On my mind...

Friday, March 14, 2014

Lessons From Life

by Brenda Boen
March 14, 2014

Solomon was the son of King David and succeeded him in the throne over Israel. His father told him to always follow God and walk in His ways and he would prosper in all he would do and everywhere he would go and the Lord would keep His promise that there would always be one of his descendants on the throne of Israel (1 Kings 2:1-4).

When Solomon was a young king God told him to ask of Him what he wanted Him to give him. So Solomon asked for a discerning heart to govern God’s people and to distinguish between right and wrong (1 Kings 3:7-14) God was pleased with his unselfish request and made Solomon the wisest man who ever lived. He also gave him a bonus of both wealth and honor, unequal to any other king and added that if Solomon would walk in obedience to Him and keep his decrees and commands that he would give him a long life. Years later God reinforced what He had previously promised by telling him that if he would walk before Him faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness and observe all His decrees and laws, that He would establish the royal throne over Israel forever as He had promised his father David (I Kings 9:4-7). But He added that if he or his descendants turn away from Him and go off and serve others gods that they would be cut off from Israel.

Solomon became the richest and wisest king of all time. And because he sought God, there was peace, security and prosperity for the nation of Israel. He built God’s temple and people sought his wisdom from all over. However, Solomon began to engage in habits that would make his kingdom ineffective. He knew what was right but he made choices that were not consistent with what God told him to do. He lusted for women and had 700 wives, most of them foreign princesses, and 300 concubines. These foreign women lured him to worship false gods and idols. He turned to worldly pleasures and surrounded himself with them, rather than pursuing the things of God. He taxed his subjects heavily and forced thousands upon thousands of men into slave labor for his building projects.

Later in his life he realized that all that he had gained and all he had done were in vain apart from God. None of his pursuits or possessions gave him security and contentment. He had more wisdom than anyone else but it didn’t satisfy him either. All his successes were only temporary.

In Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 he says “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”

He came to realize that all that he could personally do or experience was meaningless on its own. You can work hard and gain wealth and pleasure and experience and wisdom but in the end we all die with none of it.

He summed up life in Ecclesiastes 12:13 when he wrote “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every good deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Solomon did learn some very important life lessons before it was too late. Unfortunately his son Rehoboam, who succeeded him on the throne, abandoned the law of the Lord (2 Chronicles 12:1) and the kingdom was divided.

What can we gain from all of this? We must pursue the things of God, not our own pleasures and desires. Whatever we personally deem important needs to be put in perspective according to God’s commands. Are we striving to gain things that will satisfy and gratify ourselves or is it pleasing to God? Do we trade real living for things that don’t last? Are we sacrificing our own bodies for momentary excitement? Are we risking our personal integrity for wealth that will fade? Are we trading honesty for lies?

In the end, whatever we do or achieve for our own benefit will just be chasing after the wind. Security and contentment can only be found in a personal relationship with God. And like Solomon, we can have all the knowledge in the world but if we don’t act on what is right it’s all in vain. Only spiritual pursuits will last and have an impact that will satisfy and be meaningful. Seek after God and keep His commandments.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Keeping Yourself in Check

By Brenda Boen
December 19, 2013

Recently I read a post by someone responding to a comment she didn’t like. She made reference to people politely expressing their views and keeping themselves in check. What does that really mean to keep yourself in check?

In the game of chess the object of the game is to checkmate the opponent, which happens when one player makes a move on the board that limits their opponent from making any other moves, thereby ending the game. So in reference to the statement I read, this lady meant that people should keep themselves in check without getting themselves in trouble or in a bind by expressing their views on particular subjects. That would be defined as being politically correct. What does that mean? Wikipedia defines it this way:

Political correctness is a term that refers to language, ideas, or policies that address perceived or actual discrimination against or alienation of politically, socially or economically disadvantaged groups. The term usually implies that these social considerations are excessive or of a purely "political" nature. These groups most prominently include those defined by gender, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability.

So if you have ideas and beliefs, in order to be politically correct, you must keep them to yourself because you certainly don’t want to offend someone by trying to influence them with what you believe. Now, if someone is way off base and coming out of left field, I don’t want someone trying to cram it down my throat either. So, it is understandable why people would prefer everyone be politically correct. But what if someone is right and trying to convince you of the truth? How do you discern what is true and what isn’t?

God is truth. His Word, the Bible, is truth. Truth is that God created us and wants a relationship with us. But because we are sinful we cannot get to God. But He loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ in the flesh to save us. (John 3:16) Jesus willingly died on a cross to bridge the gap between sinful man and God. Because of His death we are made right with God. But we have to accept His free gift of salvation in order to get to Him. That is the truth that the world must hear.

If I am trying to spread the truth from God, I can’t just be politically correct and avoid the issue for fear of offending someone. How else is the world going to be changed if we don’t tell the truth? Sure, many will reject the truth because they don’t want to accept it. And many will have blinders on. But are we to keep it to ourselves? I think not. God has commanded us and Jesus Christ said……

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:15-16

So if I am spreading the gospel and trying to help others from being condemned, should I keep myself in check? I think not. I’d rather be politically incorrect. Hate me if you must but consider how your life will end. You can only end up in one of two places, either heaven or hell. I’d much rather be hated if I can help someone else avoid hell.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

God Still Performs Miracles!

Brenda Boen
January 31, 2013

Last week my husband went in the hospital to have his fourth major surgery to remove cancer spots from his body. This would be the third time on his liver. Prior to the surgery I prayed and had several other people pray that God would guide the surgeon's hands and that when he opened him open on the operating table that all the cancer would be gone and it would be a testimony to the doctors, nurses and everyone else of God's power.

Let me give you some background. My husband was diagnosed with colon cancer after a routine colonoscopy. And after the initial procedure the tests came back that he was in Stage 4 and that the cancer was not only in his colon but also in his liver and lungs. Immediately he underwent radiation to shrink the tumor in his colon so it could be removed. He also went through chemo as well. The tumor in his colon was removed and then he resumed chemo. A PET Scan was done and it revealed that the spots were gone in his lungs but remained in his liver. The decision was made to remove the spots from his liver. After the surgery, the oncologist then declared my husband cancer free, however, he wanted to give him more chemo, just in case it was to pop back up. So chemo was resumed and afterward the doctor ordered a PET Scan to see if any cancer lingered. The PET Scan revealed more spots on his liver so the surgeon went back in and cut one out and burned a couple more. So my husband then resumed a 6 month regimen of chemo. Thinking all would be well, my husband was given another PET Scan which revealed more spots on his liver. So the decision was to go in for the third time and take care of the spots. In the meantime chemo was continued because it was probably keeping the chemo at bay. So we went to see the surgeon who ordered a Cat Scan which revealed even more spots.

Let me explain scans to you, as best as I understand them. During a full body PET Scan a liquid is injected which the cancer consumes. Basically it's some kind of sugar substance that the cancer eats and it is radioactive and shows up, or lights up, on the film. This makes it easier to see just where the cancer is in the body. A CAT Scan, on the other hand, is more precise and shows more detail although you have to scan particular parts of the body to find it. So a PET Scan is beneficial to see where the cancer is and a CAT Scan gives much more detail.

Back to my story. The PET Scan revealed a few spots that remained in his liver and the CAT Scan showed more detail and more spots. The oncologist was quite perplexed why the extra spots didn't light up on the PET Scan. So off to surgery my husband goes.

The surgery usually lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. While I was in the waiting room almost 2 hours had passed and frankly I was a little anxious wondering what all the surgeon was having to do. The first surgery resulted in the removal of 60% of his liver and the second surgery resulted in a small portion cut out and a couple of spots burned off. Now during this third surgery the task was to possibly cut out the bigger spot and burn off whatever else he could or remove the rest. Mind you, my husband only had 40% of his liver left. Although the liver does grow back his was growing slowing due to the chemo chemicals in his body.

When the surgeon finally came out of surgery he approached me with a strange look on his face. The first thing he said was "Things like this happen." That didn't sound good at all. He went on to tell me that several spots showed up on the scans but he only found five spots. He biopsied all five THREE TIMES and did not find any cancer! He then said that he "just sewed him back up because there wasn't anything else to do". He remarked that the spots were possibly scar tissue or something else, he really didn't know and sort of shook his head and left.

Later, when the doctor came to visit my husband in his room, he apologized for the surgery that was obviously unnecessary. My husband told him it was fine because he didn't have any cancer so he was good with it. My husband also asked the doctor about where the spots where on his liver. He told him there was one on the back and four on the front. My husband then told him that those were the fingerprints that God left when he took out the cancer. The doctor raised his hand and starting making motions where the spots where on the liver and replied "WOW!" and just stood speechless for about 15 seconds and repeated "WOW!" a second time and left.

I am here to tell you today that we know God removed that cancer from my husband. Spots were apparent on the scans and his blood levels were up also indicating cancer was present. They were not just scar tissue. Scar tissue can't eat cancer and light up a PET Scan. And the scans showed more than the 5 spots that he found. God answered prayer that day and performed a miracle by reaching in and taking it out. He left his fingerprints to prove that He was there.

In reflection, my husband went through unnecessary surgery because God removed the cancer. But the surgery was not intended for my husband's benefit. Perhaps it was for the doctor to prove His strength. Remember, that was also part of the prayer. And telling this miracle about a miraculous God will impact not only the doctors, nurses and us but everyone that hears it. I hope that those that read this and hear the story will understand that God is still in the miracle making business. He has our best interests in mind. He has a plan even though we don't see it. Sometimes we even have to go through difficult struggles. He doesn't promise it will be smooth sailing but that He will be with us through it all.

Luke 8:22-25
"One day Jesus said to His disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that he boat was being swamped and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him, saying "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked the disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."

Matthew 21:21-22
"Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

God’s Love Overwhelms Me!

Brenda Boen
January 26, 2013

God never said everything would be perfect but He does promise He will go through everything with us. He allows us to go through trials to strengthen and deepen our faith and our relationship with Him. It is not always what we want to happen but He has a purpose. All along the journey if we keep our eyes focused on Him who is in control we begin to trust that “He’s got this!” And He sees the bigger picture. Make no mistake. He has a plan. We can’t see it but our wise and Holy God does. And in the end, when the trial is over or perhaps along the journey, God comes along and does something that is just so miraculous that it can overwhelm us. The sense we get that God is THAT loving and really cares, just makes us want to drop on our knees and cry thanking Him for caring so much. His unmerited grace is freely given to bless our socks off! When we ask God for something and it aligns with His will, He is happy to grant them. He loves us that much. Oh, that I would love others (and show it) as much as God does.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12

Stay faithful under pressure!

See my related God Story that inspired this devotion:

God Still Performs Miracles

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Do You Have Scruples?

By Brenda Boen
December 5, 2012

Anyone ever ask you if you have scruples? Do you even know what that means, really? The dictionary defines scruples as “a doubt or hesitation that troubles the conscience or that comes from the difficulty of determining whether something is right.” So, if someone asks you if you have scruples they really want to know if you know right from wrong. So do you? I have learned from experience that if you don’t know the truth you will believe a lie. I have also learned that you can know the truth and deliberately ignore it to satisfy your own sinful desires.

Romans 1:18-20 says “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

The Bible packs a pretty good punch saying we can clearly see and are without excuse. And it also calls people wicked and godless those who suppress the truth. That is all well and good when you realize how bad the world has gotten with all the sinful desires and acts that are prevalent. But what about you? Do you classify yourself in this category? Do you act wicked and godless? What do you struggle with that makes you doubt or hesitate and troubles your conscience? Do you look the other way when something is obviously wrong? Do you participate in things that you know is wrong but do it anyway? Are you satisfying your own sinful desires and trying to tiptoe away hoping no one will call what you do sin, not to mention God seeing it?

Maybe you speed knowing that you are breaking the law. Maybe you keep that extra change at the store knowing it doesn’t belong to you. Maybe you are having sex outside of marriage knowing full well that God does not approve. Maybe you just told a “little lie” or a really big one for some selfish reason. Maybe you are around people that are leading you in the wrong direction. What could be clouding your conscience to do the right thing?

We are all clearly sinful, that is a fact. The good news is that God forgives sin. When we humble ourselves and confess our sins God will forgive us and set us on a new path. But, we have to choose to walk that path in the correct direction following God’s ways and His truth. That is not only a day to day process but a moment by moment process. The enemy tempts us constantly to make the wrong decisions. But with God as our strength and our power we can resist that temptation.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

So how do you keep a clear conscience and have scruples? You must first know what truth is. We learn that by studying God’s Word. And we have to train just as a runner does for the race. That means constantly training, not just to read it sometimes. If a runner runs only a little here and there he will not have built up the endurance he needs to run a successful race. We too, need endurance to run this spiritual and moral race of life. When moral dilemmas are presented to us we must know how to respond and how to resist. And the more we resist the easier it becomes. Oh, we will still be tempted. That is a fact. However, the more we practice resistance the more commonplace it will become. Then we will be able to stand against evil.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10-17

So let me ask you again. Do you have scruples and a clear conscience? Strive today to resist evil and walk the path of righteousness. Get into God’s word and find out how to live. And keep reading and resisting and live a righteousness life so no one will ever have to ask you if you have scruples. Live your life in such a way that people know without a doubt where you stand.

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Life is Not Measured by Breaths

Zephaniah 3:17 - Timeline Cover

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Use An Eraser - Timeline Cover

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Saturday, December 01, 2012

Where is Your Focus?

By Brenda Boen

December 1, 2012

The rush is on! The rush to shop for all those presents, the rush to get the house clean to get the tree and decorations up, the rush to finalize the year end reports and the dreaded New Year’s resolutions on how we are going to make next year different. Feeling any pressure? During all the hustle and bustle how many times do you stop to reflect and keep your focus on what is important? I was told several years ago to “keep the main thing, the main thing.” What is the main thing for you? If you could turn off the entire world and sit in quiet for a moment what would you reflect on?

My husband has Stage 4 Cancer. This past year has been a hustle and bustle of surgeries, chemo treatments, endless tests and doctor appointments. We’ve had the conversations about “what if” and “when” and taking care of needed things. We’ve had to deal with the financial burdens and stress of a mountain of medical bills as well. At first we didn’t focus too much on the future because there simply wasn’t time between keeping up with appointments and treatments. Then there was the not feeling good and the caregiving and the unknown. But as my husband’s body began to recover from the initial shock of everything that had been thrown at it, we were able to settle in and look forward to each day.

My husband remarked that cancer was just a bump in the road of life. I replied that it was more like a pot hole. But all during everything we both commonly remark that God is still in control. He did not give Paul cancer but has allowed it in his life. We don’t always understand everything but we know that God is always with us through it all. And as we have experienced, life is precious, every moment.

So, even throughout all we have been going through, we have kept the main thing the main thing. What is the main thing? It’s our focus on our relationship with God. It is paramount to our existence and our being. Without God, life doesn’t make sense. We certainly have had many opportunities to question God and we could have cursed Him as well. But we haven’t. God hasn’t changed and He hasn’t done this to punish us. If anything, this experience has grown us closer to God and made us realize that all the hustle and bustle of life is just blowing in the wind as Solomon put it. What matters is how we relate to God and to other people. It’s not being successful in business or accumulating things or being better than others. When it’s all over all that matters is your relationship to God, the One who created you in the first place to have a relationship with Him. And oh, what a sweet loving relationship that is. I can’t imagine going through what we’ve been through without the love of God. With Him we have the hope of a future without pain and suffering that this world offers. When Paul was first diagnosed his remark was that it was a win-win situation for him. Either God would heal him here on earth or he’d get to go home to heaven sooner for the ultimate healing. Now that is something to look forward to!

Our sole purpose of existence is to have a relationship with God. God created us for that purpose—to have a relationship with Him. He has given us His Word, the bible, with instructions to know how to have a relationship with Him. But because we are sinful we cannot get to Him. So He sent His one and only Son who sacrificed His life and blood on the cross to bridge that gap and cleanse us from that sin and make us a new person. All we have to do is repent and turn from our sins and walk a new path, the path He has for us. And when we live with God our life has meaning and purpose. We have joy and happiness and God’s blessings. It all sounds so simple because it is. But first we have to die to ourselves meaning we must get our own pride and self out of the way and let God live through us. Sure we will still have troubles, but God is with us through it and we can see the sun through the clouds. I can’t image a life without God. I can’t imagine all that I’ve gone through in my life without God. I have true happiness in spite of sorrows and sickness and the sinful world around me. And I do mess up on a regular basis. But God forgives me. He says that when I repent that He will remember my sins no more. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 The past is the past. I just have to work on the present and continually ask God to forgive me where I mess up. And He is faithful to do that every time. Oh I can’t imagine what life is like without God in my life. I know some people think they are happy but inner peace and understanding that come from God is priceless and worth more than anything you could ever experience.

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

What are you focusing on? How is your relationship with God? Are you walking with Him or away from Him? You have a choice every minute of the day. All the choices you make will shape the outcome of your life. Are you keeping the main thing the main thing?

Sitting on the Sidelines

By Brenda Boen
March 25, 2012

Recently I watched my grandson play baseball. This was one of the first games of the season and his coaches had chosen to play an older team for a scrimmage. These boys were taller, older and much more experienced at playing baseball. They were very good at working together and throwing and catching the ball when needed. They could hit the ball very well and actually where they intended it to go. One boy was very good at bunting too. They were also very aggressive in stealing base, which netted them several runs because the younger team made bad throws and were not as quick reacting. When it was all said and done, the other team won 12 to 1. I talked to my grandson after the game and pointed out all the things that the other team did and how they could learn from them. When I asked him what he learned from that game he said “Don’t play with older kids!” A somewhat wise remark but it got me to thinking about how we sometimes avoid things in life because they are too hard.

Life is like this. We can sit on the sidelines and observe what to do and what not to do. We can get in the game or sit and watch it from the stand. I always used to tell my daughters that you don’t always have to experience things for yourself. You can watch others make stupid mistakes and then just not do what they do. You can observe how others live and pick up pointers in what is good and what is not. And you can also sit on the sidelines and not participate in life at all thinking you will make mistakes. Sometimes life involves risks. Most are not life threatening or result in disaster. Some things are actually good to experience. Most are things we can experience and make a difference in our life or the lives of others. And some things will teach us much needed life lessons.

Are you afraid to get in the game for fear of failing or making mistakes? Do you prefer to sit by while life passes you by? Or are you willing to get in the game of life and live even though it does sometimes take risks on your part? Often times what we fear is the unknown. Do we lay it all on the line and hope it doesn’t turn out bad? Or do we just go for it praying for the best? Or do we play it safe and just avoid it altogether?

What are some risky things in the Christian life for you? Is it telling others about Jesus? Are you afraid you are going to fail because you don’t know enough scripture or just the right words to say? Are you afraid to commit to a ministry because you feel inadequate? Are you afraid to play in the big league because others know more than you? You know, God doesn’t call the qualified and the experienced. He calls the willing. When we step out in faith and do things for Him He will bless it and He will be with us through it.

God tells us to have faith in Him. He will not give us more than we can handle. “I can do all things through Him who give me strength.” Philippians 4:13 The power we receive in union with Christ is sufficient to do His will and to face the challenges that arise from our commitment to doing it. So don’t be timid, God is your strength. Rely on Him and have faith. And get into the game!