Tagged: Lent

He will restore us in a very short time; he will heal us in a little while, so that we may live in his presence. Hosea 6:2 How strange, apocalyptic, it must have been for the people who entered our home and boxed up all our belongings after the fire. Room by room, they picked up every salvageable item and placed it carefully in cardboard boxes to be cleaned and restored. We were plucked up and removed from our life, as it were, in an instant. We did not know that morning when we threw the covers back to face another day that we would not be in our home that night to snuggle down again into our comfortable beds. Or for many, many long… Read More

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars… Read More

for Kate with love You keep track of all my sorrows.You have collected all my tears in your bottle.You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8 How fitting that I would unwrap this tiny vessel today. Many years ago, on another continent far from home, I made a sorrowful journey through grief after the loss of a much-anticipated baby girl. My friend Kate, upon returning from the small Mediterranean village of Hammamet, Tunisia, brought me this beautiful, delicate glass bottle. Attached to it she had written in her lovely, flowing script, You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (Psalm 56:8) Today I found it tucked in… Read More

Lent began on Wednesday and will continue until Easter Sunday, April 12. Lent is traditionally a time when Christians reflect on their faults, repent, and seek to purify their hearts and desires. It is an opportunity to grow in holiness in preparation for the celebration of Resurrection Day on Easter Sunday. Over the next forty days, I will be sharing personal Lenten reflections from my own journey with Jesus during this sacred season. It is my prayer for you that my honesty might give you courage and let you know you are not alone. The Savior knows us by name, and He loves us. O Lord who rules over all, how blessed are those who trust in you!Psalm 84:12 My house is a comfortable mess.… Read More

@audreycfrank In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it (Isaiah 30:15). We so often fight against the rest God offers. Instead of repenting, resting in His sovereignty over our lives, quieting our souls and trusting God, we flee. And our pursuers flee swiftly after us. (See Isaiah 30:16-17.) The word for rest here is also used in Exodus 14:14, that famous moment when the Israelites crossed the sea on dry land, only to look behind them to see the Egyptians marching in pursuit with full strength. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:14). How ridiculous the wisdom of God seems in the face of our… Read More

@audreycfrank Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30, NIV “I want to be an astronaut, but I still want to be a doctor, too,” she said, her beautiful brow crinkled in consternation. “Well, astronauts need doctors to care for them,” I suggested. “I know. But I’m not worrying about it. I’ve put that stress on Jesus. “Is that okay? To give Jesus my stress?” “Yes, my sweet girl. Absolutely yes.” With a sigh, she gazed out the window into… Read More

@audreycfrank Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (John 9:35-38) The tender picture of Jesus seeking and finding the outcast here is breathtaking.  There are those during this season of Lent who have been outcast because of their faith in Jesus. Yet they stand courageous and humble, declaring boldly their belief in the Son of Man, no matter what they have given up. Many of us give up rich food or… Read More

@audreycfrank The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5) Walking in the dark night of Africa is risky. The black mamba, one of the world’s deadliest snakes, can completely camouflage himself within the inky darkness. He is one of the few snakes who are active at night and has a particular love for wood or metal that has absorbed the heat of the day.  We encountered the black mamba only once, coiled around the grating on our screen door. After a long night of good conversation and milky hot chai by lantern light, we saw our guests to the door. As my husband reached out his hand to open it the darkness moved, alerting us to the killer’s… Read More

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  Matthew 16:18 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”  Luke 22:61 Lent is an opportunity to discover who God says we are as opposed to who we think we are. The contrast can be crushing.  If we are honest, we all know the weight of disappointment in who we really seem to be compared to who God says we are meant to be. Maybe we don’t even know who He says we are in the first… Read More

@audreycfrank And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:36-38, NET My early introduction to the Easter season was a small country church where little girls like me wore new dresses, hats, gloves, and white patent leather shoes. We awoke to Easter baskets left by the Easter bunny, overflowing with chocolate and jelly beans. After church, we would race around the churchyard searching for… Read More