In times like these

We’re living in perilous times.  Few of us are immune to its poison.  People want to be assured that all will be well.  They want someone to “fix it!”  We turn to family, to friends, to the government.  But the world has no “magic bullet.” So, where do we go?

In times like these – we feel uncertainty.
Control was never in our grasp.
In times like these we find our way unclear,
and look for something that will last

What better time to look upon our Savior 
as anxiousness and fear would take its toll.
What better time to ponder  
what HE did
to end the curse of sin 
and break the chains of death 
and make His children whole?

He planned with love to pay the price for sin. 
He died that all who come to Him are welcomed in.

While on the cross with holy body broken.
He heard the guards laugh there in cold derision.  
Our Jesus heard the mocking crowd,
and died to free them from
their lost condition.

Still from that cross 
He LOVED the haughty and the vain, 
He loved the ones who caused His pain
 His words still echo 
“Father please
forgive” them too."
And child, He even died for you.

He planned with love to pay the price for sin. 
He died that all who come to Him are welcomed in.

So, in these times of peril
we look toward the One.
Look to Him, who can restrain 
the world He made,
and what we fear,
and death and pain.

So in this world of wild uncertainty.
God took our place
and gave eternity.

From Luke 23 
 
“When they came to the place called the Skull,
they crucified him there, along with the criminals
one on his right, the other on his left.”

“The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him.
They said, “He saved others;
let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah,
the Chosen One.”

“The soldiers also came up and mocked him.
They offered him wine vinegar and said, 
“If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” . . .

But from the cross Jesus' words still echo, 
“Father, forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing.” 

They saw Him suffer!  
They saw the blood, 
but they didn’t see the meaning. 
 They didn’t see His overwhelming love.
  

Dear friends, 

I pray today that in these times of trouble and uncertainty each one of us will be assured by this picture – the picture of the cross. The picture of God loving us so much that He gave His own life for ours.

Diane

Calibrate

 It’s time to calibrate.  

My darling husband Ron uses this word – I think it’s the engineer in him. Lately  I've come to think that I need to look at my life and recalibrate.

To calibrate something means to adjust or check it against a known standard in order to ensure accuracy, correct any discrepancies, identify errors, and make adjustments.  This is to make certain it correctly measures or performs the function for which it was designed.. 

I got to thinking about a couple of things in response to this definition. 

The first is a question - What am I checking my life against? The dictionary states it must be a known standard.  So what is the only standard that a Christ follower should calibrate against?  Only the WORD OF GOD fits there.  God gave us His word as a mirror, a ruler, a standard by which we can measure the way we serve Him. We read -

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Calibration is used for a reason.  That reason is to make sure the item calibrated performs the function it was designed for.

So again, I ask myself – “What is my life designed for?  What am I designed for?”   I go back to the “Known Standard” for this answer. 

 Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 Isaiah 43:6-7(NIV) 
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;  I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ 
and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’

Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
 everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.” 

WE ARE CREATED 

To do the good works that God has prepared for us.

Created as sons and daughters of God

WE ARE CREATED FOR HIS GLORY

Dayenu

Dayenu – a Hebrew word that translates to “It would have been enough.” 

I recently became intrigued with some music I found on YouTube. This began with a Messianic Choir singing Kadosh Adoni Elohim, a beautiful arrangement of praise to our Holy Lord God. 

 Since then, Ron and I have daily enjoyed hearing the beautiful songs by this Messianic choir which highlight God’s eternal, powerful presence. Many of the arrangements involve scripture from the Psalms and the books by the Old Testament prophets as well as verses from the New Testament. 

The song I focused on today spoke of words from Psalm 23.  As the song moved from thought to thought these words stood out. “You prepare a table where fear has no claim. In the shadow valleys you call us by name.” 

 It goes on to speak of all God has done for His people. After each phrase, the word Dayenu (pronounced die A noo) follows. The writer is saying that if each blessing was the only thing God had ever done for His children, that would have been enough. 

Have you ever thought of your blessings and actually believed what this song speaks - that one thing “would have been enough, or it would have been sufficient?” I wonder if I can really be as thankful as that. 

I wonder if today I could possibly accept each of God’s blessings – each one - with a heart so grateful that I can say truthfully, from my heart, “Thank you God. It is enough.” 

I do pray that I can say and believe those words, "Thank you God.  It is enough." 

As His child, my life must be focused on Him, the Holy God, the King of the universe, our Savior.  And I pray that when He looks at me, He will  smile.  I know I don't have to try to earn His love. He gives it to all His children without cost.  I just want to show Him mine.

My love to all who read this.

Diane

Musing

 

Dear Friends, You may remember this song from about 40 years ago.  I believe it was  written by Al Langdon and Peter Zondervan.

Walk with me,
walk with me lest mine eyes
no longer see
all the glory, all the story of your love.

Let me follow in the footsteps
that trod the shores of galilee.
And let me learn to pray as You prayed
in the garden of Gethsemane.

Talk to me, talk to me, as you spoke so tenderly,
when we walked there, as we talked there by the sea.

Let me follow in the footsteps
that trod the shore of Galilee.
Let me learn to pray like You did
in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Take my hand, take my hand, teach me, Lord, to understand all the beauty, all the duty of your love.

Let me follow in the footsteps
that trod the shore of Galilee.
Let me learn to pray like You did
in the Garden of Gethsemane.

I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to walk by the shores of the sea of Galilee with my Jesus and just talk to Him – ask Him questions, but mostly just be with Him.

In that mood I thought of some of the things Jesus said – you know, the “red letter” parts of the Bible.  I wondered how they would sound if they were said to me on that walk by the sea.

I ask in my musings, “Jesus, what did you mean when you said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit?” 

I imagine his answer could be, “Diane, you know when you feel so down and blue; when you feel like you can’t really do anything to please me or anyone else.  Or when you remember the many times you’ve felt unworthy, guilt filled and humbled.  Well, that is being “poor in spirit.” “

I ask, “then I don’t understand why you say I’m blessed to be “that," it doesn't sound very blessed?

Jesus might reply, “It’s because when you are down, the only place you can look is up.  And Diane, up is where I am.  When you feel “empty and powerless” you will seek and you will understand my “fullness and my power” – and that. child, is the blessing!”

Oh what an imagination I sometimes have.  But, you know, that just might be one conversation I will have with my Savior one day.

Thanks for reading this musing.

Diane

 

My friends. this is a little story of a hurting soul.  I'm sure there are many around us.  If we open our eyes we may see what this child is going through - or if I look around, I may see what you are going through.  There is hope and unparalleled love - just listen.

Through the tears of despair,
and of sorrow and care
that were clouding her eyes and her heart,
through the haze of her pain,
or when worry would reign,
a glimmer of hope seemed to start.

A glimmer
now shines in a heart that will see
creation which speaks of God’s great majesty
Cotton soft clouds reach down from the skies -
God’s tissues are wiping this child’s tortured eyes.

And
 if she listens closely, she will hear
what demon forces surely fear.
God’s mighty thunder, clapping hands,
drumbeats at her Lord's command.
Amidst the din,
a flash of fire -
a white-hot spear hurled from on high.
Assurance that her master’s hand 
holds strength and power at His command

And when she looks around she sees

a mother dove amidst the storm,
 steadfast, keeps her babe from harm.
 and wraps strong wings around her child,
protective wall of downy love -
a picture of her God above.

For in this place of wind and rain
protection lives within the pain.
Protecting care for us He planned.
His “love” with mighty outstretched hand.

She knows

although God’s might and majesty
may awful fierce or frightening be.
God gave that dove to show His child.
His tender care, love undefiled. 

Seeing now the world He formed
with love and care, and strength and might,
with beauty, and with awesome light,
there’s healing in the broken soul.

Our creator’s voice has made it whole.
Because these awesome pictures show
what our hearts should always know. 

Our Mighty God is in control!

 

Diane Gruchow Nov 2025

 

 

What do you believe your future holds? Do you ever think that God has a plan for you specifically – just for you? 

God’s prophets were sent to help Israel stay close to Him.  And as we read the book of Jeremiah in the Bible, we hear God speaking to those people, through Jeremiah.  God is warning them about the results of their terrible sins. 

But then, in the middle of all the warnings, we see the following comment from God, full of compassion and love.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,
thoughts of peace and not of evil,
to give you a future and a Hope. Jeremiah 29:11(NKJV)

 He – God, said that He had plans for them, even with the trials they were currently suffering and would have to expect.  He told them that the plans - the thoughts that He had for them were for peace, a future and a Hope.

 Yes, this passage was written to a specific group of people, but the Bible is clear that God has plans for all His Children, all the people who seek Him.  I believe that the plans He had for Israel are the plans He has for us today.  Plans for peace in our hearts, of a future, and a Hope.

God speaks of peace, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil.”  So, my friend, though you may not be able to see the end of the challenges you’re facing today, God has, for you too - thoughts of peace and not evil, peace and not heaviness, peace and not anxiety. 

God still wants to exchange your fear for peace. and Your heaviness for hope.

Are you looking out the window, and seeing nothing there?
Are you waiting for a miracle to reach you from somewhere?

Are you longing for a sweet release
and wishing for some inner peace
and praying for the pain to cease?

Child,
don’t let those anxious thoughts break through.
Let God’s sweet peace fall over you
as you go to Him in prayer.

 

Diane Gruchow 2025

 

 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. “ Matthew 11:28 (CSB)

Are you weary of the messed-up world we’re living in?  Are you burdened, stewing over the probability of the messed-up world your children and grandchildren will inherit?

What is the answer to that weariness and worry?  Our Bible has it – come to Jesus.  It’s that plain.  Come to Jesus and place that weariness in his hands because He tells us He will give us rest.

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?  I’m not saying that putting the weariness and worry in His hands will make all the problems go away. 

We live in this messed-up world because of sin.  And although Christ paid the price for our sins, giving us the right to eternal life with Him, Satan’s minions are still around until that final day when Christ comes again to make all things new.  So sin is still present, it’s just that if we trust in Jesus, we can be assured that we, His children, though touched by that sin, do not have to give in to the world.  He will give us strength.  He will give us rest.

Last night, I had a real rough time, thinking thoughts that I know did not make my Savior pleased.  But I remembered that the Holy Spirit was there to help me – and through a lot of crying, a lot of prayer – a lot of asking for His help, He did help me.  He gave me peace.  I just had to come to Him humbly and remember what He has always said in His Bible. 

Oh, I’m so grateful that my church upbringing forced me to memorize scriptures.  Those scriptures come back at my lowest times.    I don’t know how many times I’ve recited in the night - 

Psalm 23 “the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.  

He makes me lie down in green pastures. 
He restores my soul.”  

Psalm 40:2 “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 
out of the mud and mire; 
He set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.” 

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all of your cares upon Him 
for He cares for you.”

----

The Lord is my shepherd, my rock and my stay. 
He meets me at night when I’m lost on the way. 
He fills with His Spirit the heart’s empty nest 
when worry and weariness keep me from rest.

The Lord is my shepherd. 
He holds in His hand
a peace that will give quiet rest in this land.
He guides with His Spirit; He calms the heart’s fears 
when worry and weariness bring me to tears.

Friend, cast all your cares on 
The Maker, The One
who helps you to rest when you cry to His Son.
When you go to your Savior, His spirit draws near 
to ease your own weariness and to banish your fear. 

Love, Diane