Liz Curtis Higgs's Blog, page 3

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful

I’m standing on tiptoe, waiting for the New Year to begin, knowing it’s going to be wonderful. Why? Because God is wonderful.

It’s not simply what He is. It’s who He is. It’s His name.

His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)

See that comma after wonderful? We often treat wonderful as an adjective paired with counselor, no comma between them. But many of the oldest English translations, including Wycliffe’s Bible (1382), Geneva Bible (1560), King James Version (1611), Young’s Literal Translation (1898), and the American Standard (1901) set the word wonderful apart.

Rightly so, since in Hebrew it’s a noun, peleh. It means “a wonder, a miracle, a marvelous thing.” It’s a name unto itself. “These will be his royal titles” (TLB), and one of them is Wonderful.

Some of the newest translations also use that notable comma, including New Life Version (2003) and 21st Century King James (1994). The Jubilee Bible (2000) says, “His name shall be called The Wonderful One,” and the Expanded Bible (2011) emphatically calls Him “Wonderful!”

Do I love the exclamation point? Yes!

The Orthodox Jewish Bible (2011) spells it out for us: “Peleh (Wonderful), Yoetz (Counsellor), El Gibbor (Mighty G-d), Avi Ad (Possessor of Eternity), Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace).” Yes, He is.

My main man in commentary land, Matthew Henry, wrote, “Justly is he called wonderful, for he is both God and man. His love is the wonder of angels and glorified saints; in his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, he was wonderful.”

He was and is and always will be Wonderful.

For years I began my prayers, “Dear Lord” or “Dear Jesus.” For 2019 and beyond, I’m going with “Dear Wonderful.” It’s a splendid name, so in keeping with His character.

If you see my little red car zipping down the road, I’ll no doubt be singing the praise song, “His Name Is Wonderful.” Sing along with an instrumental piano solo. Listen to a slow and soulful rendition from the Straight Gate Mass Choir. Or you might enjoy the , appropriately born one Christmas.

The Lord also invites us to call Him “Teacher” (NLV), “Advisor” (CEV) or “Counselor” (CSB). To address Him as “Powerful God” (ERV) or “The Mighty One” (JUB). To use the name “Eternal Father” (CEB) or “Father Who Lives Forever” (ICB). To call Him “Prince of Wholeness” (MSG) or “Prince Who Brings Peace.” (NIrV).

He is worthy of all those marvelous names and more. At the moment, I’m going with Wycliffe’s take, written six centuries before I embraced the grace of God: “His name schal be clepid Wondurful.”

2019 will indeed be a Wonderful year, especially if you join me every Wednesday!

On the first Wednesday of each month, we’ll spend 15 minutes together on Facebook LIVE, as I share what I’m learning about a dozen wonderful women in the New Testament. Jesus Girls, every one! All new stuff, all from the book I’m working on now. Yay! See you Wednesday, January 2 at 12:0onoon ET on Facebook.

On the second Wednesday of each month, watch for a new blog post on my website and in your inbox, exploring just one wonderful verse in my usual, word-by-word fashion. Of course, they’ll all feature the word wonderful because why not?

On the third Wednesday of each month, look for my Wonderful Wednesday Giveaway on Facebook. (Y’all loved this when I did it last summer.) Three new books by wonderful writers you’ve been wanting to read.

On the fourth Wednesday of each month, I’ll appear in your email inbox with a quick News Note with the latest on all things Lizzie and a wonderful contest as well.

When there’s a fifth Wednesday – January, May, July, October – I’ll give away three of my audiobooks from ChristianAudio. Every word from the books, read by the, um, author.

So looking forward to spending a wonder-filled 2019 with you!

Oh, my friend, this year I’m SO grateful for both the challenges (i.e. learning opportunities) and blessings that came my way, especially the latest “No Evidence of Disease” report from my oncologist, and the ongoing treatments that will keep me going in 2019. Your prayers are making all the difference!

I’m also deeply thankful for the 700 children of prisoners sponsored through our Prison Fellowship International events because of generous sisters like you.

Most of all, I’m celebrating the One whose name is Wonderful, now and forever. Thanks for joining me, beloved!

P.S. If you’re curious about the photos, our church has a beautiful Chrismon Tree, covered with ornaments made of white and gold, the liturgical colors of the season. Chrismon Trees only go back to 1957, but the many ancient symbols for Christ and His ministry are centuries old. Wonderful.

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Medicine for the Soul

When you long for blue October skies, bright autumn colors, and majestic mountains, head for Oregon. When you need a dose of healthy laughter, come to the Higgs house for dinner.

Everybody wanted homemade lasagna. My cooking skills are limited, but I can usually manage to layer pasta, ricotta cheese, and tomato sauce in a baking dish without mishap.

However, I’d never made two dishes at once — one for the meat lovers and one for the vegetarians in the family. When I reached for some wax paper so I could lay out the freshly cooked pasta to cool, I found to my dismay that the box was empty.

“Just leave the pasta in the hot water,” my son suggested. “Maybe add a little oil to keep it from sticking together.”

The first dish came together easily enough. But when I started on the second, the slippery, overcooked pasta came out of the water, not in long, ruffled strips, but in oddly shaped hunks. By the time I finished, my veggie lasagna looked like something a five-year-old would make with modeling clay.

Did I burst into tears? I did not. I burst out laughing.

Soon I was laughing so hard I had to sit down. My family, who’d wandered off, came back into the kitchen. “Mom? Are you all right?”

I was howling by this point, tears streaming down my face. When they saw the lasagna, they understood. Sort of.

All I know is, I hadn’t carried on like that in weeks. Months. And this verse from Proverbs is the absolute truth.

A cheerful heart is good medicine,… Proverbs 17:22

Like an invisible vitamin, cheerfulness “works healing” (AMPC) in your body until at last “you feel good” (CEV). The “curative balm” (VOICE) that happiness provides isn’t your imagination working overtime. It’s the Lord working full-time. It’s the Great Physician providing gehah — in Hebrew, “a healing, a cure.”

The physical benefits of being joyful are countless. Your blood pressure goes down, your ability to fight infection goes up, and the face you present to the world has fewer frown lines.

Alas, what happens when we lose our joy is another story.

…but a crushed spirit… Proverbs 17:22

Can you feel the weight of it pressing on your heart? When our spirits are crushed, our eyes give us away. Even if we’re smiling, people can see the pain and sadness inside. There’s a lack of sparkle, a dullness in our gaze. Despite our best efforts, “sorrow” (ERV) can’t be hidden, and a “broken spirit” (ASV) can’t be easily mended with a word or two.

“Lighten up!” people tell us. “Snap out of it!” These are not helpful comments for someone with “a downcast spirit” (LEB). For those who feel “gloomy all the time” (GNT), it takes more than a funny story, a humorous cartoon, or a clever one-liner to bring back the joy.

…dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

In Hebrew yabesh means “withered.” A perfect description for how depression makes you feel. It’s “a disease” (ERV) that “dries you up” (NIrV), that “drains your strength” (EXB) until “you hurt all over” (CEV) and are left “bone-tired” (MSG).

Depression is one of the Enemy’s favorite weapons. The debilitation is physical, mental, emotional, biological, spiritual, chemical, and very real.

Is there any hope? Absolutely. If you or someone you love suffers from depression, you are not alone. Your loving Savior can help you take back your life. He may use counselors or physicians or medicines to do so, but you can be sure the healing comes from Him.

A few Aprils ago I was diagnosed with clinical depression. Your ever-joyful Lizzie, who has loved Jesus for more than three decades? Yes. Why mention it here? Because I care about you, dear sister. And if my admission gives you the courage to seek professional advice, then praise God.

Please don’t let the fear of “What will people think?” keep you from getting the help you need. When our minds and bodies are no longer fighting against us, then joy has a chance to settle into our bones and begin the healing process.

True joy is knowing God and being known by Him. True joy is surrendering to His will and letting Him use any means He chooses to rescue us from darkness and bring us into the light.

He has rescued me. He has rescued many.

Our Jesus, knowing the cross waited for Him, assured His followers, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11). That’s my prayer for you, beloved: complete joy and freedom in Christ. Even when times are hard, keep a tight grip on this truth: “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy” (Job 8:21).

This month’s post is excerpted from Chapter 18 of 31 Proverbs to Light Your Path. Ready to win a copy? Simply share your thoughts below with any verse from Proverbs that’s especially meaningful to you. On Thursday, October 25 at 5:00pm EDT, I’ll choose five winners, contact each one by email, then pop five autographed copies of 31 Proverbs to Light Your Path in the mail.

If you missed our October 1st Facebook LIVE, watch it here for a fast, fun look at some Proverbs we all love. And don’t miss the super sale price of $1.99 on the 31 Proverbs e-book, available from Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and ChristianBook. Only a few days left, my frugal friend!

Honored to encourage you, this month and every month.

Your sister, Liz

P.S. We have eight more events this fall on our Endless Hope Tour presented by Prison Fellowship International. I’d love to see you in Warner Robins GA; Mishawaka IN; Greencastle IN; Fargo ND; Williston ND; Louisville KY; Haskell OK; or Oklahoma City OK. Laughter, worship, wisdom from God’s Word, and yes, endless hope! Join us?

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Hang On to Hope

Leah’s story — like many of our own — is tinged with disappointment and rejection. It’s also filled with hope. Glorious hope. Endless hope.

In Genesis 29 Leah gave her husband, Jacob, three healthy sons. But Jacob gave his heart to her beautiful younger sister, Rachel.

With each birth, Leah pleaded for relief from her heartache.

“Surely my husband will love me now.” Genesis 29:32
“…the Lord heard that I am not loved…” Genesis 29:33
“Now at last my husband will become attached to me…” Genesis 29:34

Leah never gave up. She never lost hope. And she never put aside her faith in the One who truly loved her.

During those years, Leah’s faith grew and matured. She discovered she was not alone and her life was not without purpose. Her God was with her. Her sons were with her. And before another season passed, her womb was full once more.

She conceived again,… Genesis 29:35

This was “the fourth time she conceived” (WYC), perhaps in as many years. All those little ones to care for, and yet God honored her hope and her prayers, and “she became pregnant again” (CEB).

Something remarkable happened during those nine months. It seems Leah looked at the children around her feet, gazed up at the heavens above, and realized how very much she was loved, how clearly blessed she was among women.

…and when she gave birth to a son… Genesis 29:35

We have no record of her deliveries being especially difficult. She simply “childed a son” (WYC). Notice how she didn’t seek out Jacob, wanting his attention or affection. And she didn’t turn to her sister or her father or her neighbors, needing their approval.

With a heart full of joy, Leah lifted her voice to the One who mattered most.

…she said, “This time…” Genesis 29:35

This time she chose wisely. Maybe not the other times, but this time she got it right. This time she turned to God, knowing she couldn’t change Jacob, but she could change herself.

“…I will…” Genesis 29:35

So decisive, so sure. “Now I shall acknowledge to the Lord” (WYC). Instead of blaming God for what she didn’t have, Leah began praising God for what she did have.

“…praise the Lord.” Genesis 29:35

Translated with even more energy, “Now will I praise the Lord!” (AMP).

It’s the first time in the New International Version we find the phrase “praise the Lord,” spoken by a woman who could have complained to the Lord, pleaded with the Lord, railed at the Lord, yet she did none of those things.

Instead, Leah, the unseen bride, the unloved wife, finally understood she was loved by God.

So she was. And so are you, dear one.

Each of us must come to that Leah place — a place where God is enough, where his grace is enough, where his love truly is enough.

I finally reached that place five years after I met the Lord and mere days after I met Bill, now my sweet husband for 32 years and counting. Our first date was joy unspeakable. He’s the one! my heart kept whispering.

Yet when Bill left my house that evening, I called my best friend and said, “I just found the man of my prayers. And if he never calls me again, I’ll be okay.”

That was a huge step for a woman like me, who’d spent a lost decade looking for love and settling for less. Much less. To find a terrific guy and yet be willing to let him go, knowing I was fully loved by God — that for me was the Leah place.

Have you landed there, friend? Do you know how much God loves you?

Leah’s four sons and her changed heart were living proof of God’s love for her.

So she named him Judah. Genesis 29:35

The very sound of his name was like the Hebrew word for praise, as God gave Leah “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:3).

The arrival of that fourth son of hers — that “praise the Lord” son — marked the start of something big. “For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah” (Hebrews 7:14). Much as we admire godly Joseph, Rebekah’s first son, it was kingly Judah, Leah’s fourth son, whom God chose to bear the royal seed.

The opening words of the New Testament tell the tale: “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah” (Matthew 1:1-2).

If we listed the mothers rather than the fathers, it would be Sarah, Rebekah, Leah: two beauties loved by their husbands and one tender-eyed woman loved by God.

This month’s post is adapted from the chapter “Morning Has Broken” in the updated edition of Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible, our featured Book by Book for August. You’ll find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and ChristianBook. Naturally, I have copies to give away!

Fifteen years ago, before I wrote Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible, I wrapped this Genesis story in tartan and heather for a series of Scottish historical novels, beginning with Thorn in My Heart. If you’d like to win both books, scroll down to comment on this post — perhaps something you’ve learned from our sister, Leah.

On Thursday, August 30 at 5:00pm EDT, I’ll choose five winners, contact each one by email, then pop your autographed copies of Thorn in My Heart and Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible in the mail.

What joy it is to open God’s Word with you, month by month, book by book! 

Your grateful sister, Liz

P.S. Our next Facebook LIVE event will be this Saturday, September 1 at 12:00noon EDT, as together we Embrace Grace. Can’t wait to welcome you to the Forgiven Life!

P.P.S. Missed our August 1 Facebook LIVE for Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible? Watch it here anytime. And if listening is your thing, you’ll find podcasts on each of our five Slightly Bad Girls here.

P.P.P.S. I’d love to connect with you in person this autumn at one of the 30 events where I’ll be speaking. Details here. Still feeling good, still going strong, thanks be to God!

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Better Together

Saturday mornings are made for ironing. No, not that kind, beloved. This kind of iron, meant to smooth away our rough edges and strengthen our friendships.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

I’ve quoted this verse for years as if I knew what I was talking about. But the truth is, I’d never met a real blacksmith and had no idea how this sharpening business works. Now I do. In thirty seconds you will too.

As iron sharpens iron,… Proverbs 27:17

The Bible tells us “iron is made sharp with iron” (NLV), a process that begins with a standard metal file and an iron blade. The iron blade is propped on a support — say, a small wooden block — and then the metal file is drawn across the edge of the blade in slow, measured strokes until a sharp, rough edge is created.

Next the “iron is whetted” (WYC) using a small amount of oil on a whetstone. Rubbing the iron blade against the oiled stone smoothes away the rough edge, leaving the blade polished and sharper still.

So far, so good? Then “in the same way that iron sharpens iron” (VOICE), heavy-duty sandpaper is cautiously smoothed along both sides of the blade. This blends the edge with the rest of the surface and makes the finished product exceedingly sharp.

Handle with care.

Sharp, pointy objects do a fine job of slicing bread for a meal or slicing the air in a sword fight. But they also can pierce our hearts and pry us open: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

In this favorite verse from Proverbs, the Hebrew word barzel means “iron tool.” When we use our words like swords, we need to follow the Spirit’s leading. Instead of cutting in two, open gently. Instead of rubbing the wrong way, polish. Instead of inflicting new wounds, smooth over the old ones.

…so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 

The Hebrew word rea means not just any person but a “friend, companion, fellow, neighbor.” Someone we know well. Someone we care about and who cares about us.

Our goal as believers is to hone one another so we become sharper and more effective in our faith. People opposed to God may “sharpen their tongues like swords” (Psalm 64:3),  but those of us who love Him are called to “improve each other” (NCV).

Three centuries ago Matthew Henry said, “Wise and profitable discourse sharpens men’s wits.” Still true today. Conversation — one-on-one, eye to eye — accomplishes far more than texting, tweeting, or sending e-mails.

After all, our faces talk too. Eyebrows rise with surprise or furrow with confusion. Mouths smile, frown, twist. Noses wrinkle.

The Hebrew word paneh means “face.” Literally, “friends sharpen each other’s faces” (CEB). We smooth away the rough spots, not with sandpaper, but with wisdom. We “whetteth the face” (WYC) of a friend, not with a stone, but with a timely word.

The end result is better “character” (CJB) and sharper “minds” (CEV). Friends are meant to encourage one another and cheer on one another, adding color and beauty to their lives like these stunning roses from a New Zealand garden.

Yet sometimes we have to say hard things and risk a cherished friendship for the greater good.

After I had spoken at several Women of Faith conferences, two of my platform sisters approached me backstage and told me in no uncertain terms that I was no longer to make fun of my abundant body. “Own it, Liz. Don’t trample it.”

Oh my. What I thought was entertaining, even empowering, came off as self-deprecating and little else. Ouch. Still, these women knew me, loved me, and wanted God’s best for me. However much the truth hurt, it was still the truth, and I took their wise counsel to heart.

God’s Word assures us “wounds from a friend can be trusted” (Proverbs 27:6). If your conscience has been pricked by someone who genuinely cares for you, keep this truth in mind: her words were meant to help and designed to heal. And if they were sent from God, they’ll do both.

Another friend showed me how to do life better without saying a word. I’d exchanged presents with her through many holiday seasons, always hoping she enjoyed the gifts I’d chosen especially for her.

She kindly returned the favor, sending me an equally thoughtful present, until one Christmas when all I received was a card with a note: “I gave a donation to this wonderful charity in your name.”

My first response? Humph. This isn’t a gift. It’s a tax write-off. (Sorry. That’s the sad truth of it.) I kept looking at the donor card, trying to get excited about the idea and failing miserably.

Finally the Lord opened my eyes.

Do you need yet another present, Liz? I do not.

Do impoverished families need help? They do.

Whether she did so by intent or by accident, my friend had provided the gift I needed most: fresh eyes to see my shortsightedness and a chance to follow her fine example.

Father God, thank You for all my sword-bearing friends. They open Your Word to me when I need it most, and they close my mouth when I need that too. Help me be as brave and loving as my friends are. Help me not only speak Your truth in love but also live out Your truth in deed.

This month’s post comes from the chapter “Sharp Edge, Clean Cut” in 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart. If you’ve not picked up your copy yet, as of today it’s still just $1.99 on Kindle. What a bargain, eh? Certain to disappear soon.

Prefer the hardcover book? Feel free to order that instead (smile). I also have five copies I’d love to give away. Simply scroll down to Share Your Thoughts and comment on this post. Maybe something that resonated with you, or a word you needed to hear today.

On Wednesday, July 25 at 5:00pm EDT I’ll choose five winners, contact each one by email to confirm a shipping address, then pop your autographed copy of 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart in the mail.

How I love diving into God’s Word with you, month by month, book by book!

Your sister, Liz

P.S. Our next Facebook LIVE will be Wednesday, August 1 at 12:00noon EDT, as together we open a brand-new edition of Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible: Flawed Women Loved by a Flawless God, releasing Tuesday, July 24. Missed our July 1 Facebook LIVE for 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart? No worries. You can watch it here anytime.

P.P.S. I’m still feeling great and exceedingly grateful, especially since I don’t need to see my oncologist again until November. Yay! I can never thank you enough for your prayers and encouragement, and hope to hug you in person at an upcoming event!

The post Better Together appeared first on Liz Curtis Higgs.

Beautiful You

When you looked in the mirror this morning, did you like what you saw?

Most of us see double chins, tiny wrinkles, ugly blemishes, spreading crow’s feet, dark circles under our eyes — the list goes on and on.

Truth is, we seldom look in a mirror unless we’re looking for a problem.

“Is my hair okay?”

“Do I need more lipstick?”

And the classic: “Does this dress make me look fat?”

What if you saw a woman who was uniquely created by God in His image? A woman who isn’t “better than” or “worse than” or in need of an overhaul. And one who is definitely happy. Because trust me, that’s what I see.

When I look at you, sitting out there in the third row at one of my presentations, when I see your upturned face, full of life, ready to laugh, I do not see wrinkles, blemishes, or double chins. I do not see figure flaws or flabby thighs. I see a beautiful woman. One who is radiantly alive, willing to learn, ready to grow, expectant, joy-filled, eager to embrace all that life has to offer.

You are something else!

That’s not me, you may say. I’m not in your third row. I’m here at home and I’m miserable and I hate my lumpy body, and radiant is not what I feel.

Understood.

What I’m talking about transcends feelings and moves into the realm of faith in order to become fact.

That radiant, alive woman is in you, even if you can’t see her yet. She was hiding in me for decades before I realized it, and she is in you now. And she wants out!

This month’s verse from Rise and Shine says it all.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Everything includes beautiful you (and all these splendid begonias). We’re talking “all things” (DRA), “the whole” (YLT) of God’s creation. The Hebrew word yā·p̄eh is translated “beautiful” or “handsome” or “comely,” but it’s also rendered “appropriate” or “fitting”. There’s a sense of rightness about it. Everything God made is “good” (DRA) and “suited” (CJB) to its purpose. It’s “beautiful in itself” (MSG), not in comparison to anyone or anything else.

What makes you beautiful is revealed “at the right time” (CEV) and “in its season” (YLT). I confess, I fretted over the last phrase. Is it “in its time” (NASB) or “in his time” (KJV)? Then I realized it doesn’t matter, because the end result is the same. His time is the right time. It’s the time. It’s your time.

The Lord created and defined beauty in our world. Surely He didn’t make lovely butterflies, exquisite flowers, and gorgeous sunsets, and leave out womankind, the crown of his creation!

By God’s design, women come in all shapes and sizes — large and small, short and tall. In every home, in every workplace, in every social setting, in every church, there are as many different sizes, shapes, colors, and characteristics as there are women.

Luci Swindoll once wrote, “When you love yourself and accept yourself for who you are, you have nothing left to prove.” So right. Each one of us is different, beloved. And those differences are good.

Lord Jesus, help me see myself as You do: beautifully made according to Your divine design. Forgive me for comparing myself to others and wishing I were different. Starting today, let me not only accept myself, but also accept others exactly as they are, knowing that they, too, were created in Your incomparable image.

This month’s post comes from the chapter “Mirror Image” in Rise and Shine. Another reader favorite is “Practically Perfect,” which offers the best way to start your day: “Simply stand in front of a mirror — fully dressed, of course — stretch out your arms with joy and say it like you mean it: ‘Ta-da!’”

For a fun reminder, I created Ta-da! Cards with vinyl clings that pop on your mirror (you can peel them off just as easily). This month, I have ten sets with ten cards each to give way – one for you, nine for your friends – going to ten beautiful winners!

Kindly leave a comment below. On Saturday, June 30 at 12:00noon EDT I’ll contact each winner by email to confirm a shipping address, then pop your Ta-da! Cards in the mail.

Have I mentioned how precious you are to me?

Your sister, Liz

P.S. Our July Facebook LIVE will be Sunday, July 1 at 2:00pm EDT, as together we open the pages of 31 Verses to Write on Your Heart.  And if you missed our June Facebook LIVE for Rise and Shine, you can watch it anytime!

P.P.S. Earlier this month my oncologist said these beautiful words: “No Evidence of Disease.” Praise God! Five intense rounds of radiation in March obliterated the cancer cells, and thanks to five rounds of immunotherapy since then, no other tumors have developed. Yay! I’ll continue with half-hour infusions every three weeks, just to keep me healthy. Very few side effects, no big deal. God is faithful and His mercies are new every morning. I’m beyond grateful for your prayers and support!

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To the Ends of the Earth

May is the best month for a leap across the pond. Lambs gambol along the hedgerows, and the rolling hills and glens are covered with the greenest grass you can imagine. – My Heart’s in the Lowlands

Everything I love about Scotland is the Lord’s handiwork. In truth, all that makes our planet a fine place to call home is His doing. This month, a gentle nudge from the prophet Isaiah calls us to remember the power and majesty of our Creator.

Because when the world gets ugly, it helps to recall God’s beauty.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Isaiah 40:28

When Isaiah asks, “Don’t you yet understand?” (TLB) and “Haven’t you been listening?” (MSG), we shrug, then nod, somewhat embarrassed. Yes, we do know. And yes, we have heard. But we’re a forgetful people.

We read the Bible, acknowledge the wisdom we find there, then put it aside and live as if everything depends on us, when absolutely everything depends on God.

That’s why the prophet prods us with his words, “Surely you know the truth. Surely you have heard” (ERV).

Tell us again, Lord. Please tell us again.

The Lord is the everlasting God,… Isaiah 40:28

He is not only “God from of old” (NABRE); He is also “God who lives forever!” (ERV). His eternal nature means His loving-kindness stretches beyond the limits of time.

That painful memory trapped in your mind? God daily applies the cleansing, healing balm of His Word, tending your wound until no scar tissue remains.

That thing that weighs on your heart today? God already knows when that burden will be lifted and is even now preparing you for it and growing you through it.

That fear of the future that clouds your thoughts? God has every hour, day, week, month, and year of your life well in hand, including all those yet to come.

Rest in this beloved: “God doesn’t come and go. God lasts” (MSG). He who made us will see us through.

…the Creator of the ends of the earth. Isaiah 40:28

God is the One who made everything with His own hands. He is the “Preparer” (YLT), the glorious “Creator of all you can see or imagine” (MSG). Even if we can’t travel the world and see it firsthand, we know the One who shaped and formed it to His liking. “He created all the faraway places on earth” (ERV). Like Australia and Bolivia and Cambodia. And aye, like Scotland.

He will not grow tired or weary,… Isaiah 40:28

Isaiah offers still more encouragement. Unlike us, our Creator “doesn’t pause to catch his breath” (MSG) or “need to rest” (EXB). He “never becomes faint” (CSB) or “worn out” (NIrV) or “fatigued” (YLT). Never.

When we stop, He keeps going. When we’re exhausted, He’s just getting started. He doesn’t grow tired of us, weary of us, impatient with us, or disgusted with us. However long it takes to recreate us into the image of His Son, our God “shall not fail, neither shall travail” (WYC).

Not only can He do what we cannot do; He also knows what we cannot know.

… and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28

However hard we try to comprehend His teachings, “His wisdom cannot be measured” (CEV). However long we study His ways, “No one understands his thoughts” (GNT). We can’t get our heads around this, because we can’t get our heads around this. “No one will ever know how great his understanding is” (NIrV). No one.

We can search for all the facts we want on Google, but “His understanding is unsearchable” (WEB) and “inscrutable” (NASB) and “beyond human reach” (CEB).

Everything we need to know about God is revealed in His Word, yet no single book could contain all that He is and all that He knows.

What does this mean for us? God is not limited by our limitations. We are made in His image, but He is certainly not made in ours. Since “there is no limit to his understanding” (CSB), we can believe in Him fully, rest in Him safely, and trust in Him completely to the ends of the earth.

Heavenly Father, we know You made us, because Your Word says it. We know You love us, because Your Son proves it. You don’t ask us to understand You, Lord. You ask us to obey You, knowing You alone make that possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen and amen.

All through May, many have been reading our featured Book by Book, My Heart’s in the Lowlands: Ten Days in Bonny Scotland. Now that you’ve visited this lovely corner of the world from the comfort of your armchair, you can travel through time with the first novel in my Lowlands of Scotland series, Thorn in My Heart, transporting the biblical story of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel to eighteenth-century Galloway.

If historical fiction is your cup of tea, kindly leave a comment below. On Wednesday, May 30 at 5:00pm EDT I’ll choose 5 winners, contact each one by email to confirm a shipping address, then pop your autographed novel in the mail. Yet another way to visit bonny Scotland!

Until then, dear friend, thanks for joining me on this journey called Life.

Your sister, Liz

P.S. Listen this weekend on the Faith Radio Network for my new message, The Women of Proverbs 31 (yes, women is correct!). And on Friday, June 1 at 12:00noon EDT, watch my next Facebook LIVE with Rise and Shine: Encouragement to Start Your Day!

 

The post To the Ends of the Earth appeared first on Liz Curtis Higgs.

Undone by His Grace

Of all the beautiful, meaningful, powerful verses in the book of Ruth, one lays me flat every time I read it.

First, her backstory: Ruth the Moabitess was a stranger in a strange land, newly arrived in Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi. After spending the morning gleaning barley in the fields of Boaz, Ruth met the wealthy landowner, who called her “daughter,” and then showered her with a series of gentle but firm commands:

“Listen to me”
“Don’t go and glean in another field”
“Don’t go away from here”
“Stay with the women who work for me”
“Watch the field where the men are harvesting”
“Follow along after the women”
“Whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink”

Ruth 2:8-9

With this remarkable burst of words, her kinsman-redeemer procured her, protected her, and provided for her. Oh my.

You can imagine how Ruth responded.

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. Ruth 2:10

Undone by his kindness and generosity, Ruth “fell on her face” (CJB), humbly “casting herself prostrate upon the ground” (NABRE). Do you see her, beloved? Damp forehead pressed against the soil of the field? Rough hands still clasping bits of grain?

Ruth was a fatherless foreigner, a widow without means. She was the very least of these.

Yet Boaz saw her. The same way the Lord saw Hagar (Genesis 16:13). The same way the Lord saw Leah (Genesis 29:31). Boaz saw her and cared for her and blessed her.

Somehow, Ruth found the courage to ask why.

She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me…”  Ruth 2:10

In every translation, Ruth’s astonishment is clear:

“Why should you be so concerned about me?” (GNT)
“Why are you paying attention to me?” (CJB)
“Why are you so good to me?” (CEV)
“Why have you been so kind to notice me?” (NCV)
“Why do you care about me?” (NLV)
“Why have I found grace in thine eyes…” (KJV)

Grace is the answer to all our whys. God is good to us because God is goodness itself. He cares for us because He is ever caring. He loves us because He is always loving. He sees us because He never takes His eyes off His own —

Yes, even when His chosen ones are born in a pagan land.

“—a foreigner?” Ruth 2:10

Her honesty floors me. Ruth didn’t need to point out her otherness. Even so, she reminded Boaz, “You know I come from another country” (CEV). Words like “stranger” (KJ21) and “immigrant” (CEB) and “alien” (OJB) make her lineage clear. “I am not an Israelite” (EXB), she told him.

Boaz wasn’t concerned about her past; Ruth’s future was all that mattered to him. He was determined to rescue her, to redeem her, to restore her.

Our Lord Jesus is even more determined to redeem us. To pay the price for our sins and buy us back from the prince of this world.

To give us a new name: His. To give us a new life: His. To give us a new home: His.

Heavenly Father, day after day you astound us with Your grace. Like Ruth, we long to know why. Because, like Ruth, we’ve done nothing to deserve Your favor. Rather than protest our unworthiness, let us proclaim Your utter worthiness and receive Your gift of grace with humble, grateful hearts. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

All through April, we’ve been reading The Girl’s Still Got It: Take a Walk with Ruth and the God Who Rocked Her World. Some have read the book. Others have watched the DVD. Now I’d love to share 5 copies of the unabridged audiobook from ChristianAudio, narrated by your Lizzie.

Kindly leave a comment at the end of this blog post. On Monday, April 30 at 5:00pm EDT, I’ll choose 5 winners, contact each one by email to get a shipping address, then pop your audiobook in the mail.

Until then, dear friend, bless you for doing life with me!

Your sister, Liz

P.S. Even as my immunotherapy treatments for cancer roll on, so do all the things I care about most: sharing God’s Word on the road, teaching God’s Word on the radio, and opening God’s Word with you on the first of each month. Join me Tuesday, May 1 at 12noon EDT for our next Facebook LIVE with our Book by Book for May, My Heart’s in the Lowlands!

The post Undone by His Grace appeared first on Liz Curtis Higgs.

Rahab

Each weekend on Word by Word, Liz Curtis Higgs focuses on a different biblical character, exploring both familiar narratives and fascinating, lesser-known stories.

Follow along with Liz’s teaching through the study guide available here.

https://tracking.feedpress.it/link/18672/8044492/Rehab.mp3

The post Rahab appeared first on Liz Curtis Higgs.

The Woman at the Well

Each weekend on Word by Word, Liz Curtis Higgs focuses on a different biblical character, exploring both familiar narratives and fascinating, lesser-known stories.

Follow along with Liz’s teaching through the Bible study guide available here.

https://tracking.feedpress.it/link/18672/7999452/01-06-18-Word-By-Word.mp3

The post The Woman at the Well appeared first on Liz Curtis Higgs.

All the Light You Need

Sunrise over the Galilee? Almost. This quiet place is tucked inside the new Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. In the exhibits and floors around us are amazing high-tech displays, but not here. Just simple benches and peaceful scenery and a moment to reflect on what the Bible means to all of us.

And especially, what the Bible means to you.

When I was young and foolish, I thought the Bible was an antiquated book of rules, a boring list of thou-shalt-nots. Only after I’d come to the end of myself did I finally understand how God uses His Word — His spoken, written, living Word — to call us “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 NASB).

We are grateful, Lord. Every one of us.

As this year draws to a close and a new year beckons, many believers will choose one word for 2018. I confess, my word each year is always the same: His Word.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

This cherished verse from the Psalms contains just five Hebrew words, all of them nouns. In the Hebrew Bible, they fall in this order: lamp, feet, word, light, path. That means word lands in the middle — illumined by lamp, put in motion by feet, surrounded by light, and given direction by path.

How like His Word, to be at the center of everything!

Maybe you’re thinking, “But where’s the word is?” It’s implied, but not included in this verse. Sometimes God speaks to His people in shorthand. Just the nouns. Just the facts. Just what we need.

…a lamp… Psalm 119:105

God’s Word is “a light for my journey” (CEB) and for yours, shining like a beacon, season after season.

Psalm 119:130 tells us, “The unfolding of your words gives light.” Truth is, the whole of Psalm 119 sings the praises of God’s Word, and each verse is more delicious than the last:

“I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” 119:16
“Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” 119:89
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” 119:103

Like I said, delicious.

Over the last year, you and I have spent time together in His Word, exploring the stories of His women all through Lent and Advent. We’ve written His Word on our hearts, and applied His Word in our lives, grateful the Bible “guides” (ERV) us every minute of every hour.

Verse by verse, we’ve discovered the lamp of His Word is sufficient to banish the darkness from our hearts and light the path ahead. When we don’t know what to do, we still know where to turn.

…for my feet… Psalm 119:105

How personal this verse is! Not just anyone’s feet, not just anyone’s path. Yours, beloved, and mine too.

As I’ve walked out my cancer journey this year, strengthened by your prayers, I’ve learned that everything the Bible says about God is the absolute truth. He is exceedingly faithful and endlessly merciful, “keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments” (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Where are His commandments recorded? Where is His covenant written?

In His Word.

Your word… Psalm 119:105

The Museum of the Bible exists because people who love God’s Word wanted a place where everyone could engage with the most important Book ever written. You could easily spend days there, taking it all in. Nine days of eight hours each, our guide said. Or you could take a minute or two right now and marvel at the possibilities.

In Psalm 119, His Word goes by many names: His laws, His statutes, His ways, His precepts, His decrees, His commands, His promises. Each one points us to the One who spoke our world into existence, then bathed it in light. “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).

His light shines still.

…a light… Psalm 119:105

Sometimes this word in Hebrew points specifically to “dawn” or “daylight,” that hour of the morning when the sun crests the horizon and night quickly fades.

Putting the Bible at the center of our lives is like walking through the house turning on lights. Ah, that’s better. Yes, that’s brighter. The Message paraphrases Psalm 119:105, “By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.” Exactly so. The light of His Word keeps us from stumbling and helps us find our way.

Speaking of following His leading, may I share some exciting news? On January 6th, I’ll begin letting this little light of mine shine on Faith Radio Network with a new weekend program, Word by Word with Liz Curtis Higgs. Saturday mornings at 9:30am CT, and again Sunday afternoons at 4:30pm CT, we’ll walk through the stories in Scripture (you got it) word by word. Broadcast or podcast, join me?

…on my path. Psalm 119:105

Not just any route, but “the path I should take” (ERV). The correct path, the best path.

This path God laid out for us long ago is full of surprises for us — but not for God. He knows the way and shows the way. He walks before us, behind us, beside us. He guides us “along the right paths for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3), and His Word promises us, “in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6).

So, here is this month’s verse, carved into the marble walls of the Museum of the Bible (and sung by Amy Grant, if you’re in the mood for music).

Finally, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a little gift giving.

This year, it’s my latest book, 31 Proverbs to Light Your Path, on audio CD, including every word of the original book, read by your Lizzie.

Kindly leave a comment. Then on Wednesday, December 27 at 9:00pm ET we’ll choose 5 winners, contact you by email, and pop your audiobooks in the mail.

Until then, dear friend, the merriest of Christmases to you and yours, as we celebrate that glorious day “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).

Your sister, Liz

P.S. On a personal note, with surgery, radiation, and four chemo sessions behind me, I have just two chemo treatments left, December 27 and January 17. Then, as the Lord wills, we’re done. So grateful for all He has taught me and all the ways you’ve supported me!

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