The Lord Spoke

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Inspirational , , , , , , , , , , ,

The words of the Lord are timeless, as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago, and if we listen we will hear His voice. When it happens, may we all be like the young boy, Samuel:

And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 1 Samuel 3:10

One day I heard the still small voice of the Spirit whispering truths as I journaled. As thrilling as that was, it was also very encouraging because each word that was spoken was a relection of familiar scriptures, and evidence to me that over the years I had hidden His words in my heart.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:11-16

The secret place, the secret place
Treasures are hidden in the secret place

Follow my way, follow my way
From darkness into day, from darkness into day

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,”
when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

Evil may think that it has you trapped
The entrance caved in and the road isn’t mapped
But a way has been opened, a way bright and clear
And the angels cry out, “Never fear, never fear”

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord
shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
And the angel said to them,“Fear not, for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:9-10

I am the way, the truth and the light
As you focus on Me, I’ll increase your sight

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Psalm 119:18

Go steadily forward; in pain persevere
You’ll soon be amazed as I wipe every tear

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

Stand faithful, stand faithful; the trial’s almost done
And you’ll walk in the light, hand-in-hand with the Son

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
the conviction of things not seen.
For by it the people of old received their commendation.
By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God,
so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3

Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Psalm 73:23-24

The Spirit’s voice continued, but the message changed from one of encouragement to one of end-times expectations, which I will share in my next post. We are there, folks! If ever there was a time in history to hide His words in our hearts so as to be prepared when trouble comes, it is now. In my next post, In the meantime:

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5

Why, God?

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Inspirational , , , , , , , ,

For nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1:37

I was twenty-eight years old, and the biblical women with whom I could relate the most were Sarah, Rachel, Hannah and Elizabeth. Why? They were barren and could not conceive a child. I wanted a baby desperately, yet after much testing my doctors could find no reason why I couldn’t become pregnant. Full of sorrow over what might never be, I could no longer attend baby showers or watch new moms with their sweet babies without my heart breaking.

At the time, while working as a private duty RN, an assignment was given to care for a young woman who had just given birth. Along with the task came the warning that she was going to be very hard to handle; a poor little rich girl, spoiled rotten, separated from her husband and living with her mother, who was pretty loony in her own right. Not only did the patient not want her child but she refused to even see her; on top of that, she was driving the entire staff crazy with her complaints. Long story short, she lived up to all the hype and wins the prize for the most difficult patient I ever had throughout my nursing career. Day 1 was beyond awful, dealing with her hysterics as she refused the very treatments that would have helped her feel better; but day 2 was just as bad, or even worse. The dad came to visit and they decided to go see their child, escorted by yours truly. That baby girl was one of the prettiest little darlings I’d ever seen, and she stole their hearts (and mine!); after which they decided Mom would take her home where they would live with the the sex-crazed, drugged-out grandmother in her multi-million dollar Beverly Hills mansion. That broke my heart almost as much as the mom not wanting the baby because I knew there was little chance she would grow up to be a happy, well-adjusted adult; let alone the fact that short of a major miracle, there would be no godly influence in her life. I wonder to this day how her life turned out and if she has ever come to know Jesus.

After all of this, while walking to my car after work I could’nt keep the tears from flowing. Literally railing at God over the injustice of it all, I argued with Him all the way home; asking over and over, “Why God, why?” I felt convicted that I should read my Bible as soon as I arrived, but was so angry with Him that scriptures and prayer were the last thing I was interested in. All I wanted to do was yell and scream and pretty-much throw a fit! Finally, I gave in and told Him, “OK, I’ll only read the daily devotional, but that’s it unless You give me some answers.”

Backtracking a little, this was before the days of easy search engines where you can type in a few words of a Bible quote and immediately locate the chapter and verse. I had been searching for weeks for a particular scripture but couldn’t find it even though I’d checked printed commentaries and indexes, all to no avail; it seemed like those verses had disappeared from my Bible. Now, I entered my home and, with a rebellious, I’ll-show-You God attitude, picked up my devotional booklet. Wouldn’t you know it? The very passage I’d been searching for was the verse of the day:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Broken, I collapsed on the floor in tears; repenting for my fears, impatience, lack of trust and everything else I could think of. By the time I got up He had made all things new, the angst was gone. Shortly afterward, a friend from church was about to give birth and I hosted her baby shower. I remember so clearly sitting there in complete peace; but there was also a quiet sense that I was pregnant, though it was much too early to even suspect it. Sure enough, I was; and about nine months later our son was born. I still identified with those biblical women, but this time it was because I understood how each one felt when they gave birth – Sarah, the mother of Isaac; Rachel, the mother of Joseph; Hannah, the mother of Samuel; and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist:

He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord! Psalm 113:9

Why me? Why did I have to go through that? Certainly, I don’t have all of the answers; but I do know that the experience has enabled me to comfort other women over the years. I also understand that why-questions are not limited to infertitily and that whatever the issue, God is always faithful to His own. He’s proven it to me time and time again; through life-threatening illnesses, financial difficulties and family difficulties, just to name a few, He has proven His sufficiency:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Clearly, we don’t have all the answers and often cannot understand, but the truth remains:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31

But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13:5-6

For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Psalm 27:10

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself. Timothy 2:11-13

Life is full of hardship! Seemingly, about the time we overcome one thing, somthing else comes along. My prayer is that each person reading this post will embrace the reality of His sufficency and experience His perfect peace in the midst of the storms. Whatever the problem, He cares and He will help!

Connected!

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Inspirational , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38

It was just after Christmas in 2009. We’d celebrated Christmas with our son’s family, which now included our first grandchild, a precious 1-month-old boy. Now, I was left in their home to dog-sit with our two granddogs while my husband, Jack, flew off to Alabama for a holiday visit; and our kids left for a few days to attend our daughter-in-law’s family reunion.

Aside from a bad cold, I was all set to enjoy myself with left-over Christmas goodies, the dogs, and a movie marathon. But then… Isn’t there always a but?

I journaled: “Jack’s computer charging cable didn’t get packed and he called, desperate, because he had no way to show the very-old super-8-to-DVD movies we’d made for his family. I located a nearby post office, went out with my cough and runny nose, and sent the cord via priority mail, hoping it would arrive before he had to fly home. But now (another but!) apparently my phone cord did make the trip to Alabama! I am so grateful that my connection with God can never be lost, stolen or broken.”

Our guaranteed God-connection does have one mandatory requirement – to receive Jesus Christ as Savior:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

Yet, sometimes it just seems like God is so far away and, like King David, we may begin to doubt:

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalm 10:1

Or, perhaps we wonder if He’s even aware of our difficulties. Scripture is clear that He is:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high;
I cannot attain it. Psalm 139:1-5

For every concern there is a corresponding biblical truth, so let’s look at a few common questions. First, how can we know that He even hears our prayers, let alone listens and answers them?

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:24

“Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:2-3

We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. John 9:31

How can I be sure God will not just give up on me and walk away?

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:18

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1

Is it even possible for me to ever become close to God?

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place
from which I sent you into exile. Jeremiah 29:11-14a

But I’m afraid. How can I trust Him?

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:41:10-13

I am a Christian, but I need to grow closer to God. I really want to have a secure connection with Him. How do I do that?

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

The Apostle Paul summed it up well in his letter to the Colossians:

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:1-17

An Ode to Joy

Barbara Kain Parker Devotional, Inspirational , , , , , , , ,

Falling asleep recently while praying something to the effect that my life would be pleasing to God, I seemed to hear the words, “Ode to Joy.” This was a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1795, and is best known as the fourth movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which was completed in 1824.

Ironically, Schiller, who died in 1805, wrote a letter in 1800 to a longtime friend and patron whose friendship had originally inspired him to write the ode. He said that he considered his poem to be, “detached from reality [and] of value maybe for us two, but not for the world, nor for the art of poetry”.

Like Schiller, I imagine we may often underestimate the legacy that both our words and actions have left behind. For example, I cherish enduring lessons from a teacher I had in eighth grade, a teacher with such a reputation for being ‘mean’ that I was really disappointed to find out I’d been assigned to her class. Yes, she was pretty old, kind of grumpy and yes, she was definitely strict; but she also turned out to be one of the best teachers I ever had. Mid-year, she became very ill and was never able to return, so we had a substitute. Interestingly, I can recall nothing about her except that she was younger and more easy-going. I wonder if Mrs. Light ever knew what an impact she made on students throughout her long teaching career. Probably not.

Consider just a few biblical figures with enduring legacies. Did Jonah have any idea that thousands of sermons would be preached in years to come about his story? Did the minor prophets such as Joel, Habbakkuk or any of the other minor prophets ever dream that the God-given words they recorded would touch millions of lives? Doubtful!

How many of the members of the Faith Hall of Fame (Hebrews 11) had any idea that their sacrificial faith would still inspire people thousands of years later, near the end of time? Not likely!

But our God sees the end from the beginning; he knows both what has been and what is yet to come:

“…remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’…”
Isaiah 46:9-10

We should also keep in mind that bad examples often live on in infamy. Whom among us would like to carry the reputation of the hard-hearted Pharoh or Judas Iscariot, Hitler or Musolini? Few, I hope. But what of the bad examples set by ordinary people: perhaps parents, teachers, pastors or polititions who’ve done irreperable harm to both individuals and large groups of people? For better or worse, righteous or unrighteous, things that we say or do may well be remembered far longer than we’d expect, perhaps touching people we may never even meet, but God sees it all:

For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.
Proverbs 5:1ESV

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Proverbs 15:3 ESV

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
Psalm 139: 1-6

We would all be wise to live as if everything that we say and do will endure long after we’re gone, and to focus on living for Christ Jesus:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,
what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2 ESV

May we, like the Apostle Paul, be able to declare:

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Galatians 1:10 ESV

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 ESV

What’s in a Name?

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Inspirational , , , , , , , ,

Names are important, as is illustrated by expectant parents pouring over lists of potential names for their child, often accepting or rejecting one after another as they look up an inherent origin and meanng.

Names are even more important than many of us realize, as is illustrated throughout the Bible. Time and again, God either instructs what a name is to be or changes one to conform to the sybolic meaning He desires. Consider these examples:

  • Abram (many) became Abraham (father of a multitude), and his wife Sarai (contentious) was re-named Sarah (princess)
  • Jacob (holder of the heel) became Israel (he who struggles with God, or prince of God)
  • Simon (God has heard) became Peter (a little rock or stone)

The Hebrew etymologies may be open to interpretation, but suffice it to say that with these famous name changes, God was making a point about the individual concerned; He was memorializing their spiritual accomplishments or potential, and His blessings upon them.

In other instances, God told people what to name their children. Hosea is a good case in point, for his kids’ names illustrated prophetic messages to Israel shortly before the nation fell to the Assyrians. The scriptures speak for themselves:

And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.” When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”
Hosea 1:4-9 ESV

“And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel, and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’; and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’ ”
Hosea 2:21-23 ESV

For a long time, I had a love-hate relationship with my name, Barbara. It was popular around the time of my birth, and my parents gave it to me because they liked it; but much to my dismay in an eleventh-grade Latin class, I learned that I was the not-so-proud owner of a name that meant barbarian. Translated into English, that means strange, foreign or barbarous, and carries the concept of being an alien; in Greek, it’s foreign, strange or ignorant. My classmates got a big laugh out of that, and I became the class joke. To me it didn’t seem so far off base because I’d never been part of the in-crowd, and was always the last to be picked for any sports team or group activity. I deinitely felt like a foreigner trapped in a hostile territory called high school.

Fast forward to May, 2006. I awoke one night around 2 AM with such a restlessness that it was impossible to stay in bed, let alone sleep; so I took my Bible and a notebook into the living room to try and hear from the Lord. Initially, it seemed like the words He had for me were, “Feed my sheep.” Then there was something about Leviticus, but no specific verse; so I scanned through the book, observing anew how the Old Testatment sacricifes foreshadowed the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. The only further words I heard were, “I have called you.” I continued to pray and listen for more from the Lord while sitting in my chair, feet on the floor, trying to focus on Him. The next thing I knew, I opened my eyes feeling completely refreshed, and it was 5 AM! I journaled my thoughts: “Maybe I went somewhere? What happened last night? I know I was praying, ‘Here am I, send me.’ Did He send me somewhere? Or, did I spend those hours with my spirit soaking in the presence of the Lord? The song lyrics in my mind at the moment are, ‘He has shown you, oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you; but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.’ ” I knew that the lyrics echo the words of Micah 6:8, but there seemed to be no clear answers to my questions.

A few weeks later, I had a dream in which I was identified as one of God’s elect with the ability to encounter the realm of the Spirit, and to find rest there. Going to 1 Peter 1:1, I noticed that God’s elect were identified as strangers in the world. Wow! That described me – I am a stranger or foreigner who is much loved by God, as my name actually attests! Other scriptures resonated:

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.
Psalm 39:12 ESV

I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!
Psalm 119:19 ESV

Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”
Isaiah 56:1-8 ESV

In God’s kingdom, to be a foreigner is to be protected in a special way by Him; it is to be a citizen of Heaven, it is to dwell in one place physically while longing for another; it is a perfect description of me.

It became aparent that the role of a forerunner requires faith, a gift that God has blessed me with. It also requires suffering in greater degrees than others, and it seems as if I’ve been given a good-sized plate of suffering. So my prayer became, “Lord, continue to reveal your truth about this to me.”

Then, two months after my night in the chair, I finally came to understand that foreshadowing equates to forerunning; and I am to be a forerunner, preparing the way of the Lord by walking humbly and justly in communion with, and obedience to, my God. John the Baptist was a forerunner, preparing the way of the Lord; and he was considered to be an unusual man who was very different from others, to say the least:

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ”
Matthew 3:1-2 ESV

Perhaps being a foreigner or stranger in the land was a piece of my puzzle in regard to being a forerunner. The patriarchs of Hebrews 11, identified as strangers and exiles, were certainly forerunners who lived by faith:

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God,
for he has prepared for them a city.
Hebrews 11:13-16 ESV

Regardless of the meaning of my name, I am not alone, for all of us who have accepted Jesus and follow Him faithfully in this life will receive a new name in eternity as well:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone,
with a new name written on the stone that no one knows
except the one who receives it.
Revelation 2:17 ESV

You see, Christians are not simply citizens of the world that is seen, but of the one that is yet to come; and it is there that our true names, our everlasting names, are written:

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power
that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians 3:20-21 ESV

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage,
and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Revelation 21:5-7 ESV

Regardless of any earthly name or its meaning, a child of the King has a name that is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life:

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Revelation 21:27 ESV

FOREIGNERS, STRANGERS AND ALIENS NO MORE!!!

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A Promised Land

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Inspirational , , , , ,

Biblically, the Promised Land is that which was first promised to Abram in Genesis 12:1-7. Today, it has also come to mean a happy place or condition that someone wants to reach; it’s a place where dreams or hopes can come true.

My friend, Persis Tiner, recently shared some wonderful insights into the concept of a promised land; and I’m grateful for her pemission to post them here:

Have you ever stopped to consider the Israelites journey through The Wilderness? Wow! They did a lot of camping on their way to their Promised Land – forty years of camping, in fact! How long do you think it will take you to get to your Promised Land? Do you ever think of your life’s journey in terms of camping; of being a full-time camper? Do you even suppose you can reach your own Promised Land in forty years?

How many nights do you think the Israelites spent in one spot? Did God move them every night, every week, or every month? Any way you put it, they could not put their pegs too far into the ground; consider of all the work. Our lives are also like that if you think about it. This life, and everything in it, is temporary; this is not our home; it is what we are journeying through to get to our real, eternal home. We could call this existence our ‘camping world’, or perhaps our ‘tent world’, and everything in this world of ours is constantly changing. Every circumstance, every experience, every stage of life – they’re all like tents and camping. We dwell in one place or circumstance for a season, and then move on to another. Our childhood was a tent season, and then we moved on to adolescence; good times, bad times, success and failures, problems, joys and sorrows, adulthood and old age; all can be likened to camping out before moving on.

As Christians, our Promised Land is a place called Heaven; a place where temporary is changed into eternal. Every problem will be solved, every temptation resolved, and joy everlasting will be ours. Therefore, don’t let the temporary things of life, the scenery of life, determine how you see things or how you feel and respond to them. Tread lightly, don’t put your tent pegs down too deep. Keep your eyes and your mind set on where you are going, looking ahead your permanent home. Live every day as a camper, and don’t get caught up in your circumstances. Tread lightly and focus on the Promised Land; focus on Home.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down
(that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this,
and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
(2Cor. 4:16-5:5 NLT)

My Prayer

Barbara Kain Parker Devotional, Inspirational , , , , , , , , , , ,

Going through old journals, I came across a morning prayer from December 2009, which is shared below. Following each phrase or paragraph are scriptures that illustrate the biblical truths that God had planted in my heart.

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. Psalm 119:15-16

In the stillness; You are here.

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10


In the midst of turmoil; You are here.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1


In joy, in grief, in pleasure, in pain; You are here.

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11 NLT

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.
When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same
comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

In gladness or sadness; You are here.

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! Psalm 30:11-12


Here or there, near or far; You are here.

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you. Psalm 139:7-12


It matters not if I feel Your presence; it matters not whether I hear Your voice and all around me is silence; You are still here, closer than my next breath, indwelling my body and watching over me.

The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Job 33:4

Do you not know that you are God’s temple
and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 1 Corinthias 3:16

All that concerns me matters to You. You know my every thought, You know my every emotion; so now in the quiet morning stillness just before dawn, I turn to You and wait for You. As I wait for the sun to rise up in the sky, I wait for You to rise up in my spirit and make Yourself known.

Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
ou hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high;
I cannot attain it. Psalm 139:4-6

But as for me, I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.Micah 7:7

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6

I have much for which to give thanks; I have much for which to be sorrowful; I have many questions and few answers. But this I know, You are still here and You are always faithful to me.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thesalonians 5:16-18

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thesalonians 5:24

Please, my Father, my Lord and my God, deal with that which concerns me, and keep me safe in the center of Your rest in the meantime. Draw me into the center of Yourself; turn my eyes upon Jesus; wash me anew in the life-giving blood, and pour Your water of lifeover me.

He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Psalm 138:8

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding,
so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:20

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out,
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me,
as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
John 7:37-38

Life Interupted

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Devotional, Inspirational, Standing In Faith , , , ,

A couple of weeks ago I received an email thanking me for teachings about hope in difficult situations. To be honest, I couldn’t remember what I’d written until I looked at my website and realized (with a shock!) that my last post, Hope When All Seems Hopeless, was two years ago (though hope has also been a theme in previous posts). Has it really been that long? Yes; and as a result, I’ve had to update all of my pages!

Life has a way of interupting, whether those hiccoughs in our agendas are wonderful, tragic, or anything in between. The blips in my own life have traveled that spectrum; but in the midst of it all, God is as He has always been – faithful.

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthias 1:9 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

It’s an often-observed fact that when times are tough, people cry out to God and draw nearer to Him. It happened in the early church when persecution of Christians was the reason the gospel initially spread throughout the known world, flourishing under the Roman Empire:

But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.
Acts 13:50

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
1 Timothy 1:1-2 ESV

Turnng to God in tough times remains relevant today, and there are many reports of how Christianity is booming underground in Muslim nations. Meanwhile, here in the USA, Christians are making a big difference by standing up in courts of law to overthrow unjust laws that discriminate against them, with some victories reaching as high as the Spureme Court.

Certainly, most of us are familiar with the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” The implication is that in the midst of situations when life becomes very difficult or unpleasant, people with strength and determination will take action and find a way to keep on keeping on. Sadly, when oneself is the source of that strength, we often fail; and anxiety, depression and hopelessness result. But, when God is our source, even in difficult situations we can still be at peace.

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT

I learned of God’s sufficiency during 2006, while battling breast cancer; it was a struggle that I’ve written about extensively in I’m Still Standing. When your life is interupted, He wants to proove Himself to you too:

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Psalm 46 ESV

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:4-5

Hope When All Seems Hopeless

Barbara Kain Parker Inspirational , , , , , ,

I am usually known for a steadfast faith, which proclaims that God is sufficient through every circumstance. I try to live it; I write about it; I teach about it; but I also recognize that it’s only possible because it is a spiritual gift that God gave me very distinctly. Driving on the freeway one day in 2003, struggling to worship instead of cry; His voice spoke more clearly than probably any other time in my life saying, “I have given you the gift of faith, for without it you would not have survived.” Believe me when I say that any faith I have is from Him!

The Bible is full of faith stories, not the least of which is the summary account of the Old Testament saints in Hebrews 11, often referred to as the Hebrews Hall of Fame. Like them time and again, our faith is challenged; yet we are encouraged through God’s Word, where we are instructed:

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.[1]

I must admit, over the past couple of days it has been awfully hard to keep standing! After a year chock-full of hardships (just like everyone else in the world!), I’d had about all I could take. As if shutdowns and masks, health issues, political unrest, and rampant injustice and unrighteousness weren’t enough, two nights of practically no sleep just about did me in. Like so many others these days, I felt trapped in the sludge of hopelessness and despair. The peace I’ve felt lately, regardless of the fact that everything around me seems negative, was suddenly gone. I didn’t like it—not one bit! Where was God now? The only cry in my heart yesterday was that of the psalmist:

Why are you cast down O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?[2]

It’s a verse that’s repeated three times in Psalm 42 and 43; but wait—there’s more, because as soon as the question is asked, the psalmist continues:

Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.

I agreed in my heart, but my soul still wasn’t feeling it. My spirit knew without a doubt that I could rest in all of God’s promises, but holding onto hope remained a struggle when all I wanted to do was escape the physical reality of everyday life. Yes, I would hold onto my faith, but there were still the questions that countless other believers have asked down through the centuries:

Why did you bring me out from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me and were as though I had not been, carried from the womb to the grave.[3]

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?[4]

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?[5]

Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?[6]

Thanks be to God that He didn’t leave me hanging there very long, even though those two days seemed interminable. This morning, after a night of blessed sleep, I awoke and everything seemed different. Why? While journaling, I had the thought to do a Logos search of the word, ‘hope’, and was astounded that the very first scripture that popped up was Psalm 33:17:

The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. 

That got my attention!!! We cannot hope in any person, place or thing aside from God. Even when the plans of man are inspired by God and led by the Spirit, He must always be our ultimate source of hope, for a God-given strategy can easily fail when derailed by a bit of self-will, pride or sin of any. Psalm 33 continues:

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. 

As evil swirls across our land and around the world, what better scripture could there be for the present physical reality? Has there ever been a time closer in history to the second coming of the Lord, that day for which we all hope? No, by if only because with each day that passes His return draws nearer; but however long He tarries, it appears more and more imminent as we encounter all of the things of which Jesus warned in Matthew 24. Fear of such end times threats as well as every other obstacle the enemy can throw at us threatens our peace on a daily basis.

Another thing I often write and speak about is the importance of waiting on the Lord, as we are advised to do time and again throughout the scriptures. All too often though, waiting and patiently trusting Him flies in the face of our desire for quick action; His mysterious ways that frequently seem so slow can challenge our faith. But: 

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. [7]

Continuing my research with Logos:

Hope is the expectation of the future attainment of a desired object or outcome. It is often associated with trust, whether in God or others.

In Hebrew, hope is expressed most commonly with the verbs קָוָה (qāwâ, “to wait”) and יָחַל (yāḥal, “to wait”) and nouns related to these. The verb qāwâ conveys a sense of waiting with expectation.[8]

Get that? I suppose I knew that hope involves waiting, but had never put them together in such close proximity. Essentially, hope requires waiting! A hope that has been fulfilled no longer requires waiting for it to happen. Hope is made evident in the waiting—the two go hand-in-hand.

About this time in my research, I was beginning to ponder 1 Corinthians 13:13:

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Then I read this (bolded text mine):

Hope, it would seem, is a psychological necessity, if man is to envisage the future at all. Even if there are no rational grounds for it, man still continues to hope. Very naturally such hope, even when it appears to be justified, is transient and illusory; and it is remarkable how often it is qualified by poets and other writers by such epithets as ‘faint’, ‘trembling’, ‘feeble’, ‘desperate’, ‘phantom’. The Bible sometimes uses hope in the conventional sense. The ploughman, for example, should plough in hope (1 Cor. 9:10), for it is the hope of reward that sweetens labour. But for the most part the hope with which the Bible is concerned is something very different; and in comparison with it, other hope is scarcely recognized as hope. The majority of secular thinkers in the ancient world did not regard hope as a virtue, but merely as a temporary illusion; and Paul was giving an accurate description of pagans when he said they had no hope (Eph. 2:12; cf. 1 Thes. 4:13), the fundamental reason for this being that they were ‘without God’.

Where there is a belief in the living God, who acts and intervenes in human life and who can be trusted to implement his promises, hope in the specifically biblical sense becomes possible. Such hope is not a matter of temperament, nor is it conditioned by prevailing circumstances or any human possibilities. It does not depend upon what a man possesses, upon what he may be able to do for himself, nor upon what any other human being may do for him… Biblical hope is inseparable therefore from faith in God. Because of what God has done in the past, particularly in preparing for the coming of Christ, and because of what God has done and is now doing through Christ, the Christian dares to expect future blessings at present invisible (2 Cor. 1:10)… [therefore] it is not surprising that hope should so often be mentioned as a concomitant of faith…What is perhaps more remarkable is the frequent association of hope with love as well as with faith. This threefold combination of faith, hope and love is found in 1 Thes. 1:3; 5:8; Gal. 5:5–6; 1 Cor. 13:13; Heb. 6:10–12; 1 Pet. 1:21–22. By its connection with love, Christian hope is freed from all selfishness… Faith, hope and love are thus inseparable. Hope cannot exist apart from faith, and love cannot be exercised without hope. These three are the things that abide (1 Cor. 13:13) and together they comprise the Christian way of life.[9]

Looking back anew at my why-are-you-cast-down-O-my-soul complaint from yesterday in Psalm 42-43, and the first verse out of the box today in Psalm 33, the Lord tied it all together in Psalm 42:8:

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

It is His steadfast love that makes it possible for us to enter into faith, hope and love:, and my soul in alignment with my heart now sings the truth:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;  his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” [10]

[1] Ephesians 6:13

[2] Psalm 42:5,11; 43:5

[3] Job 10:18-19

[4] Psalm 10:1

[5] Psalm 13:1-2

[6] Lamentations 5:20

[7] 2 Peter 3:9

[8] Fenlason, A. C. (2014). Hope. D. Mangum, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, & R. Hurst (Eds.), Lexham Theological Wordbook. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

[9] Tasker, R. V. G. (1996). Hope. In D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman (Eds.), New Bible dictionary (3rd ed., pp. 479–480). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

[10] Lamentations 3:21-24

I’m Still Standing

Barbara Kain Parker Biblical Insights, Book Release, Inspirational, Personal Testimony , , , , , , , ,

Recently, The Lord impressed me that I needed to re-do the book I published in 2008 after my battle with breast cancer. The revised and updated edition of I’m Still Standing is now completed and is available on Amazon. From the back cover:

ISS CoverThe revised and updated edition of I’m Still Standing includes both the original compilation of essays about the author’s battle with breast cancer in 2006, and an addendum to each that is sub-titled 2020 Hindsight. The intervening years, including the challenges of Covid-19, are discussed. As a RN and former hospice nurse, she fully understands the potentially serious outcomes of diseases such as cancer and Covid-19 that may range from complete recovery to a slow-and-painful death. This is a testimony of God’s sufficiency throughout that terrible year of suffering in 2006, as well as during the intervening years. It illustrates how faith truly does overcome fear, delivering peace in the worst of times. Prayerfully, her experiences will encourage others, and bolster their faith in the God who is able to do far more than we even ask.