Category: Relationship

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Watching Them Grow

Yesterday we were at our grandson’s wedding but of course you knew that.

What a beautiful day!

I know it’s cliché, but they grow up so fast. Sitting there on the patio of the wedding venue Dave and I were recalling the times that he had come to visit, fishing trips, Christmases, making jam in the kitchen – the things that make memories for us as grandparents.

Of course we want to see them grow, mature and have many more exciting moments and make lasting memories.

Isn’t that just like our heavenly Father? His desire is to see us grow up and experience the life that He has designed for us. He wants us to dream big and achieve those dreams.

“Let’s pray that our young sons will grow like strong plants and that our daughters will be as lovely as columns in the corner of a palace. 13 May our barns be filled with all kinds of crops. May our fields be covered with sheep by the thousands, 14  and every cow have calves.

Don’t let our city be captured or any of us be taken away, and don’t let cries of sorrow be heard in our streets. 15 Our Lord and our God, you give these blessings to all who worship you.” Psalm 144: 12-15 CEV

The Lord gives blessings to all of us who worship Him. I know I’ve said it before but God is more desirous of our success than we are. He has given us all the resources we need to grow in Him.

“Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:18 CEV

Do you see what these verses say? It’s by the kindness and understanding that we receive from the Lord that we grow. Yes, it’s possible to learn from trial and error but God’s plan is that we mature and develop by the good things He provides.

“Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head 16 of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 CEV

It’s by love that we grow perfectly and become stronger.

I can just hear our heavenly Father say, “I remember when you were little and you came to me wanting to share all of your life’s experiences with me. I’m so glad that you’ve grown up and still want to do that.”

At every stage of life God’s word has a message for us.

“I write to you, dear children, because your sins are forgiven through Christ.
13 I write to you, fathers, because you know the one who existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One.
14 I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers,
 because you know the one who existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong. The word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One.” I John 2:12-14 ERV

Thank you Father for all you have done and are still doing to see that I grow up and become like You.

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I Now Pronounce You

Today is a special day for our family. Our oldest grandson is getting married!

Very shortly, Dave and I will be driving to the Seattle area to be a part of this wonderful celebration.

Thinking about what this day will mean to him and his bride I can’t help but reflect on my own wedding and also on the marriage of his parents.

Dave and I are blessed with a rich heritage of marriage. Our parents and grandparents all celebrated at least 50 years of marriage and those marriages ended only because of the death of a spouse. They showed us what it meant to love one another completely, at times sacrificing their own desires and ambitions to put their mate first.

Dave and I had the opportunity to counsel a young couple prior to their marriage. Unbeknown to me, they asked Dave what was his secret to a long and happy marriage. He said it was for both people to willingly give 150%. Then when I came in they asked me the same thing. I said that’s simple, you each have to be willing to give 150%.

They laughed but it’s true. For marriage to be successful it can’t be selfish.

My reflection on marriage this morning not only  has me focusing on the examples of my parents and grandparents but also on the example of Christ.

The Apostle Paul gives a wonderful teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5. He tells us that wives should submit to their husbands as they would to the Lord. Submission is not distasteful. It means to place ourselves under the authority of our husbands and in turn it gives us a covering of protection and well being.

He also tells husbands to love their wives as they love themselves. There’s nothing selfish about that. It is a complete act of giving on the husband’s part. They are to provide for and cherish (treat as valuable) their wives.

And then he wraps it all up with this:

“The Scriptures say, “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and join his wife, and the two people will become one.” 32 That secret truth is very important—I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 But each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband.” Ephesians 5:31-33 ERV

A loving marriage serves as an example of how Christ loves us. He is the husband who loves us and willing gave all He had for our protection and provision. His love made the ultimate sacrifice and He gave His life for our salvation.  He held back nothing when it came to proving His love for us.

“Love does not give up. Love is kind. Love is not jealous. Love does not put itself up as being important. Love has no pride. 5 Love does not do the wrong thing. Love never thinks of itself. Love does not get angry. Love does not remember the suffering that comes from being hurt by someone. 6 Love is not happy with sin. Love is happy with the truth. 7 Love takes everything that comes without giving up. Love believes all things. Love hopes for all things. Love keeps on in all things. 8 Love never comes to an end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 ERV

These verses written by the Apostle Paul have great meaning to me. I have learned to personalize them in two different ways. First, I replace the word love with the word God because God is love. And then I read them again and substitute my name for the word love.

Each day I am becoming increasingly more aware of how much God truly loves me. That’s life changing!

I want to be more like Him today and when I read this passage with my name inserted it reminds me of how I should be acting towards others. I want to be an imitator of God’s love.

I hope that these words, “I now pronounce you husband and wife” have greater meaning for you today. Whether we are male or female Christ considers us His wife. He has taken responsibility for us; to love us, to nurture and to cherish us.

I will be eternally grateful that He has chosen me to be His bride!

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All A-Twitter

When someone used to say that they were all a-twitter it meant that they were infatuated or romantically smitten.

Those of us who are fans of Disney, remember well the scenes in Bambi when all the characters became twitterpated in the Spring.

However now when the word “Twitter” is used it’s connected to social media and “following” some of your favorite friends, sports figures, politicians and news makers.

Dave and I are not very tech savvy. Our world is simplistic and old-fashioned. We read books from hard copy, like to have phone conversations instead of texting and enjoyed writing letters instead of emails so when our friend began to tell us about the advantages of Twitter yesterday we were  uninformed but interested.

I do post the blog to Twitter each morning but don’t really have any followers nor do I follow anyone. But our simple tutorial  yesterday morning got me to thinking.

Tweets from the people I follow with just  pop up throughout the day…interesting. So if I find someone who, like me, enjoys sharing Scripture then I could be receiving random verses of encouragement all during the day.

I like that!

If Jesus were alive and ministering today I can see Him having a Twitter account.

“Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were preparing their nets to catch fish. Jesus told the brothers to come with him. 22 So they immediately left the boat and their father, and they followed Jesus.

23 Jesus went everywhere in the country of Galilee. He taught in the synagogues and told the Good News about God’s kingdom. And he healed all the people’s diseases and sicknesses.” Matthew 4:21-23 ERV

He reached out to people everywhere He went. So it’s not hard to imagine that he would have a Facebook page, a Twitter account and be on Instagram. Jesus was a people person.  He showed up where they did, touched their lives and they followed him.

“When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.” Matthew 8:1

“And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.” Matthew 8:23

“And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.” Matthew 9:27

“But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;” Matthew 12:15

Doesn’t the same hold true for us? Don’t we really desire to follow Jesus? King David gave us the example of the Lord being our shepherd. Sheep follow their shepherd instinctively.

“Jesus said:   I tell you for certain that only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to the sheep pen. 2-3 But the gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and he goes in through it. The sheep know their shepherd’s voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out.

4 When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice. 5 The sheep will not follow strangers. They don’t recognize a stranger’s voice, and they run away.” John 10:1-5 CEV

It’s important that we listen and then follow as Christ leads us to those green pastures and still waters. It’s there we find rest and peace from life’s stresses.

Our days become so busy. It’s hard to find time to sit and reflect on God’s word without being interrupted. So let me challenge you with this. Find a Twitter account to follow that will periodically tweet out a Scripture verse. When that notification comes, read the verse and say this simple prayer: “Lord what are you saying to me right now, I am determined to follow You.”

We can become more twitterpated for Christ by reading God’s word on Twitter.

“Be followers of God as dear children, 2 and walk in love, even as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet savour to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

 

 

 

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Be All You Can Be

As I sit here this morning, I realize again that God’s design for me is that of a human “being”.

You remember this used to be the slogan that the U.S. Army used on it’s recruiting posters.

New recruits were given opportunities that they didn’t find in our places. The Army would help mold and shape them; preparing them for a future with a purpose.

There are so many verses in the Bible that instruct me on how to be what God desires for me to be.

Be Still – Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

Be Quiet – But whoso hearkens unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:33

Be Ready – But keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have. I Peter 3:15

Be Obedient – If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: Isaiah 1:19

Be Rich – Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;  I Timothy 1:17-18

Be Lieve – Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Mark 9:23

Be Have –  And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him. 15 Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. I Samuel 18:14-15

Be Loved, Stedfast, Immovable –  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15:57-58

God’s purpose for our lives, for our very “being” is so much greater than an Army recruiter could ever imagine. God’s desire is that we be like Him and be dependent on His strength.

Be Like – You are God’s dear children, so try to be like him. 2 Live a life of love. Love others just as Christ loved us. Ephesians 5:1-2

Who is God asking me to “Be” today?

More than anything He wants me to be available!

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No Crows Here

Several years ago I was sitting outside enjoying the beauty of a Big Sky Montana summer morning. It was a beautiful morning and I was dwarfed by the panoramic views from our yard; 360 degrees of unobstructed, bright blue sky filled with large white puffy clouds.  God’s creation is glorious!

I noticed circling high above my head a dark spec on this brilliant blue background. Getting lower with each circling pattern, it didn’t take long to identify this seeker in the sky as a crow. He finally descended to the ground, having spotted his morning’s meal from such a lofty perch.  I couldn’t see what he was pecking at but no doubt it was the carnage left from a coyote’s kill the night before.

I told our daughter, “Imagine how disgusting it would be to spend your life eating what something else had killed and left to rot in the field.”

By now you must be asking yourself “where is she going with this? I thought she was going to write a message. Oh, but I am. Sometimes it takes a while to get through the introduction to the meat of the message but here it is.

This crow reminded me of the raven on Noah’s ark.

“Forty days later Noah opened a window to send out a raven, but it kept flying around until the water had dried up. 8 Noah wanted to find out if the water had gone down, and he sent out a dove. 9 Deep water was still everywhere, and the dove could not find a place to land. So it flew back to the boat. Noah held out his hand and helped it back in.

10 Seven days later Noah sent the dove out again. 11 It returned in the evening, holding in its beak a green leaf from an olive tree. Noah knew that the water was finally going down. ” Genesis 8:6-11 CEV

Noah and his family had been on the ark for over 5 months. The rain had stopped and the ark rested on the top of the mountain. No more floating! Noah waited a bit and then he sent out a raven, which the Bible says went to and from until the waters dried up. Noah also sent out a dove “to see if the water had receded but the dove found no resting place” so it returned to the ark.

Why didn’t the raven come back?

The raven had a ready food source. The bodies of the animals and the people who had drown provided him an unlimited food supply. They also provided him with a place to rest. He could sit on their decaying bodies and didn’t need the trees or the ground.

The dove on the other hand needed life – green shoots and seeds to sustain its life so it returned to the ark. Noah waited 7 days and sent the dove out again. It returned that evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah knew that life was returning to the earth. He waited another 7 days and sent the dove out again. This time the dove didn’t return so Noah knew it had found a place to rest and food to sustain it.

I’m so glad that  Father God used a dove to symbolize the Holy Spirit and not the raven or the crow.

“So Jesus was baptized. As soon as he came up out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17 A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him.” Matthew 3:16-17

The Scriptures tell us that when John baptized Jesus that the Holy Spirit descended on him in the form of a dove. A dove, bringing signs of life – a dove resting on the One who is the giver of life! That really blesses me. The Holy Spirit has been sent to infill and empower each believer as a sign of our new life in Jesus Christ. Jesus said he was the bread of life , living water  and that the Holy Spirit would cause rivers of living water to flow from us.

Christ promises that we will have full and abundant lives when we are following him.  He came to give us life and not just life, but life more abundantly.

“So I am not the one living now—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in[a] the Son of God. He is the one who loved me and gave himself to save me.” Galatians 2:20 ERV

This wonderful life is a free gift from God. The term  “dirty, rotten sinner” is oh so true because a life of sin is death (crow’s food) but our new life is a gift from God – abundant and free!

“ Sin pays off with death. But God’s gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 ERV

Our life is to be filled with fruit, life affirming attributes that the Holy Spirit brings; love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness and patience.

So I encourage you today to make sure there aren’t any ravens circling over your head. Be a vessel of life and let the “dove” descend and fill you with peace!

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

Further reading: (John 1:32-34; John 4:10-14; John 6:48; John 7:37-39; Luke 3:21-22; Mark 1:10-11 and Matthew 3:16-17)

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Don’t Forget to Call

With our most recent road trip only days behind me I stopped to consider this morning what really made it special and different from past trips.

It was the conversation.

Dave and I have traveled probably traveled hundreds of thousands of miles on the highways of the western United States in the past 25 years and this is the first one that was really filled with conversation.

Now don’t get me wrong, we spent other trips talking but it was generally about the work we had ahead of us. Making final mental notes of the preparations that needed to be completed, tweeking the last minute details of a trade show or streamlining the daily operations of our jobs was the general topic.

Take those moments and interject computer work, goggle searches for extra information, talk radio or the latest country hits and our time was gobbled up minute by minute without really listening to each other’s hearts.

This trip was 25 hours of enjoying each other’s company!

Have you noticed how text messages and twitter have reduced our conversations to brief snippets and how our cell phone conversations are disjointed and distracted? Does it bother you that we don’t just sit and talk?

So often phone conversations are one sided; I have to hurry and tell you all about me and when you start to talk about you, I get busy on my end doing dishes or folding laundry and I barely listen.

Important stuff like news stories have been reduced to snippets because the viewing public have shortened their attention spans and if you don’t catch my interest immediately I’m off to another channel. So everything appears to be a crisis or a breaking story.

Very few take time to show sincere interest.

The sad thing is I find that happens more often than I like to admit in my relationship with the Lord. The saying “quality not quantity” leaves us making excuses for our actions. But what’s wrong with quality and quantity. Spending time, our only unrenewable resource with those we love especially, our Heavenly Father, should be first and foremost in our actions.

“You can be sure that anyone who serves the Lord faithfully is special to him.
 The Lord listens when I pray to him.” Psalm 4:3 ERV

“The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come to me. I will always accept them. ” John 6:37 ERV

Our heavenly Father has set an open-door, open-heart acceptance policy for us to follow. He listens when we talk with Him and He accepts us into His presence.

Should we do any less with those that we love?

Write a letter, leave a card, put a note in a lunch bag, sit down and focus when carrying on a phone conversation, turn the TV and other electronic devices off during meals and just visit. There’s a true expression of love in being listened too. There is a difference, a big difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is the comprehension of sound but listening is understanding  the heart.

The Father always listens – He waits for each word and His desire is that we take time to listen to Him as well. Jesus related this instruction to John in Revelation about Christians and lukewarm relationship.

“Listen! I am standing and knocking at your door. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will eat together.” Revelation 3:20 CEV

Jesus is waiting to sit down and visit with you today. Do you have the time?

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Don’t Quit Searching

Yesterday morning I sent Dave on a treasure hunt.

Dave and I have been gone for several days and on our first day we stopped at the store to buy a few things I needed for Kristine’s birthday cupcakes. While there I also bought some of our favorite coffee and some coffee filters.

I realized yesterday that we didn’t have either of those items when we unpacked the truck on Tuesday afternoon. Anyone who knows me well knows that coffee is an absolute essential to my morning existence. It’s better than gold!

Dave had to go out and search through the truck and the big tool box before he came back with the buried treasure I sent him for.  This is a silly example but it makes the point.

Have you ever lost something valuable? Maybe it was a piece of jewelry, a credit card or maybe something more personal like a relationship; did you search and work hard until you “found” it again?

Luke, chapter 15, talks about three things that were lost – a sheep, a coin and a son. The shepherd, the woman and the father searched diligently until all was recovered.

Jesus was teaching in the Sermon on the Mount and he said:

“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. 8 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.” Matthew 7:7-8 ERV

Jesus was telling us to be diligent in our asking, in our seeking and in our knocking (pursuing). Where did He learn this persistence?

He saw it in His Father.

God, the Father, has been asking man for 1000+ years to allow Him to be their God, to lead and direct. Jesus had watched as the Father had searched  for His people after they had gone off to follow other gods and He loving brought them back.

He had followed the Father’s example to stand at the door and knock, waiting for it to open so He could have fellowship with the man He had created. Do you know that the Father is doing the same with us?

Jesus was doing more than giving us an opportunity to ask, seek and knock; He was reminding us that our relationship with the Father is one that the Father will continue to pursue – He won’t let go.

” Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will take a light and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.” Luke 15:8-10 ERV

Follow the Father’s example. We need to pursue Him and have daily fellowship with Him. Let’s not allow our relationship to get lost in the activities of the day.

“ I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. ” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

Search for Him and then rejoice because you will find that He is there waiting for you.

 

 

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A Refreshing Glass of Cold Water

Here in the desert it is hot! I mean really hot, 116 degrees hot!!

Nothing cuts your thirst on one of these extremely hot days like a cold glass of water. Nothing!

So when the Bible talks to us about being rewarded for giving a cup of water to someone I know how valuable a gesture like that can be!

Today I want to talk to you about little kindnesses like these. In the Bible we see time and again where the Scriptures say “He was moved with compassion” or “His loving kindness”.

Loving-kindness in action is when the waitress brings us the wrong meal and we don’t go off on her but instead we are kind in our words and sincere in our appreciation for her hard work.

It’s when we show patience at the grocery store with the cashier when she has just been cussed out by the client before. Or when our child hasn’t cleaned up the yard or taken out the trash like we’ve told them and we find out  they were wounded by a friend or embarrassed by a teacher and they were just too distracted to get it done.

All of these are practical examples of loving kindness. Recently I had two people tell me how much what I had done for them meant to them. Truthfully, I really didn’t feel I had done anything special – nothing big, nothing grand. I had just come along side when they were feeling overwhelmed and helped out. No biggee…but it was to them.

Jesus says giving cups of  water is something that will be rewarded!

“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me also welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet, just because that person is a prophet, will be given the same reward as a prophet. Anyone who welcomes a good person, just because that person is good, will be given the same reward as a good person. 42 And anyone who gives one of my most humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will surely be rewarded.” Matthew 10:40-42 CEV

Now I know some will look at these verses and focus on the reward but I really think what Jesus is trying to get us to see is that nothing, no matter how small, goes unnoticed to the Father when we are reaching out in love. Extending loving-kindness to those around us is an example of the Christ that lives in us.

A few years back I spent about a week in the hospital. When I came home I wasn’t able to do much for another week or so. Some sweet ladies brought me cups of cool water. One neighbor came over each morning to take our dog for a walk and she did my ironing. Another neighbor cooked enough extra each night for Dave to enjoy a nice dinner; she did my laundry and grocery shopping. These acts of love were priceless!

“Are you strong because you belong to Christ? Does His love comfort you? Do you have joy by being as one in sharing the Holy Spirit? Do you have loving-kindness and pity for each other? 2 Then give me true joy by thinking the same thoughts. Keep having the same love. Be as one in thoughts and actions. 3 Nothing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself. ” Philippians 2:1-3 NLV

I’m asking the Father to make me more aware of those that need a cup of cold water today. I want the world to see my Father through me!

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Big Promises – Bigger God

As we look at the promises of God, I was reminded this morning of Solomon and his dedication of the Temple. King David, Solomon’s father, had gathered the treasury necessary for building the Temple but the Lord gave the task of construction to Solomon.

When the Temple was finished and the people were gathered for the dedication, Solomon prayed a prayer of thanksgiving honoring the Lord for His faithfulness and for His promise to “dwell” with His people. Then Solomon prayed over the people of Israel. Look at what he says.

“When Solomon prayed this prayer to the LORD, he was on his knees in front of the LORD’s altar and his arms were raised toward heaven. When he finished praying, he stood up. 55 Then, in a loud voice, he asked God to bless all the people of Israel. Solomon said,
56 “Praise the LORD! He promised to give rest to his people, Israel. And he has given us rest! He used his servant Moses and made many good promises to the people of Israel. And he has kept every one of them! 57 I pray that the LORD our God will be with us, as he was with our ancestors. I pray that he will never leave us. 58 I pray that we will turn to him and follow him. Then we will obey all the laws, decisions, and commands that he gave our ancestors. 59 I pray that the LORD our God will always remember this prayer and what I have asked. I pray that he will do these things for his servant, the king, and for his people, Israel. I pray that he will do this every day. 60 If he will do these things, all the people of the world will know that the LORD is the only true God. 61 You people must be loyal and true to the LORD our God. You must always follow and obey all of his laws and commands. You must continue to obey in the future as you do now.” I Kings 8: 54-61 CEV

Solomon reminded  the people. “He used his servant Moses and made many good promises to the people of Israel. And he has kept every one of them!” God keeps His word. He kept it to Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon and the Israelites and He keeps His word to us today.

Here is the key. God isn’t faithful to His word  so we can walk around bragging about things with an  arrogant attitude. God keeps His word for one reason.

“If he will do these things, all the people of the world will know that the LORD is the only true God.”

God gives and keeps His word so that all the world will know that the Lord is the only true God! So much in this world changes – we’ve heard the saying “everything is relative”. That may apply to man’s plans and programs but not to God.

I’ve never wondered if I ask the Lord for things that are too big. He is fully capable of handling any problem or situation I face. I have wondered, though, if I ask Him for too much. It’s then I remember this verse:

“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 the words all, always, anything, everything in these verses? Our Father wants us to bring Him all of our concerns, all the time. He wants us to have complete confidence that He is able to handle anything, at any time.

He promises to give us peace, a peace that is beyond what we can rationalize. He wants us to let His peace control all we do. If we aren’t at peace, it’s a good sign that we aren’t totally trusting God in the situation.

The word of the Lord stands forever. It’s as true now as when it was written.  In our Father, there is no variableness or shadow of turning. He is consistent. Jesus Christ is the same as He was yesterday. He will not change today or in the future. God’s love, truth, mercy, peace and his grace will endure for all time.

Thank you Father! Heaven and earth may pass away but Your word, your promises, will remain forever!

 

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Circle of Influence

Each one of us has a sphere of influence. Each one of us has a specific purpose that God has called us to.

Joshua’s calling was to replace Moses and lead the children of Israel into the promised land. What a daunting task! But God made him a promise and spoke words of encouragement into his life.

What has God called you to do? Does it seem overwhelming and near impossible? Then these words to Joshua are for you too. If God has called you to do something, then He will also empower you for the task.

Replace Joshua’s name with yours and meditate on God’s promise to you today.

“Joshua, you must be strong and brave! You must lead these people so that they can take their land. I promised their fathers that I would give them this land. 7 But you must be strong and brave about obeying the commands my servant Moses gave you. If you follow his teachings exactly, you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 CEV

Be strong, be brave! I am with you – what better promises could you have.

Let’s look at some of the regular people in the Bible. People who weren’t the lead players but without their involvement the story would have greatly changed.

We always hear about Noah but without the help of his three sons I doubt the ark would have ever been built.  Then there’s the Egyptian servant girl who went down into the Nile River and retrieved Moses from the bulrushes. Hers was a vital mission but menial.

Consider the innkeeper who allowed Joseph and Mary to stay in the stable. He is only briefly mentioned but his role was paramount. Do you remember anyone who has ever given a message on the owner of the donkey that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday? Or what about the carpenter who constructed the cross?

All of these people had very important roles to fulfill but gained no notoriety.

What role have you been called to fill?

I once received a phone call from a very gifted singer. Years ago she had been on the worship team in our church. She sang like an angel. People would be spell bound as she sang. She was anointed.

She was frustrated because it seemed that all the avenues to her having a recording made were blocked. She said to me “I just want to use this gift God has given me”.  She was working as a nanny at the time.

Here is what I found myself saying. If you use your voice to sing to the little children in your care and the Holy Spirit uses your songs to impact them, who’s to say that they don’t grow up to become the next Billy Graham and change the world for Christ. Whatever you are doing, do it for 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

When Joshua was a young man I don’t think he knew that he would become Moses replacement. He just did what he was good at and the Lord moved him in to the right place.

I used to think that it would be great if I could teach God’s word to large crowds. I love to teach – I know it’s what I’m called to do. However, I have never filled a large auditorium, much less a stadium. But I am happy with the circle of influence that I have among my family, my friends and through this blog and social media.

If you’re  a good cook, woodworker,  musician, business administrator, internet genius, policeman, fire fighter, nurse, homemaker, mom or dad – you have a circle of influence that no one else can fill.

Take the words the Lord gave Joshua and go for it!

Be strong, be brave. Don’t be afraid. The Lord goes everywhere with you!

 

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