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-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 

When the Heart is Heavy, Then What?

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:

“Prayer means that, in some unique way,

we believe we’re invited into a relationship

with someone who hears us when we speak in silence.”

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

 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

Sometimes We Think God Is Sick

 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

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 Twenty~Five from God

Letter  TWENTY-FIVE

Dear Child:

You are now asleep.  Rest well, for I’m on guard duty.

I watched you today as you struggled against the world.  I saw your frustrations.  I heard the tension in your voice.  I saw you try to make sense of the stuff of life today. 

And now, you’ve finally drifted off to sleep. 

I’m hovering overhead.  If you opened your eyes, you might catch a glimpse of gossamer wings fluttering nearby.  That is my special angel just for you for tonight. 

Rest your troubles with me.  Wrestle not.  Cast them off just as if they were heavy sacks of potatoes that you might plop down on the kitchen counter. 

Lay down your burdens. 

Tomorrow is coming.  There is hope in tomorrow. 

I’ll be there tomorrow, as I was today.  Tomorrow you’ll have a fresh supply of energy, wisdom, and good sense.  And I’ll be by your side.

Sleep soundly, my child. 

Tomorrow you will have the strength and food you need.

I’m in charge tonight.  That is all you need to know.

God,

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs 

From my book – The Letters

Letter Twenty-Two ~ from God

LETTER TWENTY-TWO

Dear Child:

I hear the cries of your grandson Eliot.  He is in the other room; you are here.  Have you ever thought about how many times someone cries out to me for help?

I hear cries of helplessness, hurt, emotional pain, desperation, sadness, hunger, and so many more.  I hear every cry, everywhere.

My hand is not weak.  My arm is not short.  My eyesight is not blind to the needs of humanity. 

Down through history I have used some interesting individuals to relieve the cries of suffering mankind.

I’ve used a prostitute

I’ve used a handsome young king even though he was caught in the arms of another woman

I’ve used a whale

I’ve used a corrupt tax official

I’ve used a smelly fisherman

I hear every cry, every time.  And best of all, I am there in the midst of the suffering.

I heard Eliot as he cried.  Now he is silent.  Nanny comforted him, and he is asleep again.

Be at peace.

You are in my care. 

You are in my sight. 

You are my design. 

I am your God.

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

Letter Number Twenty-One from God

 Letter Number Twenty-One

Dear Child:

Many have questions about their future.  You do too.  That’s normal, after all.  Life seems so uncertain, doesn’t it? 

Today we have earthquakes, tsunamis, terrorist’s threats, economic collapse, bank accounts being depleted, jobs being pulled out from under us, vicious viral breakouts.  When does it all end?

Some have questioned whether I even exist or if I’ve left the room. 

I’m still here.  I’m looking down on you right this moment.  I still have a future with hope mapped out for you. 

You’ve just lost sight of me in all the rubble of confusion and doubt that you are under. 

I’m here.  Look up.  Brush away the dust cloud. 

Here’s something I put into the ancient scriptures a long time ago.  Ready?

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says God.  Plans for your welfare, to give you a future with hope.”  You’ll find that in Jeremiah 29:11 if you want to look it up.

A future with hope.  That’s true.

Remember, I own the cattle on a thousand hills.  I notice when a sparrow falls to the ground.  I clothe the lilies and tulips, and I keep an eye on you.

I am God!

When you think about your future, just know that I’m here now and I’m leading you to your future.  Take my hand. 

God,

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

Letter Number Ten ~ A Letter from God

Letter Ten

Dear Child

Do you like yourself?

Do you think kind thoughts toward yourself? 

Remember, no one can make you feel low without your permission.  Look up, lift up your thoughts.  Repeat some of these thoughts to yourself each day.

~I am somebody. 

~I am made in the image 

   of a good and righteous God. 

~I am important to God.

Remember this: “As a woman/man thinks, so are they.”

You are an exceptional creation of mine.  Always remember that.

God

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters