Category: Encouragement

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It’s A Glorious Day!

How do I know that today will be a glorious day? I have God’s promise on it! When His word gives us a promise we can believe it.

“I will tell of your greatness, my God and King. I will praise your name forever and ever.
2 I will praise you every day. I will praise your name forever and ever. 3 The Lord is great and deserves all our praise! No one can fully understand his greatness! 4 Each generation will praise you and tell the next generation about the great things you do.” Psalm 145:1-4 ERV

“I will praise you every day.” King David made it his goal to praise the Lord every day. We should too. I remember something that evangelist Oral Roberts used to say. He was known for his saying “something good is going to happen to you this very day”. He lived expecting to see God’s goodness displayed each and every day of his life.

How wonderful!

Obviously King David or Oral Roberts didn’t face the challenges that you and I face each day, right? They didn’t have to deal with aggravating people, physical illness and pain, wayward children, vicious co-workers or financial upset like we do. Really? Of course, they did. But they knew that God watched over them and provided His best for them on a daily basis. So they spent each day in praise.

This morning I was reading about Jesus trial and His crucifixion. The Jewish religious leaders were driven to destroy Jesus and His ministry. Their vendetta was real. They took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor, to get him to pronounce a death sentence but Pilate said he found no fault in Jesus. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who ruled the area of Galilee. Herod found no fault with Him either and sent Jesus back to Pilate.

A crowd had gathered by now, knowing that Jesus had been arrested and the religious leaders had incited the people into a frenzy. They were a lynch mob. Pilate tried to release Jesus but the crowd called for his crucifixion. There was nothing good about this day.

But wait…there was! This was the day that God, the Father, had planned. He sent His Son to be our substitute. He took our place and gave His life so that we could live forgiven, in relationship with the Father.

“Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon. 45 The sun stopped shining, and the curtain in the temple split down the middle. 46 Jesus shouted, “Father, I put myself in your hands!” Then he died.” Luke 23:44-46 CEV

In only a few days the world would see a victorious Christ rise from the grave! Satan’s defeat would be complete and our lives have been redeemed. All we need to do is receive, as a gift, what Christ did for us on the cross!

A glorious day!

There’s a song that I learned in church many years ago. The lyrics came flooding back this morning as I read the story of the crucifixion in Luke 23.

“One day when Heaven was filled with His praises
One day when sin was as black as could be
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin
Dwelt among men, my example is He
Word became flesh and the light shined among us
His glory revealed

Chorus: Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day

One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain
One day they nailed Him to die on a tree
Suffering anguish, despised and rejected
Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He
Hands that healed nations, stretched out on a tree
And took the nails for me

Chorus

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

Chorus

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine

Chorus: Living, He loved me
Dying, He saved me
Buried, He carried my sins far away
Rising, He justified freely forever
One day He’s coming
Oh glorious day, oh glorious day!”

It’s a glorious day – a day of hope, joy, forgiveness and peace! Christ has come to fill our lives to the full with a relationship of love that will last for all eternity.

O glorious day!

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The Father’s Always Here

This morning my reading took me to Luke chapter 11. Jesus’s disciples asked him to teach them to pray. They wanted to know how to talk to the Father. Jesus then gave them a brief example of prayer; it’s what we know as the Lord’s Prayer. However, Jesus teaching didn’t stop there. Jesus went on to give them an example of how a friend would respond to an urgent request, made in the middle of the night, by a neighbor.

He compared the friendship of the neighbor to the love of the Father in these verses:

“Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you went to your friend’s house very late at night and said to him, ‘A friend of mine has come into town to visit me. But I have nothing for him to eat. Please give me three loaves of bread.’ 7 Your friend inside the house answers, ‘Go away! Don’t bother me! The door is already locked. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you the bread now.’ 8 I tell you, maybe friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread. But he will surely get up to give you what you need if you continue to ask. 9 So I tell you, continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. 10 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive. Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them. 11 Do any of you have a son? What would you do if your son asked you for a fish? Would any father give him a snake? 12 Or, if he asked for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? Of course not! 13 Even you who are bad know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to the people who ask him.” Luke 11:6-13 ERV

Notice that Jesus says no loving father would give his children something that is bad for them; not a snake, a scorpion or a stone. Loving father’s provide for the needs of their children. How much more will our Heavenly Father provide for us? Jesus points out that the Father will give us the Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn’t speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen. 14 The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine. That is why I have said that the Spirit takes my message and tells it to you.” John 16:13-15 CEV

It is the Holy Spirit who reminds us of God’s word, brings us power for our daily lives and gives us wisdom in all situations. It is the Holy Spirit who indwells us and causes our lives to be fruitful. He is the one who brings the harvest of love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, meekness, faith and patience.

Jesus was emphatic in the instruction he gave to the disciples – ask and keep on asking, search and keep on searching, knock and keep on knocking, when we do we will receive, find and have the doors opened to us.

As parents we desire to be there for our kids – not just when they are little but as they grow. We desire to be a part of their lives and to help in any way possible. We get that from our heavenly Father. We want to be there to help drive away the fear; heal the hurts and celebrate the blessings.

“These children are people with physical bodies. So Jesus himself became like them and had the same experiences they have. Jesus did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil. 15 Jesus became like these people and died so that he could free them. They were like slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. 16 Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps. He helps the people who are from Abraham. 17 For this reason, Jesus had to be made like us, his brothers and sisters, in every way. He became like people so that he could be their merciful and faithful high priest in service to God. Then he could bring forgiveness for the people’s sins. 18 And now he can help those who are tempted. He is able to help because he himself suffered and was tempted.” Hebrews 2:14-18 ERV

Jesus went through life on this earth so that He could be merciful to us, offering us forgiveness. He knows what we experience. He found strength in the time He spent in prayer with the Father. And the Father sent the Holy Spirit to help Jesus in His times of greatest temptation.

“Now filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan River. And then the Spirit led him into the desert. 2 There the devil tempted Jesus for 40 days. Jesus ate nothing during this time, and when it was finished, he was very hungry…14 Jesus went back to Galilee with the power of the Spirit. Stories about him spread all over the area around Galilee.” Luke 4:1-14 ERV

What are you struggling with today? Ask the Father! Seek Him with all your heart and He will send the Holy Spirit to bring the answers, the aid and comfort that you need.

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Pitch Black

Last night I learned what the saying actually means – “can’t see your hand in front of your face”.

Our power went out about 1:30 a.m. We were awaken by hearing all the little beeping alerts from the appliances and electronics throughout the house. That lasted about 2 seconds and then the power was out again and it was black.

Dave ventured out of bed to find a flashlight so he could see to turn off the heater, mission accomplished and then light was out again. Little Glory got very nervous after a few minutes of the darkness and began panting. I was really concerned for her but could see nothing. That’s when I decided to test the above cliché. I put my hand in front of my face and brought it closer. I could see nothing, I even had my hand touching my nose and couldn’t see it.

It was the strangest thing.

I had Dave give me the flashlight and I came out to the living room to find a candle. The strike of the first match lit up the room. The small candle gave off a glow that could be seen in the adjoining rooms. I lit two more – one I placed in the bathroom and the other on the kitchen bar.

Now we had light!

Glory relaxed and I read some on my phone but decided it would be best not to run the power down since I didn’t know how long it would be before we had electricity again. I did go outside to see if it was just us or the whole neighborhood was dark. Everyone was without power, there was a glow to the south from the lights in Nogales but that was it. The night was cloudy because we had rain about sunset. No moon or stars to be seen.

As I laid down on the couch these words came up in my heart.

“People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16 ERV

Let your light shine! Let the Father receive praise!

There are so many ways we can let our light shine. Friendship is one of the first things that come to mind – genuine friendship. Loving people who think that no one cares is like a beacon to that one. Kindness to a stranger; buying someone a tank of gas, a bag of groceries; giving them your coat or your parking space and doing it with a smile.

Jesus greeted a prostitute with forgiveness, a tax collector with acknowledgement of his value, a demoniac with peace and a divorcee with non-condemning words. He played with the children and wept with those who had lost loved ones.

He was love in action. His light was shining brightly.

There are so many around us who live in darkness. Theirs might not be a physical darkness but it’s darkness just the same. Depression. Low self-esteem. Heart ache. Financial destitution. Loneliness.

“It was God Who said, ‘The light will shine in darkness.’ He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.” II Corinthians 4:6 NLV

We’ve had God place His light of love in our hearts. It’s up to us to set it on a lampstand for others to see. I know how important just a small light can be. Thankfully, the power came back on about an hour or so later.

Ask the Lord to show you how you can light up the darkness for those around you.

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Love Is

Love is…

and we’ve all heard all the things that love is! But love is a determination of will; it isn’t a tingling feeling that just overcomes you and leaves you breathless and titillated. It is a lifestyle – one that will stand the test of time when the feelings are no where to be found. One that will overcome hurt and still not be selfish.

That’s God’s kind of love. He doesn’t think evil of us when we fail and He doesn’t keep count of the things we’ve done wrong but He looks to see what we’re doing right and always, always thinks the best of us.

One day, I heard the Lord speak so loudly in my heart that I thought others could probably hear it too. I was correcting one of the kids and in my frustration found myself bringing up a past infraction; one that they had already been disciplined for. As I did, I felt the Lord say – “I don’t bring up your past. I forget all your sins and shortcomings and I only think the best of you. Don’t bring that up again because they are my kids too.” With that I kindly answered “Yes Sir.” and then I had to apologize to my child. I went on to correct what they had done wrong without making them relive their past.

“This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience—it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. 5-6 Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails. 7-8a Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.” I Corinthians 13:4-8

Thank you Father for Your Amazing love. Thank you for forgetting our past.

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Custom Built

The neighborhood Dave and I live in has quite of bit of building going on. In the last two years there have been approximately twelve new homes built. For those in more populated areas that doesn’t sound like much but up here on our mesa we had less than seventy houses when we moved in five years ago. Most are being built as small custom or semi-custom homes.

Solid built custom homes!

Have you ever read those on-line real estate listings? They focus on the upgrades and the custom features. Pictures are taken of the special features; the upgraded cabinets and counters, water features, outdoor living space and landscaping.

But without a solid foundation the “extras” don’t have much value. If the foundation cracks or shifts then the custom window treatment and high end wood casings around the doors will shift with it. Things will have to be torn out and redone to maintain the integrity of the home.

The same is true in life. We need to be built on a firm foundation – one that will never shift or give way.

“The people who come to me, who listen to my teachings and obey them—I will show you what they are like: 48 They are like a man building a house. He digs deep and builds his house on rock. The floods come, and the water crashes against the house. But the flood cannot move the house, because it was built well.” Luke 6:47-48 ERV

Building our lives on God’s word, listening and obeying, will keep us strong when the storms come. We won’t be moved by the circumstances because we are well built.

Loving the Lord and then loving others is the bedrock or the base for everything else that needs to be constructed in our lives.

“Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. 38 This is the first and most important commandment. 39 The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” 40 All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40 CEV

Each one of us is a custom built home. After all, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When we are born again He comes to live within us. We are His home. No two are alike but we all have the same foundation.

Some of us are tall skyscrapers, while others of us may be a single story rancher but we all come from the same design firm. Hebrews tells us that we are to look at Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 KJV

If He is the author, the one who wrote the plan, that makes him the architect, the designer, the developer. He’s also the contractor since He is the finisher as well as the author. He gave his all, his life, in the process. That’s how important we are to Him.

So, take a look at your home, your life. If there are things that don’t seem quite right or things that don’t looked finished it’s ok. He’s still working in you. Let Him finish. I guarantee you’ll like the finished project.

“God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 CEV

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Big Announcement – Great News

This is the best news you will ever receive. God loves you and He’s on your side!!

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.” Romans 8:31-32 ERV

In my reading this morning the Israelites were crying out to the Lord because they were being treated so badly by the Egyptians. God spoke to Moses and told him to tell the people He had heard their cry and was sending him, Moses, to bring their deliverance.

Great News!

God is in the Good News business. When Jesus birth was announced by the angels they said this was “good tidings of great joy” – good news. Jesus even said that he came to bring good news to the people.

“… ‘We must go to the nearby towns, so that I can tell the good news to those people. This is why I have come.’” Mark 1:38 CEV

The good news that Jesus brought to every town was healing the sick, delivering those who were demon possessed and forgiving sin. Jesus came to establish a reconciliation between man and God. Very good news!

You can imagine how excited I got when I started reading these verses in Colossians. I know this is a lot of reading and I don’t normally give lengthy Scriptures for you to read but this is really GREAT NEWS!

“I ask God that you may know what He wants you to do. I ask God to fill you with the wisdom and understanding the Holy Spirit gives. 10 Then your lives will please the Lord. You will do every kind of good work, and you will know more about God. 11 I pray that God’s great power will make you strong, and that you will have joy as you wait and do not give up. 12 I pray that you will be giving thanks to the Father. He has made it so you could share the good things given to those who belong to Christ who are in the light. 13 God took us out of a life of darkness. He has put us in the holy nation of His much-loved Son. 14 We have been bought by His blood and made free. Our sins are forgiven through Him.

15 Christ is as God is. God cannot be seen. Christ lived before anything was made. 16 Christ made everything in the heavens and on the earth. He made everything that is seen and things that are not seen. He made all the powers of heaven. Everything was made by Him and for Him. 17 Christ was before all things. All things are held together by Him. 18 Christ is the head of the church which is His body. He is the beginning of all things. He is the first to be raised from the dead. He is to have first place in everything. 19 God the Father was pleased to have everything made perfect by Christ, His Son. 20 Everything in heaven and on earth can come to God because of Christ’s death on the cross. Christ’s blood has made peace. 21 At one time you were strangers to God and your minds were at war with Him. Your thoughts and actions were wrong. 22 But Christ has brought you back to God by His death on the cross. In this way, Christ can bring you to God, holy and pure and without blame. 23 This is for you if you keep the faith. You must not change from what you believe now. You must not leave the hope of the Good News you received. The Good News was preached to you and to all the world. And I, Paul, am one of Christ’s missionaries.” Colossians 1:9-23 NLV

God desires that we know His strength, experience His power and be filled with His joy. Christ came to make the relationship between us and God perfect. By his death on the cross we have peace with God. God, the Father, isn’t mad at us; He loves us!

Great News!

Because of his death on the cross, Jesus brought us to the Father cleansed, holy and pure, without blame. God sees us pure because of Jesus. Christ made everything perfect and made a way for us to come to the Father. Our sins are forgiven.

Great News!

Extra, Extra read all about it! God loves us and He’s on our side!!!



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Thrill of Victory

My day didn’t start out as I had planned. I actually slept in this morning and had no real motivation to get moving. Dave asked if I had written my blog yet and I told him no, but I knew before the day was out the Lord would give me something to share.

Here it is!

We’ve spent several days this week with Joshua. The Lord told him to be courageous and strong. He had a big task before him. His first triumph was at Jericho. All that marching and trumpet blowing brought success.

But then…

This is what happened to the children of Israel after they defeated Jericho. The Lord told them all of the spoils they took when they defeated Jericho were His. Achan, one of the men, took some gold, silver and a fine robe and hid them in his tent.

A few days after Jericho, Joshua got the army together and they went to battle to defeat the next city which was Ai. Ai was a smaller city than Jericho and they were riding high from their victory only to be defeated.

“Joshua sent about three thousand soldiers to attack Ai. But the men of Ai fought back and chased the Israelite soldiers away from the town gate and down the hill to the stone quarries. Thirty-six Israelite soldiers were killed, and the Israelite army felt discouraged.” Joshua 7:4-5 CEV

Now Joshua goes to the Lord and he’s upset. He tells the Lord how all his enemies will hear about this defeat and they will be emboldened to fight the Israelites. They, their enemies, will feel that God isn’t fighting for them or with them any more.

Disobedient -> Defeated -> Discouraged. Have you ever been there? Joshua couldn’t understand how God could abandon them like this.

God showed Joshua who had stolen items that were supposed to be destroyed. Achan was brought before Joshua and he admitted his disobedience and his deception. Achan was killed for stealing what God said should have been destroyed.

Joshua has to pick up from there and go on. Back to Ai – and this is what the Lord says.

“The Lord told Joshua:
Don’t be afraid, and don’t be discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai. Take the army and attack again. But first, have part of the army set up an ambush on the other side of the town. I will help you defeat the king of Ai and his army, and you will capture the town and the land around it. Destroy Ai and kill its king as you did at Jericho. But you may keep the livestock and everything else you want.” Joshua 8:1-2 CEV

God reminds Joshua of the original command; don’t be afraid, don’t be discouraged. Stand strong, be courageous. So they go against Ai again and this time they are victorious!

When we face defeat because of our own disobedience God wants us to deal with our disobedience and listen to Him. When we do we can go back and defeat the enemy. It would have been easy for Joshua to pick another city to fight against to gain the land but the Lord sent him back to the same city, the same king but this time the results were different.

“Finally, the Lord told Joshua, “Point your sword at the town of Ai, because now I am going to help you defeat it!” Joshua 8:18 CEV

Joshua met an angel before the battle at Jericho and asked the angel of the Lord whose side he was on – his answer rang clear. I’m not for you or for your enemy, I’m on the Lord’s side.

“One day, Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man standing some distance in front of him. The man was holding a sword, so Joshua walked up to him and asked, “Are you on our side or on our enemies’ side?”

14 “Neither,” he answered. “I am here because I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” Joshua 5:13-14 CEV

The instruction is plain; be obedient, fight the battle, win the victory!

“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?” Romans 8:31-32 CEV

Get up -> Go forward -> Get the victory!

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Celebrate Good Times – Come On

Today is a day of celebration!! No, it’s not my birthday but thanks for asking. The reason I feel like having a party is because today is January 15, 2019 – and it’s a perfectly good day to celebrate.

“The Lord made this happen, and we think it is wonderful! 24 This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be happy today! 25 The people say, “Praise the Lord! The Lord saved us!” Psalm 118:23-25 ERV

From the beginning of time, God has planned and ordained this day. His plans are good, very good. I don’t know what He has designed for me today but I do know if I start out praising Him for His mighty works my day will fill with joy and I will see God’s goodness spreading out before me.

When I went to Biblegateway.com this morning and did a search on the word rejoice it brought up 240 references for that one word in the King James version of the Bible. This did not include the words praise or joy. That’s a whole lot of good times! Everything that God does is good; one of His attributes is goodness. God doesn’t do evil; it’s not in His nature.

“Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:4-7 CEV

Do you see that? That one word – ALWAYS! It’s an absolute. It doesn’t mean sometimes, possibly, the majority of the time, on days that begin with S or T; it’s not conditional.

ALWAYS!

We don’t rejoice because of our circumstances. There is one reason that we can ALWAYS be glad or joyful. That reason is God’s unconditional love! Each year, each day, each hour and minute Jesus walks with us and showers us with love.

“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV

Rejoice – be glad! God has made this day just for us.

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Words, Words, Words

The last several days I have been talking to you about the importance of God’s word. We have seen that the Bible is our firm foundation and that God keeps His promises. He doesn’t say anything that isn’t true!

Today I want to talk about our words. Each day we speak hundreds, if not thousands, of words so we need to evaluate what we are saying. Do we speak words that bring encouragement and life or can our words be damning and condemning?

“A man’s stomach will be filled with the fruit of his mouth. He will be filled with what his lips speak. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:20-21 NLV

Daily, we are bombarded with words. They come in the form of emails, text messages, postings on the internet, spoken words on radio and television and in the form of conversations. Our prayers are constructed of words. The question is, are they beneficial or detrimental? Are they words that heal or words that harm?

Periodically I am reminded to look at words the way the Lord does.

“Honest people can always feel secure, but lying cheaters will be caught. 10 If you fail to speak the truth, trouble will follow. If you speak openly, peace will come. 11 The words of good people are like a spring of fresh water, but the words of the wicked only hide their violent plans.” Proverbs 10:9-11 ERV

“By your teachings, Lord,  I am warned;  by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. 12 None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it. 13 Don’t let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent,  and not guilty of some terrible fault. 14 Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, Lord, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.” Psalm 19:11-14 CEV

God, our Father, is a life-giver and One who is always looking for ways to bless His children. He hates it when actions go contrary to His nature. We are warned repeatedly not to lie, gossip or cause discord. Instead we should be like Christ in our love and encouragement of one another.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God. 3 You are God’s people, so don’t let it be said that any of you are immoral or indecent or greedy. 4 Don’t use dirty or foolish or filthy words. Instead, say how thankful you are. ” Ephesians 5:1-4 CEV

When I was a little girl we had a song we sang that said “Be careful little eyes what you see, Be careful little ears what you hear. Be careful little lips what you say.” Those words still ring true today. We could do so much to disarm hurtful situations if we made sure our words were loving, kind and true.

“All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body…Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.” James 3:2, 16-18 CEV

The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to be maliciously lied about, ridiculed, and he was often at the center of mean-spirited conversation. In spite all of that, he gave us this instruction.

“Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. 9 You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9 CEV

Let’s be like Paul. Let’s keep focused on the things that are pure, right and true. When we do, we will be surrounded by God’s peace.

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Good Bones

I like to watch those home improvement shows on television. Some of those houses are in bad shape. You would think the best thing would be to tear down the entire structure and start over. But that’s when you hear the host of the program say “this house has really good bones”.

Good bones.

Years ago I became aware of a verse in the Bible about bones. Before I give you that verses I want to share this experience I had last May while we were at the Indy 500. Each morning I would get up and take my coffee and my Bible then go outside the RV to have my morning quiet time. Dave and Koy were sleeping inside and I didn’t want to disturb them.

I loved it. Sitting in the camp chair I could enjoy my coffee, read my Bible, pray and listen to the cars going through their morning tune-ups over at the track. Not really quiet but it was my time with the Lord. One morning I left my Bible on the outside table while we went about our day. That afternoon we had a brief rain shower. Things under the awning got damp but not really wet. Koy wanted to know if he should move my Bible inside but I said it was ok.

Later that day my Bible began to expand, literally! The pages got fatter as they began to absorb the moisture. When it dried out it never did shrink back to the previous size. Now, when I pick it up to read if I squeeze it together it crackles. It is daily reminder to me of this verse.

“The Lord is far from the sinful, but He hears the prayer of those who are right with Him. 30 The light of the eyes makes the heart glad. Good news puts fat on the bones. 31 He whose ear listens to careful words spoken will live among the wise.” Proverbs 15:29-31 NLV

Good bones, fat bones.

Good news puts fat on the bones. Another version of this verse says “a good report maketh the bones fat”. Each day when I pick up my Bible and open it to where I’m going to read I say “Thank you Father. The Good News in this book is making my bones fat. Just like the pages of this Bible got fat, when I read the words of this book they are making me strong, healthy and giving me wisdom.”

I truly believe that. God’s word is our good news. In fact, it’s the best news ever. Where else will we find unconditional love, unending mercy and infinite grace? Where else we find direction, peace and complete forgiveness? There is nowhere on the face of the earth, there are no other books that contain life-giving words and there are no computer programs or data updates that bring us into a loving relationship with Almighty God.

“My soul will be happy in the Lord. It will be full of joy because He saves. 10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You? Who saves the weak from those too strong for them? Who saves the poor from those who would rob them?'” Psalm 39:9-10 NLV

“Because of Your Word and Your own heart, You have done all these great things to let Your servant know. 22 For this reason You are great, O Lord God. There is none like You. And there is no God but You, by all that we have heard with our ears.” II Samuel 7:21-22 NLV

It’s time for self-assessment. If I compare myself to a fixer-upper I must admit that I have some rehab work that needs to be done. There’s some selfishness that needs to be scrubbed off the walls and some spots of pride that have stained and discolored the countertops. There are other issues that the Lord needs to replace, I’m still under construction. But…I have good bones!

The framework, the support beams, have been furnished by the Holy Spirit and they are strong. I am His dwelling place.

“Do you not know that your body is a house of God where the Holy Spirit lives? God gave you His Holy Spirit. Now you belong to God. You do not belong to yourselves. 20 God bought you with a great price. So honor God with your body. You belong to Him.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NLV

My foundation is solid, it’s built on the rock of God’s word. God has placed His light in my soul and He causes me to shine with His glory.

“It was God Who said, “The light will shine in darkness.” He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.” II Corinthians 4:6 NLV

The good report, God’s Good News, is putting fat on my bones. Yes, I’m going through some renovation but I’m so glad to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. I have strong bones!

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