Category: <span>thoughts by Katy Huth Jones</span>


“Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.” Psalm 71:9

During my first year of college as a music major, our chorus sang “Go Not Far From Me” by Zingarelli, which is based on verses in Psalm 71. The first part of the song is slow and somber, written in a minor key; the second half modulates to a major key, brighter and filled with joyous praise. Over forty years later, I can still sing my soprano part because it’s such a beautiful, unforgettable song.

At age eighteen, I had no idea what these powerful words meant, but now, I finally understand them in a personal way.

Aging brings not only physical challenges but emotional and mental ones, too. A lifetime of disappointments, betrayals, and even tragic losses can weigh upon one’s soul. If we don’t keep our spiritual focus on Jesus and are not constantly renewed by the Holy Spirit, our souls can dry up and harden in the desert of bitterness.

Like the psalmist, we too can pray to our Father, who will strengthen us when we are weak and powerless. In Isaiah 46:4, he promises,

“Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs, I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”

Along with our supplication to God, we can continually praise him for all he has done for us. Psalm 71:8 is a good reminder:

“My mouth is filled with your praise and with your glory all the day.”

It’s amazing how quickly our spirits can revive from despair to joy when we remember to thank and praise God for his loving care.

Almighty Father, please don’t forsake me as age slowly steals my strength. Help me to trust utterly in your strength. And help me remember to daily praise you and thank you for all your mercies and blessings. Amen.

Whatever your age and whatever the state of your health, invite the Holy Spirit to keep your eyes focused on Christ and his amazing love in both your working and in your resting moments

By Katy Huth Jones
Used by Permission

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•  God is Faithful
•  God Demonstrates His Love

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“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

For years I puzzled over the meaning of these verses in 2 Corinthians 12. They didn’t make sense. How could power be made perfect in weakness? And why would anyone boast about being weak?

Then I had to subject myself to nuclear-bomb strength chemo in order to save my life from aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 46, and these verses became crystal clear. Before cancer, I boasted in my own strength. I was a control freak and fiercely independent. I didn’t “need” anyone’s help.

But when chemo made me helpless as a newborn kitten, I finally realized control was an illusion. I humbly learned that I had no power of my own. I had zero strength and learned to lean fully on God for the first time in my life.

In weakness I finally rested solely in Christ’s power and could honestly “boast” in the grace of God rather than in my own feeble efforts. As a result, my faith grew stronger than it ever would have if I’d remained in my “independent woman” state.

What are you struggling with today? You are not meant to go through this alone. Draw closer to our Lord instead.

In your weakness, lean on God’s holy strength. He won’t let you down. Instead, he will lift you up and may bring people into your situation to help you. If so, thank him, and them.

Father, I thank you for all the times I am weak and helpless so I can be reminded how much I need your strength. Help me never to rely solely on my own meager efforts, but only in your all-sufficient grace. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
Used by Permission


Would you like to know God and have him walking beside you, helping you, as you go through this tough journey?  You can begin this personal relationship with God today if you sincerely want Him to give you direction from now on.

Why don’t you ask Jesus Christ to come into your life,

“Lord Jesus, I need You!  I am hurting, confused, feel rejected and emotionally scarred. Will you please come into my life, forgive my sins, heal my body, soul and spirit and walk beside me as I walk through this tough journey.  Would you please direct my life from now on?  Thank you! Amen”


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You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” 1 Thessalonians 1: 6-7

I used to tell my children that we needed to be careful about what we said and did because someone was always watching us.

We could be a good example and encourage others to be Christ-like, or we could be a bad example and discourage others from learning about or growing in Christ.

Now that I am older, I realize we’ll never be perfect examples. Life can wear us down and suck the joy out of our hearts.

But God can use us anyway. Seeing how a sister in Christ handles financial difficulties with a smile on her face or how a brother faces a poor medical prognosis with courage and faith can strengthen us during our challenging times. And that strengthening can then help others.

Jesus wants believers to be an example. In the Sermon on the Mount, he said, You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14). We can’t hide from others. Someone is always watching. But even if we’re not perfect, we can still be an example of faith to others if we try to reflect Jesus.

What do others see in us? Do we show them how to answer grumpy people with kind words? How to bear loss and suffering with patience? How to be content when turmoil swirls all around us?

Let’s seek to reflect the light of the Gospel to a dark and sinful world and give courage to Christians in every place by our examples of faith, joy, and love.

Jesus, thank you that your Spirit enables me to express his fruit by faith. Send others to show me how to trust in him to live in and through me so that I can, in turn, show others. Together, we can all learn how to be a great example of your love, joy and peace in the lives of others as we walk in your Spirit’s strength. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
Used by Permission

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Beware! We Have Many Observers

Harsh Judgments Can Kill One’s Spirit

Desolate or Fruitful?  How are you with others?


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“Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  2 Kings 6:16


When the king of Syria wanted to seize the prophet Elisha, his army of horses and chariots surrounded the city of Dothan where Elisha lived. The prophet’s frightened young servant asked, “What shall we do?” Elisha asked God to open the servant’s eyes to see the heavenly host with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha! No wonder the prophet was so fearless!

We can be fearless like God wants us to be if we, like Elisha, remember who is on our side—The Lord of Hosts and his mighty angelic army! The Bible is filled with examples of God granting victory to those who appear to be weaker than their enemies. The account of the shepherd David slaying the mighty Goliath is one well-known example. David’s fearlessness because of his utter trust in God is humbling when I let fear paralyze me.

This year, the world has been turned upside-down because of the Covid-19 pandemic, violent protests, riots, and hatefulness directed against those who believe in Jesus Christ. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and allow fear to gnaw a hole in our faith.

But God is on his throne, no matter how powerful the demonic forces in the spiritual battle appear. Satan has already been conquered by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Those who place their trust in the Lord are

more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

We need not fear anything or anyone on earth. Instead, we should strive to honestly say,

To live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Dear God, please forgive me for allowing fear to keep me from serving you wholeheartedly. May I never forget that you are all-powerful and desire more than anything to save souls. Help me see your chariots of fire so I can always remember you are with me to protect me from the evil ones. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  2 Corinthians 5:17


When I was a girl, I was fascinated with biology. I put a caterpillar in a jar and fed it daily, hoping to see it change into a butterfly.

One day, I came home from school and found the caterpillar had attached itself to the side of the jar by a tiny anchor. It was squirming and writhing, as if it was in pain. The caterpillar’s body seemed to melt while its skin was pushed down. Before my eyes, it transformed into a chrysalis. Then the old skin fell off while the new continued to change into a firm casing. Inside the protective shell, its body kept changing over the next few days before the butterfly emerged.

In the same way, our lives of sin and rebellion are cast aside when we are transformed by God’s love and mercy into a beautiful vessel recreated by the Master’s hand, for his use. It can be painful to give up the desires of the flesh and submit our will to God’s, but he lovingly protects us during our transformation. Our new creation can be a source of inspiration to others, leading them to Christ.

Heavenly Father, help us to seek to be transformed into a beautiful reflection of your love and glory. And once transformed, help us never to forget to offer thanks for making us more like Christ. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
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Further Reading

•  How to Be Confident You Will Go to Heaven When You Die

•  How To Be Sure You Are a Christian (video and longer explanation)

•  Salvation Explained


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“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7

I don’t remember when I first noticed the questions marks in an old hymn. Once I did, I better understood the words of the song, which helped me begin to understand God’s peace. The hymn is Peace, Perfect Peace” written by Edward Henry Bickersteth in 1875, and these are the questions asked:

      • “Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?”
      • “Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?”
      • “Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?”
      • “Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?”
      • “Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?”

How can we have any peace at all when discouraged by the darkness of this world, overwhelmed by our busy lives, crushed by grief and loneliness, and anxious about the future? The answer given in each verse of the song is the same as Philippians 4:7 — in Christ Jesus. Only in him can we find true peace. Additionally, Philippians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

It’s not possible for our limited human minds to fully understand God’s gift of peace to our weary souls. Nonetheless, when we give our burdens to God in prayer through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we can experience that gift. After all, God wants his children to have peace of mind! And once we have it, that peace shines like a beacon to those trapped in the turmoil of this “dark world of sin.” Not only will we live a better life, we can draw others to Jesus so they can have it, too.

Father, help me to seek your peace through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and through my relationship with Jesus. Please let me remember it’s not only for my soul’s benefit but for others desperately needing the peace that only you can give. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
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The Importance of Knowing God

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“Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.’ But Naaman went away angry and said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.’  2 Kings 5:10-11

Do we ever think God’s instructions to us are too simple, that there should be “more to it ?

The Syrian army commander, Naaman, was powerful and successful, though burdened with leprosy. When a servant girl mentioned the prophet Elisha could cure him, Naaman sought him. But the cure was not at all what Naaman expected. He assumed Elisha himself would use great power and ceremony to dramatically take away the leprosy. It made him angry that he was told to wash seven times in the Jordan River instead. Not until he listened to the wisdom of his servant did he follow the prophet’s instructions and was made clean of his dreadful disease.

I have wanted to be a foreign missionary since I was sixteen years old but it has never been God’s will for me to serve him in that way. In my pride and desire for the praise of others, I “thought” I should be doing something “more important” than being a wife, mother, teacher, and neighbor. But that not only questions God’s wisdom — it also takes the spotlight off him and shines it elsewhere. When I did that, I no longer served God. I put my thoughts above his and served myself.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord(Isaiah 55:8).

Even if God’s purpose for us is not what we “thought” it should be, he treasures our trust and our willingness to follow him. It is as simple as that.

Father in heaven, help me accept that your wisdom is so far above mine that I can’t know what’s best apart from you. Thank you for your mercy and guidance, and may I humbly submit my will to yours. Amen.

By Katie Huth Jones
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God’s Plan – A Study on God’s Destiny for Me?

Stepping Into a Personal Revival

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“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”  Hebrews 13:2

In the Bible, hospitality meant showing love to strangers by opening one’s home to them. Throughout our marriage, my husband and I have practiced hospitality by providing meals to strangers, but rarely have strangers spent the night in our home.

We were recently blessed by being the recipients of hospitality. Our return flight was cancelled during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, so we were stranded in the Czech Republic. A Christian family we had met on previous visits opened their home and their hearts to us when our hotel closed. For two weeks, we slept on their sofa bed and shared every meal with this family of five. We grew to love and appreciate them much more than if we’d just worshipped and broken bread with them, as we had on two previous trips. A strong bond developed between us, and we now feel like we have three additional grandchildren!

Their hospitality was a demonstration of care and concern for foreigners stranded in their country. It was also a demonstration of their love for Jesus Christ. And the King will answer them,Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25:40).

How can we better show hospitality as disciples of Jesus Christ? Blessings await if we practice this practical way of demonstrating our love for Jesus through our love for strangers. Who knows? Strangers might then become beloved friends!

Father, help me to look for opportunities to show hospitality to strangers. May I never think it a burden to share the blessings you have provided with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
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We are Christ’s Ambassadors

Your Life is the Only Bible Some People Read

Come Alongside – what it looks like to come alongside of people while Jesus draws them closer.

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“‘It is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.’ Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.”  Ruth 1:13-14

Recently I lost my mother unexpectedly, my husband lost his executive job, we had to move from our beloved small town to a large city, and my health crashed, all within the space of a few months. The “root of bitterness” mentioned in Hebrews 12:15 rose up in me, and I struggled to understand why God had allowed all this to happen.

Then I met Cindy, a woman twenty years younger than I, who was fighting a losing battle against cancer but didn’t let it rob her of her joy in the Lord. Her dazzling smile and cheerful encouragement put me to shame, and I started looking for others to encourage, like she had encouraged me.

After Naomi lost her husband and both her sons, she didn’t deny her bitterness, even changing her name temporarily to Mara, which means bitter. Before returning home, she tried to send away her daughters-in-law. Orpah left, but Ruth refused to abandon Naomi, even though she had lost a husband, too. Ruth avoided the bitterness that defined Naomi by focusing on another grieving person and doing all she could to help. It’s no surprise that once Naomi changed her focus from her personal sorrow to concern for Ruth’s welfare, she began to lose her bitterness, too.

In the same way, we can look beyond our grief to the suffering people around us and learn to love and serve them better. Not only will comforting others make our root of bitterness shrivel up and die, we will renew our joy in the Lord and make a difference in the lives of others by our example of faith.

Lord, help me to put away bitterness born of grief and disappointment, and instead look outward to those who desperately need encouragement

By Katy Huth Jones
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Choosing to be Bitter or Better

Heaven on My Mind

Joy out of Sorrow

I Corinthians 13 ~ The Way of Love

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But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’”
Luke 8:41-42

I’d love to say I am like Mary. However, in truth, I have been a “Martha” most of my life. Like Martha, I tend to do too much of a good thing.

Was it good for Martha to welcome Jesus into her house and show him hospitality? Of course! But while Jesus was teaching inside her home, Martha did not sit at his feet and listen like her sister Mary did. Martha forsook that incredible opportunity to hear — in person! — the blessed words of the Son of God. Instead, she focused all her energy on preparing a meal. She chose physical bread over the Bread of Life!

With the fast pace of our electronic world, it’s easy to get caught up in the frantic busyness and the pressures of modern life. Even if everything we’re doing is something good, such as making a living, spending time with family and friends, or even being a worker in the church, if we’re not spending time at the feet of the Master, we have not chosen what is truly good.

Everything we see in this world is temporary. Only the spiritual things are eternal. Jesus himself said, Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (Matthew 24:35).

A simple way to make the good choice daily is to spend time reading, studying, and meditating on the word of God. This quiet time will strengthen your relationship with God, and that is a very good thing!

Heavenly Father, help me daily to remember to step back from the distractions of this life. I want to spend time listening at your feet, like Mary, so I can make my relationship with you my top priority. In the name of Jesus, amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

I haven’t watched television since 1994. I used to listen to the news on the radio and read the newspaper headlines until my cancer returned with a vengeance in 2015. After that, I decided I didn’t want to focus on all that was going wrong in this sinful world, especially since I could do nothing about it anyway.

If we listen to the daily news, it can make us feel hopeless — if our focus is on the things of this world. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has inspired (breathed) a precious book we call the Bible. It contains the redemption story of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was God, he became flesh so he might fulfill God’s promise to save humankind from their sins. This he did by sacrificing himself on the cross for our sins and rising to eternal life to demonstrate that death no longer has power over us. We now have the hope that we can live forever with him in heaven! What good news!

Christians never have to feel hopeless 

— no matter what is happening in their lives or on the news. The Holy Spirit has made sure the Bible will help us abound in hope through the power of the Gospel (or good news) about Jesus. All we have to do is read what the Spirit has written! “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his Word I hope” (Psalm 130:5).

Dear God of hope, thank you for the gift you have given us through your Word inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit. May we treasure this gift and not take it for granted so we may abound day by day in hope. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
Used by Permission


We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith alone. However, true prayer is one way of expressing your faith. The following is a suggested prayer:

“Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.”

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now and trust Him to do so.


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The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. Ezekiel 18:20

My father was a good man in many ways, but he was an agnostic. While he lay dying from lung cancer, I tried to talk to him about spiritual things. He refused, saying, “I’m not convinced there is a God.”

As much as it broke my heart when he died denying Christ, when my oldest son renounced his faith in God in his mid-thirties, I was devastated. I had wrongly believed that all I had to do was train him up in the faith and he would remain a faithful Christian. Though my heart will always be pained at the choices my father and my son made, I can’t let their unfaithfulness destroy my steadfast faith and hope in my Savior.

In the Bible there are many instances of godly parents who had ungodly children. But there are also wicked parents whose children become faithful to God. Each of us has free will to choose or deny the Lord, apart from what our parents or children decide. God is our heavenly Father, and we are his spiritual children. That’s the family relationship that matters most.

If you have unbelieving parents or children, keep putting God first in your life.

Your example of faithfulness may be the way to shine the light of truth for them. Our relationship with God is not dependent upon what our family members believe. We are one-on-one with our Father in heaven.

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving your creation enough to give us free will to choose to love you and devote our lives to you. Please, give us the strength to remain faithful, even if beloved family members choose otherwise. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
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“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

In the space of a few short months, it felt as if rocks were crushing me one after another. I lost my mother unexpectedly. My husband suddenly lost his job of 24 years. We had to uproot from our comfortable small town and move to a huge, unfamiliar city to find employment. Once there, we still had to be caregivers for two elderly relatives.

My health finally crashed from the weight of all these stones. Then our oldest son dropped a boulder. He had turned his back on God and wanted nothing more to do with him, mocking him and his Holy Word.

I believed the promise in 1 Corinthians 10:3 and had seen it fulfilled many times before. But how could I handle the spiritual death of my firstborn? Did I fail as a mother? I cried out to God from the anguish of my heart.

God faithfully provided a way of escape in a most unexpected way. A ten-year-old boy in our new church had recently lost his beloved grandmother. He swiftly “adopted” me as a surrogate, even sitting next to me in the pew. That physical contact from a bereft and loving child saved my faith from being hopelessly crushed.

While our prayers may not be answered in the way we want, God will respond to our cries. Instead of despairing that things are not turning out as we hoped, let’s keep our eyes open for the ways he begins to lift the weight from pressing on our lives and brings relief, stone by stone.

Lord, help me to grow in my faith and trust that you will always provide a way of escape when I am tempted to despair. Help me remember to simply look for it! Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
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“When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.” Jonah 2:7

Just like the prodigal son had to lose everything in order to “come to himself,” Jonah had to hit rock bottom in the dark belly of the great fish.

In the same way, my husband lost his job in a painful and humiliating way at age 26. He spiralled down into a dark depression. We spent our meager savings moving to a bigger city, hoping to find a better job, but he was too depressed to look for more than a part-time security job. His angry, hateful words were devastating. In desperation, I took our two-year-old son and moved out.

As I’d hoped, our leaving was the shock he needed to realize he’d hit rock bottom. He humbled himself, returned to the Lord, and agreed to see a marriage counsellor. After several weeks of talking and praying together daily, we renewed our marriage vows and have stayed happily married for more than forty years.

People “hit rock bottom” when they reach the lowest point of their lives and realize they have nothing else to lose. For some, it’s the only place they can clearly see themselves and their situation and understand how much they need God’s love and mercy to pull out of the rocky pit.

If you find yourself in what seems like a hopeless situation, look up! Jesus is always present, reaching down to give you a hand up.

Lord, may I never have to hit rock bottom in order to see you clearly, but if I lose my way in the dark, please help me look up and find you again! Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
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“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

While we were driving from Florida to Texas on I-10, our planned schedule came to a screeching halt in Louisiana. After waiting for an hour, we crawled en masse to the next exit where law enforcement diverted all westbound traffic off the highway. We saw why. An 18-wheeler lay on its side, blocking all lanes.

In that swampy area, the only parallel road had two lanes. We kept crawling for another hour, sandwiched between other vehicles, until the next exit was accessible. At first it was maddening to get so behind schedule. Then we started noticing trees, flowers, birds, interesting houses, and yard art, things we wouldn’t know existed had we kept driving 70 mph on the highway.

In the same way, our lives take unexpected detours when we experience job loss, a forced move, serious illness, or death of family or friends. We have choices: we can grumble, curse, or scream about the unfairness of changing our plans, or we can trust God, pray for wisdom, and accept the new route open to us.

For all we know, God might have placed that detour in our path, either to prevent a worse tragedy from occurring, or to experience unforeseen blessings along the way.

Lord, help me put my trust in you when my plans fail and grief and disappointment result. Let me accept the unexpected detour graciously, with faith that you will guide me safely through my journey. Amen.

By Katy Huth Jones
Used by Permission

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thoughts by Katy Huth Jones Thoughts by Women