My lot, my assigned portion, my cup to drink – this is what I’ve been led to consider lately in breathing by grace.
Knowing that the portion of life I’m given is a gift and measured out by God’s love-shaped, eternal wisdom quiets me. I’m finding truth in Elizabeth Elliot’s words: “Every assignment is measured and controlled for my eternal good. As I accept the given portion other options are cancelled. Decisions become easier, directions clearer, and hence my heart becomes inexpressibly quieter.”[1]
And yet I know I could be more at peace than I am. I know today once again my spirit might be aroused to mount a defense of myself to justify my existence and my worth before others. I know that I could very easily sin in this, allowing my anger to become my Director and my words to become my sword.
But for Jesus…
The ancient scriptures predicted that Jesus Christ would be like a lamb led to slaughter and a sheep standing dumb before the shearer (Isaiah 53:7). As one of his closest disciples testified, when Jesus was reviled, he didn’t revile in return. While suffering he uttered no threats, but instead entrusted himself to the Righteous Judge of all the earth, God himself. (1 Peter 2:23-25)
Oh, to be more like Jesus – but it’s so hard! This is a world where courage is often measured by how well one speaks up for oneself and demands respect. This is a world that never once has been totally and completely fair with me. Has it with anyone?
Charles H. Spurgeon noticed that “Jesus had never been slow of speech when He could bless the sons of men, but He would not say a single word for Himself.” In saying no man was ever silent like Jesus, he asked, “Was this singular silence the index of His perfect self-sacrifice?” Yes was the answer in Spurgeon following words: “Patient silence is the best reply to a world of cruel opposition. Calm endurance answers some questions infinitely more conclusively than the loftiest eloquence… The anvil breaks a host of hammers by quietly bearing their blows… The ambiguous and the false, the unworthy and mean will soon enough confound themselves and therefore the true can afford to be quiet and find silence to be its wisdom.”[2]
Oh, to be more like Jesus and truly quiet in heart.
The 1984 NIV of Psalm 16:5 reads, “Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup, and have made my lot secure.” If that translation were accurate, it would be enough for a quiet heart. But revisions of Psalm 16 since 1984 have deepened the spiritual power to be found in those words. Now, the NIV reads, “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.” This is far more fitting for what follows in verses 6-8, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
The Psalmist’s testimony is mine and so my prayer today is “Jesus, you are my portion and my cup. My lot in life is secure only and always because you’re here with me in everything that happens. The interruptions and course corrections are no surprise to you. I can be quiet, Gracious Master, because of you.”
“In repentance and rest, you shall be saved. In quietness and trust is your strength.” Isaiah 30:15
– David Ewert
[1] Keep a Quiet Heart (Ann Arbor: Servant Publications, ©1998 Elizabeth Elliot), p. 18
[2] https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/daily-devotionals/04/02/1/
Today we are celebrating our sister Linda who arrived in heaven yesterday and found the answer to her lifelong prayer, “Be Thou My Vision.” We’re certain our Savior gathered her into his loving embrace and invited her to work and play in His Gardens of Glory.
At that point two leading men of the church, Michael Stubblefield and Linda’s husband John, brought in two large rough timbers and laid them on the floor of the church – in the shape of a cross. Our “brokenness” was poured out on that cross to represent what happened to Jesus Himself when He died for us and opened the doorway to God’s redemption of our lives. Afterward, Linda graciously took the timbers and the broken pieces of glass and pottery and promised to create something that would represent how we find life in the death of Christ.
Linda’s inquiring mind helps us to never be satisfied with simplistic answers…
It was not uncommon for us to be studying to preach or teach and ask the question of what we were preparing, “Would this make sense to Linda?” We still wonder as we teach, “What question will Linda ask of what we have to say?” 0h, for more like her that push us to search for the truth in everything! Oh, for more like Linda who invite us to live unafraid of questions.
When there was a problem, a need, or even just a task to accomplish, Linda was first in line to help. She helped paint several rooms in our house, even though she felt pain as she worked. Our dining room table often held sewing projects where she helped work out patterns as well as helping with the final results. Our front yard contains rocks she painted, intricate rock animals peeking out from under our porch.
The people of our church benefited from her green thumb as she shared her plants and extra produce. She read of the First Fruits offerings in the Old Testament and faithfully dropped off the first of the harvest of her garden and orchard at our home each year. She spent countless hours setting up for special events at church, for sharing her beautiful yard for a women’s tea or entertaining friends.
How she loved her family and how she enjoyed her grandchildren! Julia was privileged to be part of outings for tea parties or shopping trips to Eugene with she and her granddaughters. She was always thinking of ways to influence them toward Jesus and encourage them in using their gifts and talents in creative ways.
With all our love and many prayers,
“High King of heaven / When vict’ry is won / May I reach heaven’s joys / O bright heaven’s Sun / Heart of my own heart / Whatever befall / Still be my vision / O Ruler of all”
It’s at those times when the Caleb’s victory at 80 years of age is truly inspiring. Joshua 14:14 says that he was given Hebron in the hill country of the Promised Land because “he followed the LORD God of Israel fully.” What inspires me is that he was 80 years old when he led the conquest of God’s spiritual enemies – fighting uphill! Any soldier knows that’s not easy. Any old soldier thinks that’s just crazy!
O Lord, as I and the other gray hairs enter the spiritual battles before us today, we pray with the Psalmist that You will “Give us aid against the enemy, for human help is worthless.” We remember that WITH You “we will gain the victory,” and that YOU “will trample down our enemies.” (Psalm 60:11-12)
We’ve had Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Now it’s time for Forgiveness Eve.
Forgiveness is a dynamic way of life that takes us ever closer to bearing the image of Christ with love and transparency to all those He brings into our circle. It is not a 7-steps-and-we’re-done kind of deal.
I’m leaning on your prayers this Forgiveness Eve.
Thank you, Lord!
This assignment is one of the most difficult of my life and I beg for your prayers.
Your brother,
Should’ves & could’ves have threatened my heart world again lately. I know they are the language of regret. I know they are in the background of grief over losses. I know the pictures they present to my mind appear so brilliant because they act on after-the-fact information. But I also know they are dangerous to soul health and can be used by our spiritual enemy to steal away joy, crush hope, and hinder faith.
The snowfall last night and into this morning left a foot of heavy, wet snow. After an hour of shoveling a walk to our cars, the weakness in my back and legs showed up big time and I had to come in and head for the Ibuprofen bottle. Grief over lost ability to work threatened to undue my snow-cheered attitude and once again I had to put the remembrance of youthful vigor in proper perspective – with God’s help. And now, after coming back in and resting, making breakfast for Julia and me, and doing the dishes, I think I’m ready to return.
My neighbor just showed up with his snow blower. Yeah John!
How thankful I am that though we may be a broken people, God is faithful.
But as He stands there, objects to life as it tends to go on and on in this sinful world, He is not just standing there like a brick wall. No, God is standing there with His arms open wide to us, saying, “I want to help you through this, I want to redeem you, I want to rescue you. I want to set you apart from all of this. I want to raise you up and some day take you completely out of all that junk. So God as this great OBJECTION to the sin and brokenness of our lives is also the great REFUGE and HOPE. And in His faithfulness we find all that we need in order to be whole people.
A few days ago, David and I were talking about our life as it is now, and David commented that this the very best time of his life. I agreed. We have lived very busy lives, David studying for his master’s degree, starting a church, working at pastoring for forty years with all the meetings, counseling, studying for sermons and teaching and me working at a variety of jobs, raising a daughter, maintaining a home that was built around hospitality, and teaching.
You hear stories of couples who, when they retire, can hardly stand each other for they are always in each other’s way. We are so not like that. Our lives have been so busy that we could go days without seeing each other for more than a meal or two a day and then falling exhausted into bed at night. The rest of the time we just tried to squeeze each other into our busyness. We longed for more time together being just “us.” Now we have it and we are loving it!
But God knew and He planned the very best for us and gave it to us wrapped up in a big bow!
Julia Ewert
I I had to chuckle at the moment for it brought a powerful truth to mind that has many times given me courage to try again, to keep imagining the possibilities and not give up on God’s promises:
EVERY season is needed to make the most brilliant colors – the most of what God has given to this life we live. And with those subtle seasonal changes come the diversity of colors that cheer the soul.
Recently my sometimes self-declared identity as a recovering pessimist is finding new energy – in the recovery process. The help, coming from Relational Wisdom 360 (
Toward a new understanding of joy
When I pray today against whatever thief would steal away my joy, kill off my hope, and destroy my faith, I remember that it’s not only a feeling of exhilaration or passionate, fierce determination the enemy would take from me, but a season of life being filled also with mellowness, tenderness, contentment, glad moments, cheerful smiles, good deeds, relief from stress, and satisfaction in a small job done.