Month: July 2019

Posted on

He’ll Leave the Light on For You

Romans 8:35

Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: (MSG)

Word Study

Separate – G6004 χωρίζω chōrizō, to divide, separate, leave; (pass.) to be separated from, set apart

Thoughts…

Paul’s conclusion to the first half of the book emphasized the majesty and glory of God and pointed to the certainty of God’s redemptive plan. All that happens to them rests in the sovereign hand of God, who in all things “works for the good of those who love him.” Believers gain assurance knowing that God is for them (8:31). In all the testings and sufferings that confront believers, they can be confident that they are more than conquerors through Christ who loved them. Believers can expect difficulties in this age; yet they can be certain that nothing will be able to separate them from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus” (HCB Commentary).

Repeat after me, ”NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING can take me away from God!” No one can do this. You can’t even do this. You can’t run away. You can’t sin so bad that he won’t forgive you when you ask. He is there and will always be. Yes, even in those times when you feel totally alone. You are not!

You know if God could had a catch phrase it would be something like Motel 6. “He’ll leave the light on for you.”

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

For Today, You Can Choose To Not Be OK

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)

Word Study

Good – G19 ἀγαθός agathos, good; good as a positive quality (vs. bad), good as a moral quality (vs. evil):– good, clear, right, better, favor, fully, generous, grain, helpful, kind, pleasant, surplus, useful

Thoughts…

It cannot be that He ‘of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things,’ should suffer that purpose to be thwarted by anything really adverse to us, or that He should not make all things, dark as well as light, crooked as well as straight, to co-operate to the furtherance and final completion of His high design (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary).

This verse is the most well-meant verse Christians use when someone is in trouble. However, in the midst of the pain, it doesn’t help. I want you to know today it is OK to not be OK. It is OK to need to curl up and just take a moment to cry, be angry, confused, afraid and hurt. Let God hold you. Tomorrow will come and when it does we will face this together and know God has our backs. But today take your moment and I will sit here with you quietly praying that when you’re ready we can face that purpose together. 

God has a purpose for everything but we don’t have to face that purpose today. Today we can choose to just not be OK.

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Wisdom Can Hurt

James 1:5


If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (NIV)

Word Study

Wisdom – G5053 σοφία sophia, wisdom (either secular or divine). Christ is called “the wisdom of God” in 1Co 1:24, 30. On the basis of the OT, wisdom can be personified

Thoughts…

In trial the believer must ask for an understanding of the purpose behind the divine permission of the difficulty. An incentive to do this is that God will give generously to those who ask and will not humiliate them for asking. Those who face trial with perseverance receive a crown of life from God as a reward for their stamina (HCB Commentary).

Wisdom brings truth and sometimes that truth hurts. I recently needed wisdom on how and what to tell a loved one. I prayed earnestly on what I should say. The words I used were the truth and it hurt this person’s feelings. I felt at peace when it was over but it didn’t take away the pain I felt at having to hurt them. I know it was a matter of discipline. She needed to be shown the truth. God gave me the wisdom and now I pray that she will hear and see the wisdom. Only time will tell. Good thing God controls time too.

Wisdom does not shield us from pain it just helps us work through it.

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Hope Calms You in the Storm

Romans 5:5


And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (NIV)

Word Study

Hope – G1828 ἐλπίς elpis, hope, expectation

Shame – G2875 καταισχύνω kataischynō, to dishonor, humiliate, shame, disappoint

Thoughts…

It is the gracious work of the blessed Spirit to shed abroad the love of God in the hearts of all the saints. A right sense of God’s love to us, will make us not ashamed, either of our hope, or of our sufferings for him (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary).

Hope is our lifeline. It is what drives us to get up every day. It is what gives us rest at night. Hope for better days ahead. Hope for our loved ones and friends to get better, find Christ or get that new job. Hope that when we take our last breath we will close our Earthly eyes and open our new ones to the beauty of Heaven. 

There is no shame in hoping. Don’t let anyone everybody to put you to shame or make fun of you for hoping. Instead, feel sorry for them because they must live a pretty dark and depressing life without help. 

Hope is our beacon on the hill that sees us through any storm. 

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Build Your Offense Before You Go on the Defense

Jude 1:20-21

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (NIV)

Word Study

Building – G2224 ἐποικοδομέω epoikodomeō, to build up, build on

Keep – G5498 τηρέω tēreō, to keep, guard, obey, observe

Thoughts…

Jude reminded his readers that the apostles had warned against the divisiveness and spiritual emptiness of the coming false teachers. The recipients were to build themselves up with prayer and obedience. They also were to offer help to wandering believers who need both an experience of divine mercy and the wisdom to avoid corruption (HCB Commentay).

Athletes never just walk out onto the court, field, ice, or diamond and start playing. No one would ever just get up one day and run a marathon. To do these things require practice. You must eat the right food and stretch. You build your body up and keep it in shape. Our spiritual life can benefit from this as well. Build your faith by reading the bible, praying and spending time with God.

Do you want to win the game of life? Build your offense with God before you have to go on the defense.

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

No Never Alone

1 Peter 5:9

Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (NIV)

Word Study

Undergoing – G2200 ἐπιτελέω epiteleō, to finish, complete, end; to perfect, attain a goal 

Sufferings – G4077 πάθημα pathēma, suffering, misfortune

Thoughts…

The consideration of what others suffer is proper to encourage us to bear our share in any affliction; and in whatever form Satan assaults us, or by whatever means, we may know that our brethren experience the same (Matthew Henery’s Concise Commentary).

We are all going to go through trials, tribulations, and sufferings. Take heart that you are never alone. Someone somewhere has been there and done that. This is why it is so important to open our mouths. We need to both reach out for help AND tell our stories to help others.

Life is not filled with rainbows and unicorns. Be a believer throughout the world so no one ever has to feel alone.

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Don’t Throw in the Towel; It Ain’t Over Yet!

Isaiah 40:29

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak. (NIV)

Word Study

Weary – H3617 יָעֵף3 yāʽēp3, weary, exhausted, fatigued

Weak – H226 אוֹן1 ’ôn1, power, strength, vigor, manhood; wealth, weak

Thoughts…

Where God had begun the work of grace, he will perfect it. He will help those who, in humble dependence on him, help themselves. As the day, so shall the strength be. In the strength of Divine grace their souls shall ascend above the world. They shall run the way of God’s commandments cheerfully. Let us watch against unbelief, pride, and self-confidence. If we go forth in our own strength, we shall faint, and utterly fall; but having our hearts and our hopes in heaven, we shall be carried above all difficulties, and be enabled to lay hold of the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus (Matthew Henery’s Concise Commentary).

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you cannot take one more step? Your would cannot face one more strike. All you can’t do is look up and say one word, ”Help!” This is where God rolls up his sleeves, rubs his hands together and says, ” Look out, now it is my turn!”

All the strength you need is always just a prayer away!

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

There is an End to this Chapter

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)

Word Study

Temporary – G4672 πρόσκαιρος proskairos, lasting only for a short time, temporary

Thoughts…

18. look not at–as our aim. things … seen–“earthly things” (Php 3:19). We mind not the things seen, whether affliction or refreshment come, so as to be seduced by the latter, or deterred by the former [CHRYSOSTOM]. things … not seen–not “the invisible things” of Ro 1:20, but the things which, though not seen now, shall be so hereafter.

temporal–rather, “for a time”; in contrast to eternal. English Version uses “temporal” for temporary. The Greek is rightly translated in the similar passage, “the pleasures of sin for a season” (Jameson, Fausett, and Brown Commentary).

Whatever life throws at me it will not last forever. It doesn’t say it will not be hard, it will not hurt, there will not be damage or scars. No, it says it will end. 

Do not keep your eyes on the storm. Keep your eyes on the one who controls it and will bring it to an end! 

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

Hope Brings Sunshine

1 Thessalonians 4:13

Believers Who Have Died
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. (NIV)

Word Study

Sleep – G3121 κοιμάω koimaō, to fall asleep, sleep; die

Hope – G1828 ἐλπίς elpis, hope, expectation

Thoughts…

For the Christian, sleep is a particularly apt metaphor for death, since death’s finality and horror are removed by the assurance of resurrection. Inscriptions on tombs and references in literature show that first-century pagans viewed death with horror, as the end of everything (Archaeological Study Bible Notes).

Even death has nothing on my hope. God destroyed death when Jesus died in our place. We have a future beyond death. We have hope in a better life beyond this one. If our hope is powerful enough to give us peace over death, how powerful is it to get us through whatever it is we are going through today? Our hope can bring us that much-needed ray of sunshine as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It can also walk us through the darkest of days we find ourselves in along the way.

Hope means our future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades!

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.

Posted on

What If I Screw Up?

Titus 2:7-8

In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (NIV)

Word Study

Example – G5596 τύπος typos, pattern, model, example, type, a visual form to be copied, such as in crafting an idol; by extension: a pattern of behavior to be emulated 

Thoughts…

Every godly man’s endeavor must be to stop the mouths of adversaries. Let thine own conscience answer for thine uprightness. What a glory is it for a Christian, when that mouth which would fain open itself against him, cannot find any evil in him to speak of (Matthew Henery’s Concise Commentary)!

But what if I screw up? What if I make a mistake? God wants me to be an example of good. I must show integrity, seriousness, and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned? I can’t live up to this all of the time. I am going to trip up. I am not perfect! You know what that is OK! God knows that about us. He expects it. You ever heard of a little thing called grace. When we fall, we get back up. We apologize and make amends where we can. We show the world an example they can identify with. Someone who has enough integrity to make things right and try again. 

Our mistakes can be good examples too. It is our testimony of being saved by grace and getting up to try again that helps people see a loving God that does not expect perfection. He only expects us to strive for it. Shoot for the moon and if you miss at least you will be among the stars. 

Copyright © 2019 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.