Jesus reigns on high in all the earth
Blessed be the Name of the Lord
I am standing beneath Your wings. I am resting in Your shelter. I sing praises to Your Name oh Lord, for you daily bear my burdens. Your great faithfulness has been my shield. Your great faithfulness is my reward
For You are our rock
In You Presence there is fullness of joy. At Your right hand are pleasures forever more. Oh what fellowship divine, I am Yours and You are mine.
Mighty is our God, mighty is our King. Your Name is higher than any other name. Your power is greater, for You have created everything. Glory to our God, glory to our King, glory to our Lord, ruler of everything.
We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord. We offer up to You the sacrifices of thanksgiving. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
The universe is in His hands. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
As we worshiped this Sunday morning all the words in the songs started flowing together for me. And I thought to myself what a wonderful way to praise the Lord! These songs we sing are actually prayers of praise, focus of thought and intent in the way we see our heavenly King. What beautiful words, shelter, shield, burden bearer...we are safe in His hands. What amazing blessings, His faithfulness, His steadiness, a sturdy foundation. Also joy and eternal pleasures and fellowship. No wonder we are joyful. No wonder we praise Him and are thankful. He reigns!!
There are so many great Christian songs, old and new. Take a favorite and look at the words, look how they point to our loving Father and Savior and meditate on that for a while. Let it lift your heart in worship, and sooth your soul with the peace of His Presence.
Lord thank You for music. Thank You for those who bring us the beautiful gift. Let us praise you in song and with full hearts. You are worthy. There is none like You. Let us enter you gates with thanksgiving and praise, making music in our hearts, worshiping You in spirit and in truth. You've given us a beautiful gift in music and we thank You for that and for the focus it brings to our thoughts. I know I wouldn't be able to put my thoughts into those perfect words like songwriters do, no share it so wonderfully as those who play it do, so thank You for their gift that gives word to our worship. Amen!!
Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Put on some praise music today!
This will be my last entry this week as I am scheduled for knee surgery tomorrow. Please keep me in prayer that all goes well and that my healing is quick and complete. Thank you!!
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Friday, June 26, 2020
Seasons
I've been so busy. Life feels as if it's spiraled out of control. With the COVID 19 virus, our job, unlike many others has been in full swing and as busy as Christmas time (I work for the Postal Service). Our days are 10-14 hours long and non-stop. Next up, my husband had foot surgery. He is down and out. A lot of the house chores have fallen to me. Add onto that upcoming surgery for me, and of course trying to get ready for that. Doctor's appointments, extra shopping, clean up, church bulletin boards that need to be finished before I myself am out of commission for a few weeks. I need to arrange for replacements for feeding my cat colony, help train new volunteers at the kitten/cat adoption shelter, deal with a broken phone,....lol AAAAAHHHH!!! It's been crazy. And I'm done!!!
Needless to say my spiritual time has suffered. I feel like I am constantly on the run and God time has become rushed. I hate that. The few days I have gotten to just sit in the morning with Him and relax have been a slice of heaven, but they are not the norm right now. So of course, comes the guilt.
Last night I came home, exhausted as usual, and said to the Lord, I'm sorry, I just don't have the time tomorrow for morning prayers. And I heard Him so clearly in my heart. "Stop, I understand." Right then, right there I felt at peace. I felt the guilt fall away. The Lord understands our seasons. He gets it, He gets us!!
Is there a lot going on right now in your life? Are you overwhelmed and feeling like you can't get out of it. God understands. We need that special time with Him for sure, especially when life gets crazy, but if it can't be an hour each morning or even half an hour right now....He sees where we are and cares for us right there. And we can take little "God" breaks throughout the day too....just small moments that can be our shelter from the life storms that are swirling around us as we muddle through the occasional overburdened seasons we sometimes find ourselves in. They don't last forever, thankfully. And once things calm down we can get ourselves back to the normal routine,.
I am so grateful for You Lord, The One who knows us and loves us and understands the seasons of our lives. I am grateful for Your mercy and grace to just be. The time with You is so precious, maybe even more sore when life flies off the rails. We need to moments in Your Presence, even if they are shorter than usual. And thank You for letting me know, there are some things I can let go. Not everything has to be perfect, some things can be left undone. And how wonderful that You meet our needs and meet us right where we are. Hallelujah! How blessed we are!!
Sometimes life won't let us slow down. Rest in the peace of Jesus, knowing He is with us through the crazy times too!
Needless to say my spiritual time has suffered. I feel like I am constantly on the run and God time has become rushed. I hate that. The few days I have gotten to just sit in the morning with Him and relax have been a slice of heaven, but they are not the norm right now. So of course, comes the guilt.
Last night I came home, exhausted as usual, and said to the Lord, I'm sorry, I just don't have the time tomorrow for morning prayers. And I heard Him so clearly in my heart. "Stop, I understand." Right then, right there I felt at peace. I felt the guilt fall away. The Lord understands our seasons. He gets it, He gets us!!
Is there a lot going on right now in your life? Are you overwhelmed and feeling like you can't get out of it. God understands. We need that special time with Him for sure, especially when life gets crazy, but if it can't be an hour each morning or even half an hour right now....He sees where we are and cares for us right there. And we can take little "God" breaks throughout the day too....just small moments that can be our shelter from the life storms that are swirling around us as we muddle through the occasional overburdened seasons we sometimes find ourselves in. They don't last forever, thankfully. And once things calm down we can get ourselves back to the normal routine,.
I am so grateful for You Lord, The One who knows us and loves us and understands the seasons of our lives. I am grateful for Your mercy and grace to just be. The time with You is so precious, maybe even more sore when life flies off the rails. We need to moments in Your Presence, even if they are shorter than usual. And thank You for letting me know, there are some things I can let go. Not everything has to be perfect, some things can be left undone. And how wonderful that You meet our needs and meet us right where we are. Hallelujah! How blessed we are!!
Sometimes life won't let us slow down. Rest in the peace of Jesus, knowing He is with us through the crazy times too!
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Meditation?
Meditation. The word sends anxiety and trepidation into my heart. Generally, I think fear of meditation falls into two categories. The first is it's association with eastern religions, idol worship, and ideologies that don't line up with Biblical truth. These practices are not of God and therefore something we need to run from. The second fear involving meditation is where I fall. It's two-fold. Firstly, it's keeping my mind focused and in tune with what passage I'm supposed to be meditating on and secondly, it's the fact that I might get bored. LOL Sounds sacrilege, right. I mean it's God's Word... I shouldn't get bored thinking about it, but I doubt the fault is in the subject matter. 😀
The Bible tells us to meditate. Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. I think a lot of our struggles could be overcome more quickly, we would mirror Jesus better, and be better witnesses if we spent time in meditation. Right here in Joshua it tells us that if we spend time mulling over God's Word we will have success. I think meditation actually makes God Word become a part of us. Maybe it's the way it goes from one's head to one's heart. I've always felt that was trouble spot for me. I know a lot more in my head than is a reality for my heart.
I picked up a book last year called "Quiet Prayer" by Marie Chapian. It leads the reader into the purpose and power of Christian meditation. I have to say, I picked this book up to read it in the beginning of this year and stopped. The book talked about spending 20, 30, 60 minutes in communion with the Lord. What!! Staying focused for anything more than 30 seconds is difficult...I mean there are chores to think about, phone calls to list in my head, time schedules to figure out, plans to organize....LOL My head is a busy place! As so I try to meditate only to be sidetracked, fumbling with starts and stops through five minutes of "meditation" until I just give up.
Well, I decided to try this all again. And wow, I actually hit on something that helped! I started to picture the scene in my head. Literally. The passage given was the Sermon on the Mount. An easy passage to recreate in one's head. And maybe that's how we need to start...places in the Bible that actually have a physical place where the passage happened. We can all picture those. Most of us can picture a hillside, people seated in small groups, families gathered together, Jesus in the middle. The sun is warm, maybe a light breeze. The birdsong outside my window served as a backdrop for what was likely heard as Jesus spoke. His voice gentle, powerful, filled with wisdom. Then I went onto the people. Many were there because they needed the Word of life, they needed to hear this amazing man. Others may have been dragged there by a friend or family member, they would have had scoffer's hearts. Flesh these scenes out as you focus on them.
Setting the scene in my head then lead me to the words Jesus was speaking. Next up I pulled apart the sentences, focused on individual words, their meanings and this lead me into praying for these words to become my life.
Wow. What an experience. My mind didn't wander once. Just thinking about this now sets butterflies fluttering in my stomach. It was so cool!! I actually meditated!! And if I can do this, anyone can!!
So, here was my "formula" as it were. I took an easy passage, one with a physical location or scene to start my focus on. Something I could easily draw a picture of in my mind, something from personal experience. Next, I went onto the people, another thing I could relate to, being I'm a people. And then into the words, their meanings, what Jesus was saying them for. And finally, prayer for His Word and concepts to manifest themselves in my life. The create in me the character of Jesus.
I believe meditation is key to making God's Word a part of us. So I hope this entry gives you guys some ideas into trying it for yourselves. I hope it allays some of the fear you may have about it and lets you know that you too can do this.
Lord, teach us to meditate on Your Word. Teach us to connect our hearts to You and let the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth through concentrated focus on You and the Bible. We need this. Let us draw near to You in quiet times of contemplation and prayer. Our lives are busy, our heads our busy, but as Jesus told Martha in Luke 10:41-42 Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” You are our greatest "to do." Our greatest need. We want to make You our greatest focus. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 77:12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.
Psalm 119:15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.
Psalm 145:5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.
Try it.
The Bible tells us to meditate. Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. I think a lot of our struggles could be overcome more quickly, we would mirror Jesus better, and be better witnesses if we spent time in meditation. Right here in Joshua it tells us that if we spend time mulling over God's Word we will have success. I think meditation actually makes God Word become a part of us. Maybe it's the way it goes from one's head to one's heart. I've always felt that was trouble spot for me. I know a lot more in my head than is a reality for my heart.
I picked up a book last year called "Quiet Prayer" by Marie Chapian. It leads the reader into the purpose and power of Christian meditation. I have to say, I picked this book up to read it in the beginning of this year and stopped. The book talked about spending 20, 30, 60 minutes in communion with the Lord. What!! Staying focused for anything more than 30 seconds is difficult...I mean there are chores to think about, phone calls to list in my head, time schedules to figure out, plans to organize....LOL My head is a busy place! As so I try to meditate only to be sidetracked, fumbling with starts and stops through five minutes of "meditation" until I just give up.
Well, I decided to try this all again. And wow, I actually hit on something that helped! I started to picture the scene in my head. Literally. The passage given was the Sermon on the Mount. An easy passage to recreate in one's head. And maybe that's how we need to start...places in the Bible that actually have a physical place where the passage happened. We can all picture those. Most of us can picture a hillside, people seated in small groups, families gathered together, Jesus in the middle. The sun is warm, maybe a light breeze. The birdsong outside my window served as a backdrop for what was likely heard as Jesus spoke. His voice gentle, powerful, filled with wisdom. Then I went onto the people. Many were there because they needed the Word of life, they needed to hear this amazing man. Others may have been dragged there by a friend or family member, they would have had scoffer's hearts. Flesh these scenes out as you focus on them.
Setting the scene in my head then lead me to the words Jesus was speaking. Next up I pulled apart the sentences, focused on individual words, their meanings and this lead me into praying for these words to become my life.
Wow. What an experience. My mind didn't wander once. Just thinking about this now sets butterflies fluttering in my stomach. It was so cool!! I actually meditated!! And if I can do this, anyone can!!
So, here was my "formula" as it were. I took an easy passage, one with a physical location or scene to start my focus on. Something I could easily draw a picture of in my mind, something from personal experience. Next, I went onto the people, another thing I could relate to, being I'm a people. And then into the words, their meanings, what Jesus was saying them for. And finally, prayer for His Word and concepts to manifest themselves in my life. The create in me the character of Jesus.
I believe meditation is key to making God's Word a part of us. So I hope this entry gives you guys some ideas into trying it for yourselves. I hope it allays some of the fear you may have about it and lets you know that you too can do this.
Lord, teach us to meditate on Your Word. Teach us to connect our hearts to You and let the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth through concentrated focus on You and the Bible. We need this. Let us draw near to You in quiet times of contemplation and prayer. Our lives are busy, our heads our busy, but as Jesus told Martha in Luke 10:41-42 Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” You are our greatest "to do." Our greatest need. We want to make You our greatest focus. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 77:12 I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.
Psalm 119:15 I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.
Psalm 145:5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.
Try it.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Could it be Sin?
I struggle with junk food. Salt, sweet...doesn't matter I love it all. It's not healthy. It has no redeeming value for my body, yet I crave it, love it, devour it. I have to say, sometimes I do okay. I resist overeating the chips, the cupcakes or the pretzel with cheese...but not as often as I like, It's an addiction. I make excuses for overeating the bad stuff. I've tried replacing it with healthier alternatives...I've done programs, prayed, had success for short periods and yet still I falter time and time again. Frustrating, to say the least. To top it off, my husband is one of those people who can have a slice of cake and then walk away. UGH!!
So, I've been doing some reading and some thinking and I've come to the conclusion I am approaching this from the wrong direction. When the Lord freed me from cocaine, alcohol and cigarette addictions, I saw those for what they were....sins against the Lord. They were extremely damaging to my body, my relationships, and my life. It was a battle to let go of those things, I considered them, in a way, my friends. They made me happy, consoled me, fulfilled me, freed me to be me.....or so I thought. So, I'm thinking I need to put junk food in the same category.
I try to be one of those "normal" people like my husband...just a little and then quit. It doesn't work. When it comes to junk food I make gluttony the standard. Just like with my other addictions, I need to lay down the excuses and pick up the fight against this Goliath.
Now, for people like my husband, junk food is not sin. In and of itself, junk food is just food. It's not sinful. It has it's place for enjoyment. But it's the gluttony, the over indulgence, that drags a little salt and sugar into the sin category. This is the truth for my life. For me it's bondage, just like drugs were. Maybe food doesn't do this for you, but maybe something else does.
Galatians 5:22-24 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit within us, therefore, self-control is within us. Galatians 5:16 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We have to choose to walk in the Spirit. For me, it's been easier just to give into my fleshly cravings. I forget that I battled (with Jesus as my strength) addiction before and won. I forget, it was hard then too, but through the power of God I was able to persevere.
Maybe some of you are facing addiction problems...in whatever area. Seeing that addiction as sin may help you to want to lay it down. When we look at these things as, "oh, it's just a habit," or "it's only my little struggle or my little indulgence." we allow it to go on unchecked, we allow it to enslave us, we allow it to separate from the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
I am not writing this to shame anyone, or heap guilt upon us. This sin called addiction has been paid for by the blood of Christ for each of us. But I do want to help others recognize, like I need to recognize that certain behaviors are not "our little habit." They are things that are hurting us and things that God does not want us to continue in, they are sin. Overeating is a freedom stealer! I want to live a life of balance, a life of self-control. I don't take a drink now because even though I may be able to have just one, I don't take that chance. Perhaps I need to follow that path with junk food.
I hope and pray that when you read this, if you struggle like me, you will be motivated to freedom. With God, we got this!
Lord, thank You for showing me things in a new light. Help me and all of us to stay withing Your boundaries, for that is where our freedom is. If we need to see overeating or any other thing in our life as sin and therefore needing to go, show us. Lead us in breaking our chains and glorifying You in our bodies. We want to be strong and healthy to do the work You have for us! In Jesus' Name. Amen.
If this resonates with you, it's time to go to God in pray to find our why, what, and how.
So, I've been doing some reading and some thinking and I've come to the conclusion I am approaching this from the wrong direction. When the Lord freed me from cocaine, alcohol and cigarette addictions, I saw those for what they were....sins against the Lord. They were extremely damaging to my body, my relationships, and my life. It was a battle to let go of those things, I considered them, in a way, my friends. They made me happy, consoled me, fulfilled me, freed me to be me.....or so I thought. So, I'm thinking I need to put junk food in the same category.
I try to be one of those "normal" people like my husband...just a little and then quit. It doesn't work. When it comes to junk food I make gluttony the standard. Just like with my other addictions, I need to lay down the excuses and pick up the fight against this Goliath.
Now, for people like my husband, junk food is not sin. In and of itself, junk food is just food. It's not sinful. It has it's place for enjoyment. But it's the gluttony, the over indulgence, that drags a little salt and sugar into the sin category. This is the truth for my life. For me it's bondage, just like drugs were. Maybe food doesn't do this for you, but maybe something else does.
Galatians 5:22-24 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit within us, therefore, self-control is within us. Galatians 5:16 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. We have to choose to walk in the Spirit. For me, it's been easier just to give into my fleshly cravings. I forget that I battled (with Jesus as my strength) addiction before and won. I forget, it was hard then too, but through the power of God I was able to persevere.
Maybe some of you are facing addiction problems...in whatever area. Seeing that addiction as sin may help you to want to lay it down. When we look at these things as, "oh, it's just a habit," or "it's only my little struggle or my little indulgence." we allow it to go on unchecked, we allow it to enslave us, we allow it to separate from the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
I am not writing this to shame anyone, or heap guilt upon us. This sin called addiction has been paid for by the blood of Christ for each of us. But I do want to help others recognize, like I need to recognize that certain behaviors are not "our little habit." They are things that are hurting us and things that God does not want us to continue in, they are sin. Overeating is a freedom stealer! I want to live a life of balance, a life of self-control. I don't take a drink now because even though I may be able to have just one, I don't take that chance. Perhaps I need to follow that path with junk food.
I hope and pray that when you read this, if you struggle like me, you will be motivated to freedom. With God, we got this!
Lord, thank You for showing me things in a new light. Help me and all of us to stay withing Your boundaries, for that is where our freedom is. If we need to see overeating or any other thing in our life as sin and therefore needing to go, show us. Lead us in breaking our chains and glorifying You in our bodies. We want to be strong and healthy to do the work You have for us! In Jesus' Name. Amen.
If this resonates with you, it's time to go to God in pray to find our why, what, and how.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
Little Glimpse #2, Big Assurance
The second little glimpse I had into the mind of the Lord was from Revelation 13:8 And all the people who belonged to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made--the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered.
Now, take that Scripture and hook it up to Ephesians 1:4-7 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
Do you see it? Our salvation was and is assured by the Lord. Our Father chose us before the foundations of the world to claim us as His own. Before the world was made, we belonged to Him. How exciting, how comforting, how reassuring....Amazing!! Take heart at this fact. Be strengthened in the knowledge that our God does not throw us away when we fail, but lifts us up to start again. We can rest in His eternal love because we were chosen before the world began.
This doesn't mean we are to live loose, willy-nilly, sin filled lives because, "Oh, God chose me just as I am." No, consequences will come when we sin. And He chose us for a mission...to share the Gospel, to become like Christ, to fill this world with the fragrance of Heaven's love and holiness. But it does mean that we are His, assured of His salvation, His discipline and His love.
What a wonderful God we serve!
Lord, thank You for this steadfast belonging. You will never leave nor forsake those who are called by Your Name from the foundations of the world. Lord, help us to live accordingly, and live boldly for Your Name's sake. We want to live lives fruitful lives that please You and reflect our calling. Thank You as always for all that You do for us and for who You are. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Now, take that Scripture and hook it up to Ephesians 1:4-7 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
Do you see it? Our salvation was and is assured by the Lord. Our Father chose us before the foundations of the world to claim us as His own. Before the world was made, we belonged to Him. How exciting, how comforting, how reassuring....Amazing!! Take heart at this fact. Be strengthened in the knowledge that our God does not throw us away when we fail, but lifts us up to start again. We can rest in His eternal love because we were chosen before the world began.
This doesn't mean we are to live loose, willy-nilly, sin filled lives because, "Oh, God chose me just as I am." No, consequences will come when we sin. And He chose us for a mission...to share the Gospel, to become like Christ, to fill this world with the fragrance of Heaven's love and holiness. But it does mean that we are His, assured of His salvation, His discipline and His love.
What a wonderful God we serve!
Lord, thank You for this steadfast belonging. You will never leave nor forsake those who are called by Your Name from the foundations of the world. Lord, help us to live accordingly, and live boldly for Your Name's sake. We want to live lives fruitful lives that please You and reflect our calling. Thank You as always for all that You do for us and for who You are. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Friday, June 12, 2020
Little Glimpse #1!
I reread the book of Revelation for our Sunday morning Bible study and a couple of Scriptures stood out. The first just gave me a glimpse into the kindness of Jesus. I pictured Him with compassion, love and gentleness speaking to His beloved disciple John and thought, what a beautiful Savior we have.
Revelation 1:12-17 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look--I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave."
Can you picture Jesus reaching out to John, calming His fears, speaking comfort to John's heart. I'm taken back to His interactions with the woman caught in adultery and the women with the issue of blood....kindness oozed from His words to these women, love flowed from His heart to these needy ladies.
John 8:1-11 T Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. hen Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Mark 5:24-34 24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” 31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
Like John, these women trembled before our Lord. Fear in their hearts facing the holiness of God...but they found compassion. And so do we. Jesus is not our accuser or condemner....He is our Savior, the lover of our souls. He is our healer and our teacher. He is our King, the One who lives forever. That is why we can come to Him in our lowest state and find His arms open and His love ready to enfold us. What a wonderful Savior!
Lord, I love Your heart. Sometimes we forget how utterly kind you are. We let the struggles of this life tell us You don't care, You're angry with us, You're not on our side...but the Word tells us differently. Help our hearts to never doubt that! Let us be rooted firmly in Your love and
"may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." (Ephesians 3:18). It's in Your holy Name I pray Jesus. Amen.
Meditate on the kindness of Jesus this weekend.
Revelation 1:12-17 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look--I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave."
Can you picture Jesus reaching out to John, calming His fears, speaking comfort to John's heart. I'm taken back to His interactions with the woman caught in adultery and the women with the issue of blood....kindness oozed from His words to these women, love flowed from His heart to these needy ladies.
John 8:1-11 T Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. hen Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
Mark 5:24-34 24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” 31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”
32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
Like John, these women trembled before our Lord. Fear in their hearts facing the holiness of God...but they found compassion. And so do we. Jesus is not our accuser or condemner....He is our Savior, the lover of our souls. He is our healer and our teacher. He is our King, the One who lives forever. That is why we can come to Him in our lowest state and find His arms open and His love ready to enfold us. What a wonderful Savior!
Lord, I love Your heart. Sometimes we forget how utterly kind you are. We let the struggles of this life tell us You don't care, You're angry with us, You're not on our side...but the Word tells us differently. Help our hearts to never doubt that! Let us be rooted firmly in Your love and
"may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is." (Ephesians 3:18). It's in Your holy Name I pray Jesus. Amen.
Meditate on the kindness of Jesus this weekend.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Difficulties come in all sizes and shapes. From the mundane to the monstrous. We can struggle to fix a leaky faucet or fall apart in the face of a dire diagnosis or loss. But the one thing common in all of them is that we are not alone. We have been promised by the Lord that He will always stand with us. Hebrews 13:5...For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”
Matthew 28:20...And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” And in John 14-16 we hear Jesus tell of the Holy Spirit, His beautiful Presence within us. John 14:15-17 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
As I listened to my Pastor's sermon on Sunday (back in our church building, yaaay!), I had one of those a-ha moments that accompany a simple truth that I have been overlooking. His sermon started post feeding of the 5000 in John 6. His disciples, Himself and finally the crowds left for the other side of the Sea of Galilee after a miraculous meal. Jesus knew the crowds had only followed for the miracle, not for the relationship. And so one of those questions popped into my mind. "Why do I seek Jesus?"
Okay, so I have a few answers for that, but the question led me to some other thoughts, like, "what do I expect when I look to Jesus?" And I answered myself honestly, "ease." I expect Him to make everything go perfectly because I am His child. I expect the miraculous, big and small...smooth sailing, no waves or wind, or tides to fight against. Hmmmph. Well that's telling. Pastor John's sermon went on to teach that Jesus wants us to be focused on the eternal benefits of knowing Him, not looking for pleasures in this life only. John 6:26 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, you want to be with Me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of His approval.
So this brings me to my big a-ha. Troubles are supposed to change me. God wants not to deliver me from problems, big or small, but wants to deliver me from worldly thinking, fleshly reactions and the need for temporary ease. He wants all of us to mirror Jesus' love and character to the world. In all circumstances. He wants us bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Well there's the gist of living. Produce godly fruit bringing glory to God through all things. I feel like I constantly need this lesson!
Okay, so how do I walk this out. I am thinking that is going to be a work in progress....a loooonng work! I have a lot of old broken habits and patterns to break free from. But we also have the promise from Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Coming full circle to the fact that the Lord never leaves us. I'm thinking one of the things I want to do is to apply Galatians 5:22-23 to my moments. Whether dealing with a troublesome faucet or something much worse, I want to work on letting the Holy Spirit shine through, reminding myself of the fruit He produces when I am lead by Him. Galatians 5:16 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature says throw fits, get my own way, get mad....the Holy Spirit says produce His fruit.
Lord, thank You for reminders, thank You for new ways of seeing things, thank You for never giving up and never walking away. You are truly a wonderful Savior! Let me see each trial, each annoyance, each difficulty as a vehicle for growth. Let me seek Your heart, not just Your hand. Help us all to grow in this daily. In Jesus' Name. Amen
Memorize Galatians 5:22-23
Matthew 28:20...And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” And in John 14-16 we hear Jesus tell of the Holy Spirit, His beautiful Presence within us. John 14:15-17 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
As I listened to my Pastor's sermon on Sunday (back in our church building, yaaay!), I had one of those a-ha moments that accompany a simple truth that I have been overlooking. His sermon started post feeding of the 5000 in John 6. His disciples, Himself and finally the crowds left for the other side of the Sea of Galilee after a miraculous meal. Jesus knew the crowds had only followed for the miracle, not for the relationship. And so one of those questions popped into my mind. "Why do I seek Jesus?"
Okay, so I have a few answers for that, but the question led me to some other thoughts, like, "what do I expect when I look to Jesus?" And I answered myself honestly, "ease." I expect Him to make everything go perfectly because I am His child. I expect the miraculous, big and small...smooth sailing, no waves or wind, or tides to fight against. Hmmmph. Well that's telling. Pastor John's sermon went on to teach that Jesus wants us to be focused on the eternal benefits of knowing Him, not looking for pleasures in this life only. John 6:26 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, you want to be with Me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of His approval.
So this brings me to my big a-ha. Troubles are supposed to change me. God wants not to deliver me from problems, big or small, but wants to deliver me from worldly thinking, fleshly reactions and the need for temporary ease. He wants all of us to mirror Jesus' love and character to the world. In all circumstances. He wants us bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Well there's the gist of living. Produce godly fruit bringing glory to God through all things. I feel like I constantly need this lesson!
Okay, so how do I walk this out. I am thinking that is going to be a work in progress....a loooonng work! I have a lot of old broken habits and patterns to break free from. But we also have the promise from Philippians 1:6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Coming full circle to the fact that the Lord never leaves us. I'm thinking one of the things I want to do is to apply Galatians 5:22-23 to my moments. Whether dealing with a troublesome faucet or something much worse, I want to work on letting the Holy Spirit shine through, reminding myself of the fruit He produces when I am lead by Him. Galatians 5:16 16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature says throw fits, get my own way, get mad....the Holy Spirit says produce His fruit.
Lord, thank You for reminders, thank You for new ways of seeing things, thank You for never giving up and never walking away. You are truly a wonderful Savior! Let me see each trial, each annoyance, each difficulty as a vehicle for growth. Let me seek Your heart, not just Your hand. Help us all to grow in this daily. In Jesus' Name. Amen
Memorize Galatians 5:22-23
Friday, June 5, 2020
Lord, Change Me
Lord knows this world is in chaos. It's a dark place that rejects it's Creator. But as His children we are called to be His light, His representatives. We are called to share His love, His glory and His Salvation. Lord, I know that many times I fail in this mission. So I ask today for You to change me. As the days grow darker Your children need to shine brighter. Help us in that today.
Lord, change us. Polish away anything that stands in the way of us showing Your love, Your glory, Your salvation to those around us. The time grows shorter, give us a sense of urgency. Set our hearts on fire for the lost, give us a hunger for righteousness and holiness. Fill us to overflowing with Your Spirit every day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Lord, change us. Polish away anything that stands in the way of us showing Your love, Your glory, Your salvation to those around us. The time grows shorter, give us a sense of urgency. Set our hearts on fire for the lost, give us a hunger for righteousness and holiness. Fill us to overflowing with Your Spirit every day. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Prayer Needed
I look at what's going on in the United States right now and my heart is broken. We, like many countries struggled through the pandemic of Covid19. We prayed for one another, mourned deaths with one an other, supported each other through financial hardship and celebrated recoveries with each other. We stood together in the face of sickness, not perfectly, but with strength of hope. Some countries, like Brazil and Peru are still suffering and we will continue to pray for their recoveries as well.
But to see people looting and burning and destroying, hurting each other all in the name of justice is sickening and heart wrenching. The thought of judging anyone based on what they look like is ludicrous and un-Biblical to begin with. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” If God didn't like or want variety He would have made a boring, monochromatic world of one color. But just look around! God enjoys the colorful. Our world is a menagerie of shades and hues....people, plants, animals, rocks, waters.....all of it varied and brilliant.
I ask for prayer today. I ask for the Lord to end the violence and bring about true justice and true change, not just to our country, and other countries around the world, but change to our hearts. I ask that we pray all hearts would invite Jesus in and be open to His healing, His leading and His salvation. He is the only way true justice will flow through our streets and cities. Lord, we need You to restore order and peace. We need You back in our land, in our schools, our governments, our homes and yes, in our churches. Lord it seems we are reaping what we have sown....but please have mercy on us. Heal our land and the lands of those reading this. Bring about change, bring glory to Your Name. Use Your children to be the light that shines Your love into an increasingly dark world. We need You! And I want to pray for the families of those who have lost loved ones to racism....bring them healing and comfort. I want to lift up those who have lost homes and business, livelihoods to violent rage, that You would restore them, and I want to ask for fear to cease and courage to begin. Lord, let not Satan have his way here. Bind the enemy in our countries...let You Holy Spirit spread His love and power and peace. I know this world is under the sway of the evil one, but I also know that You are a God who triumphs! You will always be victorious. In Jesus' most powerful Name, amen.
Pray without ceasing.
But to see people looting and burning and destroying, hurting each other all in the name of justice is sickening and heart wrenching. The thought of judging anyone based on what they look like is ludicrous and un-Biblical to begin with. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” If God didn't like or want variety He would have made a boring, monochromatic world of one color. But just look around! God enjoys the colorful. Our world is a menagerie of shades and hues....people, plants, animals, rocks, waters.....all of it varied and brilliant.
I ask for prayer today. I ask for the Lord to end the violence and bring about true justice and true change, not just to our country, and other countries around the world, but change to our hearts. I ask that we pray all hearts would invite Jesus in and be open to His healing, His leading and His salvation. He is the only way true justice will flow through our streets and cities. Lord, we need You to restore order and peace. We need You back in our land, in our schools, our governments, our homes and yes, in our churches. Lord it seems we are reaping what we have sown....but please have mercy on us. Heal our land and the lands of those reading this. Bring about change, bring glory to Your Name. Use Your children to be the light that shines Your love into an increasingly dark world. We need You! And I want to pray for the families of those who have lost loved ones to racism....bring them healing and comfort. I want to lift up those who have lost homes and business, livelihoods to violent rage, that You would restore them, and I want to ask for fear to cease and courage to begin. Lord, let not Satan have his way here. Bind the enemy in our countries...let You Holy Spirit spread His love and power and peace. I know this world is under the sway of the evil one, but I also know that You are a God who triumphs! You will always be victorious. In Jesus' most powerful Name, amen.
Pray without ceasing.
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