Arms Upheld: Support in Life's Hard Battles

Through Christ’ death and resurrection, He made a way for us to be reconciled to God.  When we recognize our sin, turn from it, and then seek God’s forgiveness, our vertical relationship is restored. However, restoration does not eliminate the consequences of sin. Those consequences must still be dealt with, like with David. The prophet Nathan spoke God's decision that his son would die. Whil...

Last week, we learned about David’s failure to stay vigilant and the depth of sin he sank into. Although we will likely not sink to the level of stealing another person's spouse and then having that person killed, we have all sinned. Like David, we are usually the last person to realize our own sin. For David it took God's words spoken through the prophet Nathan to open his eyes. What do...

Today we start our summer series Lessons from the Life of David . We begin in the middle of David's story when one spring he stays home from battle. Relaxing on his roof he takes in the view and zooms in on an intimate moment of a woman bathing. It happened. It happened because David laid down his vigilance. When we face life-and-death situations, we find ourselves constantly seeking out pote...

When we live a life of serving, can we find ourselves giving too much? Is there such a thing? Jesus lived as a model for us, and He sacrificed all the way to the cross, but is that what He’s calling us to do as well? Jesus paid the price for our sins, therefore we need not sacrifice ourselves. Paul reminds us that we are to offer living sacrifices. To sacrifice, we must be willing to give up that...

R & R is not for "Rest and Relaxation," but Religion and Relationship this week. Religion can leave us feeling confused and even empty. Listen in to hear my story of how Jesus found me. Much like Saul, I knew all the right religious things, but it wasn't until a real encounter with Jesus sparked a relationship that has changed my life. Listen in to hear more about how Paul'...

Put your hope in the LORD. Travel steadily along his path. -Psalm 37:34  As we put our hope and trust in the Lord, we can continue to travel down His path…the one He has created just for us. “Steadily” may not look like consistently moving at the same speed. It may involve rest stops and breaks. At times, we will travel quickly and other times a slower tiptoe or even a crawl. Our steady manner is...

I’ve shared before about rappelling and mentioned that I’ve never actually been climbing. And physically that's true. However, I have climbed out of some dark valleys. I think many of us picture valleys as V-shaped, but what if the way out of some valleys are shear rock faces. Jesus leads us to the base and points up. The climb involves physically gripping holds that we use to climb. We also...

I’ve shared in the last two episodes about our family trip to Niagara Falls but have yet to speak of any encounters with the falls themselves. This week, we finally make it to the falls! After our initial amazement at the splendor…and speed…and sound of the many waters rushing over the falls, we began to see our limitations. A number of possibilities were impeded by various factors. The final morn...

Over spring break, our family took a short trip to Niagara Falls. Last week, I shared how our adventure on Beaver Island soaked our socks and muddied our shoes. For my youngest in clogs, this meant the mud not only covered her shoes, but her feet and legs as well. After a short car ride, we checked into our hotel with white bedding. My first order of business was to clean up my little one before m...

Over spring break, our family took a short trip to Niagara Falls. On our way there we stopped at Beaver Island. I was intent on taking a hike and found a little path (on my trails app) over to a little island. Sounds fun, right? Except that the storms during the week prior to our trip left the park waterlogged. The field that is probably great for a game of tag on a typical day now looked like a w...

We left off with silence, but that’s not the end of the story. "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?" The events of Easter morning unfold like a dream, but can it be real? He is risen! He is risen indeed! Happy Easter! To celebrate and worship our risen Lord, try some of my favorite songs: Sunday is Coming by Phil Wickham Forever by Kari Jobe Desert Road by Castin...

Jesus is betrayed. Jesus is arrested. Jesus is questioned. Jesus is found innocent. And Jesus is crucified. Then... *** For Easter, Arms Upheld is going to look a little different. Recognizable, but different. More scripture and less discussion. There will also be a special episode released on Good Friday and then one on Easter Sunday, but not one on Monday, April 10, 2023. I hope you will join us...

This is Passion Week, which simply means these are the days between Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and Easter. Jesus spends his days this week doing what He’s always done: proclaim truth and promote God’s kingdom. Jesus is becoming greater. He's clearing out the temple. He's teaching in the temple and performing miracles. He's recognized for who He truly is. Join us as we joi...

As I was reading this week in 2 Samuel, the account in chapter 10 stood out to me. It felt familiar--not necessarily the armies and such, but the motivation behind the actions. Have you ever genuinely offered kindness but found yourself being disgraced or even attacked? This is exactly what happened to David and Israel. In the midst of being surrounded by the enemy, David's general calls his...

You may be expecting to see the name of Balaam in this description and we'll get there, but first let's head to the pool for a moment. You are likely familiar with signs or painted words that direct us to walk safely and not run around a pool. The purpose is to protects us from pain and injury. If a lifeguard sees someone running, it's his job to intervene. He may speak a warning wi...

This week we continue the idea of God being our source of comfort, but this time through the gift of a friend. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul is facing conditions we may be familiar with. No rest. Conflict. Fear. But God. Seven characters that interject divine power into our human condition. This time, God sends Paul Titus, a close friend, to encourage him. Has God ever done this for you? :) *Also, if y...

Did you have a blankie growing up? Maybe you found security in some kind of lovey instead.  Either way, did holding it seem to make everything better? God is our source of all comfort as 2 Corinthians 1 proclaims. Could the comfort of a security blanket somehow connect us to God? Could a tactile memory and experience lead us to peace in our souls? Listen in to hear more about the connection of our...

Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! -from Song of Solomon 4:1 These words of Solomon spoken to his maiden, reflect God's love for us. Perhaps, we have not been loved well by others, but God loves us perfectly. His love shines through His blessings and the beauty He gifts us in our lives. His blessings abound, we just have to notice. Aundi Kolber says it like this in...

Have you ever gone rappelling? It's like the opposite of rock wall climbing. You start at the top of a cliff face and after properly harnessing up and with help , you travel down the side of a rock wall on a rope. The coach at the top that ensures your safety is crucial, as is the person on belay at the bottom. The belay man holds your life in his hands. His job is to be alert and holding the...

What treasures can joy unlock in you? This week, I'm listening to those upholding my arms and keeping it simple. However, this simple practice could change your life...and mine. May your hearts and lives be filled with His love…pure joy…and undeniable peace. Bible verses referred to in this episode: John 10:10 Find me on Instagram @HLynnPierce   or at hlynnpierce.com Sign up for my E-mail lis...

Sometimes in our battles, we face challenges that seem to slow our forward movement. Our focus is forced to shift from 'typical' to 'essential'. At times this may look like rest...or even survival. Yet, even if our journey seems stalled or our growth appears stunted, God has not laid down his pen. He continues to write our stories...stories of love and victory . Even if this ch...

In Luke 15, Jesus tells the parables of lost things: a sheep, a coin, and a son. There is a similar theme of celebrating at the lost being found. There are also some differences, like why does the Shepherd go after the lost sheep, but in regards to the lost son, the Father remains at home waiting for his return? Listen in to hear what I discovered and how the answers help us seek the Lord in our o...

In her book, Don't Miss Out: Daring to Believe Life is Better with the Holy Spirit , Jeannie Cunnion says of the Holy Spirit, "…what he does do is attune our hearts to the love of Jesus.” These words struck me to investigate a bit further into attunement. Come along on the journey as we discover our ability to live in tune with God and how we do that with the Holy spirit. And what do ope...

From my back porch, we could see many trees. And yet, the strength of the tree lies hidden beneath the grass and leaves. Is it the same for us? Where do we get our strength from? What can we dig deep roots into that will anchor us when storms blow through? Ephesians 3 clues us into what the answers are. Paul speaks of infinite resources to be found. Join us as we learn a few things about roots and...

Welcome to my back porch, it's nearly 50 degrees in January, so it won't be too chilly. It may be wet, but in the quiet moments we can hear the creek running nearby. At times the air saturated with water condenses into thick fog. The fog not only obscures the view of the hillside, but also my future. Perhaps if we sit and chat for a bit, God may expose a clear path for us both. What are...