Into Old Age

     At a block party years ago, a young boy about 5, looked at an elderly neighbor and said, “You got old, didn’t you?”  She took the words well and smiled at him and said, “Well, yes I sure did!.”

     Not everyone will reach a ripe, old age. We all dream of living a healthy life into our 90’s and dying in our sleep. It doesn’t always or usually happen that way. For those of us who will reach old age as believers, God will continue to watch over us. He even loves our gray hair.

Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness. Proverbs 16”31

     A crown of splendor. Isn’t that great? If we are blessed enough to live into old age, God promises to watch over us.

Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He. I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4

     How do we remain strong and bear good fruit into old age. I believe the following verses will give us instruction and promise.

But whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on the law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1;2-3

     Staying strong, bearing fruit in the last season of life comes from delighting ourselves in the Word of God. His insstructions are life-giving with streams of living water to quench our thirst, to give us renewed strength, to keep giving glory to God. May many of us be blessed with old age.

Lord,

We praise You for the older men and women of faith, planted like living trees among us, teaching us great wisdom in following You. Keep us firmly rooted in the vine of life. It is Jesus.

Amen

Late summer vacation!  See you Wed, September 13

Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall

     You may be in a difficult season of life. It seems impossible to embrace some of the seasons we are forced to enter head-first. The dive down can be excruciating and we hold our breath wondering if we will ever reach the surface again. God knows where you are. Somehow, He will use this time of suffering, this season of loss, of fear, of loneliness. Often He uses our tough times to give us experience to help others. It is His way.

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

     There is hope ahead, in the season to come, a new spring, a summer sun, the beauty in fall, the sparkle of winter snow. Each season brings wisdom, love and light when we wait upon the Lord. If this season is a tough one, hang on. He will use this for His glory. If it is a season of joy, embrace it and share it with others. If it is a season of waiting, be patient. God’s timing is absolutely perfect.

Father,

Comfort those who suffer and teach us how to use our times of trouble to comfort others. You teach us through the storms and You fill us with the light of hope in the deepest darkness. We rejoice in You no matter the season.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Morning, Noon, and Night

     Is God your last resort? If all else fails, you cry out to Him? You think, why not just try God? Nothing else works. Or is He your first stop on any given day? It can become a wonderful habit to lean on Him, beginning the day in worship and prayer, giving Him all that is on our hearts and minds. He cares about all of the details of our lives.

     Pray as you move through the day. Pray for a friend on your mind. Pray for patience with the co-worker. Pray for the rain to hold off for a picnic coming up. Pray for God to lead you to the right job, to the right spouse, to a healthier diet, to make good choices, to please Him.

     Pray before you sleep, asking for protection, for yourself, for your family, for your friends. Thank Him for the past day, and for the one to come. And most of all, thank Him for being your Lord and Savior. He is there listening to your continual prayers.

Pray continually. 2 Thessalonians 5:17

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice, in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

In the night, Lord, I remember Your name, that I may keep Your law. Psalm 119:55

Lord,

We come to You morning, noon and night with our requests, with our fears, with our needs. You are there every time, and we thank You. We look to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

With Christ

  Let’s take a few minutes to remind ourselves of what we have as Christians.

His righteousness: The righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. Romans 3:22

His love: Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:30

His power: For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

His Holy Spirit:  And you also were included with Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1;13

His strength: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

His peace: And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

His joy: This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10b

     Take it all in as you read through the Scriptures above. I needed that!

Jesus,

We don’t make full use of all that is available to us. You invade our very being with who and what You are. We want to take full advantage of all of the gifts you make available to us daily, with all of the splendor of heaven’s power.

Amen

Taking a few vacation days! See you on Tuesday, August 29^th!

Go Deep

Seeing beyond this life into eternity allows us to go deeper into this present life. If we are here for such a short time, let’s talk about what matters. From God’s view, it is all about love and the heart. God is light and He will reveal the deep things even in the midst of darkness. Allow Him to come into the deep recesses of your soul. Include Him in your deepest, darkest fear. Surrender any guilt or unforgiveness within and begin to look at the world around you in light and in love.

He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:22

     I take comfort in the words above, “He knows.” He knows the anxiety I have been suffering. He is there in the dark with me when I am afraid. If I trust and allow Him in, He brings light with Him. He lives in light. What are the dark areas in your life right now? Let’s clear them out and bring it all into His glorious light.

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. Job 12:22

     Spiritual truth reaches beyond our earthly fear and trouble. Allow the Holy Spirit to go deep today and take you from darkness to light.

These are the things God has revealed to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.1 Corinthians 2:10

Father,

Our earthly lives can turn us away from You into darkness and despair. Your Holy Spirit goes deep with us and moves us back into Your glorious light. Teach us the deep things of God today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

A Sinner Saved

     Someone I’ve known since high school is dying. The consequences of his lifestyle have reached the point of no return. Once movie-star handsome, ruggedly athletic, and smart, the battle with the bottle got the best of him. We may be sad and ask the “what ifs,” but I was talking to his beautiful sister last week and we talked about the fact that he will be going to heaven.

     How can we be sure? He loves Jesus. In his sober times (and there were a few) he talked about Jesus and carried his Bible around with him. It wasn’t fake. It saved him. Saved him for eternity. He made the most important decision a human being can make. More important than what job to take, more important than being sober, more important than when to retire.

     At the end of this life, whether short or long, the only thing left is where we will spend eternity. Jesus offers us life in heaven with Him. The cost? It’s free. He paid the price. He suffered our friend’s alcoholism on the cross. He felt the pain of suicide. He covered the ugly thoughts in our heads, the pride-filled moments, the gossip and judgment, the wrong choices, the bad habits, all covered with His blood. He, the One and Only sinless man, suffered it all. And we, like our friend, just had to say, “Yes, Jesus, I believe you died, were buried and rose again. And I take you as my Savior.”

     That’s it. We may miss out on all God had planned for us in this life, by our own stupid choices, but God does have the power and the ability to make this life worth living, too. But the prize, oh the everlasting prize, will be eternal joy, eternal peace, eternity with Jesus. And our friends who didn’t quite grasp it all here, but made the choice for Jesus? There will be a grand welcome home party forever.

Jesus,

Thank You for the blessed assurance of heaven. Thank You for the free gift You offer. Once we accept it, it can never be taken away, no matter what. We wish everyone would believe the promises You make for this earthly life too. But eternity awaits. It awaits all of us sinners who believe. Believe in a Savior.

It’s Jesus.

Amen

Quiet Care

     Gideon is a comfort dog. He is trained to go places many or most of us avoid. His coat is soft. His eyes are bright and warm. He oozes patience and he is there. He is there laying his head on a hospice bed. He is there in the midst of a disaster. He sits still as a crying child holds on to him tightly as if they will never let go. The frail hand of an elderly man pets him softly as they both fall asleep.

     These are some of the images from Gideon’s life. We can all learn from his example. When God offers us a chance to be there for someone in need, we don’t need words. We just need presence. Ears to hear, a body to hug, a tear to share, a hand to hold. We represent the tenderness and compassion of Christ.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

     That’s a great way to dress each day isn’t it? As we surrender our lives to Christ, we represent Him with the clothes of His righteousness.

Lord,

Keep us humble and patient, compassionate and kind wherever we go, even to those that are difficult to be around. You love us all.

In Jesus name,

Amen

    

Beauty for Ashes

     When life spins out of control, it is easy to forget God is still there. He is in control when we are not. As humans, we seek to know why? What is next? What can I do to make this go away? As Christians, we know where to turn, even when we don’t understand. Jesus does. As we go back again and again in surrender, as we worship Him, even when we are lost and confused, He will take the reins of our lives again. When we are weary, He opens His arms.

     Worship Him this morning, even if you don’t feel like it. The Bible calls it a “sacrifice of praise.”

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that openly profess His name. Hebrews 13:15

     And when we worship Him, it focuses our eyes on things above, not on our circumstances. And God tells us as we praise, He will lift our despair.

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of His splendor. Isaiah 61:3

     How beautiful are the ways of God! He replaces beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, praise for despair. Turn to Him and allow Him to find a way.

Jesus,

Your promises lift us up out of the dark into Your glorious light. We turn to You no matter where we are on this day. Give us hope and joy and praise. We want to display Your splendor to the world.

Amen

Wisdom for the Ride

     What will God say to you as you offer your whole being to Him? Where will He lead you today/ Will you give a kind word to someone in need? Will you pray for your friend who is in trouble? Will you send a card to an elderly friend at church? Will you bring a meal? Write a blog? Spend time when you don’t have any to spare?

     Take on the adventure of being God’s child. And listen when He scolds. He is our Father. The Holy Spirit will let you know when your thoughts are wrong, when you are watching and reading the wrong things, when you need to apologize. Even when it doesn’t come naturally, allow the Spirit to guide you, to speak through you, to sacrifice, to take care of yourself. In other words, God will give us wisdom in all things.

Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise. Ephesians 5:15

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

     Lack wisdom? That’s me! And God promises to share His wisdom with us without finding fault. I’ll take it and I will ask Him for wisdom daily.

Amen

A Living Sacrifice

     Surrender is not easy. Our culture reminds us daily of our own strength. We can do it all! We are powerful. With the right “how-to” book we can live our best life. Bur without Christ, nothing matters. Even as Christians, we struggle with allowing God to take over. We move ahead of Him or or we dig in our heels when He tells us it is time!

     What if we offer ourselves to Him each day, believing and trusting He can and will do great things for us and through us?

Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1

     Surrender and sacrifice. Those two words, which may conjure up what we would consider weakness, will be the very concepts that bring us real power. The power of the living God. Allowing Him to live within us and guide our steps will bring forth all of the riches of heaven. Giving up our lives for His purposes. We belong to Him

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Lord,

We offer ourselves as living sacrifices, our bodies as the temple of your Holy Spirit. What a privilege to have the very breath of God available to us each day. Fill us today with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5)

Amen

Surrender?

      Surrender. What comes to mind when you hear this word?  Getting to a point in our lives where we just don’t want to figure it all out, where we understand the need to seek God, where we humble ourselves before Him, often takes time and for some, never comes. Surrender means “to yield.” Yielding our lives and allowing God to lead us, to give Him our very lives means letting go.

     God gives us a choice. We can accept His free gift of eternal life by placing our trust in Jesus Christ or we can wander aimlessly through life trying to figure it all out for ourselves. Unfortunately, we always fall short on our own. Falling to our knees and allowing God to take over does bring freedom. Bondage remains as we turn our backs, run away, or refuse to admit He exists.

     He does exist, and He died for you! That is truth. The God of creation took on our pain, our sin, our grief, our mistakes and He felt each and every one. He lived on earth and experienced temptation, tiredness, hunger and thirst. And He went willingly to the cross and opened wide our opportunity to come back to God, freely saved, freely forgiven, freely loved for eternity.

     Is it time to bow your knee? To receive His love. To admit you don’t want to do it alone anymore. He is waiting.

Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. James 4:10

Jesus,

As we humble ourselves before You and accept Your gift of salvation, we are lifted up. Lifted up to be Your children, lifted up for Your purposes, lifted up to the throne room of heaven, lifted up to eternal life. We are no longer our own.

Amen

God's Strength in Change

     The changes we deal with may be a product of our own minds. I have dealt with anxiety and panic attacks off and on since I was 14 years old (around the time of my dad’s untimely death.) They appear out of nowhere. My heart races. I want to escape, but can’t. Waves of fear and dread encompass my body and they often raise their ugly heads in the middle of the night.

     I have gone many years without them and suddenly, they are back. I find it interesting how God brought about the verses from the blogs this week to remind me. He is there. He is in charge. When I allow Him to fill my body with His peace and joy, the panic, the fear, the heart-racing will subside. Satan uses our weaknesses to stop us in our tracks from being all God has planned for us.

     God is stronger and mightier and He will bring us into His glorious rest, even iin the middle of the night. The changes this week are to bring God into my thoughts and fears. We can capture EVERY thought. Listen to this verse.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5

     Let Christ take control of your every thought. My family and I are planning to study Joyce Meyer’s book, “The Battlefield of the Mind,” together. That is where so much of my trouble lies. Within my own head!  How about you?

Dear Lord,

Thank You for always having the right words and promises for us, just when we need them. Guide us through life changes, even the ones we bring about ourselves from within our own minds. We trust You and believe You can bring us back to hope and peace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

A New Way

When change is forced upon you, watch for God to bring a new beginning.

See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19

     It’s easy to get lost in the wilderness of our lives, in those times when we don’t see a way out or a trail to follow. We may be filled with anxiety. What’s next? How do I go on? Where do I go? Here is a word from the mouth of our God for you.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

     Allow the change to settle in your heart trusting God for a new beginning. He is making a new path. Trust Him with no fear. Do not be afraid or discouraged. He is with you every moment before, during and after the changes. In fact, it’s a forever kind of thing.

Lord,

Your presence is with us now and forever. We trust You to show us the way through the difficult changes and turns in our lives. You forge a new way, a beginning, and when we trust, we can remove fear.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Love in Loss

The loss of a loved one creates unwanted life change. Our hearts are broken. The person we loved and treasured is no longer there as our partner, our parent, our friend. Voids remain in the absence of their smile, their presence, their part in our lives. Relationships and family are the closest we come to heaven on earth and to what matters. And Jesus loves us even more than our closest relationships on earth.

And I pray, that you being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:17a-18

     The love of God can fill us again with hope and life and the knowledge that our believing loved ones are waiting for us in heaven.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1 Peter 1:6

     Our lives are short, even though we refuse to admit it. As Peter claims in the verse above, “now for a little while.” Our lives in the Bible are seen as “a little while, a wisp, a vapor.” Gone just as the grass withers away. Keep it in perspective. Allow God’s deep and abiding love to fill in the voids, the losses in life, “for a little while.”

Jesus,

Comfort those who mourn (Matthew 5) Joy comes in the morning with You. (Psalm 30:5) You help us through our deep grief and bring us back to peace and hope. Help those who are suffering this day.

Amen

Peace in Change

     Life brings change. We age. We move. We have children. We suffer through changes in love, health and finances. Are you working through a change in your life, whether self-directed or one thrown at you with no warning? God can be the steady hand, the firm foundation, the voice in the wilderness. He is there as your guide, your leader, your peace in the chaos.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying “This is the way. Walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

     The voice of God brings peace and confidence. As you pray, as you adjust to change, as you stand at the crossroads waiting for direction, follow peace. God will let you know how to walk in His ways. Follow peace.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

     Fear and doubt creep in so easily, don’t they? Trust God over your emotions today. He will guide you through into a new perspective, a fresh start, a change in direction, with peace and love. Do not be afraid.

Father,

We trust Your word. We will follow peace. Keep us calm in the midst of changes in our lives. You promise to be our peace and to guide our ways.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The ancient Paths

     The ancient paths of the Bible speak loudly to us as we learn through example. God will give us strength to walk through this life. As we rely on His strength and have faith in all of the promises He gives us, we can gain peace within our souls. With Jesus, we can do all things and without Him we will do nothing that lasts.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from Me, you can do nothing. John 15:5

     Through the lens of eternity, the things that will last are those things we do with and through Jesus. Abide in Him. Learn from the ancient paths. Read through, meditate on and study the entire Bible and you will bear much fruit. Abide in Him.

Jesus,

Keep us rooted deep. Teach us through the ancient words and stories of those You love. Keep us steadfast in faith, never losing sight of our heavenly home and the things that will last.

Amen

The Ancient Path

     I counted the words, “by faith,” twenty-two times in this great 11^th chapter of the book of Hebrews. If you haven’t studied the Old Testament, read through the names listed in this New Testament chapter. Names like Moses, Noah, Gideon, Joseph, Rahab and so many more. Many suffered for their faith. Many were ridiculed, put in prison, and most did not see the promises given to them during their lives on earth. They believed in those things which were not as though they were. (Romans 4:17)  By faith, they lived their lives and their stories still pulse with life today.

     Their example lives on thousands of years later. Their lives foreshadowed the Redeemer, Jesus. Many of their attributes, many of their stories, reflect Jesus, the One to come. We are foreigners on the earth, just as they were. They were waiting for a country they had not seen, as are we. The longings of our heart are for our heavenly home, the eternity where all things will be possible and our joy will be complete.

Instead they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:16

Jesus,

Teach us how to walk by faith as these men and women of faith taught us. We long to be home with You. In the meantime, let us give glory to You with our very lives.

Amen

The Ancient Path

     Abraham trusted God. He could not see the promised land. He did not understand how he could be the father of descendants as numerous as the stars. (Genesis 26:4)  And yet, he trusted and God counted his faith as righteousness. The same goes for you and me.

Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6

    In the New Testament, Paul writes about Abraham’s faith. Let’s read about him and his wife, Sarah.

Against all hope, Abraham in all hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without wavering in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why it was credited to him as righteousness. Romans 4:18-22

     Trusting the promises of God. Even when we can’t see, we believe, we have hope. And here are the words for us as we learn from the ancient paths.

The words, “it was credited to him,” were not written for him alone, but also for us to whom God will credit righteousness-for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Romans 4:23-24

Father,

We thank You for Abraham’s example. We, too, are given Your righteousness just for believing that You sent Jesus to the earth, that He died on the cross suffering for our sins and that You raised Him from the dead to live forever. We believe.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Ancient Path/Faith

     We learn from the ancient stories in the Bible. Faith. It’s all about faith.

This is what the ancients were commended for. Hebrews 11:2

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths and where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16a

     Through the words of Hebrews 11, we will look at some of those ancient paths and what they have in common. Where do they lead us today? The full counsel of God from Genesis to Revelation is for us to gain knowledge and wisdom, to find words for life made just for us, to convict, to teach, to learn from the past and look to the future. Here are the words of eternal life. Let’s walk in them.

Lord,

Thank You for the ancient paths. Teach us to follow and walk in them. They lead us directly to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen