questions and answers.

Laughter and tears.

This week, in every high and every low, may His words bring you comfort, confidence, and the calm assurance of His companionship:

Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT):     

²³ The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

²⁴ Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

God directs your steps.

God delights in every detail of your life.

God holds your hand; even when you stumble, He will not let you fall.

Rest in His promises.

Recognize His divine presence.

And remember, He holds your hand.

It’s Monday, precious sister, and because of Him, your week is already off to a great start!

Hand-in-hand with Him,

The following photo is from the messy margins of an old One Year Bible™ of mine:

In this passage, we get to eavesdrop on a conversation between Joseph and his father, Jacob:

Genesis 37:13-14 (NLT)
¹³ When they had been gone for some time, Jacob said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Get ready, and I will send you to them.” “I’m ready to go,” Joseph replied.
¹⁴ “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are getting along,” Jacob said. “Then come back and bring me a report.” So Jacob sent him on his way. . .

After that conversation, Joseph ran an errand for his father – and he ended up in Egypt. That errand changed Joseph’s life and, ultimately, led him to become the second most powerful man in Egypt.

A similar conversation between another father and son occurred in 1 Samuel 17:

1 Samuel 17:17-19 (NLT)
¹⁷ One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers.
¹⁸ And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.”
¹⁹ David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.

After that conversation, David ran an errand for his father – and he ended up slaying a giant. That errand changed David’s life and, ultimately, led him to become the king of Israel.

But it wasn’t the actual errand that changed Joseph or David’s life. It was their obedience. Specifically, their obedience to their fathers.

Your heavenly Father requires you to run errands for Him, too. He may:

• Prompt you to call someone or send them an encouraging email.

• Lead you to put your arm around an angry teenager, a hurting co-worker, or a distant spouse and give them a squeeze of His unconditional love.

• Give you the opportunity to point someone who is lost to Jesus who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

• Ask you to be still and just spend a few minutes focused solely upon Him.

Today is Monday, precious sister, and God has a list of errands for you to run this week. And just like Joseph and David, running errands for God will place you on His amazing path for your life. But you must take the first step. So, today . . .

Will you obey?

Loving and praying for you, your sister,

 What’s on God’s errand list for you today?

It’s the beginning of another political week. And even though the election is still many months away, the newspaper headlines, political pundits, and prospective candidates are already trying to influence and push you around.

Push back.

How?  By heeding God’s election year warning:

Isaiah 8:11-14 (NLT)
¹¹ The LORD has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does. He said,
¹² “Don’t call everything a conspiracy, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them.
¹³ Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble.
¹⁴ He will keep you safe.”

From now until November, politicians and commentators of all political persuasions will be trying to make you think like they think (v. 11). And one of the primary tactics they will use is fear (v. 12).

Fear of the future.

Fear of a worsening economy.

Fear of your future health and welfare.

Fear of energy costs and environmental disasters.

And of course, fear of war.

But as a Christian, there’s only one thing you should fear: God (v. 13).  And the God you fear has promised to keep you safe (v. 14).

It’s an election year Monday, precious sister. So, as you read today’s headlines, listen to the radio, or watch the news, don’t be bullied to think like they think and fear what they fear. Let early voting begin today. Cast your vote for God. Trust Him. Believe Him. Fear Him. And He will keep you safe both before and after the election because (unlike most politicians) He always keeps His promises.

Praying for you and voting for God today, your sister,

P. S. Would love to hear how you’re casting your vote for God today.

Some of the notes I’ve scribbled in my One Year Bible™ uncover Ugly Laurie – that fleshy, self-absorbed part of me that’s not very pretty. Like, for example, the notes in this picture:

Psalm 100 is familiar territory for me. I’ve read it (and even sung the words from it) many times. You probably have, too, but take a few seconds to read it again:

Psalm 100:1-5 (NASB)
¹ Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.
² Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.
³ Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
⁴ Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
⁵ For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.

As I read that passage from my One Year Bible™ one day, I wasn’t surprised when I heard the melodies of several worship songs in my mind. I was surprised, however, when that music suddenly stopped. That’s when I saw her. Ugly Laurie.

As you can see by my notes in the picture above, Psalm 100:2 revealed something ugly to me that day about my attitude and service to God. It showed me that I was not serving Him the way He wants to be served. I was not serving Him with gladness. Instead, I realized that some of my service to Him was motivated by guilt, anticipated with dread, and done out of obligation. Ugly.

But Psalm 100 can transform ugly me — and ugly you, too — into a beautiful reflection of God’s glory as we:

• Serve the Lord with gladness at work, at home, and in all of our relationships.
• Tune in to some Christian music and sing along, or simply make a “melody with your heart to the Lord” (Eph 5:19).
• Thank and praise the Lord because He is God, He is good, and His love and faithfulness to us are everlasting (even when we’re ugly).
• Shout to the Lord with joy. Okay, maybe you don’t shout very much, but when you’re serving Him with gladness, singing, thanking, and praising Him, you might just feel like giving God a shout-out, too.

Today is Monday, precious sister. An easy day to be ugly. But God created us to be a beautiful reflection of His glory (1 Cor. 6:19-20). So today, let’s pick up the familiar refrains of Psalm 100 and be beautiful. Let’s serve Him with gladness, sing, thank, praise, and maybe even shout to God with joy.  Even on Monday, let’s glo, girl!

Your sister who is praying for you today,