Lina

Johnson

“I want you to know your son is amazing! It seems there is nothing he does not know how to do. He is so smart and so kind. He changed my life when he came into it.” These words were spoken to me by my son's precious girlfriend. His dad would be so proud, as I was.

When my first husband, Chad, was alive, he loved his family. He bragged about our four sons and me to anyone who would listen. But that is not the only thing he did. He made a mark that will last forever through his prayers. Every night, before each boy went to sleep, he would have prayer time with dad. Chad prayed for each of them individually every night, without fail. The prayer was always the same, “God, give him a hedge of protection around about him and give him wisdom and knowledge beyond his years.” Wow! Did God ever answer those prayers!

“Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” (Job 1:10 KJV)

Here Satan points out that God has put a hedge around Job. That’s what Chad asked God to do for our boys, and He did! Many times, I have seen things happen that afterward we had to say, “God protected them.”

What I want to focus on is the second half of that prayer, “... give him wisdom and knowledge beyond his years.” Each of our sons is successful, smart, and godly. Each tries to live right, and God rewards them for it. They are not perfect, but they know the Lord and how to repent and God blesses them.

I’m reminded of King Solomon. Solomon had an opportunity to ask God for anything! Solomon asked for wisdom and God gave it to him plus so much more (1 Kings 3:5-14).

Have you ever thought, I wish God would give me the opportunity to ask for anything like He did with King Solomon? Good news, He did!

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7)

Chad “cashed in” on the promise of John 15:7. Chad knew what it meant to “abide in” God and His Word, and he did it. He loved God. He spent time in God’s Word and he spent time with God. He learned about God, so he trusted God.

Hebrews 11 lists many Old Testament men and women of faith. They heard from God and chose to believe what He said. God did all that these patriarchs had believed for, even though they did not live to see the totality of that fulfillment.

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13)

Neither did Chad. Our boys were still boys when Chad died, but 17 years later, his faith is still evident in their lives. Chad’s prayers are still being answered. God still is protecting these now young men and giving them wisdom and knowledge beyond their years.

Fathers, what will you start believing for and praying over your children? May I challenge you, if you don’t already, pray with and for each of your children daily, and just see what God does!

Have you ever been on the phone and had something you really wanted to tell the other person, but before you could say it, they ended the call? This has happened to me many times. It leaves me with a bad feeling. That person said everything they wanted to and just ended the call. I never got to share what was on my mind. 

Do you think we have ever made God feel like that? We pray, but do we listen? God speaks to us. Why else would Jesus say, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27 NLT)? He speaks through the Bible and speaks to our hearts.

God spoke to Elijah: “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. (1 Kings 19:11-13) 

Just as God spoke to Elijah, He speaks to us. The Bible guides us in many ways, but some details are not in there. For example, the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10: Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.

So, clearly if I want to eat, I need a job. But the Bible does not tell me which job. I, as a believer, need take time alone with God and listen. I need to ask Him to guide me. 

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. (Psalm 37:23)

God will guide us. My pastor puts it this way, “God has a great plan for your life, but not a great life for your plan.”

So, you may be asking, how does that work? How do I hear God? Simple, spend time with God. Just as I’ve been rushed off a phone call, I have rushed away from God. When we pray, God hears us, and He speaks to our hearts and souls. Prayer should be a conversation, not a monologue. Need guidance? Look in the Bible. Need details? Be still and listen with your spirit. 

Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. (Psalm 46:10)

If we don’t get still, how can we know Him? Let this be a challenge to you today. Set aside time for God and listen. His voice brings peace. It brings clarity. He will never contradict Himself. Everything He says is true and will line up with what the Bible says. Yes, this will take practice, but it is entirely worth our time and effort. Let the God of the universe into your universe. Start with Scripture and grow from there.

Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

God helps us know Him, His Word (the Bible), and His voice.

A prayer: God, help me to know You. Here I am, listening. In Jesus’ name, amen.

~

Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

Have you ever felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to do something, but fear gripped your mind? Have you ever prayed, “Lord, I don’t know if I can do that. What if I mess it up?” I have had this happen so many times.

One day while I was in church, those fears started to go through my mind. After the service, I spoke to the guest speaker. I explained my fear to him saying, “I’m so afraid that I’m going to mess up and ruin what God called me to do. How can God use me? I don't know how to do what He is telling me to do.”

The speaker was so kind as he smiled at me and said, “The fact that you know you can’t do this on your own is the very reason God can use you. If you could do it and make no mistakes, you’d get the credit. He chose you, knowing He would get all the glory for it.” Those words set me free! I don't have to get it perfect. I just have to be willing to obey.

In Exodus 3 – 4, Moses has an encounter with God. God instructs Moses to go to Pharaoh to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt (3:10). Then God reveals the details of His plan to Moses (3:11 – 4:13). As I read the response from Moses, I’m reminded of myself.

But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” (Exodus 4:13 NLT)

That sounds a lot like me when I said, “I’ll mess it up. Choose someone else.” God did not choose someone else, but He did send help. God encouraged me through that guest speaker and God sent Aaron to help Moses.

As we continue to read Exodus, we learn that God did everything that He said He would do. God used imperfect people and God got all of the glory! He continues to do this today.

Recently, as I was talking to a pastor and friend, he mentioned that he feels that he cannot give couples marriage counseling because he has a failed marriage in his past. He has these thoughts even though he has learned from that experience and now has a very successful marriage. That fear is robbing him of opportunities to help the married couples in his congregation.

My pastor teaches that we learn three ways. The best way to learn is from other people’s success. A less favorable way is to learn from other people’s mistakes. The least favorable is to learn from our own mistakes.

I share these ways we learn so we can see that we, as imperfect as we are, can be used by God. We will make some mistakes. We will learn. We can help others learn through our experiences. God can use us with all of our imperfections, and He will if we let Him. Then, He will be praised! My pastor friend can teach from what he has learned from both his failures and his successes if he will not fear being unqualified and messing it up.

So, can God use you? Yes! Don’t let fear of your imperfection stop you from letting God use you. Just step out in faith, obey what God is telling you to do, and give Him all the glory.

~

Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

Did that really happen to you? Did God really have to intervene and send someone to save your life? Surely you misunderstood. Maybe it was all a joke. Nobody would actually try to kill you. Right? These thoughts tormented my mind for years.

I was in high school in the late ‘80s and at that time the kids in my school thought it was cool and funny to claim to be a satanist. Satanic Bibles were passed around and it all seemed to most to be a big joke. But it wasn’t. A few of my “friends” practiced this religion and it was rumored they planned to do a human sacrifice for Halloween. Through repeated dreams and what others said, it became apparent to me that I was the intended sacrifice. Sounds crazy, right?

But I wasn’t crazy. In 1994, God brought freedom to my mind and soul. I met a young man I’ll call “Fred” to protect his identity. We met in September, approximately five years from when I learned the devil’s plan for me that Halloween night. Fred was living in the local homeless shelter which required him to attend my church. It worked. He got saved. Through our work with the shelter, Fred started talking to my husband and me saying how concerned he was about the devil coming after him because of his past. One day in early October, several of us were sitting and talking. Fred began to share his fears. Halloween would be here soon, and he was afraid that the devil would be coming to get him. Fred began to share his past sins and the witchcraft he had been involved with. As he shared details, he would ask, “Can God forgive that?” Each time, I would calmly and joyfully say, “Yes! Is there more?” He was amazed that nothing shocked me. As his “crimes” against God got worse, I simply kept reassuring him that he was God’s child now and all was forgiven.

As he talked, he shared that five years prior he had been a part of a group that was going to do a human sacrifice for Halloween to gain satanic power. He told me when, where, the name of the group, and everything about the girl. But he did not know her name. He looked at me intently and asked, “Can God protect me from those demons? Can I be set free?”

It all lined up! The location, the name of the group, the timing... it was my city, and the “girl” was me! I was that girl! I looked him in the eyes, reached out my hand to shake his, and said, “Yes, God can do it! But first, hi, my name is Lina, and I am the girl who was supposed to die that night.”

Here I was living a saved and delivered life, teaching, and praying with a man who had tried to be a part of what would have been my death. Yes, God had saved me. Yes, the memory was real. And now it was time for God to set Fred and me free from all of the demonic strongholds in our minds from our pasts.

What an amazing, loving God we serve. God showed Fred that I was the one set to die that Halloween, and that God was the One who had stopped the sacrifice. What the Enemy planned for evil, God turned to good (Genesis 50:20)! 

God can do the same in your life. No matter what the devil has planned against you, God’s plan and power bring victory!

“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:36 NLT)

~

Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. 

While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people dropping their gifts in the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two small coins.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.” (Luke 21:1-4 NLT)

Wow! What a thing to have Jesus say. Would He say that about us?

While in prayer many years ago, the Holy Spirit asked me, Do you trust Me? To which I replied, “Lord, You know.”

We were living in a tourism town, and I loved working at the local theme park. God was meeting all of our needs, and I was content. But did I really trust God? Could I have done like the widow and given all I had? Over the next few years, we went through many trials. We lived in a hotel; we had to go to food banks and other financial hardships. God provided every time, which strengthened my faith. 

Jesus was not really focused on the widow’s money. It was really about her faith. She somehow knew that if she trusted God with everything she had, God would provide. What faith! What a good work!

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:16)

So, do works or deeds equal faith? No. But faith and love always lead to good works. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” As we understand God’s love for us, we can love Him more and trust Him more. This makes us want to do good works, which draws others to faith as well.

But won’t God love me more if I do good things? No. His love for you is not based on you. God’s love for you is based on His character and who He is. You can never earn His love nor stop His love. Romans 8:31-39 makes that clear.

Good works won’t save you. They do not impress God. It’s faith that impresses Him. 

God showed me I could trust Him, not because I earned it, but because of His love.

Then what about James 2:26? What does James mean when he wrote that faith is dead without good works?

I believe James is saying that people cannot see your faith unless you do good works. In the story of the widow, we can see her faith. We see it because she gave all she had to God. 

Maybe you’ve known and loved the Lord for years. If so, praise God. But do you trust Him with everything? I’m not going to tell you what good work you should be doing. That’s between you and God.

However, I do challenge you as I am now challenging myself. Ask God to show you how to trust Him more, and then do it. Maybe that means asking Him to forgive you. Maybe it means giving. Whatever the Lord asks of you, know He has a plan, invite Him in, and surrender to that plan. Your love and faith in Him will grow.

God sees you, and just as Jesus commended that widow, He will commend you.

I believe we would all want to hear Him say to us, as He said in Matthew 25:21,

“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

~

Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

“D.J. would really benefit from using a treadmill every day a lot more than he would just once a week,” said my 3-year-old son’s physical therapist at one of his sessions. D.J. has mild cerebral palsy, which was hindering use of his right foot and leg. She had been having him use the treadmill like a skateboard, one foot on the edge and one on the track. Using a treadmill meant we could position his foot while it was in motion. The only problem was … we could only do it once a week. I had no money for a treadmill.

Sarah, my best friend, was with me at the time. We looked at each other and I said, “Well, God, we need a treadmill. I don’t know how You’re going to do it, but I know You will.”

A short time later, D.J. and I went to my mother’s house for a few days and brought along Sarah and her toddler, Hannah. It was two weeks before Christmas when we made that long trip. Before we left, Sarah and I both had the thought that we needed to take out the extra bench in the minivan. We had no idea why. Yet it seemed important, so we did.

We arrived at my mother’s house shortly after sunset. It was a beautiful night. My mom suggested we drive around and see the Christmas lights in her neighborhood. That sounded great, so we piled into her car and she drove us up and down many roads including cul-de-sacs that we would have no other reason to be on. As we were turning around in one of those cul-de-sacs, the headlights hit something at the end of a driveway. One of us yelled, “Was that a treadmill?!” Mom backed up. Sure enough, there sat a treadmill. Sarah and I jumped out and ran to the house.

We knocked on the door and then asked the man who answered, “Why is that treadmill at the edge of the road?”

“Well,” he said, “I just decided to give my wife her Christmas present early. She wanted a new and fancy treadmill. That one was in the way. There is nothing wrong with it. You can have it.”

We were so excited! Mom drove us back to her house, and then Sarah and I got into my minivan and drove back to get it. It barely fit. Good thing that bench was not there.

To this day, Sarah and I marvel at the way this man acted like he was expecting us that night. God is so good. My son had a need. I put no constraints on how God could meet the need. I just believed He would, and He did!

So often, it is tempting to tell God what to do and how to do it. If we would just remember this: God is good, He loves us, and He wants the best for us.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20 NLT)

Why would we want to limit our God who wants to do more than we can think?

We will never forget that Christmas! It makes me think of the widow in 2 Kings 4. She was in danger of losing her two sons to a creditor and all she had was oil. It was all she needed. The only limit on what God provided was how many jars she collected!

Let’s not limit God. Let’s trust Him.

~

Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Have you ever had a great revelation? Has God shown you something so great and amazing that you wanted to tell everyone? Paul told of his experience in 2 Corinthians 12. However, he did not bring attention to himself—his revelation was about his weaknesses. I don’t know how many of us could be so bold and open about what God wanted us to work on and be silent about other things that would impress many.

Paul demonstrated amazing humility. Don’t misunderstand. It appears that he did not think less of himself than he should—just thought about himself less often. He seems more concerned with God being glorified than with receiving approval from others, and more concerned with others knowing God than with them knowing him.

So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT)

Why would pride be so bad? I mean, we all want to feel good about ourselves, right? Pride gets our eyes off God and onto ourselves. Pride separates us from God.

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)

Why does God oppose (or resist) the proud? Simple. I believe He is trying to protect them.

Proverbs 16:18 tells us that pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. I do not believe God wants us to fall or, even worse, be destroyed. God reveals Himself and draws us closer to Him and His protection. He reveals our pride and shortcomings. When He does, we are protected from ways that distance us from Him. It is all about relationship.

So, when God reveals something to us that needs to change, what do we do? There are two options: We could repent and experience revival in our lives or, instead, rebel and reject the truth (reject God) and head down a road we don’t want to be on, headed straight for destruction.

As for me, I want to be like Paul. I want the world to know my weaknesses, so that they may see God’s strength at work in me and through me that they may know God for themselves.

May I challenge you today? Share your weaknesses and how God is your strength. Let the world see Jesus in you that they may ask, “What must I do to be saved?”

Let’s pray: Father God, we know Your Word tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." Father, help us trust You and humble ourselves before You and others. Let our lives be a light that draws sinners out of darkness. Keep us from pride and destruction. Let us hear Your voice as You guide us through Your Word, the Bible. Forgive us for our past and guide us into humility as we walk with You into the future. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

~

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.