Tagged: Audrey Frank

He gives strength to the weary, and to the one who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary (Isaiah 40:29-31). Listen to Me in silence, you coastlands, And let the peoples gain new strength…(Isaiah 41:1). The Lord is aware we are downtrodden, battle-weary. He sees us marching through the fog of weariness, calloused fists gripping His promises, battered brows fierce with determination. Thus, He begins Isaiah 40 with comfort and kindness. Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call… Read More

Thou preparest a shulchan before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with shemen (olive oil); my kos (cup) runneth over. Surely tov (goodness) and chesed (lovingkindness) shall follow me kol y’mei chaiyyai (all the days of my life)... --Psalm 23:4-6, Orthodox Jewish Bible Shulchan: (Hebrew) a king’s table, private use, sacred use (Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon; keyed to the "Theological Word Book of the Old Testament"). My table-setter was very busy. The most colorful rug, the one woven by her great-grandmother and carefully cherished and preserved, was the one chosen as a “tablecloth” for eating. I watched as Nadia tenderly unrolled it and placed it on her immaculately clean floor in the center of the room. Next, silk embroidered cushions… Read More

Hello, again, dear fellow pilgrim. As we journey through the beginning of this new uncertain year, we are taking time to look at the things that are certain, the immovable, unchanging character of God. This is our second week looking long into the heart of God's hesed love. Hesed is a Hebrew word used to describe God's tender mercy, compassion, and lovingkindness. To read Part One of our study of the hesed character of God, click here. God extends His hesed invitation to every person, written in flowing script upon cultures and people groups throughout the world. Your honored presence is requested by the One who loves you with endless mercy and compassion. Come as you are. The hesed invitation transcends language and time, for… Read More

You have made us a byword among the nations;     the peoples shake their heads at us. I live in disgrace all day long,     and my face is covered with shame… Rise up and help us;     rescue us because of your unfailing love. Psalm 44: 14, 15, 26 Shame is not a foreign concept limited to countries where women are hidden behind the hijab, men commit honor-killings, or children with disabilities are forced to leave the villages of their birth. At the time of this writing, shame has shrouded the United States. We are a shame nation and the world is watching. We see shame differently than almost two-thirds of the world. (See the Global Map of Culture types here.) Shame is not the primary lens through… Read More

And he shall be the stability of your times (Isaiah 33:6). In the mountains where I grew up, there is a mile-high bridge stretching across a mountain between two rocky cliffs. Only the brave dare cross through the frequent dense clouds and high winds that make the narrow bridge swing and sway far above the security of the solid earth below. I once stood in the middle of the bridge, gripped the cables on either side and closed my eyes, trying to overcome my fear of heights. The metal panels that form the crossing wobbled unsteadily beneath me as the wind howled, cruelly mocking my courage. The only thing that held me steady was imagining the immovable stability of the towering rock just ahead of… Read More

[caption id="attachment_3724" align="alignnone" width="720"] The plans you can trust are the ones you yield to the Lord.[/caption] The mind of a person plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). Trust in God, but tie your camel tightly. -Arab Proverb Man plans, and God laughs. -Mike Kappel, Forbes Magazine This year, we lost the privilege of plans. But you can’t stop a good human from planning. Hope is rising all around, and folks are planning their hearts out. The 2021 planner aisle at Target was almost empty last week. We are expectant, people! How do we face a year of aspirations during a global pandemic that has delayed weddings, halted flights, caused people to die alone, shut down jobs, and exponentially increased… Read More

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3). I discovered an early Christmas gift this week, tucked away in the pages of Hebrews. Jesus wrapped it Himself for each of us in His own humanity when He was born on Christmas Day. And this is a gift we need now more than ever. Jesus learned Endurance from the moment He took his first frosty breath as a newborn, gulping in the frigid night air of a stable in Bethlehem.… Read More

[caption id="attachment_3700" align="aligncenter" width="596"] For my mother-in-love, a Master Gardener who taught me the fruitful practice of hard pruning.[/caption] I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1-2). Well, it seems we are all going to have a holly, jolly, pruning Christmas. The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines pruning in various degrees: trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth. cut away (a branch or stem). reduce the extent of (something) by removing superfluous or unwanted parts. December is a bit… Read More

For my mentor, her family, and all who hurt this holiday season. The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). No one wants to spend the holidays in a hospital.  No one ever wishes to spend Thanksgiving planning a loved one’s funeral.  No one ever chooses to spend Christmas unwrapping bandages instead of gifts, tending wounds instead of Christmas dinner. Wounds on their child’s burned body so deep they don’t even bleed. Such thoughts are horrifying. But they are a reality for many people this holiday season. The word holiday derives from the old English “holy-day”. How ironic for those who hurt on the holidays, those in excruciating circumstances they never chose. How could a day meant… Read More

  Psalm 62, Our Champion Defender I am standing in absolute stillness, silent before the one I love, waiting as long as it takes for him to rescue me. Only God is my Savior, and he will not fail me. For he alone is my safe place. His wrap-around presence always protects me (??????) as my champion defender. I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him. Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion (Isaiah 8:17-18). Trusting the God I do not understand is very hard. Trusting the God who allows my… Read More