Tagged: Audrey Frank

But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.  Isaiah 52:12   Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.  Isaiah 58:8 For Fatuma and I, the village was a two-day journey on foot. Women were traveling to the retreat from much farther than I, so I felt I could not complain or speak aloud my Western fears about sleeping on the ground and drinking water I hadn’t personally filtered. Not to mention animals we might encounter along the way. I was… Read More

Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. Psalm 32:10 The steadfast love of the Lord is exceptional. Unlike what we commonly call love, His love will never tire of us. Think on this. The steadfast love of the Lord will never tire of you. The love of the Lord does not grow weary. He does not know compassion fatigue. The Lord is not fatigued by those who trust Him. He will not divorce you, ghost you, cancel you, or abandon you. You cannot wear His love out with your need. [bctt tweet="The steadfast #love of the Lord surrounds those who trust Him." username="audreycfrank"] Yes, troubles may surround you. Enemies. Problems you can’t seem to… Read More

Forget the former things;      do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!      Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness      and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 Dwell: Reside, live, have one’s home, have one’s residence, be settled, be housed, lodge, stay; abide; linger over, mull over, muse on, brood about, think about, be preoccupied by, be obsessed by, eat one’s heart out over, harp on about, discuss at length, elaborate on, expound on, keep talking about. It takes time to forget the past, but it takes only a moment to pack up and decide not to dwell there. Remembering and dwelling are two distinctly… Read More

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  Matthew 2:10-11   May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles      render him tribute,  may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! Psalm 72:10 A multitude of camels shall cover you,      the young camels of Mid′ian and Ephah;      all those from Sheba shall come.  They shall bring gold and frankincense,      and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.  Isaiah 60:6 We tend to value most that for which we pay the highest… Read More

for sw happy anniversary Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:12   Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”  Matthew 19:4-6 From a cultural perspective, Mary and Joseph's marriage was doomed. Christmas came square into the middle of a society that weighed life on the scales of honor and shame. Every decision and every behavior was measured against… Read More

I am a witness to the story I tell today. It is sure and true. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”  And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Revelation 5:5,9 There is a movement happening this Christmas across sand-swept deserts and barren basins of land long scarred by tribal conflict. Village elders are embracing Jesus. Skeptic women are surrendering to His… Read More

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. Isaiah 11:1 I named him Oliver, and he was the cutest olive tree I’d ever seen. Sitting brave in his hand-hewn pot right in the middle of the village market, he seemed to be expecting me. I bought him immediately and took him home to live on my terrace.  Day after day, I tended him. I read books about how to care for him; I carefully placed him in the optimal spot for sun. I watered him just the right amount. In winter I brought him inside, and he only complained slightly by dropping a few leaves. Spring came again, and he grew taller. I… Read More

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”  Joshua 3:7-8 Sometimes God commands us to stand still in the water so people can pass through. Intercessory prayer is one way we do that. Intercessory prayer is an act of leadership.  The work of intercession is like standing still in the water, bearing up the presence of the Lord and His covenant so the people can pass from… Read More

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 Waiting patiently is hard, especially when we can’t see what’s happening. Farmers know something about this. My daily walk takes me through a valley of farms. Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash, strawberries, grapes, and potatoes all grow in their seasons. One garden will be lush and green, while mere yards away, a plot lies plowed and ready for new seed. Yet another garden just beyond stands at attention, its earthen rows tidy and straight, planted, yet no sign of growth. My neighbors know how to make the most of the earth God has given them in all seasons.  But there is one thing hidden from the farmer and from us. Something he or she… Read More

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”  John 21:18 Sometimes we are carried where we do not want to go.  No one wants to lose a child. No one wants to be let go from a job just before retirement. No one wants to discover a spouse is addicted to pornography. No one wants to be forced out of home and… Read More