Effie Darlene Barba ⋆ Page 47 of 380 ⋆ Inspiring Joy in Lifes Toughest Moments

What if? Will you really trust God even so?

This past week my laptop computer died, despite my having spent money upgrade it and save it a few months back. Perhaps it wouldn’t have mattered. After all I have my mainframe; but it is in my room and the early mornings when I write it isn’t always available as grandchildren are sleeping in my bed. Then of course, there are the times I go on a trip. I was supposed to go to California to see my daughter, but as the trip approached it appeared a bad idea. With all the Covid Restrictions changing so fast, I could be stuck in LA and not able to come back to work. So, change of plans. Still would need a laptop. So, I ordered one to arrive on December 24. So, what if it didn’t? Would I really trust God even so?

Sounds silly right? But on the 24^th I received a notice that the laptop was there, delivered on my front doorstep. So, I rushed to the porch to find nothing there. I searched everywhere as a feeling of despair and panic hit me. From somewhere deep within me, I wanted to scream. I opened my phone again to the announcement and the address was right; but still no package and there was a notice telling me I would have to wait three days before reporting it missing. Rushing around, I checked every corner as though it would magically appear. The entire time I was asking God, Why? I began walking up and down the street scanning the porches of all my neighbors to no avail.

Oh, yes, I knew that even in this trivial thing, God IS IN CONTROL. But the question is, did I really trust God even so and what if?

WHAT IF?

I truly wish that I could say, that panicked person walking up and down the street with such pitiful faith wasn’t like me. But, really, truly it is just like me. I, who have seen the Glorious, miraculous grace of God touch so many areas of my life, panicked over something so unimportant. Perhaps, just the overflowing of things so much deeper. This past year at times have been a great struggle for me. Holding fast to my faith, despite the situations surrounding. Wondering where the revival of hearts during the pandemic is? For, I truly saw none. Bleeding deep within my heart as I watched anger, hatred, and evil drive our nation—feeling helpless. Wanting to do something, anything of significance to bring light into a world that seemed to be darkening. And yet, at times, powerless to even forgive and love those God placed nearest.

And so, it is, the package was not the issue. My heart and my faith are. Well, while walking up the street for the second time. I saw a man get out of a white pickup truck wearing a brown UPS shirt and shorts. He got a package out of the back and handed it to a neighbor. Nearly assaulting the poor man with tears in my eyes and pin curls in my hair, I rushed up with my phone. Pleading with him as to whether he knew where I package could me, I showed him the notice. He looked at me and said, “the computer has been off all day. I have to go get more packages and will be right back with yours.”

Really trusting God, even so!

It has been a long year. And, even worse, for me has been a sinking feeling of abandonment since the election. Oh, yes, I know in my head that God has a perfect plan to display His Glory even in all this what if scenario. It encourages me so that so many have so unashamedly begun a revival movement, speaking freely of God’s power, love and might. What a pandemic could not do, an election has begun to do. And so, I go on this trip, alone—God me and my car to Washington, DC to pray. Not so much that God turn the election upside down; but rather God transform my heart once more into one that can shine His light to the world no what if.

So, yesterday as I drove, I listened to Renaissance by Os Guinness. I stopped in Myrtle Beach where I have an oceanfront view and watched the Sunrise. Marveling at the greatness and goodness of God I read,

Psalm 103

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
²Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

⁷He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹²as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

¹³As a father has compassion on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴for he knows how we are formed,
    he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵The life of mortals is like grass,
    they flourish like a flower of the field;
¹⁶the wind blows over it and it is gone,
    and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children—
¹⁸with those who keep his covenant
    and remember to obey his precepts.

¹⁹The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Praise the Lord, you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    who obey his word.
²¹Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,
    you his servants who do his will.
²²Praise the Lord, all his works
    everywhere in his dominion.

ONLY GOD

God knows the future and holds it in the palm of His hands. Only He can transform the hearts of men and bring peace into our chaos. He is the only true source of joy and hope in a world so filled with evil. He has a plan amid all this. I need my heart to be ready for whatever comes. So that I may fully surrendered to Him, become a beacon of light on a hill for the world to see HIM. So, regardless of what if, I can truly trust God even so.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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Do You Know the Son of the Most High God?

How to Wait Patiently on God in The Storm

Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2020
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

Do You Know the Son of the Most High God?

When we think of Christmas, do we stop to really imagine the baby Jesus as the son of the most high God? Emmanuel, God with us. Absolute Sovereign Omnipotence, the King of Kings was born in human flesh with all the frailties and needs of any baby. Stop for a moment and think about the absolute significance of that! The Song of the most high God, within the confines of Mary’s womb—growing from a single cell into a baby ready to be born. Every part of history before this moment leading toward His birth, the only true hope of salvation for fallen man. Every detail of His birth outlined by the prophets throughout the ages. Each one providing different parts of the story. God’s most magnificent portrait of His Grace and Love toward His Creation, while maintaining the spectacular truth of His Righteousness, Justice, and Mighty Power over all!

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I ^[^g^]do not know a man?” ³⁵And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1 (NKJV).

The Son of the Most High God

The details of the Son of the Most High God announced to Mary. It was foreshadowed His return as well as King of Kings, but first He came to live and die. He came to pay the penalty for the sins of the world. God’s Master Plan coming into full fruition, exactly as He ordained from eternity past. The mystery of which we can barely comprehend allowing everyone the right to choose life and light in Him while at the same time maintaining absolute Sovereignty over the affairs of men and women always. It is more than we can fully comprehend; but one day we will. How was it He chose me? I will never know. Yet, He did and for that I am forever indebted to Him. So, let us look at the nativity story with that all in mind.

Luke 2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

What days? It was the fullness of time. Amazing how God used a man who saw himself as a god like figure. The timing was perfect, because Caesar Augustus had built roadways and the Roman Empire expanded to cover so much land. It was the perfect scenario to spread the gospel message quickly to the world. Furthermore, Caesar Augustus decreed exactly the timing of the census to send Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem with her nine months pregnant so the prophecy of Michi would be fulfilled. So, Caesar Augustus gave the decree when God said to, although, Caesar did not know or worship God. Amazing right?

The Prophecies Fulfilled

⁴Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. (Luke 2 NKJV)

So, the Son of the Most High God traveled inside the womb of His mother for a long journey from Nazareth down into the valley. Up the rugged hills to Jerusalem and across the plateau to then descend into Bethlehem exactly on time.

⁶So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

So, God sent Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem to fulfill the scripture.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From ^[^a^]everlasting.” Micah 5:2

He who was from everlasting came to earth as a lowly baby. There was no room in the inn, so the Son of the Most High God was laid in a manger. Ah, but was that also perfectly as planned?

The Son of the Most High God as the Sacrificial Lamb

And you, O tower of the flock,
The stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
To you shall it come,
Even the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Micah 4:8

The Hebrew word translated as tower of the flock is Migdal Eder. Migdal Eder was a watchtower located in the northern part of Bethlehem built to protect the Temple flocks.[1] “During lambing season the sheep were brought there from the fields, as the lower level functioned as the birthing room for sacrificial lambs.”[2] Priestly shepherds “would wrap the newborn lambs in swaddling clothes” and place them in a manger “until they calmed down”[3] to keep them “without defect”[4], “suitable to be sacrificial lambs for the sin of the Israelites. Bethlehem was special because the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem raised lambs for the Jewish temple in Jerusalem”[5].

Imagine that! The Son of the Most High God was born of a virgin in the lowly town of Bethlehem. Then wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. Exactly as was done for the little lambs who were born, destined to be the sacrificial lambs without blemish.

Glory in the Highest

Luke 2 ⁸Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And ^[^c^]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a ^[^d^]manger.”

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill^[^e^] toward men!”

¹⁵So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷Now when they had seen Him, they made ^[^f^]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Concluding Thoughts

When one considers all this, how can you not be amazed! The very same God who created the Universe loved us so much to give us “His Only Begotten Son that whomsoever believeth in Him shall be saved” (John 3:16). Think of this! What in this world could cause your heart to fear? Jesus, the Son of the Most High God said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father’s house are many ^[^a^]mansions; if it were not so, ^[^b^]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3).

Just as He came in the fullness of time, He will return to gather home all who believe in Him. They are His Perfect Unblemished bride. Not because of their perfection; but because He has paid the price. He has washed us and clothed us in His righteousness. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. And Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18.

So, let us rejoice and bow down before the Son of the Most High God to worship Him. What can I give Him? My life, my heart, and my soul are all I bring for Him to do with as He wills.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?