My paperback version of "On To The Prize" is available at lulu.com and e-book available on smashwords.com. Click the links below to go to the order page. Hope you enjoy.
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On To The Prize by Renee Hibma (Paperback) - Lulu

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Well, I Declare!

Psalm 19:1-4

              The heavens DECLARE the glory of God; the skies PROCLAIM the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth SPEECH; night after night they DISPLAY KNOWLEDGE.There is no SPEECH or LANGUAGE where their VOICE is not HEARD. Their VOICE GOES OUT into ALL the earth, their WORDS to the ends of the WORLD.

   

The heavens are speaking, the sky is speaking, the day is speaking, the night is speaking. They have voices. Continually, day and night, there are words going out into the atmosphere everywhere declaring God, His handiwork, His knowledge, His Glory.

Then the verses say that where there is speech, it IS being heard. Not only that, but it is being heard through all the earth and to the end of the world.

We are spiritual beings with physical bodies.  We are created a spirit that has been sent from God, tuned into His wavelengths of communication.  He has chosen the spoken word to communicate His Glory. He has chosen the spoken word to communicate with us.  He has chosen the spoken word for us to communicate with Him. Even His non-human Creation declares! That is why, in the day of Judgment, man will be without excuse.  We are continually hearing.

God says in His Word that "death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those that love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21). Speech from our tongue causes life or death. If we love what is spoken, good or bad, we will eat the product of that speech. Our words go on for infinity and reach the ends of the earth.  

When we read about praise and worship in the Word, it's about the fruit of our lips. Not the thoughts of our minds, but the lips. That means we have to open our mouth and speak out. 

God is about us declaring and proclaiming His Word. His very Creation declares it continually. We are His Creation. We speak life when we declare His Glory. We speak life when we declare His goodness. We speak life when we declare His love. And, when we love to declare that among the people, we eat the fruit of that LIFE...His goodness, His love, His presence.

Little Foxes

Song of Solomon 2:15, "Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyards, for our vines have tender grapes".

I researched a little about foxes.  They are solitary beings, very silent, quick, clever, little, and they burrow.

It's when the tender grapes are on the vines that the foxes come and steal and destroy.  That's sounds like someone else we hear about in the Bible who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.  (John 10:10 states that "Satan has come to steal, kill, and destroy; but Christ has come to give us life abundantly".)  The fox waits until the vine starts producing some fruit, then steals it.  And, in the process, because he burrows, he destroys the root structure and the vine, the connection that gives the fruit its life and sweetness and nutrition.  His destruction prevents it from reproducing.

The verse says to catch ALL the foxes.  It only takes one to cause a lot of damage.  The more foxes, the more damage.  Now, the destruction isn't permanent, but it takes another season or two for the vine to regrow, the roots to go down deeper, and then to bear more fruit.

Now, why does that mean to us today?  If we can get delayed in our growth and not bear fruit, we won't feed as many souls.  We won't bring nourishment and refreshing to others.  We won't have the tools to carry through with our Kingdom purpose.  So, whatever the devil can do to delay any growth, he will do it. He knows the Word like we do.  In John 15, Jesus tells us to bear fruit, to bear more fruit, to bear much fruit.   The devil doesn't want us to bear any fruit, so he sends his foxes in to cause damage to stop progress.

What are your little foxes?  Is it an attitude that steals joy?  Is it unforgiveness that stops you from bearing fruit?  Is it a secret sin? Is it something that gets your focus off of God and Kingdom purpose?  Is it a relationship or job or hobby or habit that gets your focus off the right things?

What is stealing your productivity for God's Kingdom?
Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me, Oh God, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting".

Pure In Heart

Matthew 5:8 says "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

So, is that just a promise that we will see Him in Heaven?  I'm not thinking that's the case for us.  I believe it entails so much more.  As I'm walking this thing out, I believe it means for the here and now..."We shall see God".  That's a pretty exciting promise as I see it.

The "pure in heart" phrase reminds me of King David, "a man after God's own heart", "the apple of God's eye".  Even though he did get off the beam with his sins and selfishness at times, he was "pure in heart".  The bottom line is motivation.  His motivation in life was to worship God,  to love God, to seek His face, to seek His will, direction and counsel.  Since David was "pure in heart", that means his love for God was based on nothing but "pure motives". He loved God because He was God.  He desired to serve God because of Who God is, not for what God did for him.  Motive defines the pure heart.  A pure heart seeks God for Who He is, for the pure motive of love and relationship.

Then Jesus said, that pure hearts "shall see God".  King David saw God in so many dimensions.  Just as we have seen Him in our own lives:  our Savior, our Father, our Healer, our Provider, our Protector, our Peace, our Husband, our Shepherd... the list goes on and on.   There is so much more to be revealed.  We will "see" Him like we've never seen Him before as we grow closer to Him.  As we fellowship more and more with Him, He reveals Himself more and more to us.

The Word also says that God will tell us His secrets as we walk closer to Him.  Psalms 25:14 says "The Lord confides in those who fear Him".  He reveals Himself through His secrets.  We "see" Him in a new light, in new revelation, in many new facets of His Glory in our lives.  As we approach Him and sit with Him in His presence with a pure heart, seek Him just because we love Him, not for any other reason, He makes His covenant known to us.  He makes Himself known to us.

God confides in us as with a close friend.  He trusts us with His secrets.  He makes His covenant known to us in deeper ways.  That's hard to wrap your mind around!  The God of this universe wants to hang with me!  He wants to tell me about His deepest self and share so much with me.  I believe this means He will reveal intimate details that before we weren't privy too. He just wants my "pure heart".  That's a heart He knows will carry out His Kingdom plan and carry His love as He intended.

God has made a covenant with us.  It's much more than a contract.  He has committed to love us no matter what and guaranteed His love will never change.  He is "the same yesterday, today, and forever". Deuteronomy 7:9 says that "He is the Faithful God Who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes His unfailing love on those who love Him and obey His commands".  I really like that word "lavish".  I want that kind of love from God.  I want to be so intimate with Him that I can hear Him so clearly and follow each step through my day as He intended for me.

Since God is faithful to keep His covenant, that means He is faithful to all His Word that we read and hear.  He's faithful to fulfill the Words spoken in Matthew 5:8.  He is faithful to let us "see" Him if we have a "pure heart" before Him.

I sure want Him to tell me what He's done and plans on doing through me and in my life.  I want to know His deep secrets and plans.  I want to be on the cutting edge of what God is doing on this earth and in His people.  His secrets aren't just about us.  The secrets are about what He is doing behind the scenes to get His will accomplished on this earth for His Kingdom.  We can be privy to many things as we keep our "pure heart" before Him.

I wouldn't mind hearing his secrets about others so I can encourage them in their walk with Him.  He told the prophets of the Bible days many things about others.  It was for healing, deliverance, instruction, and correction.  That's still operating today in the gifts of the Spirit:  discernment, wisdom, knowledge, prophecy.

The Holy Spirit reveals to us what God wants us to know and only what He knows will be a benefit to us, others, and will glorify Him.  I want to worship and serve God with a pure heart.  I want Him to let me "see" Him in new ways that I've never known before.  I know He has so much more to reveal to each of us, but we have to have the pure motive of love for Him.  He longs for that close communion with us and longs for us to desire the same with Him...for no other reason than we love Him and enjoy His company...His presence.

Dear Lord,
      I want to be pure in heart.  I want a deeper relationship with You and to commune with You all day, just because I love You, just because I enjoy You.
      I want to see You in Your many facets of my life.  I want to see You as the Lover of my soul.  I want to experience a new depth in You everyday of my life.
      Reminds me of some songs lyrics that I sing to You sometimes:   "You are the Love of my life.
You are the Hope that I cling to,  You are more than this world to me".

The Noisy Silence

As I sit here in the middle of the night, doing private duty care, the silence is noisy.  The man I’m caring for has a terminal illness and sleep apnea, so it’s hard to determine when he stops breathing if that’s his last breath.  A very noisy silence.

Then there’s the dog.  Not just any dog.  A stray that wandered onto their farm many years ago.  The dog won’t leave his side.  This dog is so old, she makes noises when she moves and noises when she sleeps.  She won’t leave her master.  It’s sweet and heartbreaking at the same time. 

They’ve been each other’s companion for so many years, as the man has deteriorated, the dog wouldn’t eat for the last three days.  The dog is grieving.  That almost brings me to tears more quickly than the man who is dying.  The faithful friend.  The loyal friend.  The grieving friend. The loving friend.  The unconditional love is beyond comprehension.

As the hum of the refrigerator continues, so does the hum of the lights.  Every once in a while, the furnace kicks in.  And, every once in a while, both dog and man snore in unison.  Then there’s the cat.  She has to be heard as well. It’s a very noisy silence.

My heart is in so many places at one time it seems.  Compassion for this man.  Compassion for his family.  Compassion for the dog.  Fresh feelings of having lived this myself not too many months ago.  They are all overwhelmed.  They haven’t walked this path before.

Our family and friends stood vigil with my mom all twenty-four hours a day.  We were with her, loving on her, caressing her cheek, her arm, holding her hand, kissing her.  We were talking to her, reading her Bible to her, singing to her, playing the piano for her, and just sitting there with her, touching her.  The outpouring of love was precious to behold.  There are no words for the loving atmosphere my mom was surrounded by her last days on earth.  I am more grateful for God’s love to us and in turn, it causes me to love others deeper.

They stood vigil much longer than we did.  They were exhausted.  There are no friends here now.  Just a few family members come and go.  They were so grateful to have extra hands to help them.  They were very loving when they were with him.  They were hurting, but loving and kind.  His wife of 67 years was so precious to watch as she said goodnight to him each night.  She was weary.  Her heart was broken.  My heart ached for her and their children.  Their silence was noisy.  Their hearts and faces spoke loudly in silence. 

In Isaiah 26:3, it tells us to “Be still and know that I am God”.  He is speaking about our inner man.  It’s not what’s going on around us on the outside.  We are experts at blocking out that noise.  It’s what’s going on in the inside, the real pain, the real discouragement, the real lack of understanding.  It’s all real.  That noisy place that needs to be silenced to KNOW that He IS God.  That noisy silence that blocks out that “still, small voice”.  God knows we are flesh and weak.  He knows our spirits are willing to hear from Him.  He calls to us continually to “Be still and know that I am God”.  He calls to us to silence our noisy heart, to let Him handle it all.  Surrender the noise to Him.  Take your thoughts captive and surrender them to Him.  Let Him show you Who He Is in your circumstance.  When my heart is noisy in my silence, I cry, “be still my heart, and KNOW that HE IS GOD”.

Different Rhythm

I'm experiencing quite a different kind of relationship with the Father right now.  It seems I have less outside distractions, but more internal ones.  My emotions have been on a teeter-totter the last month. I've experienced many different kind of losses.  I've heard from the Father, but not in the same ways as before.  I'm in a place where I'm needing to sit on His lap and be held and comforted and loved in a different way than ever before.

I'm having the opportunity to spend much more time with Him than I ever have because of how my schedule works right now.  I'm journaling more than ever, "pouring my complaint out" before Him as it says in Psalms, and, in the midst of it all, it seems I'm not hearing as clearly as before.  So, that appears to be the bad part.  However, because of my emotions responding to the grief, confusion, and heartache, I'm walking one step at a time into my days without thinking of the next move.

I'm praying that God leads me because my heart is too crippled right now to pay close attention.  I ask that He lets me be a blessing to those I come in contact with and to give me wisdom to handle what comes my way.  So, I guess you can say I'm feeling rather robot-like these days.  As in anything, "this too shall pass"....but it's the "when" that is the bugger.  So, in the midst of all this emotional upheaval in life right now, I'm actually walking more by faith than before.  Every step is taken blindly in total surrender, or should I say, total meltdown in His arms.  He knows I don't have the strength on my own to motivate to even plan what to do next.  So, I go to my responsibilities as a robot, asking for His guidance and His love to pour from me....and, somehow, in spite of me, it happens.  God is so amazing.

My love for Him grows deeper in this sadness.  It's not upheaval.  It's not chaos.  It's not busyness. It's sadness that I'm in the midst of right now.  He's with me in this sadness in a much deeper way.  He is more of Everything to me now.  So, although, I feel like I'm just out of normal rhythm with Him, I'm actually functioning more in rhythm.  It's just a different rhythm.  I sit back and see the results of all my encounters and think, how am I functioning?  I truly stand in AWE of Him this day....and everyday as I walk in and out of typical rhythm.  I'm pretty sure I'm His JAZZY RHYTHM girl these days.  God is good....all the time.

My paperback version of "On To The Prize" is now available at lulu.com and e-book available on smashwords.com. Click the links below to go to the order page. Hope you enjoy.
https://www.lulu.com/…/on-t…/paperback/product-22131194.html
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/528664

On To The Prize by Renee Hibma (Paperback) - Lulu

Buy On To The Prize by Renee Hibma (Paperback) online at Lulu. Visit the Lulu Marketplace for product details, ratings, and reviews.

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SECRETS REVEALED

Mark 4:21-23

21And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

I've been thinking a lot about verse 22.  In all my years in the church, I have never heard a positive twist on this verse. The connotation to this verse seemed to always be as a warning that we better behave ourselves or everyone will know about it..."all hidden things of darkness will be revealed". Another thing that always went with this typical sermon was, "Be sure your sins will find you out".  

As I've been meditating on this passage the last few days, I've been thinking about the goodness of the Lord.  I now look at this verse as His REWARD for us.  It no longer threatens me or has a negative connotation for me. It tells me now that God will reward us for our secret worship to Him.   His glory will be revealed through us as we put Him first in our "secret place".  Openly, our love for Him will flow from us.  The GOOD things will come to light, not just the bad things. Our "hidden" times with Him will come to light. You won't have to work at letting His love flow from you, because it will be revealed.  It will come to light.  It will flow from you "super" naturally. 

We've all heard the phrase, "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching"(CS Lewis).   That's what this verse says to us.  Everything comes to light.  Everything is revealed.  All those GOOD things we do when we are all alone in secret come to light.  All those times we spend with God.  All those times we secretly do something for someone without them knowing.  All those times we pray for others in secret for their hard life situations.  God is revealed because of our secret times with Him.  But more than that. When He says nothing will be hidden or secret in our lives that will not come to light, that means He will reveal US and who WE are in Him.  He won't just reveal Himself through us. He will reveal the good in US, so He will be glorified and magnified.
We are His workmanship.  We are His handiwork. This is not to show us off.  People are people.   They are judgmental, fearful, distrusting, etc.  They see US, then God in us.  I must decrease, and He must increase.  God uses us, His vessels to accomplish His work. People have a need to respect someone, and in these verses, He is working that out.  He will ultimately be glorified and people will be drawn to Him.

Mark 4:24-25

24And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides.25“For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

He says it will be measured back to us...and more. That excites me! His reward for us on this earth, in this time, for such a time as this is to reveal Himself through us to others for His Kingdom purposes.  The good things of our hearts, the good things of our time with Him will be revealed to the world to change, not only us, but those we come in contact with. They too will be changed from glory to glory, from faith to faith because of our secret times with God. When we grow in our times with Him and His Word, we will cause others to grow. It's His Word.  It's His Truth.  We are His vessels of honor.  It ALL comes to light..all that good stuff. Be encouraged.  You are maybe now a best kept secret.  But, your hard work...study, prayer, gifts, talents, love, grace, mercy.....will all be revealed. All your GOOD secret stuff will bring glory and honor to our Father and build His Kingdom.

FERTILIZER

Did you ever notice that when things are going good and seem to be progressing in different areas of our lives, something happens to mess things up?  There seems to be a monkey wrench thrown into the mix to screw things up from progressing the way you anticipated. Your mind is going one direction. Your heart is going one direction.  Your anticipation is going one direction.  All of a sudden there's a halt. All of a sudden there's a roadblock.  All of a sudden you are blind-sided.  I sure hate that!  But, none of it takes God by surprise.

There are many well-meaning people in this world that get involved in ways that seem right to them. They think they are helping.  Their motives are pure.  Their love for us is deep.  They just want to help us out in our situations.  That's part of being a human being, I guess. They just don't know all the facts.  They may not know how delicate of a situation you may be dealing with.  They just may think they can fix things and help things work out because they have experience.  But every situation is different.  Every person is different.  So hearing the Holy Spirit when wanting to help is of utmost importance when we involve ourselves in other's lives.

You believe you've heard from God and are trying so carefully to take each step only under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  You want your flesh dead.  You want to hear clearly.  You want your spirit-man to reign, not your emotions.  Then something happens to muddy the water.  You've surrender things to God.  You've asked for His direction. You've laid your dreams and plans at His feet.  Somehow things get changed through pure motives and the best laid plans of mice and men.

Sometimes it's just CRAP!  Yes, CRAP!  A pile of stinky mess is laid in the middle of it all.  You wonder what in the world is going on!  You wonder why did God allow this to happen!  You wonder how is God going to fix this!  Here, again, it's all about listening to the Holy Spirit at every turn.  He will mend it all.  He will fix it all.  But we have to ask for wisdom, discernment, and sometimes courage to deal with every aspect of the situation.

What the devil meant for evil, God will turn it for our good!  That's why I titled this "FERTILIZER".  No matter what "CRAP" the devil tries to pile on anything, it's "FERTILIZER".  It will cause maybe a sudden stop of progress, or cause a delay, but SUDDENLY, new roots and sprouts will spring forth. There will be more powerful and quicker growth...just the opposite of what the devil wanted.  That's the good news!  Bring on the FERTILIZER!  God will work all things out for my good and His glory!  He tells me that ALL things work together for my good.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Don't Play Dead. Be Dead.

Spurgeon is quoted as saying, "Child of God, you cost Christ too much for Him to forget you".   I think that because of circumstances in our lives, there are many times we forget that He is always looking out for us and working on our behalf.  He is always drawing us closer to Him and wanting to give us good gifts as His children.  

Sometimes they don't look like "good gifts". Sometimes it brings us pain we don't like.  Sometimes it goes against our wills.  Sometimes it gives us frustration.  Sometimes we feel alone.  Sometimes we are even angry. AND, sometimes we just want to give up, because we feel that God has forsaken us.

We have to remember a few things.  God is always working to conform us to the image of His Son.  A real project for most of us.  And, that God has a plan for each and every one of us.

Romans 8:29 - For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The Bible tells us that "we are crucified with Christ".  

Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So we are dead!  Dead men don't complain.  Dead men don't have an opinion.  Dead men can't get their feelings hurt.  Dead men don't stir up trouble or strife.  Dead men don't have to have their own way.  That means we are DEAD!  We are to crucify the flesh. 

Galatians 5:24 - And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

That goes against our human nature big time!  Christ says we are crucified with Him when we accept Him as our Saviour.  Christ also gives us opportunity everyday and every moment to "crucify the flesh".  That means our passions and desires for this world and our human trappings need to die. We need "passion and desire" for Him to fulfill our destiny in the Kingdom of God, to fulfill those plans He has for us.

There are a few things we need to do, that go against human nature, but are in step with the Godly nature.

Ephesians 4:32  - Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 5:18, 20-21 - And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit: giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Not playing dead when it's convenient, but being dead.  Not playing dead when we want to, but being dead by being obedient to the Word and crucifying the fleshly desires, like having our own way.  We need to be "deader" sometimes with certain people in our lives.  Some people bring out our "undeadness".  God is working it out of us. Doesn't sound like a good gift, but it really is a good gift.  He hasn't forgotten you.  God keeps on giving gifts that are not disguised as gifts.  He's working out all things for your good and His glory.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

As we learn and grow up in Christ, we will get "deader and deader" by walking in the Spirit and in obedience to the Word. We will mature and it will get easier.

Galatians 5:25 - If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

God will lead us to new heights and new adventures with great fulfillment in Him as we walk in His Spirit and listen for His guidance in every situation.

Practice being dead in every situation, and pretty soon, you will be dead.  Practice makes perfect at almost everything.  So no more playing dead.  Be dead.

The 12 Minute Commute

My 12 minute commute to my sister and brother-in-law's house was very interesting tonight. During this short time, I encountered a woman walking rapidly down the street clutching something to her chest and crying.  Over two blocks down, going the other direction, I encountered a very angry man walking briskly with anger and hatred and the devil in his eyes.  A block later I was at a 4-way stop with a woman to the right cussing because the man to her right took off first and it was her turn.  And she was drunk.  She drove slowly across the street and almost hit the curb.

At each encounter I prayed.  I asked God if I should stop to console the crying woman, but felt I was just supposed to pray.  When I encountered the angry man, who was probably the cause of that woman crying, I felt I was to pray.  When I then encountered the drunk woman, I prayed again.
Three opportunities for prayer for wounded souls in my 12 minute commute.  It's all around us.  The wounded hearts are everywhere.  We encounter them all the time, but maybe we don't even notice.

By the time I got to my destination, my heart was overwhelmed with compassion for these people. Maybe there is no one else in their lives praying for them. Maybe I am the one to see them, because God was entrusting me to pray for them.  Maybe I was the one to see them because I needed more compassion awakened in my soul.  Maybe I was to see them so I would not get lazy and complacent in my prayer life. We need to be ready for the encounter to be something that alerts us to our shortcomings.  Only God can change us.  Only God can change our circumstances.  Only God can heal our hearts.  Only God can set us free.  Prayer is where we always start no matter what the encounter may be.

I believe there are no accidental meetings in this life.  God orchestrates all our encounters for our good and His glory. We need to pay attention to them all.  God has a purpose for our encounters no matter how insignificant they appear at the time.  He wants to use us, change us, and bless us.  God wants to take every opportunity to change us into the image of His Son and help us grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ to build His Kingdom. He wants to bless others through us.  We are His instruments of choice to bring love, healing and deliverance to a hurting world.

Serving God is an adventure.  He will open doors of ministry at every turn, but we have to be paying attention. We have to be willing to be used.  You don't need a Reverend or Deacon or PhD in front of your name to take these opportunities.  God uses us all.  We are His Body and all have our part in the Body to function as He sees fit. There is never a dull moment when we open our hearts to God's love and our ears to the Holy Spirit's direction.

Peace Be With You

John 20:19
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

As I read this verse and pondered all the implications, my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude for my Savior's love for me.  I was especially thinking about the phrase, "the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of....".

There are a few good lessons to pay attention to here.

Lesson number one:  "the disciples were together". We need to be together in fellowship, doing life together, supporting one another in good times and bad. We need each other for strength and comfort. Even though they had fear together, God was watching and ready and willing to help. He had to work a miracle to get through to this bunch in this circumstance.  We are the same.

Lesson number two:  "with the doors locked for fear".  The same doors that lock out the world because of our fear, lock us into thought patterns and patterns of living that result in ungodly beliefs about ourselves and our circumstances.  These fears also diminish our impact in the Kingdom of God . The same doors lock out help from others. They have to go through great lengths and labor to get our doors down that we've locked out of fear.  The Good News is nothing locks out Jesus.  No matter how much fear, no matter how many walls, doors and locks, Jesus can get through and better yet, He WILLS to get through to us.  He may not come in a form or shape that seems normal.  He will send the most unsuspecting circumstances and people. Even Thomas didn't quite believe it was Him after being with Him three years.  Those he sends us don't always exactly look like Jesus at first. The circumstances don't always seem believable, but in spite of them, Jesus works.

Lesson number three: "Peace be with you!".  Once Jesus appeared THROUGH the door, the disciples were then focused on HIM, not on the circumstance.  Isaiah 26:3, "I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me".  Once they were focused on Him, they could accept His ministry of His powerful Words and His love.

Let's look at the definition of "keep".  As a noun it means essentials for living, charge or control or custody like a shepherd "keeps" the sheep.  As a verb it means to have or retain possession of, continue or cause to continue in a specified condition, position or course, preserve, maintain, support detain, restrain, save, reserve, to not return, to not give away, to not throw away (Webster).

There is "keep" on both sides of this Scripture.  We are to "keep"our mind on Him.  Don't keep our mind on the fear. Don't keep our mind on the locked door. Our "keep" here is our essential for living. Without His peace we don't have the essential thing we need for living, His Peace. We have charge and control of what we "keep".  If we "keep" something, we don't throw it away.  We reserve it and save it.  We continue in that condition.  We continue in peace. We do what we need to do to maintain that peace and preserve that peace.

2 Corinthians 10:5 
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Philippians 4:8  
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

These two Scriptures tell us how we can "keep" His peace, how we can preserve His peace in our lives and continue in that state of peace.  We are to take possession of our thoughts, tear down those ungodly beliefs about ourselves and our circumstances by thinking on what He tells us to think on in His Word.  He tells us to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.

Most importantly He says He would KEEP us.  That tells me if I do my part in "keeping my mind" stayed on Him, His peace will retain possession of me and my life. He will give me His peace, an essential for living a productive, victorious life as a child of God. He will be in control as a Shepherd is of His Sheep.

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

E-book Version of On To The Prize available on smashwords.com

If you did the free download for my book, On To The Prize, you may want to re-download the updated, corrected version.

Many of my previous posts have been revamped and put in my new book: On To The Prize. The book is out as of March 18,2015 as an e-book through smashwords.com and will be available for purchase as a paperback through lulu.com in April. This book is a valuable tool for spiritual growth. We all go through such hard times, but God's Word stands true through it all. I share His Word in a very personal way to help you apply His principles to your own lives through everyday things and situations. My hope is that you will be blessed, encouraged, strengthened, and comforted by these words I share.

"On To The Prize" Foreword

FOREWORD

If you are reading this book, you are probably a Christian. And you’re probably running hard on the track, reaching out your hands for that bottle of water in the middle of the race to the finish line. This book is one of those bottles. It’s a refreshing dose of encouragement for tired and thirsty runners. And it’s written in an easy, friendly, conversational style—as if you’re sharing a cappuccino and a Krispy Kreme doughnut with your best friend.

Renee Hibma is an encourager, an exhorter—a coach. And she is able to “…comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (I Corinthians 1:4). She gets this ability by the Spirit—it’s the result of a life laid down in death to self. That kind of crucified life results in a subsequent resurrection—and not just in the hereafter. It renders a new view of life’s present circumstances, a way of seeing things so that we grow by it in knowledge and character and trust in God. It’s a playing out of Romans 5: “…tribulation worketh patience; And patience, [results in] experience; and experience, [results in] hope…”

And that resultant hope is a new approach to all of life. It is the love of God—a new love FOR God—because we know He’s faithful to bring things around for our good. This love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us when we receive it! We have to LET patience have her perfect work, that we may be perfect and entire. (James 1:4) This is what Renee has done, and she submits the same opportunity to her readers.

I’ve known Renee since we were 13. We went to the same church. We were both gifted musicians, able to pick out vocal harmonies on virtually any song; playing piano by ear…We were really unusual kids, I guess! Our unpopular faith caused us to endure some hardness at school, having been baptized by fire during the “Jesus Movement” revival days, and having forsaken all for the sake of the call; taking our Bibles to school, organizing and attending early morning Bible studies… We found refuge in friends of like mind, and in music.

But the years following our high school graduation would prove us. Music and friendships were not enough, because God was exacting greater things of us. He taught us that nothing satisfies if you’re still viewing the world by the world. Even music—Christian music—can feed the flesh; and Christian friendships can usurp the Lordship of Jesus in decision-making, devotion.

In the confusing world mix of secularism, religion, truth, tradition, temptation and ego, we would find ourselves weighed, but wanting. Over several decades, she and I both learned that the anchor of our souls was not a church, or a gifting, music, or even Christian friends. It was rather the person of Jesus! It took afflictions, persecutions, temptations and adversities to prove our mettle—to try our faith; to pursue our own designs or to pursue the Will of God; to learn to forsake ambition and let God lead. We lived a thousand miles apart, yet both of us were in the same crucible of life, designed to reveal our respective lack, and spur us on a quest for deeper truth. We have both overcome the allure of this world with our faith intact. The empowerment that has emerged from those victories is a way of seeing ordinary things from a spiritual perspective. Renee sees life in this way, and shares these nuggets of wisdom beautifully in this refreshing, unpretentious and practical book.

On To The Prize will help take you to the finish! It’s a compilation of life-lessons rooted in simple observations—things you’ve seen yourself, like bird wings and broken vases, pressure washers and roadsigns. Out of each observation comes unexpected insight to help the reader learn to think differently—it’s not the stuff of this world; it’s a spiritual perspective.

This almost reads like a devotional book, but the chapters run longer and deeper. Safely interwoven with relevant Scriptural references, this book has a solid foundation, and Renee’s personal experiences and insights are well worth sharing. In fact, this book would make a terrific tool for group Bible study and discussion or personal reading.

As you read this book, receive it as a modern epistle from one of the most personable women in ministry today. I know that her heart is set toward empowering the runners in the race, cheering them on, letting them know they can make it to the finish—and, of course, handing them that bottle of Living Water. Take it!

--Susan Parsons Sumner

I Know a Loving Father

I know a loving father.  His son is now 31.  He has been blind since birth, and is severely developmentally delayed at about age 2.  It was his son's birthday, so the father brought pizza, cake, ice cream and balloons to the residence where they care for his son.  The staff told him that it was his birthday, so they were going to have a party to celebrate him. Here's the rub.  The father could not make his presence known.  If he did, the son would get excited and anticipate going home with him for the day and possibly even the night.  It wasn't the proper time, so he didn't want to disappoint his son.  He wanted to protect his son from his own desires and wants, so he wouldn't be hurt.  So, all the father could do was watch the party from a distance and take pictures.  

My heart broke when I heard this true story.  The reason I was overwhelmed is because I could immediately see such a beautiful picture of our Heavenly Father:  His love, His patience, His compassion, His desire for His children, His faithfulness, His mercy, His grace, and, yes, God's protection.  All of that wrapped up in this picture of a man's love for his son. 

The Holy Spirit stirred my heart with this story in a very personal way, because He has been trying my whole life to show me how much He loves me. Something I can't comprehend many times. Since I've heard this story, the Holy Spirit continues to show me God's love for me in a deeper and richer way.  I am forever grateful.

His father was there, in the very room.  His father was fully present, very close to his son, but did not speak or get close enough for his son to recognize his presence or sense his presence in any way.  The father was the one who planned the party, paid for the party, and brought the party to his son.  He was the father who watched his son enjoying his celebrations with loving eyes and a loving heart in silence.

We have to understand that God wants to bless us with good gifts (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13).  God wants us to enjoy His gifts.  God wants us to enjoy what He brings into our lives. There are no accidental meetings or accidental happenings.  God is in control.  He knows how to maneuver everything for our good and His glory.  He will work ALL things out (Romans 8:28).  He is present in the moment, and we need to be present in the moment, accepting and appreciating what has been brought before us. Sometimes it's a lesson we need to learn.  Sometimes it's just for our pleasure.  He enjoys bringing us pleasure just because He loves us.

I think about the son's developmental delay.  He cannot understand a lot of things.  His loving father met him where he was in his understanding of life: cake, ice cream, balloons, pizza.  God knows that about us too.  We have our own spiritual developmental delays. God, our Father, knows right where we are in our development.  He knows who to bring into our lives and what circumstances to bring us into and through. The more we develop by reading His Word, communing with Him in prayer, and fellowship with His people, the closer we draw to our Father and the more we will comprehend His presence even in the smallest things.  

I think of the son's developmental delay causing his senses to not be fully developed. Some are probably stronger than others.  But, because of the distractions of the smells of pizza, cake, ice cream, he couldn't smell his father.  In another circumstance, same room, same time of day, same quiet father, without all the party food and activity, he may have sensed and smelled his father's presence. 

The more our senses are developed, as the Bible says, by reason of use, we will have more discernment.  Our senses will be more developed, and we will sense our Father's presence in the midst of distractions, chaos or quiet.  We will sense His presence, but not necessarily understand all we want to understand.

There are times that the Father chooses to be silent.  He chooses to keep information from us, because He knows more than we do.  He is protecting us from ourselves many times. If we get too much information, sometimes we tend to run with that information, leaving the Holy Spirit's guidance out of the scenario and create circumstances that end up being beyond our control. God gives us information as needed. I believe that is called walking by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  The Word says we know "in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9).  That's a good thing many times.  We don't need to be on information overload.  Only the Father knows what will overload us.  We don't. We have to leave it in God's hands.

I will forever have the picture of this story in my heart and mind.  It has been such a strong spiritual lesson for me.  I hope in some way, this blesses others in their struggles to understand.

Balm

Someone called me a "balm" the other day.  I decided I needed to look the definition up in the dictionary.  It's not that I don't know what a balm is, but in reference to myself, I needed more clarity of the depth of the compliment. I truly believe the Lord gave me that word on purpose to wink at me.

Balm: a fragrant ointment or preparation used to heal or soothe the skin, an oily substance that has a pleasant smell and that is used for healing, smoothing, or protecting the skin, something that gives comfort or support (Webster Dictionary & Wikipedia).

I guess I needed to know that word that day, because when you don't feel very useful at times, you wonder what purpose am I serving right now. We've all been there.  Then God gives us a WORD.  Just one WORD, and our heart gets encouraged.  My WORD was BALM.

My heart was overwhelmed with such a WORD.  My heart was overwhelmed with such a compliment.  My presence gave them a feeling of being protected, comforted, and supported.  My presence gave them a sense of peace, a soothing and healing atmosphere. My heart rejoices that God would use me in such a way to touch lives.  I am humbled to be called a "balm".  I am blessed to be honored with such a title: Balm.

May we all be a balm to those around us.  May we all let the love of God flow through us in our activities, actions, and words.  May we all let God's peace surround us so that our very presence affects all those with whom we come in contact. To God be all the glory.

Let us be a "balm" to this hurting world, to the weak and weary, to the discouraged, to all those God brings across our path.  Now that I'm thinking about it, a Christian's nickname should be "Balm".  Let's live up to our nickname.

New Appreciation

Yesterday I met with some friends for lunch. Even though we all normally pray over our food even publicly, but silently, I asked if I could pray out loud.  The prayer touched my heart, and I'm the one who prayed it.  "Thank You, Lord, for Your grace and mercy and faithfulness to us...words we can appreciate so much more now than we could a year ago."  You see, besides all the normal trials and tribulations in life and my friends' lives, my friend had been in a struggle for his life this last several months.  The battle isn't over.  He still needs God's miracles.  But, having walked through much of this with him and his wife, my heart rejoices even more in God's grace, God's mercy, and God's faithfulness.  Words I don't take lightly anymore.  Words that have become richer to me day by day and year by year.  More than words.  More than actions of God.  God is not just merciful.  God is not just full of grace.  God is not just faithful.   HE IS MERCY.  HE IS GRACE.  HE IS FAITHFULNESS.  GOD IS LOVE.  Thank You, God, for seeing us and hearing us, and most of all, for loving us.

Atheistic Living

Isn't living in fear and doubt atheistic living?  Just ponder that.  Not condemnation, but calling us to repentance.

Playing

I was thinking about playing. I know children play and animals play.  Many "serious" Christians I know don't ever think about playing.  Life is always a mission.  I think that is very sad.  Who put the time limit on playing?  I know that when we are older we put away the childish things as the Bible says, but not the childlike things.  There are too many people who put limits on themselves. God didn't put those limits on us.  A matter of fact, He says we need to stay childlike.  I'm thinking we will enjoy life a lot more that way.  There are too many people that don't enjoy God's creation as He intended.

We can see in nature that God intended play to continue.  Even adult animals play with their children. Even adult animals run through the fields and valleys and snow.  Even adult animals rest and relax and enjoy watching God's nature and seeing others enjoy themselves.  I see too many adult humans that don't get it.  I believe we need to relax and rest and play.  It's okay!  Really!

Be His Vessel of Honor

Been thinking about praying...talking to God about things. My hearts cry recently has been, "God, help me hate what you hate and love what you love". I know God hates sin. I know I sin. I know we all have things to overcome, and we need to be overcomers. He says we can and should. Yet I struggle. It's a hard thing to do. There are things that I would have never considered sin years ago. But, as I grow closer to God and development my relationship with Jesus, there are things that are now sins, because I have heard God's Word more and more. Over and over again we repent. Over and over again we sin. Frustration reigns sometimes in some areas of our lives if we are looking honestly at ourselves. It's okay. We need to be frustrated at times, I think, to keep the focus on overcoming. It's a way for us to pay attention to the areas of our lives that need repair. Usually I wouldn't say frustration is good, but, we are humans, we need to remember that God hates sin. He wants to transform us into the image of His Son...from faith to faith, from glory to glory. We are a work in progress until the Trumpet blows.

Sin to me now is neglecting to pray for someone who God has placed before me either physically or in my heart or in my head. There's a reason these people pop into our hearts and heads. There's always a reason you "run into someone". There are no accidental meetings. There are no accidental memories. God has purpose in all things. We are His instruments. Each situation doesn't have the same gravity. Sometimes it's just an act of kindness, followed by a simple prayer, "peace be with you". Sometimes it's a full-on intercession and mighty spiritual warfare. Be available to hear God at all times. God is entrusting to you something very precious and important. Look at every day and every event as an opportunity to bless others and bless God. Be His vessel of honor.

Another sin I'm aware of in my own life is inattentiveness. Again, that person or situation is there for a reason. Be present in the moment. Believe that God has crossed your path with this person or situation for a purpose. He is full of purpose and fills us full of purpose and gives us purpose. If we listen carefully everyday, we will have assignments all along the way. What a privilege to communicate with the Most High God in such an intimate way all day and every day. Be His vessel of honor.

Another sin so many have is not knowing when to shut up. Just because someone is engaged in talking with you or others around you, doesn't mean they have to hear everything you know on the subject. Interrupting and pontificating on whatever the conversation is, does not endear people to you or to the Lord whom you represent. Here again, you have to be listening to the Holy Spirit even as you are engaged in conversation, being present in the moment with that person or persons. Only speak what the Holy Spirit says is important. Be His vessel of honor.

I could go on, and maybe someday will add more to this list, because there are many more I could add right now...but you get my point. There are everyday things and actions and habits we have that God wants to change in us. Be alert to hear and face the giants that are so tiny sometimes. Be His vessel of Honor.

Announcing my new book: On To the Prize

Many of my previous posts have been revamped and put in my new book: On To The Prize. The book is out as of March 18,2015 as an e-book through smashwords.com and will be available for purchase as a paperback through lulu.com in April. This book is a valuable tool for spiritual growth. We all go through such hard times, but God's Word stands true through it all. I share His Word in a very personal way to help you apply His principles to your own lives through everyday things and situations. My hope is that you will be blessed, encouraged, strengthened, and comforted by these words I share.