Category: Theme

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Give Your Best

Dave and I were talking last night and I asked him which Christmas Carol he really liked. What do you think he said?

Little Drummer Boy.  No where in Scripture do you find the story of a little drummer boy. But all through the Bible we find that God gave His best. Since He did, should we give anything less than our best to Him?

Our best is relative.  Jesus pointed that out to His disciples one day as they were in the temple.

“Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. 42 Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins that were worth only a few pennies. 43 Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said:

I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 44 Everyone else gave what they didn’t need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn’t have a cent to live on.” Luke 12:41-44 CEV

I’ve had people tell me that they’d give God a million dollars but they just don’t have it. That’s a wonderful thought however, the true test of the heart isn’t in what we desire to do but what we do with what we have. There have been times that giving a dollar was harder to do than giving one hundred.

I remember when the kids were in school and came home with a note asking all the parents to give canned goods for the food drive. Our kids wanted to be a part of doing something special for those who were needy. What they didn’t realize was that we would have been considered the needy. I opened the cupboard and took out half of the cans on the shelf. Some went to Kim’s class and the rest went to Koy’s class.

We gave from the heart, desiring to bless others because there were folks out there who really did have less than we did. These are the words I heard in my head.

“For I was hungry and you gave Me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me water to drink. I was a stranger and you gave Me a room. 36 I had no clothes and you gave Me clothes to wear. I was sick and you cared for Me. I was in prison and you came to see Me.’

37 “Then those that are right with God will say, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? When did we see You thirsty and give You a drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and give You a room? When did we see You had no clothes and we gave You clothes? 39 And when did we see You sick or in prison and we came to You?’ 40 Then the King will say, ‘For sure, I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of My brothers, you have done it to Me.’ ” Matthew 25:35-40 NLV

We can be like the widow who gave to the Lord all she had. She gave out of the love in her heart. When we consider that each and every thing we give we give as if we are giving it to the Lord, we should give generously. What a joy to be able to give!

So here we have the premise of the song, Little Drummer Boy.

The Little Drummer Boy

Come they told me
Pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see
Pa rum pum pum pum

Our finest gifts we bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King
Pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum

So to honor Him
Pa rum pum pum pum
When we come

Little baby
Pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too
Pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give our King
Pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum

Shall I play for you
Pa rum pum pum pum
On my drum

Mary nodded
Pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time
Pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him
Pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for Him
Pa rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum,
rum pum pum pum

Then He smiled at me
Pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum

What is it you have in your hand?  Drum sticks, a sewing machine, a bowl of flour, cash, knitting needles, baby sitting skills, IT knowledge, a warm dinner, any type of home crafts – leather, jewelry, decorating; all of these can be used by the Father to meet the needs of others.
Whatever it is we give Him, we must give Him our best – it’s the least we can do. He was willing to give us His very best, Jesus, His Son.
““And I give you all the best olive oil and all the best new wine and grain. These are the things that the Israelites give to me, the Lord. These are the first things that they gather in their harvest. 13 When the people gather a harvest, they bring all the first things to the Lord. ” Numbers 18:12-13 ERV
I’ll play my best for Him, Pa rum pum pum pum!
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It’s Here – December!

I am so excited for this day, December 1.  It’s just another day on the calendar, right?  Not at all!

It’s the start of the Christmas season for me. This past week I spent several days getting the house decorated and ready for Christmas. Dave’s been building presents in the shop and putting up the outdoor lights and wreaths. Yes, I love Christmas!

This year I am particularly excited because many of you will be joining me each day in reading from the devotional I just wrote, The Best Gifts of Christmas. (You can still order a copy from Amazon if you don’t already have one.)

For the past several years I have established a theme for my daily postings leading up to Christmas. I want to share something that has meaning and it must  reflect the heart of God.

I have it!    Christmas carols!

When I was a kid we would sing Christmas carols in school. We learned all the verses in Music. Do you remember going to Music? Mrs. Martinez was our Music teacher, such a sweet lady. She played the piano and sang. We all joined in. It was a great time!

Perhaps your school didn’t offer Music. Then do you remember when the gas stations in town gave out Christmas Carol books with a each fill up? They all did – Texaco, Chevron, Richfield, Esso, Union 76, Shell. We would take the books home and I would practice them on the piano, singing along as I fumbled over the keys.

The music we know as “traditional” Christmas carols was written hundreds of years ago to celebrate the commemoration of Christ’s birth. The score was joyous and the lyrics edified our Lord.  I’m sure King David would have approved and joined the chorus. He is the one who told us to magnify the Lord in song.

“I will praise God’s name in song. I will honor him by giving him thanks. 31 The Lord will be happier with this than with the offering of an ox or a full-grown bull as a sacrifice.” Psalm 69:30-31 ERV

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will never stop singing his praises. 2 Humble people, listen and be happy, while I brag about the Lord. 3 Praise the Lord with me. Let us honor his name.” Psalm 34:1-3 ERV

The Lord is honored when we praise Him in song. As we go through the next days and weeks, I hope you will join me in joyful song as we  acknowledge the Savior’s birth.

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him, born the King of angels!

Refrain:
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;
sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest![Refrain]

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! [Refrain]

 

Be among the faithful. Come let us adore Him who is worthy of our praise!

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Life in a Fish Bowl

I love going to aquariums. Places like Sea World and the Monterey Aquarium fascinate me and I could spend hours there, moving from one aquarium to the next.

I even enjoy going to BassPro or Cabela’s and seeing the large tanks that they have in the center of their stores. It’s fascinating to watch the fish in a near-natural environment.

But what if the fish, looking out, became discontented with its environment. What if it decided it didn’t want to be cloistered and became jealous of those strange-looking creatures on the other side who could walk on two legs and could come and go as they please.

Sounds like a good plot for a Disney movie, right?

There is real truth to be found here at the aquarium. In the giant tank the temperature is right for optimal growth and comfort. The water pH is balanced which keeps micro-organisms from breeding too quickly or too slowly. Although contained, aquarium life provides the maximum benefit for each creature in its ecosphere. To attempt life outside of this housing would certainly mean death.

The same premise holds true for those of us on the outside of the glass enclosure. For us to attain a life of aquatic liberty would be disastrous. Our lungs are not equipped to extract oxygen from the water nor is our skin adapted for a continued exposure to it.  We were created for a different purpose.

I am amazed at how often some judge our lives as Christians as too confining, restrictive and limited. Some think that because we are Christians we aren’t allowed to have any fun or experience the fullness of life. Their judgement is that we are isolated and out of touch. However, that perspective is completely wrong. When we live our lives “in Christ” we are able to experience life at its optimal level.

“You must depend on Christ only, drawing life and strength from him. Just as you were taught the truth, continue to grow stronger in your understanding of it. And never stop giving thanks to God.

8 Be sure you are not led away by the teaching of those who have nothing worth saying and only plan to deceive you. That teaching is not from Christ. It is only human tradition and comes from the powers that influence this world. 9 I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:7-10 ERV

There is no life that has greater fulfillment that the life that we have in Christ. In Christ, we have everything we need to live life to its fullest, much the same as the fish who live in the aquarium. I know that’s an inadequate comparison but I think you see my point.

When the Apostle Paul was preaching in Athens he noticed that they had built a shrine for “the unknown god”. This is what Paul said to them.

 “He is the God who made the whole world and everything in it. He is the Lord of the land and the sky. He does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 He is the one who gives people life, breath, and everything else they need. He does not need any help from them. He has everything he needs. 26 God began by making one man, and from him he made all the different people who live everywhere in the world. He decided exactly when and where they would live.

27 “God wanted people to look for him, and perhaps in searching all around for him, they would find him. But he is not far from any of us. 28 It is through him that we are able to live, to do what we do, and to be who we are. As your own poets have said, ‘We all come from him.’” Acts 17:24-28 ERV

Verse 28 is also translated to say “ For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” (KJV)

In Him we find our very existence; the reason and purpose for our lives. Our belief and adherence to God’s word isn’t restricting us; it’s giving us the ultimate expression of life!

In Christ we have a great, full, overflowing life!

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The Sky Is Limitless

For quite some time I have wanted to share the lyrics of an old song with you but first I want you to study this picture.

Please look again. Consider how vast are the ocean and sky. They fill the horizon – all that’s visible are water and sky.

This song  was written  in 1917,  some say it was written in 1923, the author was Frederick Lehman. He was trying to conceptualize the greatness of God’s love. Perhaps he had just read these verses written by the Apostle Paul.

“I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:15-21 CEV

Verse 18 is a verse that I have studied often. Each time I think I am beginning to understand the greatness of God’s love, my scope of understanding is expanded and I realize that I still have so much to truly comprehend.

Paul prayed that we would know, be able to grasp and fully understand the scope and vastness of God’s love. That type of understanding can only come through personal experience. Through that personal, daily, consistent experience with Him, we can be filled with everything God has for us. 

Now for the words of this wonderful song that written about 100 years ago. It’s not important that you know the tune, what’s important is the message.

  1. The love of God is greater far
    Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
    It goes beyond the highest star,
    And reaches to the lowest hell;
    The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
    God gave His Son to win;
    His erring child He reconciled,
    And pardoned from his sin.

    • Refrain:
      Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
      How measureless and strong!
      It shall forevermore endure—
      The saints’ and angels’ song.
  2. When hoary time shall pass away,
    And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
    When men who here refuse to pray,
    On rocks and hills and mountains call,
    God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
    All measureless and strong;
    Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
    The saints’ and angels’ song.
  3. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
    And were the skies of parchment made,
    Were every stalk on earth a quill,
    And every man a scribe by trade;
    To write the love of God above
    Would drain the ocean dry;
    Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
    Though stretched from sky to sky.

God’s love is measureless and it’s eternal. If the oceans were filled with ink, if every tree on earth was used as a pen and every person on earth were a writer the magnitude of the sky could not begin to contain a complete record of God’s love.

I’m not talking about God’s love for all of human kind. No, I’m referring to God’s love for us individually. If God, my Father, were to write a testament of His love for me there would not be enough GIG space to contain it all, it would dwarf the heavens.

“We pray that the Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father will comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us and gave us through his grace a wonderful hope and comfort that has no end.” II Thessalonians 2:16-17 CEV

Take time to look up at the sky. Imagine you see written across the heavens “I love you”.  That’s really the message God’s wants us to know.

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Tired & Cranky

You understand what I am saying here, tired and cranky? We all have those times when we just want to throw a fit and get away with it. Right?

Monday morning I received a text from our youngest daughter telling me that our little granddaughter had just cut 3 new teeth. My first response was “that explains her mood on Thanksgiving, she was hurting”.

We excuse some crankiness when children are little and don’t  know how to tell us what’s going on. But we should be giving them instruction that selfish actions aren’t right. The problem comes when we are teenagers or adults and we have these same outbreaks of self-centered frustration.

“Remember this: There are some terrible times coming in the last days. 2 People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud and boast about themselves. They will abuse others with insults. They will not obey their parents. They will be ungrateful and against all that is pleasing to God. 3 They will have no love for others and will refuse to forgive anyone. They will talk about others to hurt them and will have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. 5 They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to  let that “devotion” change the way they live. Stay away from these people!” II Timothy 3:1-5 ERV

These verses are a description of many of the attitudes and actions that are going on in society today. There’s an entitlement mentality that says I deserve it; I should have more and better things, not because I have worked hard or sacrificed but because I’m entitled to better.

I really wanted to be cranky yesterday. I did. I was tired, hadn’t slept much the night before and I “felt” that I deserved to be treated with more consideration. I wanted to be entitled. I was being selfish. I was thinking about me and what my needs were and what I wanted.

It only took a few minutes for the Lord to step in and correct me.

“If then you have been raised with Christ, keep looking for the good things of heaven. This is where Christ is seated on the right side of God. 2 Keep your minds thinking about things in heaven. Do not think about things on the earth. 3 You are dead to the things of this world. Your new life is now hidden in God through Christ.” Colossians 3:1-3 NLV

and

“ Whoever wants to be first must serve the rest of you like a slave. 28 Do as I did: The Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people.” Matthew 20:27-28 ERV

Pity parties have a very small guest list; me, myself and I. When we look at Jesus and how he lived, keeping our minds focused on how things are done in heaven, we will see that we have been given a higher assignment. We are to be an example of self-control and self-sacrifice.

“ God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. 25 God’s Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. ” Galatians 5:22-25 CEV

Probably no one else has to deal with keeping their feelings, emotions and thoughts in line but just in case you are like me I thought I would share this with you today.

Let’s live like the Apostle Paul said here in verse 25. Let’s follow the Spirit. Life will certainly be better.

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The Great Physician

I woke up around midnight, first I was hot and then I had the chills. Achy joints, stuffy head and raw throat. Felt like I had been hit but a train.

First thing that came to mind was I needed to get up and get a drink of water. Second thought was to pray. That’s exactly what I did. I came to the living room, picked up my Bible, read some of my favorite verses and then thanked the Lord for His healing power. Jesus not only destroyed the power of sin but He also gave us power for healing.

“With all my heart  I praise the Lord,  and with all that I am  I praise his holy name! 2 With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget  how kind he has been. 3 The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4 and protects us from death. His kindness and love  are a crown on our heads. 5 Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5 CEV

If you’re like me you find it hard to believe that we can take this verse literally. That it really means what it says. But, I do know that Christ has forgiven every sin I have committed and those that I will still commit. His sacrifice paid for it all.

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, there is One Who will go between him and the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One Who is right with God. 2 He paid for our sins with His own blood. He did not pay for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” I John 2:1-2 NLV

So by the power of deduction I must believe that healing is also true. It the first half of the verse then the last half must also be true. Years ago I made the decision to trust  God’s word. It is always true! As I sat here, I listed my symptoms and gave each one of them to the Lord in prayer. I thanked Him for  the forgiveness of my sins and the healing of my body.

“ People insulted him, but he did not insult them back. He suffered, but he did not threaten anyone. No, he let God take care of him. God is the one who judges rightly. 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. 25 You were like sheep that went the wrong way. But now you have come back to the Shepherd and Protector of your lives.” I Peter 2:23-25 ERV

The Lord is faithful to his word. I am so thankful that I know I can trust Him for every area of my life. And then I fell asleep, when I woke up just a few minutes ago all the symptoms but one is gone.  I expect the stuffy nose to clear up soon.

So thankful that God’s word is true and it’s available to every one.

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It Is Finished

What a great Thanksgiving weekend!  A wonderful dinner and delicious left overs. Time with family and friends. Overflowing with gratitude.

The words it is finished may make you think of an empty pie plate or the last bite of the dressing. It may also remind you that the long weekend is over and  today you are back to work and life’s normal routine.

Sitting here this morning those three words have totally engulfed me. I am reflecting on what Jesus has done and continues to do in our daily lives.

“It is finished.”

What do those words mean to you? It could mean the end of a bad relationship. Possibly, it’s  the completion of a special project, something you’ve been working on for a long time, it’s done and you can be proud of the result.  You may be moving to a new place or a new job and your life is filled with uncertainty. Whatever those words mean to you,  Jesus has chosen to be with you in each situation.

If it’s the end of a bad relationship, Jesus knows what it was like to be heart-broken. He was filled with great sorrow as He looked at Jerusalem and saw how they had walked away from the Lord. One of the reasons He came was to heal the broken-hearted and  bring us into right relationship, a relationship with the Father.

“Someone handed Him the book of the early preacher Isaiah. He opened it and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has put His hand on Me to preach the Good News to poor people. He has sent Me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent Me to tell those who are being held that they can go free. He has sent Me to make the blind to see and to free those who are held because of trouble. 19 He sent Me to tell of the time when men can receive favor with the Lord.”  Luke 4:17-19 NLV

Jesus worked on His earthly project for 33 years. It had been in the planning stage in heaven thousands of years before that. The project of restoring mankind to his original place, a place of right relationship was finished. He had paid the price, redemption was complete. God, the Father, was very pleased with what Jesus had done.

The work on earth was finished. The power of sin was destroyed. It was time to celebrate in heaven.  Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us and then He will come again and take us there. Once we get there, to heaven, a wonderful banquet will be prepared for us to enjoy. Talk about thanksgiving, we will have a wonderful time with family and friends.

“There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. 3 After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together. ” John 14:2-3 CEV

Now, if it’s time for you to make a move, to transition, to another location or another office, He is there. We have God’s promise that He will never leave us or abandon us. King David said even if I go to hell, He is there.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10 NKJV

Whatever you are saying it is finished to, know that it is time to look ahead with a hopeful heart. God will direct our steps and lead you to a good place.

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need.
2 He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water.
3 He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.” Psalm 23:1-3 ERV

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A Servant’s Heart

You know who those people are…the ones with a servant’s heart. They are the ones who serve and help without being asked. They enjoy helping and do it with a smile on their face.

At Thanksgiving Dinner, they were the ones who were doing the dishes in someone else’s kitchen; setting the table; helping take the food from the kitchen to the table and then getting up quietly to fill a gravy boat or get more dressing. They were the ones taking out the trash.

Jesus instructed his disciples on the way they should be acting in their relationship with others.

“Jesus and his disciples went to his home in Capernaum. After they were inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about along the way?” 34 They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer.

35 After Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, “If you want the place of honor, you must become a slave (servant) and serve others!”

36 Then Jesus had a child stand near him. He put his arm around the child and said, 37 “When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent me.” Mark 9:33-37 CEV

Jesus always set a fine example of servitude. His was a life of ministry. He never claimed glory for himself. He only wanted to bring glory to the Father. One of his final acts was one of servitude. He washed the feet of the disciples.

Have you ever met someone with dirty feet? Maybe not filthy dirty, maybe just be a bit dusty? Would you volunteer to wash their feet for them?

In John 13 Jesus was having the Passover meal with His disciples and midway through the evening He got up from the table, took a towel, wrapped it around His waist, got a basin of water and went from disciple to disciple and washed their feet.

This is something the servant of the house should have done. It was customary to wash all the guests feet. But since Jesus and the disciples were in a home that wasn’t theirs, it was apparent there was no “servant” to perform the task. Jesus took it upon Himself to do it.

Peter protested. But Jesus told him that it was essential. The thing that amazes me about this is not the interchange between Jesus and Peter but that Jesus washed Judas Iscariot’s feet willingly. He knew that Judas was going to betray Him and Jesus lovingly served him like all the rest.

” But when he came to Simon Peter, that disciple asked, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You don’t really know what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “You will never wash my feet!” Peter replied. “If I don’t wash you,” Jesus told him, “you don’t really belong to me.”

9 Peter said, “Lord, don’t wash just my feet. Wash my hands and my head.” 10 Jesus answered, “People who have bathed and are clean all over need to wash just their feet. And you, my disciples, are clean, except for one of you.” 11 Jesus knew who would betray him. That is why he said, “except for one of you.”

12 After Jesus had washed his disciples’ feet and had put his outer garment back on, he sat down again. Then he said: Do you understand what I have done? 13 You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should, because that is who I am. 14 And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. 15 I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. 16 I tell you for certain that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. 17 You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them.” John 13:6-17 CEV

Jesus made Himself servant of all. He didn’t discriminate. He knew who truly loved Him and who would betray Him but He treated them all the same. It was and is unconditional love.

There may be some in our circle who have betrayed us and others who have remained close and loyal. Jesus tells us to treat them all with unconditional love.

Is there someone today who needs you to show them that kind of love?

Let’s always be willing to wash some feet!

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Rest, Sweet Rest

Last night I told Dave that I was tired and just wanted to sleep in this morning. I said I wasn’t sure that I would get up to write the blog. He laughed and said, “Honey, there has never been a morning that you haven’t gotten up early. You’ll write the blog.

Ok, so he was right and I was up earlier this morning than I have been in a while. I hoping to be like this little puppy later today and just lay down for a bit and rest.

One of the things I have learned from years of constantly being on the go is the Lord takes no delight in us being exhausted and weary. Burn out is not God’s plan!  Let me encourage you to rest.

I found sound instruction in Psalm 23 this morning.

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. 2 He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water. 3 He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.” Psalm 23:1-3 ERV

The Lord knows that we need rest. He didn’t design our bodies or our minds to be constantly on the go. We need to have our strength renewed and restored. He invites us to lie down and rest.  He’s a gracious, loving Shepherd and He watches over us attentatively.

When we’re tired we lose focus, our concentration decreases and we can even weaken our health. However, when we wait, cease from labor, our strength with be restored.

“He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it.
30 Young men get tired and need to rest. Even young boys stumble and fall.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will become strong again. They will be like eagles that grow new feathers. They will run and not get weak. They will walk and not get tired.” Isaiah 40:29-31 ERV

The word trust in verse 31 can also be translated “wait”. Trusting the Lord is a form of waiting. Trusting means to expect, look for, hope in and rely on. There is waiting attached to each and every one of those words. When we are weary there is a place of rest that never disappoints. 

“Come to Me, all of you who work and have heavy loads. I will give you rest. 29 Follow My teachings and learn from Me. I am gentle and do not have pride. You will have rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 NLV

God’s Word gives us instruction on how to live and keep things in proper order. It promises us rest. Jesus’ life was filled with constant activity. He walked from town to town, ministered to people daily, and resolved interpersonal conflicts. This is what He did when he needed to be strengthened and rest.

“Then Jesus made the followers get into the boat. He told them to go to the other side of the lake. He said he would come later. He stayed there to tell everyone they could go home. 23 After Jesus said goodbye to the people, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. It was late, and he was there alone.” Matthew 14:22-23 ERV

“ Very early the next morning, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and pray.” Mark 1:35 CEV

“But the news about Jesus spread more and more. Many people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 Jesus often went away to other places to be alone so that he could pray.” Luke 5:15-16 ERV

Jesus committed himself to prayer and there He found rest. He took time to be alone.

I enjoy doing those word search puzzles. So I am going to give you some letters and ask you to find the hidden word. You can only use each letter once. Here they are.  T-S-E-S-R-S.  What word did you find?

If you found the word STRESS, you can’t have rest. But if you chose the word REST you won’t have stress. Just saying!

Take a day and enjoy some time of rest.

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Thankful for Victory

I hoping that you had a wonderful day of Thanksgiving and that you took opportunities throughout the day to look around and say thank you for the blessings the Lord had provided.

When I got up this morning my heart was filled with gratitude for  life’s victories. We never like going through the battles but the victories are worth remembering. We’ve all had them; the battles with health, finances, relationships, and emotions. Some of you have faced actual battles (war, military conflict, disasters) and that, I know nothing about. But I am grateful for each and every one of you who have fought those battles for me.

I remember the words of a young shepherd boy named David. He told King Saul that he was prepared to meet the giant Goliath because God had given him victory over a lion and a bear.  The small, sometimes daily, battles that we fight prepare us for life’s bigger conflicts.

The secret is to remember that we didn’t succeed in the smaller skirmishes by our own efforts, it was by the help that God gave us. So when the larger battles come our source of strength and power is the same.

I’ve told you about King Jehoshaphat before but I want to relay a couple of things from his battle this morning.

“ Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “There is a large army coming against you from Edom. They are coming from the other side of the Dead Sea. They are already in Hazazon Tamar!” (Hazazon Tamar is also called En Gedi.) 3 Jehoshaphat became afraid, and he decided to ask the Lord what to do. He announced a time of fasting for everyone in Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to ask the Lord for help.” II Chronicles 21:2-4 ERV

Three armies were getting ready to descend on the small kingdom of Judah. They outnumbered. It was definitely a battle they couldn’t win on their own efforts.

“Lord God of our ancestors, you are the God in heaven. You rule over all the kingdoms in all the nations. You have power and strength. No one can stand against you. 7 You are our God! You forced the people living in this land to leave. You did this in front of your people Israel. You gave this land to the descendants of Abraham forever. Abraham was your friend...12 Our God, punish those people. We don’t have the strength to stop this large army that is coming against us. We don’t know what to do! We are looking to you for help.” verses 6,7, 12 ERV

The first thing we must all do when we see the battle coming is admit that we don’t have the power to do it on our own and that we need strength that only the Lord can give. 

“Jahaziel said, “Listen to me King Jehoshaphat and everyone living in Judah and Jerusalem! The Lord says this to you: ‘Don’t be afraid or worry about this large army, because the battle is not your battle. It is God’s battle! 16 Tomorrow, they will come up through the Ziz Pass. You must go down to them. You will find them at the end of the valley on the other side of the desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Just stand there and watch the Lord save you. Judah and Jerusalem, don’t be afraid. Don’t worry, because the Lord is with you. So go out to stand against those people tomorrow.”  

18 Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem bowed down before the Lord and worshiped him.” verses 15-18

The Lord will give us the direction and wisdom we need. We have to show up for the battle but it’s not our battle. Once we pray about it and ask the Lord for help, it becomes His. Our part is to not worry or be afraid; God is able.

I’m not sure what battles are before us today. But I am thanking God that He is on our side! He has prepared a way of victory! I won’t be afraid.

“ 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

AMEN!

 

 

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