Posted by: judyhitson | March 30, 2026

Faithful Under Trials

Faithful under Trials
by Judy Hitson

James 1:12 GNT Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.

As I consider a present trial, being my husband’s caregiver, it can be challenging to say the least. He was diagnosed with early dementia in 2017. I am thankful I can care for him in our home. Yet it can be difficult and stressful with stages of decline. Looking to Jesus and keeping my focus on Him helps me rely on Him to love my husband well and be by his side each day.

Although we are in the ninth year since we were given his diagnosis, I continue to pray for his healing. Knowing God says that nothing is too hard for Him (Jer.32:17) and that He is Healer (Ex.15:26), I stand on God’s Word and declare the battle is the Lord’s (1 Sam. 32:17). Neither know I what to do but my eyes are on God (2 Chr. 20:12b).

This year we will celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary. Each year I gain more understanding of God’s Word: “And the two will be one,” especially as my husband needs more assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing. Our youngest son once explained to him, “Dad, You have taken care of Mom all these years. Now she will take care of you.” This was at a difficult time when my husband could no longer drive by doctor’s orders. Taking the keys away was difficult.

As my husband’s cognition and short term memory continued to decline; no longer able to write his signature or have conversations, it was heartbreaking. I assumed being power of attorney to care not only for my husband but also to care for business matters he took care of; paying bills, doing taxes and making decisions for household matters that he no longer understood. In sickness and health until death do us part takes on new meaning in our marriage. Praise God he remembers my name and the name of our children. Though he has difficulty remembering our grandchildren’s names.

As I think of receiving God’s reward of life promised for those who love Him and remain faithful under trials, I sense this life starts on this side of eternity. Caring for my husband in our home blesses us to enjoy each other, our children and grandchildren gathering here for holidays, birthdays, special events and spontaneous visits.

Our children once named our residence as “The Home Place.” Here we meet and share life, honoring the Lord and each other, building precious memories.

We have lived in our present home 50 years and await the coming of the Lord, discovering God’s reward of everlasting life on the other side of eternity. To be faithful under trials is to persevere until He comes.

Lord Jesus, help me remain faithful to You under, in and through trials in my life by Your Spirit. I can do nothing apart from You (John 15:5). Yet I can do all things through You who gives me strength (Phil. 4:13). Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | March 20, 2026

Faithful Fulfillment

Faithful Fulfillment
Jesus is the Christ
by Brenda D. Flowers

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53: 4-6, NKJV)

During my personal Bible study, I was led to read Isaiah Chapter 53, partially quoted above. I had read these prophetic words in past studies, but this was the first time I devoted time to read the words silently and then slowly aloud to myself, asking God to illuminate my understanding as I read.

God promises to answer the prayers of one who seeks Him.

In the Introduction to Isaiah in my Hebrew-Greek Key Word NKJV Study Bible (AMG International, Inc., 2015, pg.859),  I read how God called Isaiah to share prophetic words to His people in Judah under the reigns of four different kings. Many of Isaiah’s prophecies revealed truths about the future Messiah. I was surprised to learn that the book of Isaiah contains more prophecies about the Messiah than any other book in the Old Testament.

 It is interesting that even Isaiah’s name means “The LORD saves” or “the LORD is Savior.” God loved His people so much, He used prophets like Isaiah to urge them to trust Him and His plan for salvation. Messianic prophecies like Isaiah 53 were recorded to help future generations of people to recognize the Messiah when He came to rescue them.

If one has read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament) and then reads Isaiah 53, it is easy to see God’s faithful fulfillment of this Messianic prophecy in Jesus. What is truly amazing is recognizing that Isaiah proclaimed these words around 700 years before Jesus was born.

  There are many interesting on-line articles on this topic. One article I discovered was entitled, “The Messianic Prophecies of Jesus” (lwf.org) based on a sermon by Adrianne Rogers, “Magnifying Jesus Through Worship and the Word”.  I have listened to Pastor Rogers on Bott Radio for many years. He is now in heaven but his messages live on. I love the way Pastor Rogers introduced his sermon as summarized in the on-line article I read:

“If you read the Bible and don’t find Jesus, go back and reread. It is His story.”

I realized that when I had reread Isaiah 53, I had found even more clearly how the words Isaiah recorded did point to Jesus. I recommend you read this article describing in detail how Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies in Isaiah 53 and other Messianic prophecies.

The more I read the Bible the more I get to know Jesus.

God is opening the spiritual eyes of many today to see Truth. God is faithful to reveal Himself when we truly want to know Him. He did this for me and I trust He will do the same for you.

His Holy Spirit leads us to repentance.

This statement speaks volumes to me, “You cannot see what you will not look at.” (I found this quote on the site: rootedthinking.com)

I challenge myself and all those who are reading this post to look at the Bible daily with fresh unbiased eyes and read it aloud with listening ears. If you have doubts or questions, share them with God in your personal prayer time and ask God to help You understand His Word.

When we believe God can speak through the words of the Scriptures we are changed. We can see God’s faithfulness in the fulfillment of prophecies just like Isaiah 53.

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Posted by: judyhitson | February 23, 2026

Faithful Followers

Faithful Followers
by Judy Hitson

Rev. 17:14 NIV They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings — and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

When I was born again, it was a dramatic experience for me. Receiving God’s Spirit was a miracle in my life. The grass looked greener. The sky looked bluer. Everything was new like we read in 2 Cor. 5:17 NKJV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new. I would look to the east, expecting Jesus to appear in the sky at any time and be caught up to meet Him in the air as we read in the Bible of the Rapture.

At first, in practical ways, I couldn’t help but share Jesus wherever I went and with whoever I saw, at home, at work, shopping, going to appointments, etc. However, many found me to be obnoxious. I was like Lazarus coming out of the grave with grave clothes.  As time went on, I learned to talk less and listen more. One Bible teacher said, “It is like putting your hands around a person’s soul to learn where they are spiritually.” That way, we meet people where they are, not where we are.

The following verse about popped off the page reading it, as though the Lord was calling me to persevere in it: Acts 6:4 NKJV but we will give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

What does it look like to be a faithful follower of Christ? To start, I see the following spiritual disciplines:

Daily Quiet Time to hear God’s voice and follow Him
Spending daily time in prayer and God’s Word

Learning to live and walk in the Spirit is key to mature as a faithful follower of Christ and be about Father’s business like Jesus did on earth. He lived a sacrificial life, giving His life that we can live forever with Him.

The following question comes to mind, “Am I living sacrificially, selflessly following Jesus or am I selfishly living my own way?”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me follow You more closely today than yesterday, caring more for what is on Your heart for my life and follow You day by day, moment by moment. Amen.

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Posted by: judyhitson | February 11, 2026

Why Celebrate?

Why Celebrate?
God is Faithful!
by Brenda D. Flowers

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.  (Psalm 89: 1, NIV)

During the winter interim between Christmas and Valentine’s Day, I often spend time meditating on God’s Word and what God is saying to me.

One dark cloudy day in January, while boxing up many of my Christmas decorations, I asked myself, “Why Celebrate?” I know some individuals who don’t see the value or importance of celebrations.

“Do I celebrate just to follow a tradition?” When I think back to some celebrations in my life, I confess that was the case.

Yet, throughout the Bible, God encourages times of rest and celebration for His people. Why?

God shows us a pattern of living that impacts the next generation while also blessing Him.  When God’s people follow His pattern and share stories, songs and special activities to remember God’s help in times of need, the younger generation learns about God’s faithfulness.

Now, I realize for me, times of celebration are more than holidays or special times with family and friends. The times I celebrate may include fun activities, decorations, good food and relaxation. But the real reason I celebrate is more meaningful than just to experience happy emotions.

I celebrate because I want to honor God and want to thank Him for His love and faithfulness.

God has been faithful to me throughout my life. He has helped me to get through difficult times and blessed me with many happy times. As I celebrate, I give God thanks and praise to honor Him and to acknowledge His faithfulness.

I pray that my family and friends who may not yet know Jesus as Savior and Lord or who may not see the value of celebrating will be impacted by the heart of why I celebrate.

God’s faithfulness in sending Jesus is reason enough to celebrate everyday of our lives. What joy we experience when we know Him and His faithfulness!

In Proverbs 22: 6 (NKJV) we find:

     Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

What better way to train up a child than to give him or her the understanding that God is faithful? It is a beautiful privilege to share with the young ones in our lives the reasons we celebrate.

In the coming year, I plan on being more intentional in celebrating and sharing why I am celebrating. I have come to realize that when we honor God in our celebrations, He is in our midst and He is very pleased.

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Posted by: judyhitson | January 20, 2026

Faithful God

Faithful God
by Judy Hitson

Deut. 7:9 NKJV Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

I wondered what it means for a thousand generations. In the Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, they write, “The thousand generations is a proverbial expression meaning “endlessly” or “forever.”

Faithful is true and trustworthy; dependable and reliable.

God is faithful to keep His covenant and mercy with those who love Him and keep His commandments forever. We can rely on, depend on and trust God for He is true to His Word.

From our key verse, I see God’s part is being faithful to keep His covenant and mercy. Our part is to love Him and keep His commandments.

In the Old Covenant we learn of God’s Law and commands. In the New Covenant we find two commandments to first love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. See Matt. 22:37-40.

God is faithful. Yet we see a conditional promise in Deut. 7:9. That is God is faithful with those who love Him and keep His commandments. Does that mean God is not faithful if we disobey His commandments?
Absolutely not! God remains faithful.

God has been faithful to me extending mercy to me as a sinner. Rom. 5:8 and Lam. 3:22-23 come to mind as I consider God’s faithfulness in my life.

Rom. 5:8 NLT But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Lam. 3:22-23 ESV The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
                                his mercies never come to an end;
                               they are new every morning;
                              great is your faithfulness.

Taking His Word personally, I see God showed me His great love for me by sending Christ to die for me while I was still a sinner. His love and mercy were new every morning and continues to be each day. His faithfulness is great from the day of my salvation to deliverance and inner healing ministry as well as physical healing.

God has been faithful to me. I will be eternally grateful. God brought women in my life to mentor and disciple me in Christ. He led me to local churches in seasons of my life in Christ where I heard preaching needed for me to mature in Christ, Bible studies to ground me in the faith and grow in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Col. 1:19-23 NLT For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News…..

Rev. 1:5 NKJV and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.

Praise and thanksgiving to You my Lord and my God, Jesus Christ, for Your faithfulness. Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | January 7, 2026

Press Pause

Press Pause
Discover God’s Faithfulness
by Brenda D. Flowers

…let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, …Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, …(Hebrews 10: 22a, 23-24, NKJV, consider reading all of Hebrews 10 for context)

My fourth grade grandson told me recently that his teacher says, “Press pause” when she wants him and his classmates to stop what they are doing to listen to her directions or instructions. When I taught, I used other methods to get my students’ attention, but I think saying this simple command is a great way to get the attention of this computer literate generation of children.

“Press pause.”

Those words kept coming to mind as I prepared to write my post for the new year. I realized it was important for me to pause to listen to God’s voice of direction.

Quiet time periods alone with God allow us time to recalibrate our lives. God’s guidance is key for us to move forward in His will.

At the end of each year, since the beginning of this website, we who post monthly have paused to intentionally seek God’s direction regarding what theme or key word God wants us to focus on in our writing for the coming year.

 As I think back over the years, I recognize God’s faithfulness not only in giving us a key word, but also His faithfulness in helping each writer to know what to write about that topic each month. You may want to look back at our past posts to read the messages God gave us to share.

As we have paused to press in close to God to hear what He wants us to write, we have been blessed and our prayer is that our writing will continue to encourage many people this year and in the future.

I am excited to share that this year, we will be writing about the word, “Faithful.”

What new nuggets of truth will God reveal to us this year? Let’s discover them together. We can trust that God who is faithful will bless our time together.

Prayer:

Lord, I’m excited as I think about Your faithfulness and how we can trust You to guide us in this new year in discovering more about the word, “Faithful”. As we pause from our busy lives to press in closely to You, to listen to Your voice in still quiet times, may we hear clearly Your guiding words. May our time listening, journaling, reading Your Word and applying what You teach or show us be an offering of praise to You. Thank You for sending Holy Spirit to help us to be more and more like Jesus. In Jesus’s mighty name I pray.

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Posted by: judyhitson | December 19, 2025

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, Holy, Holy
by Judy Hitson

Revelation 4: 8b NKJV “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is and is to come.”

Come let us worship Him, our eternal God who always was, always will be and always remains the same. These underlined words I learned as a child and thought of as I read our verse, Who was, and is and is to come.
Our God is unchanging.

Revelation Chapter 4 is from The Throne Room of Heaven. In verse one, we read a voice saying, Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this. Yes let us worship our holy God who sits on the throne. In verse 11 we read: You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.

How wonderful it is to receive revelation and understanding as we read, study and meditate on God’s Word, the Bible. The Holy Spirit highlights all God wants us to see and understand about Him and what He is saying to us in personal ways to live Christ, day by day, moment by moment.

As we close this year, 2025, on holiness, let us bow down and worship the Lord, our God, who sits on the throne in heaven and waits to return for us who wait for His appearing.

Christ has come and we celebrate His first coming each Christmas as Christians. Yet in this world, we see parades and programs present Santa Claus, rather than Christ. Times have dramatically changed since I was a child. I remember Christmas parades when choirs sang of Jesus’s birth and floats presented the live Nativity scene of Bethlehem. Only in our churches do we see the birth of Christ presented and displayed. In our Malls, I remember Christmas season was the only time I heard Christmas carols to sing of Christ’s birth. I remember the transition to only secular Christmas songs and no longer the Christmas carols of old sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. I was grieved when this occurred, sad that the light of the world, Jesus Christ, was being snuffed out by secularism. Prayer: Father in heaven, let the church bells ring and help us who know the true meaning of Christmas share the Good News of Jesus Christ who was  born of a virgin, named Mary. Praise and thanksgiving for sending Him to be the Savior of the world. Thank You Jesus for dying on a cross to save us from our sins and receive eternal life. Help us to share Your resurrection, Jesus, and Your 2nd Coming as we wait for Your return. In Your name Jesus.  Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | December 5, 2025

Receive God’s Holy Gift

Receive God’s Holy Gift
by Brenda D. Flowers

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15, NKJV)

Since I was a child,  I have loved the time period between the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially the festive times with family and friends singing carols.

As a little girl, I remember my excitement and anticipation of what gifts I might receive on Christmas morning. When I saw a gift exquisitely wrapped with my name on it, I was thrilled with wonder regarding what might be inside. It was very difficult for me to wait until Christmas morning to open my special present.

Think back to times in your life when you saw a beautifully wrapped package and wondered what was inside. It’s possible, though, some of you don’t recall a time like that. Maybe when you think back over your life, you don’t recall fun family times or times of joyful anticipation.

As I write this post, I feel sensitive towards you and others who may be crying inside, longing for someone to care enough to give them a wrapped gift.

I have wonderful news for you and them.

Someone has prepared the best gift one could ever receive.

God Himself. God has given all humanity the opportunity to have a restored relationship with Him.

His gift is even greater than we can imagine! We who receive His amazing gift will unwrap it all of our lives.

When we receive His gift of grace, His Son, Jesus Christ, we are given the way to eternal life. When we accept God’s love gift, we are indwelled by His Holy Spirit. We are immediately changed and yet we are also in the process of being changed. We who receive God’s love gift are in the process of being changed to be holy as He is holy. What an indescribable gift!

Christ Jesus is the gift who keeps on giving. 

As I meditate on the scriptures that tell of God’s gift to us, I feel like I am continually unwrapping His present to me.

To me, His sweet presence in each present moment is the best present of all.

Wonder with me:

How will our world be impacted if we truly receive God’s gift to us and live for Him?

One of my favorite promises in the Bible is this truth:

…Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1: 27b, NKJV)

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Posted by: judyhitson | November 28, 2025

Highway of Holiness

Highway of Holiness
by Judy Hitson

Is. 35:8a NKJV  A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.

The highway of holiness is not a road to travel on but is a way of life. Jesus said to him(Thomas, one of His disciples), “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me, John 14:6.
God disciplines and trains us to share in His holiness, Heb. 12:10. We have a choice to follow the Lord or to go our own way.

In Is. 35, we read of the future glory of Zion. We have so much to look forward to when we choose to follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and our God. Let us choose to be holy, that is set apart for the Lord’s purpose. Let us choose to be pure and unstained by the world. We have the privilege now to taste God’s glory.

Zion is the city of God, Heb. 12:22 NKJV and is also called, the city of David, 1 Kings 8:1. We read about the New Jerusalem, a new heaven and new earth, a time when all things are made new, Rev. 21:1-5.

Until then, let us choose a life of holiness to the Lord and be blessed to walk on the highway of holiness, living a righteous life, pleasing the Lord.

Take time to consider some factors of what this future glory of Zion entails according to Is. 35 NKJV:
…..the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose…………even with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear!
…your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you.”
…the eyes of the blind shall be open, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
…the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing,
…waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.
The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water;
A highway shall be there…..called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray.
No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beasts go up on it;…….
the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Lord, help us follow You and walk in Your ways until You come. Amen.

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Posted by: Administrator | November 12, 2025

Holy Supplications

Holy Supplications

by Brenda D. Flowers

“…Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name;  for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.” (Daniel 9: 17-19, NKJV)

 This fall, I have been reading and studying the book of Daniel alongside other women who attend Bible Study Fellowship. On Wednesday, I serve by co-teaching a class of sixteen preschoolers (mostly two year olds).

  Our most recent lesson was entitled “Daniel’s Prayer” based upon Daniel 9. In verses 3-13, one can read the longest prayer in the Old Testament, the prayer of faithful Daniel.

In this prayer, Daniel humbly confesses his and his nation’s sins and he acknowledges and praises his God, the God of the Bible.

What a blessing it has been to get to share God’s Word with these dear children. Here are the truths, I had the privilege of teaching the preschoolers recently from Daniel 9:

“God’s Attribute:  Accessible (God is always ready to listen to us.)”

“Main Truth: God hears His people pray.”

 As I studied Daniel’s prayer and the key concepts to be taught to the preschoolers, I questioned myself, “ When I pray, do I reverently and humbly approach God, giving Him the respect and honor He deserves? Do I acknowledge His character? Do I trust Him with my whole heart, remembering how He truly is with me and recalling the many times He has helped me?

After praising and acknowledging the sovereignty of God, do I present my supplications, my requests, my cares with the belief that my Heavenly Father who sent Jesus to take all my sins and griefs, loves me, hears me and will answer me in the way that is best?

Or do I start my prayer time, with my supplications, my prayer requests, like a selfish immature child crying to get what she wants even though what she wants may not be good or really needed?”

  By digging deep into the book of Daniel from the Old Testament of the Bible, I have been intrigued by his amazing life of devotion to God and how God blessed him through many trials. God answered Daniel’s holy supplications, in powerful ways.

I am thankful Daniel trusted and obeyed God. I am thankful for His holy supplications and the wise model he set for how to pray.

Daniel obediently wrote down the words God told him to write and God’s Word speaks to us today.

When we trust God wholly with our supplications and when we persevere through trials with God’s help as Daniel did, we can trust we too will receive our blessed hope of eternal life in Glory. 

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for the revelation and understanding gained through reading Daniel’s holy supplications. Please teach us, Lord, to pray as Daniel prayed with the assurance You hear and answer our prayers. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen

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