Patricia's Principles for Living

You don’t have to be a close friend to a person find strength in God. You just have to know there is a need. If you are in a position to assist rectify an unfair situation, do so. What made Ebedmelech so memorable. He crossed racial and class lines. He was a black man, a Cushite. Jeremiah was a Jew. Ebedmelech was a court official. Jeremiah was a despised prophet and a prisoner. Ebedmelech shows us another way to help a fellow human being find strength in God. 1. Intercede for your friend with those in charge Why stop in the middle if you can go straight to the top. Ebedmelech didn’t waste time with the lower court officials. He went straight to the King. While he was not of equal rank with the king he had the king’s ear. He didn’t think of himself. He imperiled himself. It did seem to enter his mind that if the king was mad at Jeremiah, he might get mad at him for asking that he do something for Jeremiah,” 2. Present a clear cogent argument for doing the right thing. Ebedmelech did ...

Jeremiah 38:7 Now when Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon, the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; 8 Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake to the king.. When the prison doors shut on Jeremiah he had no way of knowing that an Ethiopian Court servant was going to intercede on his behalf. Up until this point we have no record of Jeremiah and Ebedmelech ever having a conversation, much less having a lasting friendship. These verses show us what to do when you see injustice take place around you and you are in a position to help. Be aware of what is happening in your circle of influence There is a thing in teachers call with-it-ness. It’s not something that can be taught. It is the ability to be aware of what is happening around you at all times so that you can respond to the changing dynamics in the classroom. Ebedmelech possessed this with-it-ness. It appears that he...

Jonathan encouraged David and then let David go on and deal with life I Samuel 23:15 While David was at Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. 16 And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 18 The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. The Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh. When Jonathan went to visit David in the wilderness he didn’t stay with David forever. He stayed with him long enough . In this life we have to have those gas station experiences. Get a fill-up and then hit the road. Jonathan went home and David stayed at Horesh. Sometime you just have to stay in that wilderness of Ziph. Each person has his or her own Horesh. David and Jonathan never met again in this life. Later David did fulfill his part of the covenant to treat Jonathan's descendants kindly. When my late husband Winston died my family flew in from across the country. My mother stayed with me for se...

Jonathan encouraged David by reminding him of God’s promises. Jonathan reminded David that God had already revealed to the prophet Samuel, King Saul, and him that David was to be king. God was going to fulfill his word. David would not be a dead king. God’s promises are yeah and amen. After my husband passed sometimes I’d have periods of time when I could not see anyway out of confusing dilemmas. I felt lost and helpless. Adjusting to a new life and trying to figure my way out of difficult situations left me emotionally spent. One day I was weeping my eyes out because of some bad news I'd just received from my attorney. I was devastated and could see no way out. Just then the phone rang. It turned out to be my mother. Upon hearing her voice I started to cry again. I gave her a little bit of information on why I felt totally helpless. She started to remind me of God’s promises. This helped me make it to a point where I could look back and see yes, God has never abandoned me and His ...

Jonathan encouraged David by his words, "Don’t be afraid My father will not lay a hand on you." Jonathan told David to not fear, don’t be scared or frightened. He told him this because God had given His word. God had already confirmed to David and his family that David would be the king. Days and months after my husband died I’d see people who told me I think of you often. However as the days went by it became rare for my phone to ring. Over and over people told me that I was in their thoughts. However those thoughts did not turn into visits or calls. To help your friend find strength in God be like Jonathan. He didn’t just think about David he put actions behind his thoughts. Remember Jonathan's father, King Saul, had David and anyone who helped him on a hit list. Jonathan went to see David at the peril of his own life. He gave him words in person. The only thing we have to do is to pick up the phone and let a friend hear one’s voice. Even an e-ma...

For my next several entries I'm going to share some thoughts on helping your friends find strength in God when they are going through tough times. This is Part 1. I Samuel 23: 14-18 15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. 16 And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. 17 "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." 18 The two of them made a covenant before the LORD . Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh. These three verses give a very powerful lesson about friendship and its power to help one make it through difficult places in life. Here are some of the lessons we can learn from Jonathan and David. Jonathan encouraged David by just being there. Just show up. David was in a precarious situation. He was in a desert t...

This week marks eight years since the sudden and unexpected passing of my late husband Winston. That was a strange land for me. The land of loss and death. At first I needed to hear others sing because the song in my heart was frozen with grief and I was traumatized. I’d sing God’s song later with help from others. There were tapes I listened to that reminded me of the Lord’s song. It was the voice on the radio or the television that told me God would bring me out of these trials. It was the voice of my mother telling me and reminding me of God’s faithfulness to me in the past. How could I sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? In the next phase on my journey through grief after the sudden death of my husband I tried to sing along with those who were on the journey with me At first I’d only get a few words out before the tears started to flow. I kept trying day after day to sing along. I was reminded of God’s word. I was strengthened by constantly hearing the words of faith and ...