Letter Forty-Three-The Ever Present God

 Letter Forty-Three

Dear Child:

Wherever you go, whatever you do, I will always have my eye on you, and I will always want to be your God.

By the worlds standards I should have given up on you long ago. But the world doesn’t see with my eyes. I see you; I cherish you, and I love you. You are my child – rags to riches, in misery and in money – for all the seasons of your life.

Come to me. Rest in me. I am your safe place. 

Your God,

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Letter Forty-Two

Letter Forty-Two

No Matter Where You Go, I Go

Dear Child:

Don’t hide. Don’t run away.

Draw near to me. I am Abba.

I want companionship with you more than perfection.

You are traveling a rough and dangerous road. I am with you. Nothing is too dangerous, nor is any path too rough for me to walk if that is where you choose to go. I am with you wherever you go.

I’m reaching for you. I’m searching for you.

I can cross any boundary to get to you. Even in the dark and foreboding places in life, I am there.

I am reaching out my hand. Will you take it?

Come to Papa God.

P Michael Biggs

~Hope ~ Encouragement ~Inspiration

Letter Forty-One From God

Letter Forty-One

Dear Child:

You have failed again, and now you are afraid to approach me. I’m here waiting. Invite me in.

Haven’t I proven time and again that I am more about grace, love, and forgiveness than about wrath and rejection?

It takes great courage to approach me after a fall. Come near.

Remember this -- at the end of your failures you’ll always find me. I was there in the beginning.
I am here at the end.

I am with you always, even to the end of the earth.

So, draw near.
~I have a big heart.

~I have compassion for the weak. 

~I have love for the loveless.

~I have forgiveness for the fallen.

Come to me.
You’ll always find me at the end of your failure. 

Your God Who is Always There

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Letter Forty-From God

 Letter Forty – From God

Dear Child:

I don’t flinch at your ugliness and the dirty rags of your life.
I don’t turn my head from the stench of your past rottenness.

I look beyond all of that and offer you my hand, my heart.

Others may flinch at the thought of your past life, but not me. I don’t flinch. I look beyond all that and see my child in need of his or her Abba God.

I am yours. Rest easy with that.

I am as personal to you as I am to anyone else on this earth. I long to be intimate with you right where you are, misery and all. I’m not turning my head. I’m not pulling back my hand. 

I’m opening my heart to you, for I love you!

Don’t lock the door.
Don’t keep me out.
Open yourself to my presence, my forgiveness, and my cleansing touch.

I am God. I want you, just as you are. 

Your God,

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Letter Thirty-Nine - from God

Letter THIRTY-NINE – from God

Dear Child:

The moment has arrived. You are facing surgery soon. There are a couple of things I want to tell you as you go through this experience.

You have fears. That is natural. Give me your fears.

~I know your name.

~I count the hairs on your head.

~I made your body.

~I instructed your physicians and nurses. What a marvel you are.

I will be with you wherever you go, even through this.

And I’ll be with your friends and family too. I’ll be present with them just as I will be with you.

Today’s medical world is in the best shape it has been in. Man has created some amazing equipment for monitoring, probing, and seeing the human body from all angles.

Trust in your medical providers.

                    Trust in the love of your family and friends.

And above all, trust in me, the God who loves you more than you could ever know.

I am with you every moment. 

God,

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration 

Letter Thirty-Seven "Do I Matter?

THIRTY-SEVEN

Do I Matter?

Dear Child:

I hear your cry. You wonder if anybody cares. You feel empty, abandoned, and alone.

You cry out, “Do I Matter?”

Let me wrap you in my arms. Listen as I whisper words of calm. “Yes, you matter. I am God, and you matter to me.”

I know where you are every moment of the day. I never lose track of you.

I never take my eye off you.

“Do I matter” you ask?
My precious child, yes, you do matter.

As long as you take a breath you shall matter. Your significance is not diminished simply because of your age. You are, therefore you are significant.

You are someone important. 

Someone of value

Someone of worth
Someone with skills and a destiny

Someone worth knowing
You are valued simply because you exist. “DO I MATTER” you ask?

Yes, you certainly do. You matter!!! 

Your God of Compassion 

Letter Thirty-Six - From God

 THIRTY-SIX

My Dear Child:

This is the season of grief in your life. Everyone goes through this at some point and now perhaps it is your time.

I want to say some things to you about this time in your life.

This loss you are experiencing will pass in time. That may be a difficult thought for you, but it is true.

Meanwhile, know this.
I am here. I am with you in the middle of your grief. 

I AM HERE!

I’ve never abandoned you.

Shed tears if you like.
Talk with a trusted friend or advisor. They are there to help you as a part of my plan. Reach out to one if you will.

And hold onto this thought: “Do not fear. I am with you; I am your God, so do not be shaken. I will give you strength and I will help you. You are held by my righteous right hand.”

Your God of Strength,

P Michael Biggs

Hope Encouragement Inspiration

Letter Thirty-Five - From God

 Letter THIRTY-FIVE

From The Letters by P Michael Biggs

Dear Child:

I am all about simple things, and I want simple from you.

   Simple prayers. 

         Simple conversations. 

               Simple thoughts.

You don’t have to use big sounding words or holy sounding phrases. Just be you.

I’m not impressed with fluff. I don’t like a lot of high-minded blabber or lofty sounding words.

Just be yourself. Be true to the nature I have put within you already.

Even if you can’t utter the words, I still understand. I know your thoughts. I know everything about you. I love you, just as you are.

Your words are important, but your attitude is what I consider most. Just be you. Come to me just as you are.

Simple is beautiful. 

God,

From:

Oh, the Places Where God Has Been with Me

 Oh, the Places Where God Has Been with Me

In October 2017, I had my first-ever angiogram so my cardiologist could look at my heart to discover the blockage and damage that had occurred. I was afraid. My blood pressure was high as I lay on that surgery-room table. And God was with me.

In December 2017 I had open heart surgery resulting in three heart bypasses. God was with me through it all.  As I lay in the surgery prep area the attending nursing staff had to shave the front part of my upper body. I was afraid. I was tearful, and God was with me.

I’ve gone through bankruptcy and wondered if I’d ever repair my credit rating again. God was with me through all of that.

I’ve had love go sideways, and God has been with me.

When the creditors called and wanted to repossess my new Ford Taurus, God was there.

In job changes, in job losses, in the pursuit of career paths, God was there.

In the hard decisions – about careers, homes, cities to live in, whether to move or not, and a dozen other decisions that are tough to make; in every situation, God has been the steady hand, the guiding still-small-voice always looking on and always prompting, always impressing me as to which path to take.

There are some giants that I have admired during my years of living – men and women I have and still do look up to. Billy Graham was one. Here’s what I read one day a few years ago.

God spoke and said, “I don’t need Billy Graham more than I need you.”

What? But I’m not a famous person. I’m a nobody in the grand scheme of things. And yet, God said He needed me just as much as Mr. Graham. How can it be?

I’ve read of numerous accounts in the scriptures of how God has used ‘nobodies’ and made them useful.

Mary was a peasant girl, perhaps fourteen, and God used her to birth the Christ-child.

He used a prostitute or two as examples – one of which was the woman about to be stoned. His words were simple – “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)

He used David, a striking, good-looking lad who later committed adultry and then had the woman’s husband killed in battle. That’s a long fall from grace, and David came back and was claimed as, my words, “The apple of God’s eye.”

Peter denied Christ three times and look at the impact he had on Christianity and the spread of the gospel.

Do you see the places where God has been with people down through history? He goes to the depths of the mud and back to bring redemption and grace, forgiveness, and healing. And He gives peace and His presence in the middle of the mundane moments of our lives.

I know what it is like when the presence of God invades an operating room with His peace and settling presence.
I’ve experienced His calm assurance in the middle of trauma, in family crises, in the death of family members, and when in financial need. God has met me in these places, and I am a living witness to His grace, mercy, and peace.

I am nothing special. I’m not famous. I’m not rich or influential, and I don’t own the largest house in the city, and yet, God has been with me in the good and the bad times of life.

And this same grace is available to you, regardless of your name, rank, serial number, bank account balance, skin color, language you speak, or status in society.

You are loved and graced with the presence of God, who watches over you. He never sleeps. He never takes His eyes off you. He never takes a vacation, and He cares for you oh, so much.

One of the strong Bible verses that has stood the test of time in my life is Joshua 1:9.

“Be not afraid nor dismayed, for I the Lord your God

will be with you wherever you go!”

That is indeed an encouraging word for today.

Internet Church

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Is God Mad at Me?

 Is God Mad at Me?

What a strong question that one is. Does God get mad at us? Does He write us off after some slight mistake, sin, forgetfulness moment, or if our check book gets out of balance?

Let me tell you about a conversation I had.

Cindy and I were talking one day at work, and she was complimenting me on some of my blogs that she had read recently. I casually asked her what she thought of God, and here is what she said.

“Oh, He’s kind, and loving, and forgiving, and my best friend.”

I stopped her at that point and said, “That’s all well and good, but what do you really think about God?’

She paused a moment and then said, “I think God is mad at me.”
Oh, my. What a statement. I asked questions and she filled in the blanks.

“One day, I was cooking spaghetti and had a large skillet of spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. My ten-year-old daughter, Jenny, came into the kitchen and grabbed the handle of the skillet and poured the spaghetti all over her body. She screamed in pain and blisters began popping out all over her body. God must hate me for that to have happened to Jenny.”

I sent up one of those quick prayers for immediate help and wisdom and then answered.

“Oh, Cindy. No, no, no. God is not mad at you. Jenny was an innocent girl, whose curiosity got in the way, and she just happened to pull the handle of the pot down upon her body. God didn’t make her do that, and God is certainly not mad at you. Oh, please believe me. I could never in my wildest imagination picture a God who would do something like that.”

We can assign to God some strange and interesting acts, but is God really at fault?

The simple answer ... we humans have a will, and we get to make choices. That is our greatest power, and one that God will never take from us nor override in our lives. We Chose!

The great news is this: God is not mad at us.

God is not an ogre. He is not looking for us to step out of line just even a little bit so He can zap us. And He’s not looking for the smallest of reasons to put us in time out.

The most famous Bible verse of all time is John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, And whoever believes in Him shall be saved.”

God loves the world. That means any evil person you might name, your contrary neighbor who puts his garbage can in the middle of your driveway, that customer that is always snarly and never smiles, and your curious daughter who just might happen to pull a pot of hot spaghetti sauce onto her head. God loves us! A reminder ... God never promises to keep bad things from happening to us, but He does promise to be with us in the middle of the bad things.

Remember what I wrote 2 paragraphs above? God is not an ogre. I want to borrow this thought from Ann Lamont and her great little book Help ... Thanks ... Wow.

“Prayer is talking to something or anything with which we seek union, even if we are bitter or insane or broken. (In fact, these are probably the best possible conditions under which to pray.) Prayer is taking a chance that against all odds and past history, we are loved and chosen, and do not have to get it together before we show up. The opposite may be true. We may not be able to get it together until after we show up in such miserable shape.

You see, in my 73 years of living, I have rarely had it all together. I’ve had moments of brilliant spiritual living, and I’ve had the dogdays and months and perhaps years of missing the mark, falling short, stepping out of line,

and wanting my own way. And all through the good and the bad, God never stopped loving me. He never, to my knowledge, got mad at me, and he never caused a bad thing to happen to bring me back into line.

I’ve caused bad things to happen because of my choices. I’ve acted foolishly, said the wrong thing at the wrong time, and treated others with less than grace and love, but never has God gotten mad at me.

I’ve disappointed God. Oh my, don’t let me count the ways.

And His love keeps on flowing down to me. His grace and mercy are ever present and abundant in my life.

Are you wanting to blame somebody for the bad that happens in your life? Don’t blame God. Blame Joe, my neighbor. He’s not doing anything worthwhile. He cusses, he goes to places he shouldn’t, and he drives like a mad man. Blame Joe. He’s not doing anything.

Look at this amazing verse:

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us; that we should
be called children of God! And that is what we are!
I John 3:1

Again, the question: Is God mad at me? Not in a million years.
But He does love you with furious love!

Internet Church
P Michael Biggs Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

God Doesn't Have Stubby Arms

God Doesn’t Have Stubby Arms

Tuesday, March 16, 2021 Internet Church

In what situation do you find yourself today? No matter where you are, God’s arms can reach you and lift you up.

This is ONE strong and encouraging thought.

~Are you soaking in an alcoholic stupor? God can reach you.
~Are you so in debt you can’t find a way out? Call out to God.
~Are you in relationship conflict with someone? Let God help you with a remedy.

Regardless of the human predicament in which we find ourselves, God is still able to reach out to us and bring deliverance and help in our time of need.

I was reminded of this verse last week when a close friend of ours came for a visit. Leanne had been studying this particular verse in her women’s Bible Study group.

And the Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.” Numbers 11:23

This concept of God is a strong part of my own personal God-concept. However, remember this important part of the equation. We have to call out to God for help and we have our own part to play in this work of deliverance.

That is, perhaps, the part we sometimes want to skip over, and yet it is true. Are you and I willing to do our part along with God reaching down to do His part?

At present, I am recovering from having my toes amputated on my left foot. At the seven-week mark I am doing well, and it is because God is reaching out to me AND I am doing the smart thing of eating better, bringing my

medical numbers down into proper range, losing weight and moving about as my scars and body allows. No one can do that for me except me.

I’ve recovered from divorce. Of course I felt God’s presence with me in those dark moments, however, I had to do my part and do the acts of recover from those painful experiences. I had to read books, talk with trusted advisors, and set my mind on a future with hope in the middle of the pit in which I found myself. And God’s arms were continually reaching down to me and pulling me along.

I hope you are finding God’s arms to be long enough for whatever predicament you face in these days.

He truly does have strong and long arms!

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Some Things God Want You to Know

Some Things God Wants You to Know

My Dear Child:

I have ten words of encouragement for you today.

~I will never leave you nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5 

~I will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

~I have told you these things, so that you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble. Take heart - I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

~Be strong and take heart, all of you who have hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24

~I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

~I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8

~The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

~If God is for us, who can be against us. Romans 8:31

~I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble.  Take heart.  I have overcome the world. 

~God is faithful.  He will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.  

I Corinthians 10:12

~Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight. Know his - even the hairs of your heard are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Luke 12:6-7

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs 

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration 

Letter Thirty-Four from God

Letter Thirty-Four

August 30, 2020

THIRTY-FOUR

Dear Child:

You are my child.  I cherish you.  I value you.

I have put within you all kinds of talents and abilities.  You have barely scraped the surface of all that you could be.  It’s all inside of you, and you own it free and clear. 

Every inclination, every longing, every desire, and every spurt of an idea that you have or have ever had is a part of you because of the way I put you together.  I want to help you turn those possibilities into viable ideas to better mankind.

It’s been that way from the beginning. 

Lean in and let me whisper in your ear. 

I love you!

Got that?

I love you.  You are a masterpiece on the verge of greatness.

When I see you, I see a future with hope. 

I am already so proud of you.

Your loving God!

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

Letter Thirty-Three from God

THIRTY-THREE

My Dear Child:

 

I want to correct a misconception some people have about me.  I have been painted by some as being severe and harsh.  Some people fear me so much that they think I am unapproachable. 

 

That breaks my heart.

 

My one wish for you is that you would come near.  Crawl up into my strong arms and share your hopes and dreams, your angst and disappointments.

 

One of my key messages to mankind is this: “Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy hearted.  I will give you an unbelievable rest.”

 

My house is big and my rooms are large.  I have plenty of room for you. 

 

Don’t stay outside.  Come on in the house.

 

Pull up a chair by the fireplace.

 

Come to Papa.

 

 

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

 

 

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

 

Letter Thirty-Two from God

THIRTY-TWO

My Dear Child:

You hear it often – just have faith. 

I’m all about faith, for I am faithful.

If you believe in me, it is because of faith.  You can’t see me.  You can’t touch me.  You can feel my presence, and that is because of your faith. 

Occasionally I will ask someone to take a certain action with no guarantee or promise of what the outcome will be.  All I promise is that I’ll be with them through the experience.

Remember this … faith doesn’t come with a guarantee. 

That’s it. 

I do promise to always be by your side. 

Faith like that has started grand enterprises.  It has launched massive good works around this world, and countless lives have been changed for the greater good of mankind. 

Need a guarantee?

I’ll be with you.

That is enough.

God

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

Letter Thirty-One from God

THIRTY-ONE

Dear Child:

Do you think I created you just to watch you struggle?  I don’t play those kinds of games.  My ultimate goal for you is to bring you to my house. 

Here’s the thing.  I’m more interested in finding ways to bring you home to me than for ways to keep you out.

I don’t have a lot of house rules.  I just want you with me, forever.

I’ll always offer you a helping hand and a listening ear.  I’ll never put you down, make life complicated, and I certainly won’t leave you where I found you. 

I want to bring you home with me. 

Do you want to come to my house … forever?

God.

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

Letter Thirty ~ from God

LETTER THIRTY

Dear Child:

I can read your thoughts.  You fear that you’ve changed and that I may be mad at you.  Let me tell you about some others who have changed down through the ages.

David was one of my choice ones.  He was striking actually.  I destined him for a royal position.

He served me well for a time.  But then lust got in his way.  He looked at a beautiful woman and turned his heart from me.  He even had her husband killed so he could have her all to himself.  But he came back around.  He changed.

Seems he was in a constant state of changing; song writer, king, failure, murderer, and then back to my arms of love and forgiveness. 

Here’s another one for you:  Peter.  He was strong; a man’s man some might say.  Peter would fight at the drop of a hat.  He would proudly boast of what he intended to do and usually follow through.  On most days, he was proud to know me, but one day he turned on me.  He denied that he even knew me.  He said, “I never knew this man.”  He betrayed me.

And he changed.  He came back and became one of my strongest promoters. 

You see, people do change. 

Regardless of what you’ve done, do you see that my love and grace is reaching out to you?

I am your God, and I will love you through all the seasons of your life.

God

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

Letter Twenty-Nine from God

LETTER TWENTY-NINE ~ from GOD

Dear Child:

Let’s talk. 

Some people just can’t wrap their minds around the idea of having a personal relationship with God? 

Are you that way?

Give me a chance?  I’m not as fierce as others have made me out to be.  Oh, there have been times when I’ve demonstrated against some issues, but if you read carefully, a lot of those times have been against people who said they represented me, yet they were so far off base that I had to take a rather stern approach.

What I am is this …

I’m personal

I’m intimate

I’m all-present

I’m all-knowing

I am your God and I want a personal relationship with just you.  I want intimacy with you,

Come to me.

I am your God.

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

God and Life in These Days

God and Life in These Days

I don’t like much of what is happening in our world today. 

On my bad days, I am prone to flail my arms, curse, get mad or angry, and want to cut people off from my social media feeds.

And sometimes, on these bad days, I tend to forget where God stands in all of this.  Do you relate?

Well, this morning, here is what my spirit is sensing that God is say to all of us. Perhaps you, also, can gain a new footing and a good word of encouragement.

God is saying this …

Isaiah 41:10

Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you and help you,

I will hold you up with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:1-2
“Do not fear; I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you on fire.

Hebrews 13:5

I will never leave you … I will never forsake you.

Psalm 121:2-4

My help comes from the Lord,

The one who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

He who watches over you will never

Slumber. He who keeps Israel

never slumbers nor sleeps.

Isaiah 59:1

Be aware, the Lord’s reach is not short,

that he cannot save; nor is His ear

closed to your cries and concerns.

Joshua 1:9

Be strong and courageous;

Do not fear nor be dismayed,

For the Lord your God is with you

Wherever you go.

My friend, hold fast to the promises of God. 

A final word:  In 2 Corinthians 12:9 we read this … “God’s power shows up best in weak people.”  Max Lucado says “God might be looking more for empty vessels than for strong muscles.”

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Letter Twenty-Eight from God

TWENTY-EIGHT

Dear Child:

I know the thoughts you think. You constantly compare yourself to others and I hear your chatter.

“I’m not good enough” you say. 

I’m not pretty enough.

I’m not rich enough.

I don’t live in the right neighborhood.

I don’t wear the right clothes.

I don’t have a large enough bank account.

You are enough.  You know enough. 

The world has a different agenda from my agenda.  I see you through eyes of pure love.  I made you.  I created every gene, DNA speck and every molecule in your body.  I made you perfectly. 

I am your source, your supply, your strength, and your protector. 

I am your forgiver. 

I am your best friend. 

I know you best and love you most. 

I AM!

I’ll never leave you.

You will never fall without my eyes seeing you.  I am with you in your fall.

Even now, I’m reaching out to you.

When you see others, you only see the surface.  You can’t see what I see.  They have aches, pains, and disappointments.  They may appear to look good.  They may appear to have to have it all together, and sometimes they do. 

I delight in who you are with your looks, your uniqueness and your skill set. 

Rest in who you are.  Rest in the fact that you are enough. 

Remember, I don’t make junk.

Loving you today.

God

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters