Hope Encouragement Inspiration
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,
Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration
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
Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration
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
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 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.
And above all, trust in me, the God who loves you more than you could ever know.
I am with you every moment.
God,
Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration
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
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,
Hope Encouragement Inspiration
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:
Thoughts on Prayer
And what about prayer?
What is prayer all about and how do you do it properly?
If you’ve ever tried to pray, perhaps you have your stories of struggle, of staying awake until the “amen” and of making a coherent string of thoughts in prayer so that God is pleased with you, and you get a gold star for the day because of your prayer.
Hmmm. Consider this:
“Just patch a few words together
and don’t try to make them elaborate.
This isn’t a contest but a doorway
into thanks, and a silence in which
another voice may speak.”
Mary Oliver – Poet
Mary was not a theologian nor a biblical scholar. She was in touch with life in her own way as a poet and writer.
However, I think she was onto something with this quote.
Praying is not a contest to see who can pray the most eloquent thoughts, or the most beautiful phrases or string together the perfect synonyms for creative thoughts on God.
Praying is based on sincerity, humility, and intent of the heart.
I love Mary’s analogy of prayer as a “doorway into thanks”. Simple thanks.
Ann Lamont wrote once that “‘Help’ just might be one of the most profound prayers ever uttered.
When the burdens are heaviest, when the way is darkest, when the mind is cluttered with too much information or not enough of a sense of God, then perhaps “help” is the most appropriate prayer we can pray.
I’ve used that one a few times in my life.
I have some mulling to do on Mary’s last thought.
“And a silence in which another voice may speak.”
Silence. Isn’t that one of the eight deadly sins of the church? We can’t sit still and silent for too long for fear that half of the congregation will fall asleep.
Ah, what if we use that silence as a true tuning in time? What if God wanted to say something to us and was waiting for us to simmer down, hush up, and quite yakking long enough to whisper an important thought into our minds?
Now, wouldn’t that be something.
That’s the kind of praying to which I can relate.
It goes like this.
Come in, with no agenda, no prepared speech (prayer) and no worries about what I am going to say and no fear that I’ll say the wrong thing or leave out someone or something for which I should pray. Whew.
And then, in the stillness, the quiet quieter than quiet, what if God whispered to you and me? What if He started with something simple like, “Hey you. I love you.”
That would really be something.
A real, honest-to-goodness God-moment.
P Michael Biggs
Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration
When the Heart Is Heavy, Then What?
I’m going to talk specifically to those of us who currently have or have had what we might call “A Heavy Heart”. Heavy hearts ain’t no fun, as we used to say in the hills of Tennessee.
I’ve often not known what to do in the middle of my heavy heart moments. Have you? Perhaps you’re going through one of those times even now, in this moment of reading this.
Heavy Heart times are caused by those circumstances in life that just about crush us to death. The load is so heavy, the burden is so awesomely great, and the issue looms very large. We find ourselves scratching our head, wringing our hands, and wondering if God is anywhere nearby and does He hear and see you and me, and even care about what in the world is happening right now, this very minute.
And then some well-meaning spiritual super-power comes along and says, “well, Honey, you just need to pray more.”
Pray? I can’t even tie my shoes for the weight of this “thing” I’m carrying. “Pray” you say.
Here’s the thing.
When the heart is so heavy, and the weight of the world seems to be resting on your shoulders in the awful times of life, maybe, perhaps, all you and I can utter is HELP! Now I used all caps and an explanation mark, but sometimes it comes out “help”. Or perhaps
H. E. L. P. !
And do you know what? God hears that kind of prayer too. Oh my. Yes indeed.
I’ve prayed that prayer before. Once someone near to me relapsed on a drug addiction that I thought was well behind her. I was so unprepared for that experience. I didn’t know what to do nor where to turn. All I could utter was “help”. (Lower case intended)
Maybe today is the day you pray the most acceptable prayer ever uttered. It’s nothing fancy. It’s not long. It’s not profound. It’s not eloquent. It’s a great cry for the God of the universe to come down and touch you in some unique way that only you need in that moment. It is a miracle prayer of one word, and this one-word-prayer gets attention.
Is your life a train wreck?
Have you made some really horrible decisions?
Is your past about to catch up with you?
Are you in a despicable and deplorably situation and you don’t know which
way to turn?
This I know. A prayer like “Help” spoken in great moments of desperation and with a sincere heart gets attention from God himself.
He already knows what you did, or said, and what you are doing or have
done. He wants so much for you to turn around and come to Him. He’s
listening for your call.
I believe that with my whole heart.
Ann Lamott said this in here book, Help Thanks Wow:
So, step right up. You don’t have to get dressed up, put on your shoes, wear a necktie or a string of pearls, or even smell pretty. Just approach and say the words as you turn toward God: HELP! Help. help.
I don’t know in what form God will answer, but in time He will answer. It may be through another person, or it may be an idea that pops into your own mind, but God hears.
God hears.
P Michael Biggs
Internet Church Blogsite
Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration
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.
That is indeed an encouraging word for today.
Internet Church
P Michael Biggs
Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration
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
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
Sometimes We Think God Is Sick
Sometimes we think God is sick. I read differing news feeds and social media posts and I sense fear and angst, despair and a great lack of hope. It is as if we have come to believe in the fallibility of God.
I suppose I hear voices that cry out ...
God, are you sick?
Are you on your death bed?
Can you still work in this day and time?
Do you care about us?
Are you still in the miracle business? Are you with us, still?
My word for all of us today ...
Don’t despair.
Have faith.
He (God) neither slumbers nor sleeps.
He may not answer our prayers, our calls and our cries of desperation the very minute we cry out, but take heart, He hears and sees every need, every situation and every crisis that rears its ugly head all over this planet.
God, in His time, will act in ways that are in keeping with his nature and His timing. Remember, He is master of the MASTER CLOCK.
The greatest Bible verse I could ever offer is this:
“Be not afraid nor dismayed, for I the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Remember, this is a promise, not for deliverance from, but sustainability through all circumstances.
Let your faith find its footing in this promise.
Internet Church Blog Site
P Michael Biggs Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration
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
