Lynna Clark

By Lynna Clark

Have you ever wished for Cliff Notes of the Bible? Like yesterday when I gave you all that Scripture and you started hearing, “Blah blah blah designer shoes blah blah …” Well, here ya go.

I came across a passage that sums it all up. In Matthew 22: 34-40, Jesus is being questioned by the religious experts of the day. These guys were careful to obey the details of the law down to the length of their sleeves. Trying to trick Him, they asked what He considered to be THE most important law. His reply is well known, but not well practiced. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself.” Then He says it.

“All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” So here’s the scoop. If we get those two things right, all the other stuff falls into place. The God of details gives us an easy button. Well, at least He narrowed it down to two things. So should I take that job? Can I fulfill Christ’s royal law of love there? No? Then the money is not worth it. Should I work in the yard today? Will I in any way defeat the goal of loving God and loving people? No? Then go for it.

Just a little jump off the Nehemiah bus for today. Because if we bear down on these two things, Christ says we’re good to go. Love God. Love people. And it’s also amazing that He places loving others “equally important” as loving Himself!! Knowing that He is a jealous God and wants us to love Him with every ounce of our being, makes that statement even more astounding!

Can I be real with you? Loving Him and loving people is certainly harder some days than others. I bet you already knew that. Here’s what I prayed. You fill in the blanks where you have been.

Strengthen me Lord to love You so much that I never doubt You again. When people hurt me and You are silent, help me rest in Your Word and believe You when You tell me You love me. When we both lose our jobs, both cars break down, the house has a tax lien, and medical bills mount up, [summer of 1990] help me remember that You love me. When I blow my cool and bless out the person I feel to be responsible for our job loss; when I slam the door so hard the windows are still rattling, [also summer of 1990] help me to know that You still love me. When I lose my strong and beautiful mother because she gets an illness that is so rare that only 3 in one million in the U.S. get it [winter of 2004]; When my very first grandson dies before I hold him in my arms, [summer of 2010] help me to rest in the fact that You love me. And when we come out on the other side of heartache with a stronger understanding of Your great love, help us use that understanding to love people better. Everyone is going through something. Strengthen me, and all of us today, to lighten someone’s load just a little; Because You love me while I am most definitely unlovable.
More: Ephesians 3:14-21; Romans 8:31-39; Matthew 22:34-40

By Lynna Cark

There’s a trap set for you. I don’t know what that looks like in your world. In Nehemiah’s it was set for him in the valley of Ono. I’m guessing that’s pronounced, “Oh NO!” Wouldn’t it be cool if everything were labeled by descriptive words, so we knew what we were getting into? “Hey honey. Wanta buy that house on Money Pit Lane, or the one over in Rainbow Valley?” or “Let’s try a vacation at the Shark Pit Villas.” “Where you wanta eat tonight?” “Oh I don’t know, maybe that new place, Hurler’s Grill.”

Somehow Nehemiah knew the invitation would not turn out well. So he stalled. He was even diplomatic. But they persisted. Finally he responded in a voice much like the witch in Princess Bride… “LIAR!!” I love that line. We use it often at family functions. Princess Bride is so deep… so quotable.

Nehemiah called them out as the liars they were and watched his back [and most surely his front as well.] Verse Nine gives the goal of his enemy and ours too. “They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining they could break our resolve and stop the work.” Next line holds the key to his success and ours. “So I prayed for strength to continue the work.”

Today, name your trap. It could be anger, past hurt, secret sin, or something as simple as mine, which is fear. I actually had to go to counseling to figure that out. When I finally named my crippling fear for the sinful choice that it is, my life changed. Now that I recognize the trap, my thought patterns are more deliberately opposite of fear. Do that for yourself, for your family, for the God you love. Name the trap that Satan, uses to hold you captive. Is it pride, criticism, or something you don’t even recognize? I know it took me a long time to realize what was holding me back. Ask the Lord for help. Then pray for strength to continue the work.

God has big plans for His church. Everyone has something to give. I really believe it all starts with prayer. He seems to emphasize that a lot. So let’s do it His way, realizing we cannot accomplish anything without His blessing. So look that old devil in the eye and call him the liar he is the next time he whispers that you don’t matter. Because God really does want to complete His work in you and use you for His glory!

Today Lord, reveal the trap set for me. Give me wisdom to recognize what holds me back. Then strengthen me to avoid anything that would hinder Your plan. Give me strength in You.

More: Philippians 1:6; Romans 12:1,2; Hebrews 12:1,2

By Lynna Clark

Nehemiah 8:13 tells us that the spiritual leaders and the family leaders got together to go over God’s Word in greater detail, kinda like life group but without the pizza. While studying, they discovered that the Lord had introduced a special family time of camping out. They were to go up in the hills, and drag back some branches. They are told what kinds of trees to take from. Then they were to make these into shelters for their families to live in the great outdoors for a whole week each year; sort of a stick house that would be built on top of the flat roof of their regular house. This was to remind them of years ago when God delivered their ancestors from slavery in Egypt, and they made temporary homes. So I’m guessing they would sit with the children, in their homemade shelters, maybe watching the sunset or stars and telling the story of their relatives. Who knew that God is the Inventor of Staycation?

I can imagine that their children were much like ours saying, “Tell us the part about the frogs! Eewwww! Where is Egypt anyway? Tell us the part about the death angel! Tell us about the Red Sea opening up and the walls of water they walked between. Could they see the fishes?”

Do our children know where we came from? Do they know any stories of miracles God has done in our lives? Do they ever say, “Tell us about the time we had no money for school clothes and God brought the lady by with the bag of clothes that fit us just right!” “Tell us about the time you and mommy prayed for food in college and someone left a meal on your doorstep.” “Remember the time we locked our keys in the car and the policeman stopped to help us?”

Intentional thankful remembering; God is very honored by it. It helps us recall what He’s brought us through. It gives us hope that the future will be just fine, because He is in it.

Today, think of some things God has brought you & your family through. Maybe take a little time to talk about how the Lord has blessed you. The next time you bring a need to the Lord, write it in your Bible and put the date beside it. You’ll be surprised at all you recall next year at this time. His care is worth remembering!

Lord, strengthen us today to remember and rejoice in You. Thank you for all You’ve done, and all You are about to do through us and our beloved church. Forgive us for forgetting. Help us be more intentional about remembering. Remind us to say “Thank You!” to You and to those around us often, because it is important to You.

More: Nehemiah 9- The people recount their deliverance from Egypt

Psalm 103:2 “Praise the Lord, I tell myself, and never forget the good things He does for me!”

Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other Christians, as you still do.”

By Lynna Clark

So, what’s your story? Where have you been? When was the first time you realized that you couldn’t be good enough to earn Heaven? Who helped you understand that you needed a Savior, Someone to cover the unsightly details of your life when you stand before a holy God?

Let me give you a little peek into my story. I was brought up in church, but didn’t get the whole “You need a Savior” business. I figured I was decent enough. Once when we were headed home from church, we passed the Baptist parking lot. They were gettin’ outa Dodge, and we nearly got run over. My dad said, with his dry humor, “You have ta watch out for them Baptist. They think they know where they’re going when they die!” I never dreamed it was true. Who could know such a thing?

One night, my boyfriend asked me to a youth meeting at a friend’s home. Lame, I thought. Oh well, there’s nothing better to do on a Thursday night. So sitting on a carpet square, singing “Give me unction in my gumption, let me function, function, function,” and … all together now, “Give me wax on my board, keep me surfin’ for the Lord…”, I understood for the first time that I actually needed Jesus to stand for me before His holy Father. The youth pastor, with a gentleness I had never heard, explained 1st John 5:13, and I knew for the first time that I could know… just because I asked Him to save me. So I did. While guitars played, and some dude thumped a cord hooked to a pole on a washtub, I raised my hand to say that, yes, I am trusting. I want to be Yours dear Lord. And with that, I became his daughter forever.

Thank the good Lord, my then boyfriend, later became my now husband, and we have skipped happily through life together ever since! … Well except for the skipping part. So anyway, are you willing to tell your story? Someone needs to hear it. The section in Nehemiah we covered yesterday gave a few stories in all those numbers. That’s the interesting part. You have a story and you are loved. The Lord is honored when we tell what He has brought us through. And, it helps us know He will get us through whatever comes next, because we are His. Consider telling or writing your story this week. You’ll be surprised how it will help you speak to others about the Lord. Today, ask the Lord how to use your unique background to praise Him.

Lord, strengthen me to be honest about my past. I bring my hurts, and victories, to You, and ask You to turn them into praise. Strengthen me to continue my story for Your glory.

More: 1 John 5:13; John 20:31; Titus 3:5,6

“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!” –Psalm 107:1 KJV

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are!” -Romans 8:18,19

By Lynna Clark

Yesterday we talked about God giving us ideas. Today let’s look at Nehemiah 7: 5 -73. The idea that God gave him was to make a list. Lists are great! I love lists. They help keep me on task. They remind me of what’s important. Lists are our friends.

The list in this passage is a list of families. It is also a record of how many men were returned from exile. Listed are those from the family of Beth-azmaveth with a mere 42, to the clan of Pahath-moab, with 2,818 [I bet they drew names at Hanukkah instead of buying gifts for everyone; cause you know you have to cut back somewhere]. Looks like God is interested in numbers. Maybe it’s because each number is a person; and each person has a story; and each story needs to be told; because each life has a purpose.

Numbers matter. When I get my checking statement, I tear it open to see if we have won “Beat the Bank” this month. Just kidding. We can’t play that anymore since we have entered the age of suck that money out of your account as soon as you swipe the card. Yep. Numbers determine if we get to swipe our card some more… or not.

In our family, on my husband’s side, there are 41 in the immediate family. Most of us eat lunch together every other Sunday. And a bunch of these bring girlfriends and boyfriends. I look up sometimes and think, “Do I know you?” My beloved mother-in-law has hosted lunch like this for longer than the 40 years I’ve been in the family. When they line up to fix plates, she says without fail, “Here comes the thundering herd!” When you’re preparing lunch, numbers matter. In fact, I can’t think of a place where numbers don’t matter, especially when they represent people.

Prayer for today: Lord God, the One Who shows us continually that You love details, bless our church with numbers. Not just bodies in chairs. Please bless our church with more salvations and more souls committed to serving and loving You. And as our numbers grow, strengthen each of us to take care of the ones You bring to us. Help no one fall through the cracks unloved and unnoticed. Because You love every single soul.
More: Acts 2:41-47; Matthew 10: 30,31; Matthew 18:12-14

By Lynna Clark

My husband’s mom is one of the sweetest, funniest, most determined people I have ever met. When her son & I married, she hugged me and called me her “other daughter,” stating matter of fact, that “daughter-in-law” was not a term that fit our relationship. How kind. And she has never treated me less than her very own daughter. Her hugs are like those of her son. She wraps me in her arms and locks down so tightly that I am left breathless; partly because I am overwhelmed with being loved so much, and partly because she is squeezing the life out of me. How rare are hugs like that?

We were in the family car between the funeral home and the cemetery on the way to bury her husband. As we drove by the Krispy Kreme, she noticed the “HOT NOW” light was on. She suggested to the driver that we lead the funeral procession through the drive through. There was no disrespect to her husband of over 50 years. He was certainly used to her off-beat humor. It was her way of making us feel better.

Did I mention that she is stubborn? That is actually an understatement. Because she is in her eighties, we worry that she will do something that will hurt herself, since she doesn’t know she is too old to climb in the attic or down into the creek. She has at least enough wisdom to ask someone to come “watch her” while she puts a ladder on the creek bank so she can climb back up after situating the rocks so that water won’t pool. One spring, her son asked her several times not to climb her rickety attic stairs to retrieve seasonal items. We noticed one day, that Easter had been taken up, and summer was upon us in the decorating sense. So he went over while she was gone and put screws into the attic door so that she could not get the steps down. On the string hanging from the door, he attached a note saying, “Pull all you want. They are not coming down. Call me if you need something.” He is a lot like his mom.

She told us one day, that her favorite word in life is steadfast. She says in that word is expressed all she strives to be. And yes she is, steadfast. Throughout her life of 86 years so far, she has always been faithful, steady, strong, loving, but unwavering on the things that matter. And funny trumps stubborn any day! She goes to a contemporary church on Saturday night. If the band is especially good, they get the OK sign with a little wink that says, “Well done!” Then on Sunday mornings, she attends her traditional church and enjoys their fine choir. She loves both. I respect so much that she is wise enough to understand that we are not in competition. And she never lets age, or the opinions of others hold her back!

You may feel that because of your age, you do not have anything to give. YES YOU DO! YOU MATTER TO THE BODY OF CHRIST! Put your unique background, experience, and expertise to work for Him! And again, someone really needs to hear your story!

Lord, help us look at people like You do, each one having great worth, no matter their stage in life. Help us, no matter our age, health, or background, to realize that You have a job for us to do. Strengthen us to be steadfast, and to faithfully carry out our part in Your great plan!

More: Psalm 92:14; Job 42:12; Isaiah 46:4; Jeremiah 29:11

1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV- “Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

PS: Our beloved Nina remained steadfast until she walked right into the arms of her Savior. Though she is no longer my neighbor, I will always think of her as one of my favorite people. She taught me so much about life and love. I miss her every day.

By Lynna Clark

Yesterday we noticed in Nehemiah 8:9 that as the people heard the Word of God they were weeping. It seems that as the Word was read and explained, they understood God’s desires toward them. Maybe they understood His love. Maybe they realized their sinfulness. Maybe they were overwhelmed by His provision and care, especially in light of all He had just accomplished through them.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.” WOW. God’s Word is so powerful! It will reveal to us exactly what God wants us to know and do and feel. It will show us the junk we need to be rid of, and the stuff we need to hang onto to use for His glory. Then we can have a Psalm 32 experience:

“Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Verse 8: “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

Do you ever struggle with knowing the will of God? What to do, what to do? These verses offer a key to understanding. Give it up. Confess and get rid of whatever the Word reveals is blocking your friendship with your beloved Father. Draw so near that it is not a strain to call Him “Abba,” Daddy. There is nothing worth hanging onto at the expense of losing your closeness with Him. He longs to bless you. But sometimes we are just too far away to hear His voice, His sweet invitation to dinner, His gentle reminder that He loves us like the son or daughter we are.

We were invited to our former pastor’s home for the week-end. They had moved to another state and we had kinda lost touch with these once very close friends. I really didn’t want to go. Don’t tell anyone, but I snore like a freight train. It’s so loud that I am afraid that those people they interview after a tornado that say with that deep hick accent, “It sounded jes like a frate trane!!!” actually did not experience a tornado. They probably just live within a two mile radius of me. Aannnyyyyway… we went for our visit. We had been going through so many trials, I had just about shut down emotionally; stuff too hard to recount here. Our beloved friends got us talking. They comforted us and listened without judgment or advice. They just took care of us and fed us some really good food. We came away wondering why we had ever lost touch. Why had I dreaded the trip? Why did I wait so long? They helped bear this awful load and lifted us back to the land of the living. My joy was restored!

The Lord is looking forward to lightening your load, and restoring your joy, if you let Him. James 4:8 reminds me to draw close to Him & He will draw close to me! Why in the world would I put it off?

Prayer for today: Dear sweet Abba Father, strengthen us to look daily in Your Word, so we can clearly see Your BEST pathway for our lives. Point out anything that is blocking our friendship with You. Draw us so close that we experience the deepest love we have ever known. We want to be the best we can be for You.

More: Psalm 32; Hebrews 4:12-16; Romans 12:1,2; Romans 8:15

By Lynna Clark

So, what’s your story? Where have you been? When was the first time you realized that you couldn’t be good enough to earn Heaven? Who helped you understand that you needed a Savior, Someone to cover the unsightly details of your life when you stand before a holy God?

Let me give you a little peek into my story. I was brought up in church, but didn’t get the whole “You need a Savior” business. I figured I was decent enough. Once when we were headed home from church, we passed the Baptist parking lot. They were gettin’ outa Dodge, and we nearly got run over. My dad said, with his dry humor, “You have ta watch out for them Baptist. They think they know where they’re going when they die!” I never dreamed it was true. Who could know such a thing?

One night, my boyfriend asked me to a youth meeting at a friend’s home. Lame, I thought. Oh well, there’s nothing better to do on a Thursday night. So sitting on a carpet square, singing “Give me unction in my gumption, let me function, function, function,” and … all together now, “Give me wax on my board, keep me surfin’ for the Lord…”, I understood for the first time that I actually needed Jesus to stand for me before His holy Father. The youth pastor, with a gentleness I had never heard, explained 1st John 5:13, and I knew for the first time that I could know… just because I asked Him to save me. So I did. While guitars played, and some dude thumped a cord hooked to a pole on a washtub, I raised my hand to say that, yes, I am trusting. I want to be Yours dear Lord. And with that, I became his daughter forever.

Thank the good Lord, my then boyfriend, later became my now husband, and we have skipped happily through life together ever since! … Well except for the skipping part. So anyway, are you willing to tell your story? Someone needs to hear it. The section in Nehemiah we covered yesterday gave a few stories in all those numbers. That’s the interesting part. You have a story and you are loved. The Lord is honored when we tell what He has brought us through. And, it helps us know He will get us through whatever comes next, because we are His. Consider telling or writing your story this week. You’ll be surprised how it will help you speak to others about the Lord. Today, ask the Lord how to use your unique background to praise Him.

Lord, strengthen me to be honest about my past. I bring my hurts, and victories, to You, and ask You to turn them into praise. Strengthen me to continue my story for Your glory.

More: 1 John 5:13; John 20:31; Titus 3:5,6

“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!” –Psalm 107:1 KJV

“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will give us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are!” -Romans 8:18,19

By Lynna Clark

Yesterday we noticed in Nehemiah 8:9 that as the people heard the Word of God they were weeping. It seems that as the Word was read and explained, they understood God’s desires toward them. Maybe they understood His love. Maybe they realized their sinfulness. Maybe they were overwhelmed by His provision and care, especially in light of all He had just accomplished through them.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “The Word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are.” WOW. God’s Word is so powerful! It will reveal to us exactly what God wants us to know and do and feel. It will show us the junk we need to be rid of, and the stuff we need to hang onto to use for His glory. Then we can have a Psalm 32 experience:

“Oh, what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! Verse 8: “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”

Do you ever struggle with knowing the will of God? What to do, what to do? These verses offer a key to understanding. Give it up. Confess and get rid of whatever the Word reveals is blocking your friendship with your beloved Father. Draw so near that it is not a strain to call Him “Abba,” Daddy. There is nothing worth hanging onto at the expense of losing your closeness with Him. He longs to bless you. But sometimes we are just too far away to hear His voice, His sweet invitation to dinner, His gentle reminder that He loves us like the son or daughter we are.

We were invited to our former pastor’s home for the week-end. They had moved to another state and we had kinda lost touch with these once very close friends. I really didn’t want to go. Don’t tell anyone, but I snore like a freight train. It’s so loud that I am afraid that those people they interview after a tornado that say with that deep hick accent, “It sounded jes like a frate trane!!!” actually did not experience a tornado. They probably just live within a two mile radius of me. Aannnyyyyway… we went for our visit. We had been going through so many trials, I had just about shut down emotionally; stuff too hard to recount here. Our beloved friends got us talking. They comforted us and listened without judgment or advice. They just took care of us and fed us some really good food. We came away wondering why we had ever lost touch. Why had I dreaded the trip? Why did I wait so long? They helped bear this awful load and lifted us back to the land of the living. My joy was restored!

The Lord is looking forward to lightening your load, and restoring your joy, if you let Him. James 4:8 reminds me to draw close to Him & He will draw close to me! Why in the world would I put it off?

Prayer for today: Dear sweet Abba Father, strengthen us to look daily in Your Word, so we can clearly see Your BEST pathway for our lives. Point out anything that is blocking our friendship with You. Draw us so close that we experience the deepest love we have ever known. We want to be the best we can be for You.

More: Psalm 32; Hebrews 4:12-16; Romans 12:1,2; Romans 8:15

By Lynna Clark

I’ve been thinking about a word I saw in Scripture, and praying it for my husband and me. You see, we’ve just let go of a lot of security and left jobs we had at the same school for the past twenty years. Yep. We are that crazy. Anyway, he was a middle school teacher [math, Bible, & culinary] and I was the school secretary. And we really loved it. But the Lord kept nudging us to step out of the boat and do a little wave walking.

A while back I heard a teaching series through the book of Nehemiah. The pastor said. “Don’t allow fear to be bigger than your God.” It was at that point that I had real confirmation that God wanted us to do something more. That was in January. So in March, when it was time to sign contracts for the next year, God gave us both peace and assurance that we needed to be done there. And we let go.

One day I was reading and came across the word equip. It’s contained in a prayer at the end of Hebrews. Chapter 13:20 says, “And now, may the God of peace, Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing His will.” Since we are definitely old dogs in need of new tricks, equipping by God sounds like a great request. So this has become my prayer for us. Today, I saw an interesting commentary on that word. The writer, Dennis Fisher, says it is the same word used in several contexts. Stay with me, this is pretty cool. Ephesians 4:12 uses it to describe what pastors and teachers do for us as they bring us God’s Word. Galatians 6:1 speaks of restoring [equipping] a fallen brother. And my favorite is in Matthew 4:21. Mending [nets] is the same word.

God is so practical. He never asks us to do anything without equipping us to do it. And if we fall, and odds are pretty good we will, He reaches out His hand for us. And when we need mending, He’ll do that too. People may think we are not worth the effort, but God never gives up on us. And the coolest part of all is that the power He uses to equip us is the same power He used to RAISE CHRIST FROM THE DEAD! Ephesians 1:19-“I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of His power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead!” Strong stuff! Makes me think we can do anything He asks!

So the prayer for today is for equipping. Lord, strengthen us with the tools we need to build Your church. Put in our hearts what You want us to do. Then give us the knowhow, stamina, and understanding to do the things You want done. Help us remember that we cannot rely on ourselves. Then strengthen us to stay so close to You, that when the waves get big, we instantly call to you like Peter did when he stepped out on the water. Hold us by Your strong and mighty right hand! Equip us to do great things we’ve never done before!

More: Psalm 18:16-20; Matthew 14:22-33; Isaiah 43:2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Isaiah 48:17- “The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says, I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling like waves.”