Camping In Colossians

 

     Camping in Colossians has been good for me this week. If you remember, we started on Monday by setting our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly things. Not easy. How do we move our minds and hearts above and beyond what we deal with, what our bodies are feeling, what the next crisis might be and focus on God?

     Let’s move into another of my favorite books and chapters for just a minute to answer the question above.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petitions, with thanksgiving make your needs known to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

     Two of my go-to verses when anxiety creeps in yet again. Notice the formula Paul sets out for us. Don’t worry. Give everything to God. Thank Him in advance for the work He will do to meet your needs. Having done that, His peace will wash over us. And our hearts and minds?  God will guard them with His mighty power. I am ready to give it all to Him. Everything.

     Let’s end with one last verse from our camping trip.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

     Yes, give it all to Him with thanksgiving!  Happy camping!

Lord,

We love You and thank You for Your word that sustains us and answers all of our needs. Guard our hearts and our minds as we give it all to You.

Amen

Camping in Colossians

 

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  Colossians 3:13-16

     Whew! We certainly need to camp here for a time. That’s a lot to take in. Yesterday we were clothed in kindness, humility, compassion and patience. Today we add forgiveness and peace. Did you notice what the Bible says to put on over all of these virtues? Yep, there it is again…love. Love binds them all together.

     And be thankful. I am thankful to God for so many things. I have been richly blessed in my life.  Wrap yourself first in God’s great love and then go share it with someone else. Share it with compassion and kindness, with humility and patience. And be thankful.

Dear Lord,

Every good and perfect gift is from above. We are thankful for Jesus and His ability to treat us with His great love and compassion.  We are dearly loved.

Amen

Camping in Colossians

 

     We have been gazing up and peeking through the stars right into the presence of Jesus. Our heavenly home is secure. What do we wear and how do we act as we continue to represent our Lord? Paul gives us an idea.

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

     I don’t know about you, but all of these attributes are often the opposite of mine, especially the patience. How do we clothe ourselves with kindness, compassion, humility, gentleness and patience? Look back to our verse for today.

“…dearly loved.”  That’s you. That’s me. We are chosen and dearly loved by our Creator. Accepting His love and forgiveness means everything. You are dearly loved. Clothe yourself with that thought today. Wrap up in the warmth of the love of God and clothe yourself with all He has freely given.

Dear Father,

The full meaning of these beautiful words doesn’t always sink in. Your kind of love is beyond our capacity to understand, but with it we can move mountains.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Camping In Colossians

 

     Still looking up and focusing on things above? I hope so. Spiritually speaking, we will be alive forever. These old bodies will waste away, but our eternal bodies never will. Because we are united with Christ in His death, so too, are we alive with Him in His resurrection. Our earth-bound bodies and minds find this so hard to comprehend.

     God, the Father, sees only the righteousness of Christ when He sees us. As believers, The image of Christ stands in place of our sin and unrighteousness. Our names are written in heaven. We are seated with Christ forever. Feel the confidence of what this means. This puts our short lives into perspective, doesn’t it? Pitch your tent and camp there for a while.

For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:3-4

Jesus,

We have the kingdom of heaven available to us. You have given us great treasure. It is hard to accept all of these heavenly riches. Since we have been given the kingdom, we need to share it with others. There is more than enough to go around.

Amen

Camping In Colossians

 

     We all have a favorite verse, a favorite chapter or Psalm, or a favorite book within the Bible. I want us to camp out in one of mine; the 3^rd chapter of Colossians this week. Paul’s letters to the churches are full of wisdom and guidance through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on how to live our lives.

     Pull up a chair next to the fire. Smell the woodsy, crisp air. Savor the melded flavors of the chocolate, marshmallow and graham cracker combination. Listen to the sounds of the evening and as your senses begin to take in the atmosphere around you, tilt your head and look up. Appreciate the stars and the one that spoke them into being.

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is; seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  Colossians 3:1-2

     Notice the first verse says to “set” our hearts and the 2^nd verse says to “set” our minds on things above. As you gaze up at the stars, look beyond to the right hand of God. That’s where we are spiritually seated through Jesus. It doesn’t mean we are no earthly good. We just have a heavenly perspective from setting our hearts and minds on Him. Looking up keeps us in our place, in humble service to  and in awe of our magnificent God.

Father,

Teach us to fix our gaze on You, to determinedly set our hearts and minds on things above each and every day, understanding Your sovereignty over all things. Things above. Where Christ dwells beyond all we see, hear, touch, smell , taste and experience on earth.

Amen

Forever and Ever

 

     As we walk, run, stumble and crawl throughout our earthly lives, we need God through the days, through the seasons, through the sleepless nights, often relying on His grace minute by minute. He is there, always. Getting through the days without Him, would be impossible for me, even more and more as I age. His promises have held true, time and time again.

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid and do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

Listen to His voice as He goes before you. Do not be discouraged and do not be afraid. He is watching over you now, tonight, tomorrow and forever.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8

     He is preparing a place for you. He knows the number of our days. He has overcome death for us! Take heart and believe in Him and His promises.

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

     Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, night by night, year by year, decade by decade, season after season, closer and closer to home. He is preparing the perfect place for you and for me.

Father,

We wait with expectation for Your imminent return. There are days we long to be with You. Keep us steadfast, patient and working until we see you face-to-face. Forever and ever.

Amen

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 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 instructions 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

Minute By Minute

 

     Some friends are going through a difficult time. Waiting for a diagnosis, praying for a cure, wondering how to take the next step. Our minds take us to places we don’t need to go. God’s grace holds us close. He offers minute-by-minute support and, sometimes, that’s what we need to hang on to for dear life. The next minute.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

     Resting in Christ’s power is a good place to land when we don’t know or understand. His grace is sufficient for this moment in time. And His arms surround us when we are powerless and afraid to move. His shadow covers us.

Whoever dwells in the shadow of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Dear Lord,

Wrap your arms around our friends and others during difficult times and moment by moment You will meet their needs. I pray they will feel Your grace, Your love, Your protection as they move through this time. You are sufficient for the day.

Amen

Season By Season

 

     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 and endure them. The dive down can be excruciating and we hold our breath wondering if we will ever reach the surface again. God sees right 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 song in spring, a summer sun, the beauty and color of 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 of life 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 impossible 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

Come See and Believe

 

     This weekend, in addition to the Easter bunny and candy eggs, sit back in wonder and celebrate the good news of the empty tomb. Jesus offers the greatest gift ever given and all He asks is that we believe. All other religions take hard work, duty-filled prayer, endless obligations, finding a place of bliss through our own struggle, or believing we come back to life again and again before we get it right. I think it’s an impossible dream to believe we can work our way to God.

     God needed to come to us and He did, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived among us, suffered our sins on a cross, overcame hell and death and rose again. Believe and be saved. He is risen! He is risen indeed!

He is not here. He has risen just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Matthew 28:6

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Come and see the risen Lord.

Hallelujah! Happy Easter!

 

 

He Is Risen!

 After darkness covered the globe as Jesus died, there came a day. A Sunday of hope. A Sunday following a dark and sorrowful Friday, a day above all others. The tomb is empty! He is not there. The first to see the empty tomb were the women, His followers. They loved Him so.

     Mary Magdalene was the very first person to see Jesus alive!

When Jesus rose early, on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had delivered seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him and who were mourning and weeping.  Mark 16:9-10

     Women in the days of Jesus were looked at as less-than, second-class citizens in every way. Men were not even allowed to speak with them in public. Jesus, however, looked upon them with favor. He picks Mary, this woman previously filled with demons, to be the first witness and missionary after His resurrection. He loves each one of us equally, each one of us uniquely, each one of us to be used for His purposes. Go tell. The tomb is empty. He lives!

Jesus,

Thank You for the witnesses that began the testimonies of Your love. So many witnesses saw You after You rose from the dead. And we see You today. Give us the wisdom to share the truth with others. You are alive! And we can live forever, too.

Amen

It Is Finished!

 

     The words of Jesus on the cross give us more insight. We see His heart, His love, and His ability, even then, to see the resurrected hope to come.

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals-one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  Luke 23:33-34a

     One of the criminals mocked Jesus, the other one believed. That’s all. He just believed.  And Jesus said to him and He says to us as we breathe our last:

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” Luke 23;43

     And after all of the agonizing hours on the cross, as He suffered all of our sins on Himself:

When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that He bowed His head and gave up His Spirit. John 19:30

     Even then, on that horrible cross, He wants to forgive, He wants to promise heaven, He wants to offer hope. The Holy Spirit of the One and Only Son offers Himself as the final sacrifice. The Lamb of God, the one with the words of eternal life has overcome death and we are forgiven. It is finished. Amen

He Knows Our Pain

 

     Jesus understands our sorrow and suffering. His emotions match ours in intensity, in fear, and finally, in obedience. As He moves away from everyone into the Garden of Gethsemane, He is in anguish. Listen to His words and feel the pain.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from Me, yet not My will but Yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.  And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:42-44

     In suffering, we too, pray more earnestly. We beg. We cry. We moan. We ask God to remove the depth of sorrow. Jesus and His angels are right by our side, coming to our rescue. We find hope in Him and no one else. Jesus, in His anguish, knows what He has to do and He will do it. He did it for you and for me.

Lord,

You know where we are right now, this very minute. Comfort our hearts and minds as we give it all to You. Grant us hope and peace throughout our lives until we are by Your side.

Amen

The Perfect Lamb

 

     Holy week is here. Walking with Jesus as He willingly makes His way to the cross reminds us of His human agony, His overwhelming suffering, His love for us and His divinity. He overcame death. He fulfilled the law and offers grace. Everything in the Old Testament points to and foreshadows the Redeemer, Jesus. As we begin to understand the richness, the depth, the complexities of the Word of God, we can get a glimpse of His majesty, His timing and His ability to be personally involved in each of our lives.

     As Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem preparing for His death the following Friday, His timing is perfect. The Passover celebration was upon Jerusalem. The sacrificial lambs were being led into town, just as the Lamb of God is entering. Each lamb brought in to be sacrificed for sin has to be scrutinized and found to be without blemish, just as Jesus was scrutinized by the leaders of the day and they found Him with no sin.

     The Passover supper He shared with His disciples included the wine which represented His blood and the unleavened bread to represent His broken body. How beautiful! How astounding! How miraculous! Yeast always signified sin in the Bible. Unleavened bread means bread with no yeast, or the one Holy man with no sin.

      John the Baptist recognized Jesus when He first began His ministry three years earlier.

The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said,”Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1;29

     Let us behold Him this week as we prepare for the Holiest of weeks.

Father in heaven,

Keep us mindful of all that Jesus has done and what He will do at His return. We marvel at the timing, the miraculous way all prophecy has and will be fulfilled and that Your Son, the One with no sin, lived with us, died for us and conquered death to save us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Delight in One Another

 

     Only immediate family members had visited our home over the time of Covid.  Way too long! My daughter and I hosted a shower for our other daughter on Sunday for the upcoming birth of her beautiful baby girl.

     I delighted in the sights and sounds of good friends and family together in one place. How lucky we are to be able to share in life’s joys and sorrows with people we love. It refreshed my heart.

A generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25

.      Titus had been struggling. Paul writes of the difference in him because of others in his life.

By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 2 Corinthians 7;13

So we cared for you. Because we cared for you so much, we were delighted to share with you, not only the Gospel of God, but our lives as well. 1 Thessalonians 2:8

     Sharing the Gospel. Sharing life. Let your heart be refreshed by others in your own life. God sends us those we need when we need them most.

Father,

We thank You for the way You bring us together with Your perfect timing.  Keep our eyes open on how we can refresh others. Place in our lives those that need us and those that bring us delight.

In Jesus name,

Amen

A River of Delight

 

     The magnitude and magnificence of our God is impossible to fathom. To imagine the Creator of the universe, the One who placed the stars in the heavens and has counted each one, the One who saved us and knows us so intimately He even counts the number of hairs on our head! How can we help but delight in Him?

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, Your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is Your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house, You give them drink from the river of Your delights.  For with You is the fountain of life. In Your light we see light. Psalm 36:5-9

     Read these words of praise to our Lord again. In Him is the fountain of life and it will never run dry, never. Drink from the river of His delights and savor His love. In His light we always find more and more light. He will satisfy your soul.

Lord,

We praise You to the heavens. We drink from the abundant river of Your life-saving water. We delight in You. Thank You for loving us.

Amen

 

Delight in One Another

Delight in His Word

 

     Delve into God’s word. The Scriptures will echo with your own heart. They will counsel, encourage, comfort, convict and yes, delight.

I delight in Your decrees. I will not neglect Your word. Psalm 119:16

Your statutes are my delight. They are my counselors. Psalm 119:24

     Allow God’s word to open your heart each day. He will speak to you with His deep and biding love. Delight in Him and in His holy words for you. He will meet you right where you are, wherever you are going, in whatever circumstances you find yourself, He is there.

Lord,

We thank You for the precious words You give us, for the ways You teach us and move us onto Your path. We take delight in Your word today.

In Jesus name,

Amen    

God Delights in You!

 

     We delighted in our Lord yesterday. Did you know He delights in you? He rejoices over you. He is preparing a place just for you and for me as His beloved, believing children.

The Lord your God is with you, the mighty warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

    Can you just imagine Jesus singing over you with great delight? He loves to witness your trust and faith in Him.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.  Hebrews 11:6

     All He asks of us is to have faith and believe. He is delighted with you! As you make your decisions, as you consider invitations, as you get ready to speak, imagine Jesus delighting over you, and choose the right and true paths of life.

Jesus,

We thank You for Your abundant love for us. We relish Your delight. We long to please You and our Father in heaven. Sing over your children today and watch us grow in faith.

Amen

Delight in God

 

     How about basking in some Godly delight this week? We will discover not only can we delight ourselves in the Lord and His ways, but that HE delights in us! Our faith pleases Him. Our love for Him and praise for Him brings glory to His name, and He loves spending time with us. Delight in your salvation. Delight in His presence. His Holy Spirit lives within you.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

     There is nothing like spending time with our Savior. Fill up on His love and delight each day before you tackle the world. Spring is here. Oh, that feeling of warm sunshine at the tail-end of a Minnesota winter, ahhh. The warmth of the sun does wonders for our mood, for our soul. That eternal light of the Son will do the same. Bask in His glory. Watch for Him to work in your life. He will give you the desires of your heart.

Lord,

Teach us to bask in Your love and light until Your desires become ours. We delight in Your amazing and unending love today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Legacies of Love in Christ

 

     Is there someone you want to emulate? A parent, a friend, a movie star, or singer? Someone with tons of money, power or youth? What drives you each day? What are the motives of your heart? All questions worth pursuing.

     The older I get the more I want to be like my father-in-law, Bert, or my friend, Marcia. They represent those who pour out love even when they are suffering, even during struggles. The husband who never complains when his wife no longer recognizes him. He just loves. The friend who cares more about you than about the pain she is in. Those able to sacrifice their own agenda and their own selfish desires to do what Jesus asks.

     The apostle Paul experienced great suffering throughout his life. You can read a list of just some of what he went through in 2 Corinthians 11. Here is what he wrote from his prison cell:

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

     And he also reminds us to rejoice always. Sounds impossible. But with God all things are possible. To show strength in suffering, sacrifice in struggles, wisdom in worry, love in loss. And maybe, just trying to be kind to everyone.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.  Ephesians 4:31-32

When Jesus was asked, which is the greatest commandment?

Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22-38-40

     Good words to meditate on this morning. Be kind. Be compassionate. Love God. Love others. Why? Because Jesus says so. And, oh how the world needs Him.

Dear Lord,

We grumble and criticize and lash out in our human frailty. Teach us how to be kind and loving to each other. Will you show us how today? Let our lives be a legacy of love.

Amen