Trusting God | Laurie Coombs

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{Guest Post} God’s Hand of Grace

Posted on: January 21st, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 1 Comment

I first became acquainted with Maretha Retief, a native of South Africa, a few months ago when she contacted me to share her incredible story. Born with a disability yet having overcome many obstacles in her life, Maretha has become intimately acquainted with what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth when he said, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” A lesson I am still in the process of learning. Maretha’s testimony is one we all can learn from. It speaks to perseverance, overcoming hardship, and living a life fully submitted to the will of God. So, without further introduction, here is Maretha’s story. I was born with only a pinkie and a thumb on my left hand. A disability that did not escape the eyes of God. He came and took something that…

What Do You Have to Offer?

Posted on: January 16th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 5 Comments

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Surrender, I hear over and over. Surrender, my child. I try––time and again, I try––but I fail. Full of frustration and defeat, I cry out with one simple word––how? I will work surrender in you. God whispers. Lay down what you have to offer, and I will work the rest. I pray as I’ve been taught––Lord, I am willing that you make me willing to surrender in absolute surrender––because after all, many of us are willing in concept, but when the realities of surrender encroach upon our self-centered desires, willingness begins to wane. For close to a month now, I have prayed and prayed and prayed for God to work absolute surrender in me with confident assurance that God can and will perform His work in me. And He is. He is working. But anytime we pray audacious prayers such as these, we must be prepared for what’s to come….

On Plans, Yielding, and Walking With God

Posted on: January 14th, 2014 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

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It’s time for a new beginning. Don’t you think? We all need a new beginning from time to time, and what better time than the present. Now, I know you’ve probably heard quite a few messages on the topic of “New Year’s Resolutions” already, so rest assured, this is not another one. “Resolution” messages, while valuable, are often the same. Evaluate your previous year. See what worked. See what didn’t. Set goals. Plan. Plan. Plan…. But honestly, while these exercises do have some merit, I believe most people, while making these plans, unintentionally fail to factor God into their equation. I just finished reading Me, Myself, and Bob over Christmas. It’s written by Phil Vischer, the founder of Veggie Tales, and let me tell you, it’s a good read. In his book, Phil tells the story of the rise and fall of Veggie Tales, a popular Christian children’s video series. In…

Deeper Surrender

Posted on: December 17th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 8 Comments

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I thought I had surrendered to God, but it turns out, I haven’t. At least not completely. I seem to be living out the early stages of God’s call on my life. Every day I wake up, I pray for God to use me and for God to show me the way with willing intent to following His lead, which is why I honestly thought I was living a life surrendered to God. But recently, God has made it clear that my level of surrender is not absolute. Up to this point, I have surrendered only in part. Though I stand willing to do that which God calls me to do, I still want control over my time and how it’s allocated. I must confess; I am not very interruptible. I’ve noticed this before, but it’s become increasingly clear over the past week as certain situations have challenged me to…

Dying to Live

Posted on: December 12th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 7 Comments

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Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. – Matthew 16:24-25 I pray for growth––revival. My heart feels stale, and I know I am not where I ought to be. My desire is for the Lord, this has not changed, but a barrier––invisible to the eye but felt in the spirit––stands erect. I want passion and fire to consume every part of my being, as it once had––but it doesn’t. Months go by, and my prayer remain the same. Awaken. Oh, my soul, awaken. I still see glory, as only found in Jesus, but glory has not taken residence within my heart for some time and coldness seems to endure. Joy in the Lord and even passion are present in moments––fleeting moments––but…

Why Do You Cry Out To Me?

Posted on: December 10th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

God’s people were hard pressed. Slaves to a foreign king, the Israelites cried out to God to intercede on their behalf. Their cries were heard, and scripture tells us “God saw the people of Israel––and God knew” (Exodus 2:25, emphasis mine). He knew their distress––knew their pain––and would soon come bringing deliverance along with Him. We all know what happened next in the story––Moses, the burning bush, the plagues on Egypt––all resulting in Pharaoh’s reluctant release of God’s chosen. The Israelites were free. Set free by the heavy hand of God upon an unbelieving ruler. The story is familiar. So familiar, in fact, that we often miss treasures––hidden just below the surface––that are intended to bring greater depth and richness to that which has become commonplace. I just love how God’s Word is inexhaustible––there are always more treasures to be found. A few months ago, I sat reading Exodus 14…

On Loss and Finding Healing – A Poem

Posted on: December 5th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 6 Comments

This is my first attempt at writing a poem. It may be absolutely terrible, but I’m putting it out there anyway. Let me know what you think (and be honest––I can take it)! Darkness strikes. We recoil in fear, pain. Loss and grief threaten to pull us under as clouds, thick and impenetrable, envelope our being. Time, they say. Time is what you need. Time will heal. Time heals all wounds. But time passes, and though pain becomes dull, it remains. In the depths it remains, hidden––poison to the soul. Anger turns bitter. Bitterness rages within, undetected by the eye but known. Deep within. We cry out, desperately seeking solace––something to ease our hurt, but find nothing. Nothing eases the broken. The bed left empty. The voice forever silenced. Laughter nevermore to be heard. And we wonder, can hearts broken mend? Years pass. Still, time has not done its duty….

Being Thankful for God’s Grace in All Things (Even Our Trials)

Posted on: November 28th, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

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There are times I forget to be thankful. Times when circumstances––and all that is simply life––seem to get in the way of being able to clearly see my life for what it is. To see all the beauty found in all the little things. All the big things. And all those in-between. Life is full of blessings. Full of grace. And I must choose to see. To see every bad day as evidence of my need for Jesus and as a chance to draw close to Him. To see interruptions to my daily schedule as a opportunity to abandon myself––and my agenda––for the sake of loving someone else. And to see every hardship and every trial as a blessing in disguise (which is something I know well). We serve a God who redeems. A God who takes what is broken, sinful, and ugly and uses it all for our good. Nothing…

Can Jesus Really Redeem Our Losses?

Posted on: November 21st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments

I’ve been finishing my book proposal this week, and it’s almost done, which means it should go out to publishers within the next few weeks! It’s super exciting; I’m just so close, which is why I chose to focus most of my attention on my proposal this week. And it is also why today’s post is a repeat, of sorts. I originally wrote this piece for another blogger as a guest post a while back. Some of you may have seen it, but most probably haven’t, so I hope you enjoy and are blessed by it. I’ll be back with all new posts next week. Thirteen years ago, I sat on top of a houseboat next to my dad watching the sun set behind the towering canyon walls of Lake Powell. Dad half-heartedly joked about how he was getting older, and I was sure to poke fun at his old age. I…

Let’s Surrender, Friends. Let’s Surrender All.

Posted on: October 31st, 2013 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments

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Early on in my walk with God, my friend, Nicole, sent an encouraging word to me as I wrestled with surrendering myself to God. She said, “How hard it is to surrender it all to [Jesus] and let go of all we hold on to, but how powerful our lives can be when we do just that.” She’s right, I thought. Surrendering myself wholly to Jesus was a difficult transition for me. And when I’m being completely honest with myself, I recognize that I still struggle in this area––though by the grace of God, it’s to a much lesser extent. Before becoming a Christian, I was quite controlling. Everything in my life was controlled by me. I was the one in charge. I was the one who made the decisions. And I, certainly, had a way of getting what I wanted. I mostly used kindness and charm to influence others,…