Big Lesson

Don't like your job?  Your marriage?  Your family?  Your whatever...?  Does that mean you can act hateful, hurtful, harmful.  Does it mean you can harbor anger, resentment, self pity and bitterness in your heart?  NO!  Every area of our lives is meant to give glory to the Lord.  

Romans 6:12-13 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.  Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.  Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life.  So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.  

James 4:7 So humble yourselves before God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

Just because we are unhappy somewhere in our lives does not give us the right or an out to live in self-pity and bitterness.  We don't get to strike out at others in our misery.  We are called to give God glory and thanks in ALL things  1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.  

For many years I was unhappy in my job.  It made me cranky and irritable...sometimes hard to get along with and my heart was always filled with disquiet and much of the time anger.  Was this the way God wanted me to handle being in a place I hated?  Did being there and feeling this way excuse me from acting godly and showing His love to others?  NO!  As I read Romans 6:13 I was convicted that I do just that anytime I am in a situation I don't like.  I tend to use my body as an instrument of unrighteousness (mostly my tongue!)  Wow.  What conviction.  What a lesson.  

Look at the letters of Paul.   Ephesians , Philippians , Colossians, and Philemon, all written while he was imprisoned.  All filled with help and instruction for others, encouragement, joy in the Lord, thanksgiving, all positive and God glorifying.  Does anyone really think Paul was happy about being in prison?  Does anyone think He was comfortable?  I'm sure he was not.  But he still glorified God and still kept his body to be used as an instrument for God's plan.  He still preached Jesus and still shared the Father's love.  He allowed the Holy Spirit to use him in the darkest of places.  Wow.  To be like that!

God doesn't call me to like every situation I encounter.   But He does call me to glorify Himself.  He does call me to walk in the Spirit and not to fulfill the lusts (or angry leanings) of the flesh.  Galatians 5:16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide our lives.  Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 

I have a long way to go in this area.  But I know the first step is accepting God's correction and direction.  Proverbs 15:31-33 If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise.  If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.  Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.   Now it's time to submit to God's teaching and correction and work with the Holy Spirit to change my heart and behavior in this area.  Remember, as we work with the Holy Spirit, God will help us.  James 4:6 But He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires.  As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble.  

Thank You Lord for the lessons you give, for the way You lead and guide us, gently correct us and call us to greater heights in You.  Give us humble hearts to listen, and strong spirits to obey.  In our precious Savior's Name.  Amen.

Seek to be an instrument for God wherever you are.  

Alone

This past week we had a surprise visitor.  Across the street was deer.  And wobbling up our front lawn was her newborn fawn.  This little one looked barely able to stand let alone hobble up to the front of our house!  And Mommy was leaving!  

What was going on?  Mommy deer was leaving this newborn critter with us?  The baby proceeded to go under one of our trees and lay down.  The branches of the tree drape down, so he/she just made themselves very comfortable there and went to sleep.  

Now, I know nothing of deer.  So I asked my good friend Dr. Google and sure enough this is normal behavior.  What!!!!  This Mom just leaves this barely able to walk deer under a tree and goes loping off into the forest?  Well, yes that is exactly what they do.  Apparently she leaves her baby in a safe, concealed place and goes off to forage for her food.  And she leaves for hours.  And hours.  And hours.  

Doesn't it sometimes feel like God does that to us?  We walk along life's paths, encountering bumps and detours, and dark patches, feeling abandoned and alone.  But instead of peacefully resting like this little fawn did, we cry and fuss and wonder where our Father is.  

The reason Mom leaves the baby is because the fawn is too weak and wobbly to keep us with her if danger finds them.  So the baby is concealed alone until feeding time.  The baby needs time to grow stronger, so she leaves him/her behind.  

Sometimes we are "left alone" by God to help our faith grow.  In those times we need to go to Him to be fed, but trust that when He doesn't seem near, it doesn't mean we are alone.  We are always under His watchful eye.  We, like the little fawn, can rest peacefully knowing we are safe.  

Lord, remind us that even if it seems You are not with us, You are.  Remind us that Your Word tells us "Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5.  You are always with us and You always look out for us even when we don't feel it.  Increase our faith.  Make us like the fawn, resting and still because she trusted the process.  In Jesus' Name, amen.  

God Will Make a Way

I've been feeling very unwell lately.  The tiredness I experience become outnright exhaustion.  My stomach feels uncomfortable so much of the time, the acid reflux has been acting up, I feel like I can't think, my mind is cloudy and my memory, including names of things and words is really bad....all while I was doing some new supplements to help make things better.  And nothing seems to be working.  So of course I'm a bit frustrated and a little down about all this, but as we all do, I just push through.  Still, I want to feel good!

I walked into my office a few minutes ago, not really knowing where this entry was going to go.  I felt like I didn't know what I was going to write because my thinking is so muddled.  But the Lord had a plan, as He always does.   LOL  

On the floor of my office was my handwritten journal opened up to a page on which Matthew 6:26-28 was written about.  

Matthew 6:26-29 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

What I wrote was about how I had so many challenges facing me.  And isn't this life.  I wrote this journal entry almost a year ago.  And there many challenges facing me then.  Moving, retiring, packing....and now again, here we are...new challenges, new life hurdles to face.  But now, as He did then, the Lord will make away.  It's not my job to fret or fuss.  My job is, as always, to trust in the Lord.  

What a timely reminder.  As always Jesus is right here, offering admonishment, encouragement and strength.  What a kind and loving Savior we have.  

Thank You Lord for this comforting reminder once again.  And not just for me, but for anyone reading this who is doing life.  There is nothing in our lives that surprises You, nothing that we face that You will not bring us through, and nothing that is  outside of Your love and plan.  You are my joy and my strength.  Bring glory to Yourself through each moment of my life.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen

Believe with me.  

The Body of Christ

Tuesday I got to see the body of Christ come together to make a special occasion beautiful.  And it was truly heart warming and joyful to see. 

Last week we found out that a couple from our church was to be married on Tuesday.  Sunday we found out that the church was hosting and putting together a small ceremony and a few noshes afterward.  The bride and groom did not want anything fancy or large, but just a small gathering of family and friends to celebrate with them.  

So we sprang into action.  In two days the ladies of our church had a short meeting, gathered  festive decorations and yummy snacks, put together a small smorgasbord of said snacks, and turned the church into a simple, yet elegant venue for a few hours of joyous celebration of the joining of to lovely people into God's first institution, marriage.  Plastic tablecloths, tapered candles, some ribbon and store bought flowers made a plain room sparkle.  

But of course the real shine came from the way God's people came together to join in this couples happiness.  This is what the Bible talks about when it says in Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  When our brother or sister is celebrating, we celebrate with them.  And in their time of sorrow, we sorrow with them.  Romans 12:5 says, "so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."  We truly our one body in Christ.  

If someone is facing life's sorrows, we come along side and love them.  A meal, a shoulder, a listening ear, quiet companionship or prayer, we share their burden.  Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.  

If someone is rejoicing over God's goodness in their lives, we celebrate with them.  In Luke 15 Jesus told us the parables of a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son.  All three had been lost and all three found.  All three of the people who had lost something precious asked friends and neighbors to join in when they found their treasured animal, object, and person.  

Isn't it wonderful that we as Christians can come along side one another on life's journey, serve one another, be there for one another and support each other with a godly love and heart.  

Lord, thank You for my Christian family.  Thank You for the way they share Your love.  Lord, let each of us do our part to love one another as You have loved us.  In good times and in bad, let us be united in Your Spirit.  Thank You again for that beautiful example You showed me on Tuesday.  And please bless this young couple with a life of unity, joy, laughter.  Bind them to yourself and one another.  In Jesus Name, amen.   

Look for ways to come along side your brothers and sisters in Christ.  

Luke 15:3-32  3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!  8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it?  9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”  11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.  13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.  17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’  20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’   22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.  25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’   28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’  31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”