Thursday, December 29, 2016

Godly Wisdom


      Looking ahead to the new year, one of the best things we can do is to ask for Godly wisdom. God works from the inside out. Everything is a matter of the heart to Him. Godly wisdom will shut our mouths when we want to shout. Godly wisdom will bring patience over speeding ahead. Godly wisdom will take us to His Word and away from the world. Godly wisdom will shine light in the darkest recesses of our heart.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5

     Ask for Godly wisdom and His attributes will begin to show through in your life.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17

Lord,

We ask for Your wisdom throughout this next year. You promise to give to us generously. Teach us to wait for Your ways, instead of rushing ahead into the things of this world that are not from You.

In Jesus name,

Amen
Happy New Year!  Back on the 3rd of the new year.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Along Unfamiliar Paths


     Transforming change is right around the next corner, or the next, or the next.  God takes us one step at a time into a bright and hope-filled future. Stay patient. Move slowly. Listen to His voice. When you can’t see ahead, trust God. He moves in ways we don’t always understand. He takes us up steep slopes and over rocky paths in order for us to find the right path.

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do. I will not forsake them. Isaiah 42:16

     Take God at His wonderful word. He will make those rough places smooth. The path may seem unfamiliar and appear a bit scary, but God will never leave us or forsake us and the darkness will become light because of Him.

Lord,

Keep us patient for Your way to be made clear. You hold us in Your hand and You guide us along paths unfamiliar to us. Keep us steadfast on the solid ground of our faith as we move into a future known only by You.

In Jesus name,

Amen


Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Letting Go/Straining Forward


     As we count down to the end of 2016 and look forward to a brand-new yea, do you long to let go of something or someone? Is there something from your past you need to forgive either in yourself or in someone else? Is there an unhealthy relationship you need to break off? How about letting it all go and promising yourself to begin to trust God more and allow Him to set you on a path of peace and joy?

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3:13

     Pray to let go of all that is past and harmful. As you let go, God will never let go of you.

I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of My hand. John 10:29

Father,

We pray to let go of past hurts, of present harm and move with purpose into a future filled with hope. You are the author and finisher of our faith. Give us a brand-new start.

In Jesus name,

Amen


Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Quiet and Wonder


     Do you need to stop and take a deep breath? The holiday season finding you exhausted? The lines can be long, the gift-giving expensive, the preparations for guests time-consuming. The humble beginnings of Jesus cast a shocking comparison to the Christmas around us today.

     The hustle and bustle surrounding us stand in direct contrast to the quiet night of Jesus’ birth. The star shone over the fields. The shepherds stood in awe. The wise men bowed in worship, Joseph and Mary sat surrounded by animals and their sweet child, the Messiah, wondered at all that had been prophesied by God.

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.

     Take a breath. Read the Christmas story one more time. You will find it in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2. Enjoy the hustle and bustle, but stop with your family and friends and acknowledge the true meaning of the season. The birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us quiet ourselves and bow in worship to the Lord.

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker. Psalm 95:6

Dear Lord,

Remind us of the magnitude of Your birth, the moment when the Creator came to earth. We ask for Your blessing over our homes and families as we gather together. Remind us to bow down and worship the Lord, our Maker.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Merry Christmas!!!  The blog will return on Tuesday, December 27th.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

My Friend Phyllis


     One of my very best friends is 85 years old. I am 61. I hope you have older friends and younger friends. Both can be inspiring. Phyllis and I, and another good friend, have prayed together weekly for almost fifteen years. Along with prayer, we have done a variety of Bible studies together. She has taught us much. On Saturday, Phyllis suffered an aortic dissection and endured almost six hours of surgery. The recovery will be slow and will progress over a long period of time.

     So much can change in a split second. Have you experienced the same in your life or in the life of someone you love? When something so sudden affects our lives so dramatically it causes us to stop in the midst of life and ask those deep questions. The life and death questions we often want to avoid.

     Phyllis has never shied away from those questions. And she has a firm and honest answer. “Jesus  is my Savior and He loves me. I know I am going to heaven and I don’t worry about those things.” She has a true peace and a true joy that are contagious. She has taught us well, about love, about the power of prayer, about filling other lives with joy, about pausing to appreciate all we have  and about compassionate care. All of us who love her are blessed.

     Many friends and family members are praying for her. We hope to share the earth with her for a long time to come. But when the day arrives for her to meet Jesus, we will have peace. Just as she did, with the joy and hope of heaven.

 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, would I have told you? I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3

Father,

Thank You for Phyllis and all of Your followers who continue to show us the way to peace and joy and hope. Keep Phyllis wrapped safely in Your arms, both now and forevermore.

In Jesus name,

Amen


Monday, December 19, 2016

Worship


     Jesus changes everything. I heard a pastor recently talk about the fact that everyone worships something. As our idols become more important than our Savior, we become like the idol we worship. As we deepen our relationship with Christ, as we study His Word, as we pray intimately in our relationship with Him, as we ask Him to guide our lives, our image beomces more and more, Christ-like. Miraculously, the Holy Spirit within us guides our attitudes, our motives, along with the things we choose to do.

     What is keeping you from placing Jesus first? Too busy? The pleasures of making yourself happy? The pursuit of a career? Sports? Alcohol? The list is endless. Think about what you think about over the next few days. Jesus always makes life more purposeful, more abundant, more peace-filled, more loving.

And we all, with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Jesus,

We invite Your Holy Spirit into our lives, to teach and guide and to keep transforming us more and more into Your likeness. It seems impossible to fathom, but the miraculous love You have shared with us can transform our lives.

Amen


Friday, December 16, 2016

The Lord


     This week we touched on Jesus, the humble baby, the human boy, our heavenly servant. Jesus gave up His status for us. He had the riches of heaven. He created all things and He came to die in our place.

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage. Rather He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross. Philippians 2:6-8

     Our humble servant, the One who made Himself nothing for us, who forgave us, and died for us is right back where He belongs. He resides over heaven and earth. He will return as King and as Lord. He is coming soon. Prepare the way for the King! Joy to the world!

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for the gift You gave us. Nothing can compare. We pray everyone in our lives will receive the free gift of eternal life, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Come Lord, Jesus.

Amen

Thursday, December 15, 2016

The Boy


     Did you know Jesus disappeared at the age of 12? His parents couldn’t find Him. Have you been lost? Or have you worried when you could not find your own child? Frantically they retraced their steps to search for Him. I marvel at this. Astonishing. Mary and Joseph had been visited by angels. They understood the magnitude of the pregnancy and the birth. They were raising the Savior.

     Even so, they worried. I imagine Jesus acting like any other son. When Jesus began His ministry at the age of 30, his own brothers and sisters scoffed at Him. They knew Him as their brother, the one just like any other. Astounding!  Where did they find Him three days later? In the temple courts, speaking and asking questions.

Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers. When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Luke 2:47-48

     Their Son, the Savior, teaching in the temple and they are “astonished.” In the act of parenting their children, Jesus fit right in. He became one of us. But they knew. And Jesus reminded them of just that.

“Why were you searching for Me,” He asked. “Don’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house?” Luke 2:49

     The next verse tells us that they did not understand. But Mary’s heart was nudged. And these two verses are all we know of the entire childhood of Jesus.

Then He went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man. Luke 2:51-52

     An obedient child, growing in wisdom. A human child with God’s heart and soul.  Waiting to fulfill God’s plan of redemption.

Jesus,

It is difficult for us to fathom You as a normal child, playing with Your brothers and sisters, learning carpentry from Your earthly father. You wrote the Word. You created the heavens and the earth. It is too much for us to imagine. We believe.

Amen


Wednesday, December 14, 2016

The News


     The God of creation came to live as one of us. The Word came to life in the flesh. The Messiah was here! Kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers in today’s world are greeted with fanfare, with pomp and circumstance, with lavish meals and dress-up clothes. But Jesus?

     No fanfare for Him. There was no presidential suite, no plush pillows and gold inlaid plumbing. His head was laid in a manger, next to the animals, wrapped in a cloth. But the glory of heaven shone around this humble beginning. The angels spoke and brought the good news. Did they announce it first to the top guns? To the rich and famous? No, the crowd, were rag-tag at best, and the surrounding field was filled with sheep. These lowly shepherds were the least of the culture two thousand years ago. And God chose them.

     He chooses me and He chooses you. The humble seem able to respond best to His glory, to understand the good news, to realize the need for a Savior.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, He is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:8-11

     Good news. A Savior has been born to you and to me. The humble baby in the manger is the Lord of all.

Jesus,

The good news is overwhelming. You came to save us from our sins and and to offer us everlasting life. Thank You, precious Lord.

Amen


Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The Leap


     Mary and her cousin were pregnant. Her cousin happened to be pregnant with the one prophesied about in the Old Testament. (Isaiah 40) The one who would pave the way for the Messiah.  John would one day baptize, with water. He would ask for repentance as he proclaimed the one that was to come.

     But before that time, long before this, their mothers visited with one another in anticipation of the births of their miraculous baby boys.  Mary greeted her cousin and listen to Elizabeth’s response.

“As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her.” Luke 1:44-45

     Baby John already recognized the Savior. The Holy Spirit began His work long before the two were born. And both would grow up to fulfill all of the promises about them, hundreds and even thousands of years earlier.

     Just like John, let’s leap for joy in anticipation of the One to come. He came two thousand years ago to save us. He is coming again soon to glorify us.

Jesus,

Thank You for the Word. How miraculous are Your ways. Prepare our hearts for Christmas and prepare our hearts for You.

Amen

Monday, December 12, 2016

The Name


     The name of Jesus holds great power. As believers, we hold His name in the highest regard, with worship and praise. Others use it in derision and to cuss or swear at something or someone. Little do they know what they are doing. Jesus is our Savior. Mary accepted the truth about Jesus when the angel shared the news. She was the one. The one to carry the Messiah as her baby. Her words have been put to song. They are a beautiful example of praise and honor to our God.

And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me-holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:46-50

     Holy is His name. Let us glorify the Lord with our words and actions and believe Him just as Mary did so long ago.

Jesus,

We honor and glorify You and Your name.  Keep us close and bold as we proclaim the good news of Your birth, Your death and Your resurrection.

Amen

Friday, December 9, 2016


     Deep joy brings strength. Strength to take the next step, to move ahead when you want to go back, to get the treatment, to make the break, to make the change, to figure it out. God’s joy is soul-deep. Most of us live on the surface. You hear it in our conversations.

      God allows us to go deep. God loves the deep things of life. The true spiritual life runs into the darkest corners, the deepest hurts, and the healing begins.

The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. Proverbs 20:5

Jesus,

We pray to have eyes to see into the deep issues of life, to draw others into complete healing from You. Help us to help others to jump into deep waters without fear.

Amen


Thursday, December 8, 2016

Joy


     We want to be happy. We want our kids to be happy. Our culture tells us we deserve to be happy. The Bible leads us into something more; a deep, soul-filling joy. Yes, there is a difference. Happiness relies on circumstances. To be happy, this has to happen; the right job, the perfect partner, the deserved vacation, or___.  You fill in the blank. What blanks are you waiting to be filled in order to be happy? It is an unrealistic goal to be perpetually happy.

     No matter how we try to fill our lives, without Jesus, they remain half-emptyThere will forever and always be a God-sized hole. Jesus promises us a joy that can never be removed. I have seen this deep joy in others around me; in my friend, still suffering the repercussions of a severe stroke over nine years ago. I have seen it in a woman I visited over the years, suffering with heart failure, an oxygen tank and blindness. How?

     They know Jesus. They know Him intimately. He is real. He is there. He fills them with true joy. Every step they take relies on Him. Every word they speak is spoken in service to Him. They give to others sacrificially, even in a state that the world would look at as “unhappy.” Don’t rule your life based on finding fleeting happiness. The happenings in our life don’t guarantee a worldly contentment.

     But Jesus does. He will bless us no matter what. He will fill our souls with His kind of love. And it is heavenly.

Jesus,

Only You have the way, the truth and the life. It is an abundant life. The life that is led by You offers deep joy. Lead us into that kind of joy. It is unlike any other.

Amen


Wednesday, December 7, 2016

All Things At All Times


     God can fill in our missing pieces. He will give us the right words. He will provide what we need, when we need it. Do you trust Him and His word for you? Will you believe He is working for you? Will you allow yourself to feel His peace and joy as He removes your doubt and fear? Here are some words from our Lord just for you and me as we begin our day.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

     I want to take this into my heart today. God offers to bless us abundantly (until it overflows) giving ua all things at all times that we need in order to abound in all we do. Take Hm at His word. He will do it.

Jesus,

Thank You for bestowing us with the blessings of heaven. We long to trust You above our circumstances, knowing You have just what we need. Thank You for providing for us in every way.

Amen

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

God of All Comfort


     Has our Lord given you comfort? Has His word spoken directly to your heart? Has His love overwhelmed you? Have you gone back again and again asking for His mercy and grace? Me too. Because of that love and compassion and mercy and foigiveness and comfort and love, we are called to give the same away to others.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

     This is God’s work in us. As we receive blessing after blessing, comfort after comfort, grace upon grace from Him, we will pass it on. Give out the blessings and comfort and compassion to those in trouble today. Pass it on.

Father,

You are the God of all compassion and comfort. As we have received so much from You, let us show the same love to those around us in the same way. Show us how today. Open our eyes and ears to those around us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Monday, December 5, 2016

Grieving With Hope


     Grief has a life of its own, with peaks and valleys, harsh waves and sweet soothing memories. Grief is varied and never easy. Jesus can and will make a difference in the journey of grief.

     I’m not saying Jesus removes the agony of grief. He grieved Himself, before His crucifixion and in witnessing the grief of His good friends.  Every single person handles grief in a unique way and over different lengths of time. But Jesus DOES offer hope. He offers peace. He offers deep joy in the midst of deep sorrow. And He understands sorrow and suffering. He felt it all on the cross. His suffering brings hope. His death became our resurrection. He is waiting and so is heaven.

Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more. The Lord will be your everlasting light and your days of sorrow will end. Isaiah 60:20

Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13    

     We will experience grief and sorrow on this earth. And Jesus has overcome death. Love never ends.

Father,

Comfort those who grieve. I pray for Jesus to hold them in His loving arms. His peace and comfort are beyond this world. They are eternal.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Friday, December 2, 2016

True Light


     To think we, through Christ, have access to the throne of God! We personally know God! Jesus shines His glory on us and through us. This week we have looked at the opportunities He gives us to shine in this very dark world. The world does not understand.

For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

     The face of Christ. The knowledge of God is seen through Him and we may be filled with ever-increasing glory until we see His beautiful face in eternity.

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Jesus,

Give us more and more knowledge, more and more glory, more and more of You. You are the true light within and without. We pray that light will become brighter as we share Your name around the world.

Amen




Thursday, December 1, 2016

True Light


     Jesus promises us a light-filled life when we believe. The darkness of Satan no longer has power over us. The Holy Spirit of the risen Christ resides in us. As we grow day-by-day the lure of the world begins to fade and the true light of Jesus and His word gains strength and power over our lives.

     We can trust Him. We can believe in Him over our circumstances. We can remain filled with hope and joy throughout our lives. He has removed darkness and shared with us His glorious light.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

     I like the sound of that. How about you? Never to walk in darkness, but to have the light of life.

Father,

Thank You for sending us the light of life. This light will never be removed from us, until we reside in full glory. Move us from glory to glory for the rest of our lives.

In Jesus name,

Amen