Author: Kristi Wilson

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Consider

I told you yesterday that I was going on a private call with my Father. He always takes time for me and I love it!

The word that kept coming to me over and over again was “consider”. As I say that word to you right now I have to wonder what is the first thing that comes to your mind.

What are you considering?

Maybe it has to do with your job, your family, finances, health, relationship, vacation or education.

When I walked outside early yesterday morning I looked up and the sky was overcast so I couldn’t really see the stars but this morning when I walked out it was clear and the stars were brilliant. I was in process of considering.

The sky brought everything into focus. I needed to consider the One who made all this.

“Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful in all the earth! It brings you praise everywhere in heaven. 2 From the mouths of children and babies come songs of praise to you. They sing of your power to silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.

3 I look (consider) at the heavens you made with your hands.
    I see the moon and the stars you created.
4 And I wonder, “Why are people so important to you?
    Why do you even think about them? Why do you care so much about humans? Why do you even notice them?”

5 But you made them almost like gods and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You put them in charge of everything you made. You put everything under their control.
7 People rule over the sheep and cattle and all the wild animals.
8 They rule over the birds in the sky and the fish that swim in the sea.

9 Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!” Psalm 8 ERV

It was a private conversation between me and the Father. Me asking why I was so important to Him; He made the stars and the universe, why does He care about me?

I get so busy considering other things that I forget to consider God and His promises. I’m going to live this word, consider, for the next several days. I encourage you to do so as well.

“Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat or what you will wear. 23 Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 24 Look (consider) at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in houses or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than crows. 25 None of you can add any time to your life by worrying about it. 26 And if you can’t do the little things, why worry about the big things?

27 “Think (consider) about how the wildflowers grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? That’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!” Luke 12:22-28 ERV

Join me today in considering God’s greatness and His goodness. I hope you take time tonight to go out and look at the night sky. Try to count the stars. In all of eternity past they’ve been there, right on the course God designed for them.

If He cares about the stars, the birds, the flowers and the grass CONSIDER how much more He cares for you!

    

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Answering the Call

How many of you can remember the old rotary dial phones? I do. They were a part of my childhood. I really think the first phone I saw was on my grandmother’s desk.

It was very similar to the one pictured here. And there was this cute little pencil with a round ball on top that you could use to help dial the phone. You see we didn’t have a phone in our home until I was in 3rd grade.

Dave remembers having a crank phone with a party line when he was a kid. If you wanted to make a call you had to listen first to make sure no one else was using it.

Things have certainly progressed!

Now, nearly everyone walks around with a phone in their pocket or purse. Voice mail and text messages have given way to personal calls. Phones are more for searching the web, checking accounts, keeping a calendar and GPS navigation than for talking.

Oh the good old days. Hearing someone’s voice and being excited to let all the distractions go and just visit. We couldn’t walk around and do dishes, clean, water the plants, use the computer while we were on the phone. No, we were tethered by a cord and so we generally just sat and visited. We learned about each other – talking and listening.

This morning as I was having my Bible reading I came across a verse in Jeremiah. He was one of the Old Testament prophets that God spoke His message through – God reaching out to the people of Israel giving them guidance and instruction.

“While Jeremiah was still shut up in the open space of the prison, the Word of the Lord came to him a second time, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord says Who made the earth. The Lord made it to last. The Lord is His name. 3 ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you. And I will show you great and wonderful things which you do not know.’ ” Jeremiah 33:1-3 NLV

Call me and I will answer!  How marvelous, we have God’s direct line! No going through phone trees, leaving voicemail or even sending a text. Call me and I will answer!

For the next several days, not sure how long, I am going to be on a private call with my Father. I need to have some time to spend with Him, sitting and hearing His voice. Learning what He desires for me to do and a lot of just catching up.

I want to learn those great and wonderful things that He is desiring to show me. Can you imagine the maker of the universe has asked us to spend time with Him?

I’m taking Him up on the offer. I hope you will too!

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Everything We Say

“Saying the right thing at the right time is like a golden apple in a silver setting. 12 Wise advice to a listening ear is like gold earrings or fine jewelry.” Proverbs 25:11-12 ERV

Jesus had three years to tell the world of God’s love and His plan for restoration. He had taught on a mountain side, at the seashore, in the center of town, at a wedding, a well where locals gathered and even in the Temple.

People followed him everywhere He went. Sometimes His words were hard to swallow. They made an impact and brought conviction, they also brought comfort and healing. When it came down to the final days of his earthly life he was still reaching out, making a difference and impacting His world.

Let me recall a few of the events that comprised Jesus last week before the crucifixion. He had ridden into Jerusalem on a colt before a worshipping crowd, he chased the dishonest merchants out of the Temple, healed the blind and the lame, and gave a lesson on faith to his disciples.

Now here He is again, back in the Temple. He’s making the most of every minute He has left to minister to the people and share God’s amazing gift of love and restoration. He knows the end is in sight and He wants to make sure he has done all the Father has asked Him to do.

Cue the villain music because here they come.

“Jesus had gone into the temple and was teaching when the chief priests and the leaders of the people came up to him. They asked, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered, “I have just one question to ask you. If you answer it, I will tell you where I got the right to do these things. 25 Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”
They thought it over and said to each other, “We can’t say that God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn’t believe John. 26 On the other hand, these people think that John was a prophet, and we are afraid of what they might do to us. That’s why we can’t say that it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize.” 27 So they told Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Then I won’t tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.” Matthew 21:23-27

Jesus was ministering to people and changing lives and the leaders were jealous that he didn’t seek their approval or permission. Even though they hated Jesus and were constantly trying to trip Him up, Jesus never said one untrue thing about them or to them.  His heart was always loving.

A good example for us, isn’t it? Our Father has a plan designed for us as well. Before we leave the house, at the start of our day, we should ask God to show us how to love  those  that would like to see us fail.

Our words need to be loving and truthful.  Let’s give Him the attitude of our hearts – if  repentance is needed, we should do it quickly. We can draw on the loving power that He has placed within us.

The Apostle Paul said that we should be imitators of Christ and he also said that our words and our actions should honor the Lord.

“Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.” Colossians 3:16-17 ERV

Everything, did you see that? Everything we say or do should be done for the Lord. I’m certainly not there yet but I’m working toward that end.

How about you?

“Show me your faithful love this morning.
    I trust in you.
Show me what I should do.
    I put my life in your hands!
9 Lord, I come to you for protection.
    Save me from my enemies.
10 Show me what you want me to do.
    You are my God.
Let your good Spirit lead me over level ground.” Psalm 143:8-10 ERV

 

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Like A Spring Bouquet

 

There are days when life would seem so much better if we could enjoy  a bouquet of Spring flowers. The beauty, the fragrance, the color bring a comfort to the soul.

Now I know that none of you have ever been tempted to give up or to complain and quit when you have been waiting for the answer to your prayers but I have been there on occasion. In fact, I dealt with wanting to give up just this week.

However, when that temptation comes to complain or just quit, I have to go back to God’s word and find strength, encouragement and joy, yes, real joy to continue to stand.

“My Christian brothers, you should be happy when you have all kinds of tests. 3 You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up. 4 Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of nothing. 5 If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking. 6 You must have faith as you ask Him. You must not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave which is pushed around by the sea. 7 Such a man will get nothing from the Lord. 8 The man who has two ways of thinking changes in everything he does.” James 1:2-7

When I wait patiently with joy the wait doesn’t seem as long somehow. Do you remember when we were a kid and our folks promised to take us somewhere? Maybe it was for an ice cream, to a rodeo, or on a vacation but we had to wait! Waiting wasn’t easy was it? Oh but the anticipation…how sweet, it was.

We knew what we were going to wear, what we wanted to see first, what we were going to get to eat, etc. The waiting was hard but when we looked ahead to what was in store it was exciting. Well, that’s how it should be as we are waiting on the Lord.

We gain strength as we wait on the Lord knowing He has our best at heart and that He will provide all we need.  Sometimes the Lord uses good friends to remind us we shouldn’t give up. Sometimes a song comes on the radio or a verse comes to mind. He uses all these things to renew our strength.

“He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength. 30 Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.” Isaiah 40: 29-31

On those days, when we feel weak and want to give up or start complaining we need to draw on the strength that God provides. We aren’t joyful because of the wait but we can be full of joy during the wait because God is providing the strength we need.

 “Ezra said to them, “Go, eat and drink what you enjoy, and give some to him who has nothing ready. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

I don’t know if you’ve picked up on it here but we are dealing with two of the seeds we planted in our garden just a few weeks ago, joy and patience. They bring beauty to our lives much like the spring bouquet brings beauty to the room. 

We must keep the weeds of worrisome thought out of our gardens.

So today, count or consider it joy to be patient in trials; wait on the Lord to renew your strength. His joy will provide us with all the strength we need.

 

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Grace & a DQ Blizzard

The other night I was talking with my Mom about grace. I was surprised to learn that she still battles with the concept of God’s grace. You see she was raised in a traditional religious denomination that stressed works and good behavior.

If you didn’t read your Bible often enough, pray enough,  and tithe regularly you weren’t pleasing God. He was unhappy with  you and your relationship with Him was questionable.

God’s grace, on the other hand, is based entirely upon God and His unconditional love for us. We will never be able to do enough or be good enough to earn His love and acceptance. It all comes by grace.

“ All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. 24 They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ. 25-26 God gave Jesus as a way to forgive people’s sins through their faith in him. God can forgive them because the blood sacrifice of Jesus pays for their sins. God gave Jesus to show that he always does what is right and fair. He was right in the past when he was patient and did not punish people for their sins. And in our own time he still does what is right. God worked all this out in a way that allows him to judge people fairly and still make right any person who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26 ERV

None of us deserve God’s grace and that’s why grace is grace. God, our Father, gives it freely because of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. It was all His plan.

I can hear you asking what’s a blizzard got to do with grace. Glad you asked. My mother loves blizzards and at 94 it’s one of her few true pleasures. That day, while we were out, Dave and I stopped and bought a blizzard for Mom. She hadn’t asked for it, though she often does, and so it was a real surprise treat.

We didn’t have to talk her into taking it. She didn’t stop and evaluate whether she had been “good enough” to receive it. She hadn’t really done anything to “earn” it, we gave it to her because we loved her and knew she would enjoy it.

I used that analogy with her as we talked about grace that evening. Receiving something given in love, something you don’t earn or deserve – it’s called grace! I then told her that I thought she had just given me a topic of my morning devotional and she smiled. She thought it was a good idea.

We all have times we battled with our performance versus God’s grace. That’s a trick of the enemy. We have days that we think we are better than others and so we expect a little more. But in God’s way of thinking each day is the same. He always sees us through what Jesus has done, our justification and relationship are not of our own making.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. 4 In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. 6 And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one he loves.

7 In Christ we are made free by his blood sacrifice. We have forgiveness of sins because of God’s rich grace. 8 God gave us that grace fully and freely. With full wisdom and understanding 9 he let us know his secret plan. This was what God wanted, and he planned to do it through Christ.” Ephesians 1:3-9 ERV

The concept of God’s grace was almost incomprehensible to those in the Bible. The Apostle Paul repeated it again and again. Religion of that day stressed the importance of working to be worthy. Many sacrifices were made to prove devotion and dedication to the gods they served and those sacrifices had to be repeated.

Then Christ came and through His one sacrifice we were saved by God’s grace. That’s the gospel. The word gospel means good news, actually it means nearly too good to be true news. Grace.

“God saved us and chose us to be his holy people, but not because of anything we ourselves did. God saved us and made us his people because that was what he wanted and because of his grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began. ” II Timothy 1:9 ERV

So the next time you are faced with thoughts of your unworthiness to receive God’s love remember the blizzard I gave my Mom. It can in no way compare to the grace that God but it can be a reminder.

“I pray that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will give peace and love with faith to all the brothers and sisters there. 24 God’s grace to all of you who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love that never ends.” Ephesians 6:23-24 ERV

 

 

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A Donkey’s Tale

Thousands of years ago a donkey and her colt were tied in a village near Jerusalem. The owner had left them there as he went about his business.

Two men came to the village looking for this particular pair. They were on a mission. A mission that would be memorable and quite possibly the most frightening thing this young colt would ever do.

Matthew 21 tells the story of Jesus instructing his disciples on where to find a donkey that He would ride into town.

The Pharisees and temple leaders were seeking to kill Jesus. The common folk who heard that he was coming went to out to find him. Strangers who didn’t know about Jesus were caught up in the excitement and joined in.

Jesus wasn’t going to hide from those who wanted to destroyed him. He came out in public to be recognized by all those who wanted to honor him and praise Him as God’s Son!

“The disciples left and did what Jesus had told them to do. 7 They brought the donkey and its colt and laid some clothes on their backs. Then Jesus got on. 8 Many people spread clothes in the road, while others put down branches which they had cut from trees. 9 Some people walked ahead of Jesus and others followed behind. They were all shouting,
“Hooray for the Son of David! God bless the one who comes
in the name of the Lord. Hooray for God in heaven above!”
10 When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, “Who can this be?” 11 The crowd answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:6-11 ERV

In all of the excitement, Jesus was the only one who really knew what was going to happen in the next few days.  It was almost time for the Jewish feast of Passover, the commemoration of their deliverance from Egypt. Passover was a time when all the families in Israel offered a sacrifice of a spotless lamb as the substitute for the forgiveness of their sins.

And now here was Jesus. He would be offered as the sinless sacrifice, the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world. Jesus was and is the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb!

The Jews were looking for the Messiah and felt that he would come and save them from the political tyranny that was holding them down. The crowd came to the streets waving palm branches, shouting, throwing their coats to the ground in front of the donkey.

They were wanting someone to liberate them from Caesar and his rule but Jesus came for a much greater purpose – He came to set all men free from a life of separation from God the Father.

“The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death. 3 The Law of Moses cannot do this, because our selfish desires make the Law weak. But God set you free when he sent his own Son to be like us sinners and to be a sacrifice for our sin. God used Christ’s body to condemn sin. 4 He did this, so that we would do what the Law commands by obeying the Spirit instead of our own desires.” Romans 8:2-4

Many overlook the natural circumstances of this event and focus  on the spiritual. The young donkey would have been terribly frightened by all the noise and the coats and the palm branches. He would have been hesitant to go forward but Jesus urged him on with calm assurance. Jesus brought peace to a turbulent situation.

Have you been in a situation that made you want to turn around and run? You just didn’t want to go forward; the fight or flight instinct was weighing in heavily on the “flight”.  Then take courage as our little donkey did. Trust the One who is leading you forward.

I don’t know if you see yourself as one of the disciples who went to retrieve the colt, a member of the crowd who was there to praise the Lord or the colt who was used to carry the Savior. All had their part in the celebration.

Palm Sunday is just a few days away. Join in. Cut down some palm branches, throw your coat before the King and lift up your hands and praise Him!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!!

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Don’t Be a Victim of Identity Theft

I hope you have never been the victim of identity theft. I have some friends who have experienced this horrible violation and it has taken years to correct it. In fact, they still are dealing with issues as a result of it.

Do you know that as Christians many of us have fallen victim to identity theft as well? It’s far more detrimental than what millions experience through the theft of passwords, bank accounts, financial information and credit card fraud.

The Bible tells us that

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. ” II Corinthians 5:17 ERV

However, we spend a good deal of our time living in the past. We still deal with guilt over our failures and shortcomings. We fight to gain victory over our thoughts of unworthiness or self-loathing. We try to move past those things we are ashamed of but are drawn back by friends, well-intentioned loved ones (?) and our own memories.

Our identity, who we are in Christ, has been stolen.

Our most powerful adversary as believers is not the devil. He was defeated when Jesus rose from the dead and we have been given authority over him and all his evil works. However, our greatest adversary is also our greatest ally – it just depends on how we use it. I’m talking about our minds!

God doesn’t  force us to do things against our will. He won’t force us to accept His wonderful gift of salvation, even if it means we will eventually go to hell, and He won’t force us to accept His blessings that He is giving us in this new life. We must willfully accept all of His provisions for them to work.

How do we move our mind from an adversary to an ally? The answer is simple; it’s by what we consider. Our mind is much like the computer I am using to message with right now. It can only produce on screen or in memory what I input.

It becomes our responsibility to input the correct information. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2

“With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God re-mold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.”

We let God’s word be our input and then our minds will be renewed.

Consider what God says about us. We are more than conquerors, we are new beings, we are His own children. We’ve been adopted and made join-heirs to His kingdom. We’ve been called to be world overcomers filled with peace, joy and strength. And if that’s not enough then consider what life will be like in heaven and all that Jesus did to provide this for us – if that’s our focus, we won’t have time to be “considering” thoughts that are contrary to God’s way of thinking.

“You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth. 3 Your old self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. 4 Yes, Christ is now your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory.” Colossians 3:1-4

It’s imperative that we guard our minds more than we guard our wallets. The damage caused by wrong thinking is more detrimental than loosing our cash. It’s spiritual identity theft.

Thinking like the world thinks will keep us from realizing all the wonderful blessings that God has provided.

“We live in this world, but we don’t fight our battles in the same way the world does. 4 The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5

So counteract the world’s influence today and live this

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7

Regain what’s been stolen. Our life in Christ is our true identity!

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Facing Your Fears

“ Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way.” Proverbs 3:5-6 ERV

There is an age old conflict that we all face from time to time. I would like to say that once we’ve successfully conquered it, we never face the battle again but that’s just not true.

Discouragement!

“Why don’t things work out for me the way they do for others? Why am I going through this again and again? Why can’t I get the answers I need? Why do I feel so discourage?”

Discouragement comes when “WE” have been dealing with a particular situation for a prolonged period of time. Even the Scriptures say that “hope deferred makes the heart sick”. And sometimes we get heart sick – now how do we get well?

When King David was dis-couraged, he en-couraged himself in the Lord. It’s possible that after some of his trials, he was inspired to write Psalm 42.

“As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you, my God. 2 In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face? 3 Day and night my tears are my only food, as everyone keeps asking, “Where is your God?” 4 Sorrow floods my heart, when I remember leading the worshipers to your house. I can still hear them shout their joyful praises. 5 Why am I discouraged?
Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, 6 and you are my God. I am deeply discouraged as I think about you from where the Jordan begins at Mount Hermon
and from Mount Mizar. 7 Your vicious waves have swept over me
like an angry ocean or a roaring waterfall. 8 Every day, you are kind,
and at night you give me a song as my prayer to you, the living LORD God. 9 You are my mighty rock. Why have you forgotten me? Why must enemies mistreat me and make me sad? 10 Even my bones are in pain, while all day long my enemies sneer and ask, “Where is your God?” 11 Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God.” Psalm 42 CEV

King David asked all the questions of himself that we ask and his conclusion was this; I will praise YOU because YOU are my God.

Courage is the ability to stand strong under adverse and difficult circumstances.

Dis – courage means to take courage away. (Comes from looking at the hopelessness of a situation. Looking at our limited power and resources.)

En – courage is the ability to infuse with courage. (Comes from looking at our God who is infinitely bigger than our situation and His miraculous power and unlimited resources.)

Look at what the Apostle Paul says about adverse circumstances:
“What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? 33 If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? 34 Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. 35 Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? 36 It is exactly as the Scriptures say,
“For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way
to be butchered.”
37 In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!” Romans 8:31-39 CEV

So face today as the deer who is thirsty – come looking for God.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6 KJV

You will be filled! Filled with Courage. Filled to stand strong facing your greatest fears.

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How Big is Your Portion

Each day you know I get up expecting to hear the Lord minister to me so that I can share with you. Each morning He is faithful.

Just like a shepherd, the Good Shepherd, leads the sheep to green pastures each day, Jesus provides us with green pastures and still waters for our daily provision.

Listen for the Shepherd’s voice today. And in listening, know that you can hear – hear clearly from the Father. This song by Jeremy Camp has been flooding my heart today.

In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
In the morning, when I rise
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

When I am alone
When I am alone
Oh, when I am alone
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

Jesus
Give me Jesus

When I come to die
When I come to die
Oh, when I come to die
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
Just give me Jesus

Several times throughout the Old Testament a phrase was used in connection with God’s relationship with His people, that phrase was “You are my portion”.

My portion – like cutting a pie or dividing an inheritance or the spoils of war – which portion is mine? King David made mention several times in the Psalms that “You are my portion”.

This saying jumps out at me each time I read it. I grew up hearing my dad say the only way to ruin a pie is to cut it.   He desired the whole thing – the big piece, the whole portion. Through the years, that’s how I’ve grown in my relationship with Jesus. You are my portion – whatever I am given I want it all to be Jesus! I don’t want any other portion – just give me Jesus.

“Lord, you give me all that I need. You support me. You give me my share (portion).6 My share (portion) is wonderful. My inheritance is very beautiful.” Psalm 16:5-6 ERV

“In heaven I have only you, and on this earth you are all I want. 26 My body and mind may fail,  but you are my strength and my choice (portion) forever.” Psalm 73:25-26 CEV

“You, Lord, are my choice (portion), and I will obey you. 58 With all my heart I beg you to be kind to me,  just as you have promised. 59 I pay careful attention as you lead me,  and I follow closely.” Psalm 119:57-59 CEV

Today as you hear the Shepherd speak your name, I encourage you to make Jesus your portion!

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A LESSON FROM THE LIFE OF SAINT PATRICK

( I copied and shared this a few years ago. It was printed by Gateway Church. True to say, thank you Saint Patrick.)

Kidnapped by raiding pirates at the age of 16 and carried away from his family in Britain, Patrick was taken to Ireland and sold as a slave to an uncivilized, barbaric Irish chieftain. Assigned the menial and mundane task of caring for his master’s sheep, Patrick was forced to endure months of solitude out in the wild hills of Ireland with nothing but sheep to keep him company. Struggling to survive the bone-chilling weather and desperately fighting off his ever-present gnawing hunger pains, Patrick turned to the only place he could for help … God.

Having been raised in the lap of luxury as the son of a nobleman, Patrick had never spent much time thinking about God. Although he had grown up in a Christian home—his father was a deacon in the church and his grandfather had been an elder—his faith had not been real to him. But now, his bleak conditions and overwhelming loneliness led him to look to the only Source who could give him strength and comfort. Much like David the shepherd boy had done so many years before, Patrick spent his days and weeks of isolation pouring out his heart to God. He writes: “Tending flocks was my daily work, and I would pray constantly during the daylight hours. The love of God and the fear of Him surrounded me more and more—and faith grew and the Spirit was roused, so that in one day I would say as many as a hundred prayers and after dark nearly as many again, even while I remained in the woods or on the mountain. I would wake and pray before daybreak—through snow, frost, rain—because the Spirit within me was ardent.”

This continued for seven long years, until one night God spoke to Patrick in a dream telling him his prayers had been heard and he should arise and go for a boat was waiting to take him home. Although he was nowhere near the sea and had no idea as to which direction he should go, Patrick set out in faith following God’s direction. He walked for more than 200 miles, never once getting stopped or questioned, until he came to the sea where a boat was anchored in the bay.

The captain of the boat viewed Patrick with suspicion when he came asking for passage to England and refused to allow him on board. So Patrick walked away and began to pray. Before he could even finish his prayer, one of the ship’s crew members came running after him asking him to come back to the boat. The captain had undergone a sudden change of heart and was now bending over backwards to accommodate any and all of Patrick’s needs.

Patrick’s journey home was long and arduous, but a few years later, he returned home to his mother and father’s welcoming arms. He tried to settle back into his old life, but try as he might, Patrick couldn’t forget the people who had held him captive for seven years.

One night as Patrick was sleeping, he had a vision of an Irish man beckoning him to return to Ireland because they were hopelessly lost in darkness and desperately needed the light of God’s truth. Though his parents begged him to stay in Britain, Patrick chose to obey and follow God’s call to go back to the land of his captivity so that he could bring the light of the gospel to a people lost in darkness. Because Christ had given His life for him, Patrick believed he could do no less.

Patrick had every reasonable right to stay in the comfort of his home, surrounded by his family. But placing his life and freedom in God’s hands, he went back to Ireland to proclaim the message of God’s love and forgiveness to those who had never heard it … to the people who were his enemies. Traveling throughout the land, he baptized thousands of converts, discipled new believers, started scores of churches, trained church leaders, ordained pastors, fought against injustice and sent out missionaries and evangelists. And because of Patrick’s obedience to the Lord, an entire nation was evangelized and the course of history was changed. Eventually, a flood of missionaries emerged out of Ireland and spread throughout Scotland, England and the rest of Europe, sparking a great revival. In fact, between AD 650 and AD 850, more than half of all-known biblical commentaries were written by the Irish.

The Bible tells the stories of two men who found themselves in similar situations as Patrick. God called them to go take His message to their enemies. But each responded in completely different ways. Jonah chose to ignore God’s command to go to Nineveh and ran in the opposite direction. His disobedience led to him being swallowed by a huge fish. On the other hand, when the Lord came to Ananias in a vision and called him to go find his enemy Saul—a man well-known for hunting down and killing anyone who followed Jesus—and pray for his healing, Ananias chose to obey, trust God and go. Through Ananias’ obedience, God moved in the life of Saul, who later became Paul, the man responsible for writing over half of the New Testament.

Although it’s never easy, Jesus’ instructions to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” aren’t a polite suggestion or request. They’re a command.

Your “enemy” may be your neighbor, a difficult co-worker or even a once-close friend who betrayed you. Regardless of who it is, ask the Lord to show you how you can actively demonstrate His love to them today. Then go out and follow His leading.

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“Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ on my right, Christ on my left
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me
Christ in every eye that sees me
Christ in every ear that hears me”
–Patrick of Ireland–

(excerpt from “Let’s Go”–a Gateway Church devotional)

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