#NOTACOINCIDENCE

On 10/25/2019 I was on a private cabin retreat. I headed up to Brookshire's grocery store to pick up a few things but got lost trying to find the store. I finally found it, and picked up a few things to last till the retreat was done. As I headed to the checkout, I looked up and down each open lane and picked the one that looked like it would check me out the fastest. The lady standing right in front me turned around and stared at me with a furrowed eyebrow, and finally said the Lord told her to pray for me. She had absolutely no idea that I was in the middle of a spiritual retreat. Had I not gotten lost trying to find the store, I probably would've never seen her. We stood right there in the checkout line and she prayed for me. We shared a tight hug afterward, and I introduced myself and explained to her that I was having alone time with God. None of that was a coincidence. God connected the two of us that day, He answered her prayer, and the retreat was great.

What may appear to us as random chance, is in fact orchestrated by the sovereign God who knows our sitting down and rising up, and understands our thoughts from afar off, and comprehends the paths we go down, and is acquainted with all our ways, and knows even the number of hairs on our heads.

There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel  — that shall stand. (Prov. 19:21)

View From My Cabin

May I suggest reading the entire Psalm 139.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

THE VALUE OF MONEY

Thurston Howell the third, took hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, and changes of clothing with him for what was intended to be only a three-hour boat tour in Hawaii, on the S.S. Minnow. They got caught in a violent storm and ended up stranded on an uncharted desert isle that they called Gilligan's Island. No phone - no lights - no motor cars - not a single luxury. Thurston Howell's money was absolutely worthless on Gilligan's Island.

Many years ago, my aunt testified of a vision she saw of dollar bills just blowing up and down the street. No one was trying to pick them up, they just walked right passed money laying on the ground, as if it was as worthless as Thurston Howell's was while he remained on Gilligan's Island.

The "mark of the beast" in the book of Revelation refers to a physical or symbolic mark, often associated with the number 666, that individuals will be forced to receive to be able to buy or sell. Their money will be worthless.

As our world becomes more and more technologically advanced, accepting the mark of the beast will be a way of life when the anti-Christ rise up. Personally, I believe this will take place after the rapture of the church.

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers (1Peter 4:7).

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

GOD AND HIS REPUTATION

God And His Reputation - His Name's Sake

In my lifetime, I have probably read and heard Psalm 23 thousands of times. Recently, I was reading through it again, and made a hard stop at the third verse... "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." For His name's sake?

I thought, "You mean God does all this for His name's sake?" In other words, to bring glory and honor to His name. That bothered me because I assumed that meant, that He's putting us through hell just so He can look good. Of course, a Bible study ensued!

Job's Friends:

When Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar had nothing more to say concerning Job's turmoil, Elihu became the fourth man up to get Job straightened out. This was the first and only time he spoke. Apparently Elihu was a bystander and much younger than the others, but he introduced a new viewpoint.

Job 36:26 (NKJV) "Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; nor can the number of His years be discovered."

Job's three friends were mistaken about God in their speeches to Job. They clearly did not accurately reflect the character of God, and the reason He let Job endure his calamities. Because they didn't have any indepth knowledge of God, they assumed things about Him that is not His true character. In fact, God confronted Job's friends about that.

Job 42:7 (NKJV) The LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

The trials Job suffered were not related to his behavior at all. God said of Job that there was none like him on the earth, and that Job was a blameless and upright man, one who feared God and shunned evil? (Job 1:8) God used Job's sufferings as an answer to his prayers about his 10 children, that were possibly committing incest with their sisters (Job 1:4-5). Following Job's time of suffering, God blessed Job with twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). God also blessed Job with 10 new children, whose behavior was a lot different than his first 10, who had been tragicly killed (Job 1:18-19; 42:13-14). Job and his friends came away from his experience with a much greater knowledge of God's reputation, and who He really is.

God stakes His name (or His reputation) on how we come to know Him. As we read these Bible stories, we also come to know Him in the way Job did. As we endure our own suffering, we come to know God in a way we wouldn't otherwise.

Psalm 106:8 (NKJV) Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power known.

God does not permit us to go through hell so He can look good. He does it so we can come to know Him better and better. It elevates us to the next level of our spiritual journey.

Now, no chastening seems to be joyful while we're going through it, but it's painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it - and we come to know God in ways we never could have, had we not seen it for ourselves.

Job's story had a very, very, very happy ending... and so will ours.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

GOD WHY DO YOU TOLERATE WRONGDOING?

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗔 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗

Habakkuk 1:3

The prophet Habakkuk asked the Lord, "Why do You tolerate wrongdoing?" (Hab. 1:3 BSB) The Lord's response to the prophet was, "I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you." (Hab. 1:5 BSB)

Obviously, there's a specific purpose that the Lord did not disclose to Habakkuk. I read the whole book. I watch the news everyday and pray for victims all the time, but I don't always see immediate results. The children of Israel were sent to Babylon for 70 years as punishment for idolatry and disobedience to God. Inspite of any prayers, they remained there all 70 years, and then were released from captivity.

When Adam and Eve ate that forbidden fruit, they died a spiritual death, and we inherited it. Humans are innately sinful beings until we come to Christ and are filled with the Holy Spirit. The psalmist David said, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity." Doing wrong is part of who we are.

Romans 7:24-25 (NKJV) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

The apostle Paul said, "Right now we see life as a dim reflection, like in a mirror in a dark room; but following Jesus' second coming, we shall see Him face to face. Right now we know in part; but then we shall know fully, even as we are fully known." (1Cor. 13:12)

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (NKJV) For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

I'm currently doing a study in the book of Lamentations. That's how this subject came up. We won't understand it all right now. The just shall live by faith. But one thing is for certainly sure, God does not approve evil.

Lamentations 3:34-36 (BSB) To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, to deny a man justice before the Most High, to subvert a man in his lawsuit — 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †

WAIT ON THE LORD

I've been frustrated for quite some time because of many unanswered prayers. For the last couple of days I've been studying Lamentations 3 and I ran across Isa. 30:18 that says the Lord waited for me. I know that is truth, so why shouldn't I be patient and wait on Him?

Lamentations 3:25-26 (NKJV) The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.🍃

The psalmist David said, "Be of good courage, and the Lord shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"

He has heard our prayers. He won't forsake us. He won't leave us. He's not ignoring us.

1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV) Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.🍃

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove †