Praise Him!

     A recent Bible study challenged us to begin each time of prayer with worship. Begin with thanksgiving for who God is, before you share your needs, before you unleash your fears, before you cry out for help. Remind yourself of who your God is and what he can do and where He resides.

     God is our Creator. He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end. He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. All things were made by Him and through Him and for Him. He designed the sun and the moon and He counts and names the stars in the sky. He counts the number of hairs on your head. He has control over the universe and, at the same time, is involved in every detail of our lives.

     Begin with worship. It puts everything in perspective. Place everything in the hands of the one who is worthy to be praised. And in the scheme of eternity our problems, our pain, our perplexities are but a moment.

The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! Psalm 18:46

Like Your name, O’ God, Your praise reaches to the ends of the earth, Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Psalm 48:10

     Begin and end the day praising and thanking God, for your life, for His faithfulness, for His creation, for your many blessings. Amen

 

Every Perfect Gift

 

     We have looked at our perfect God this week and the ways He works in us. It is a miraculous work He performs in fallen humans, but it is HIS work, not ours. As we read and meditate on His words to us and listen to Jesus in prayer, as we follow His ways, He changes us and most of all, it is all about love.

     There may be fear as we step out into this crazy world filled with anxiety and hate. But this perfect love casts away fear.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

     We know we will not reach perfection until heaven, but resting in God’s perfect love will take away our fear, even unto death. Remember, God is faithful. We can stand forever in our faith. Faith always brings hope and hope will bring us into our eternal home. God is perfect and unchanging. We can believe in our perfect and unchanging God.

Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. Psalm 90:2,

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Lord,

Every good gift is from You and Your unchanging ways. Your perfect love sustains us every day. Keep working in us, even when we fall. You never give up. Your ways are perfect. Your will is perfect. We love You and place our trust in You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Perfect Love

 

As we grow in our faith and listen for the voice of Jesus, the changes begin from the inside out. What are some of the attributes that begin to shine through us as we delve deeper into our faith? Listen to these verses.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 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. Colossians 3:12-14

     God, through Jesus, has forgiven me so very much. You, too? As we soak in His love and His mercies that are new every morning, we can give others the benefit of the doubt. In addition, we can remind ourselves, that unbelievers have not experienced this great love.

     Put on the spiritual clothes of forgiveness, kindness, humility, compassion and patience. And above all, love. We are representing the One who died for us. The perfect man, the perfect God. His perfect love shows us the way.

Lord,

Give us the strength to be different in the culture around us that appears to be filled with hate and violence. Shine through us as we maneuver through these short lives. Work in us to make us into Your image.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Perfect Faithfulness

 

God has a perfect plan for the earth. Everything will be done in His timing and in His way. We don’t understand, but He is faithful to the end. His faithfulness to us is perfect and He will never leave us or forsake us.

     Can we try to trust Him? Through the dark days and through the daylight and sunshine, His purposes will play out in our lives and in the world and in heaven. What a relief to trust our faithful God. Great is His faithfulness. Perfect is He.

Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.  Isaiah 25:1

     In response to His love and His faithfulness, He promises us peace. Our souls can be at peace. Let’s believe it.

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You. Isaiah 26:3

     This is a great verse to memorize. Keep trusting and believing. Because of our trust, He will keep us in perfect peace. I wish I could believe and rest in this every day, don’t you?

Lord,

Your promises are deep and personal. Keep us in perfect peace today as we trust in You and Your faithfulness. Wrap Your loving arms around the families in Texas. We don’t know what to do with these senseless acts of evil and violence. Give them the comfort that only You can provide.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Perfect Word

 

     One of the many ways God continues His perfect work in us is through His word. The Bible is flawless, the very words of our God. The Bible speaks of Jesus from beginning to end, the Redeemer, the Rock, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the Good Shepherd, Mighty Counselor, Root of David, Lion of Judah. The Bible foreshadows Jesus from Genesis to the final words about the final days in Revelation.

     Studying the word of God will never return empty.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth. It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11

     I love the verses above. Just as the snow and rain water the earth to make it flourish, so God’s word feeds us and grows us. It does not ever return empty. His word will accomplish His desires for you and me. Let’s get in step with the word of God and follow His instructions. They are perfect.

As for God, His way is perfect. The Lord’s Word is flawless. He shields all who take refuge in Him. 2 Samuel 22:31

Father,

We thank You for the word of God. Jesus is the word come to life in the flesh (John 1) Help us to read the Bible daily and to allow the changes You desire in us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Our Perfect God

 

 Definition of Perfect: free from faults and defects, complete, ideal, absolute, total

     Our God is perfect. God is perfectly merciful, perfectly just, perfect in love.

He is the Rock. His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He. Deuteronomy 32:4

     Because of His perfect qualities and because He died to rescue us from sin, he can continue to work on us to become more and more like Him.

     More and more…never perfect. Only when we arrive in heaven and receive our immortal bodies, when we see His full glory, will we be perfected. In the meantime, we have the freedom to allow Him to work.

     Are you listening? What are the qualities He is working on with you right now? This week we will look at His perfect love and how it drives us to be better people on earth, as we represent Him. It is only through His grace that we can comprehend His complete love and, through that love, to give it away to others.

Lord,

You are perfect and we are not. Keep us steadfast in faith in You as You continue Your great work in us, until we meet in heaven, one glorious day.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Grayson and Nana

 

     Our grandson, Grayson, is turning two this week! We have cared for him since he was three months old, as our daughter teaches. Between Covid, and his older brother’s rare form of epilepsy, he has been through a lot in his two short years. Grayson (I am blessed to report) has become extremely attached to his Nana.

     Each morning as the car door opens in our driveway, I hear him calling out “Na!” or “Nana!”  He runs to the door and rushs into my arms. I will never forget his snuggles or the way he looks for me when he is unsure. On the weekends he wants to Facetime or goes to their front door and says, “Nana” as if the week with me just wasn’t enough. He isn’t comfortable with too many people, but that will come in time and, for now, I savor these sweet moments in time.

     These next four weeks mark the end of our full-time care for our two boys. It has been a privilege. It has been exhausting. It has been exhilarating. It has been a rare blessing from God. And we are so grateful. I pray we will always be a home base for our grandkids, a place for them to feel safe and protected, a place to be unconditionally loved. We hope to be a continuing, loving presence in their lives as long as we are here on this earth. A place and a presence similar to ours when we think of Jesus.

     He is our true home, a place to feel protected, loved, comforted and satisfied.

Whoever dwells in the shadow of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God is whom I trust.” Psalm 91:1-2

     All of us, like Grayson, have times of insecurity, a need to find the person or persons we can trust. For us, it is always Jesus. And, just as I savor these moments of Grayson racing into my arms, Jesus feels the same about you!. He looks forward to spending time with you and watching as you run to Him seeking His love and protection. He longs to be your safe place, your protector, your home.

     When Grayson, and when all of us, find trust and feel protected, we are able to move out into the world with strength and confidence.

Father,

We thank You today for being our safe place to run, for holding us when we are scared, for being there no matter our feelings and our circumstances. Please continue to bless Grayson throughout his life. Be his guide and his true home as You are ours. We love You. 

In Jesus name,

Amen

No blog tomorrow.  Have a great weekend.

Our Protector

 

     As we learn to trust our God in every situation, we can seek refuge in Him. He is our protector. Caring for our grandsons, reminds me of their need for protection. They need and rely on their parents and those who love them, to feed them, to understand when they need sleep, to care for them when they are scared or sick. We are there as they sleep and when they rise, ready to nurture, to love, to comfort, to sustain them through their days.

     What a privilege to watch them grow, to celebrate with them as they learn, to see their spirit, their minds, their bodies growing day-by-day. Yet, even this deep love pales in comparison to the love our Father in heaven has for us.

     He, too, loves to nurture us, to protect us, to watch over us from morning ‘til night. He never sleeps. He is available to His children. Count on Him, just as our grandkids count on others to care for them. And best of all, they have a heavenly Father to protect them along the way.

     Psalm 121 is a song of comfort, of the knowledge of our God watching over us, of the deep love and availability of God. The entire Psalm has 8 verses. Take in these wonderful words of Scripture as we praise our protector.

I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-He who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you-the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm-He will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

     He is watching over you, whether you rise or whether you sleep, both now and forevermore. Such promises allow us to feel protected, secure and loved. Your heavenly Father loves you.

Lord,

We come to You today knowing you will protect us. You watch over us and give us all we need. Teach us to love with that same sacrificial love as we care for one another.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Trust God

 

     God loves it when we reach out to Him. Whether we are busy, or struggling, dealing with pain, or just getting through our ordinary days, He longs to be a part of it, all of it We end up worrying, fretting, moving through the days, trying to figure everything out all on our own.

     He is there. Ask for help and guidance. It can be a simple prayer on the way to work, “God I can’t see the way. Help me,” or “Jesus, give me peace right in this situation,” or, “Give me the right words.”

     As we release our burdens to Him, and ask for His guidance, we CAN trust Him to work. He is working ahead of us, making a plan, finding people, finding answers, getting us through the pain with His love and His word, giving comfort and compassion.

     When the dark clouds are hovering nearby, seek His light and His hope beyond it all. His light WILL reappear, often in the most unexpected ways. His love will wash away any fear because He has conquered everything for us and He understands.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet He did not sin. Hebrews 4:15

     The one and only sinless man, tempted in every way, the one who suffered all of those temptations, the trials, the horrors of evil on His very own shoulders for you and me. He gets it. He is above all else and He can and will figure it all out, all of it, because He understands. Trust Him.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Surely God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself is my strength and my defense. He has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

Father,

Give us the ability to trust You with every fiber of our being, no matter what. Even when we can’t see the road ahead, we look to You as You make a new way for us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Possibilities

 

     As we look ahead this week to trusting God and seeking His protection, we can look to new possibilities in life led by the Spirit. Can we finally and forever find our souls at rest in Him and His protective arms? Over years of relationship with Jesus, miracles begin to take place..

     Today is our youngest daughter’s 7^th wedding anniversary. So very hard to believe. She and her husband have built their relationship on trust and faith. They have come through times of such great joy and some rare and almost impossible challenges. Their love and sacrifice for each other and for their sons never wavered. May God bless them over and over as the years unfold. Their footsteps and ours can stand on solid ground , on a path leading right to heaven.

     Be confident in Jesus and His Spirit that lives within each and every believer. He is willing and able to take the reins of our lives. Turn to Him as you wake each morning and ask for His guidance, for His words, for His peace to be upon you throughout the day.

     As our constant companion, we can lose fear and worry. When the tough times return, we know He never sleeps. His promises are eternal and they are for our lives right now.

     Our lives are in His capable hands. Living in step with Jesus brings about great blessings and our greatest desire will be to please Him, rather than ourselves and others. All of His promises are true His Word is truth and He will continually sanctify us, moving us closer and closer to Him.

Now O Lord God, You are God and Your words are truth and You have promised this good thing to Your servant. 2 Samuel 7:28

Sanctify them in the truth. Your word is truth. John 17:17

     Listen for His voice. Hear His promises. Let Him take the lead and you will be filled.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

Lord,

Keep us in step with You throughout the days ahead. Don’t let us get too far ahead, or too far behind Your lead. Your promises are true and we trust You. We trust Your protection, Your presence and Your promise of peace. Fill our thoughts with You. Please continue to bless the marriage of Lauren and Garrett as they meet the joys and challenges in the future. Protect them as they trust You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Be Filled

 

    Working from the inside out does not come naturally to us. That’s why God uses His supernatural powers, through His Holy Spirit, to fill us with His love and goodness. Overflowing with His love happens only when we fill up with what we need and with what Jesus offers.

     Focusing on Him takes practice and faith. Our minds are distracted by so much around us. But He can come with us wherever we go, with the Spirit reminding us of His presence. He will continually fill us and open our hearts more and more to an understanding of who He is.

May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

     Overflowing with hope? Yes, I want that! Filled with joy and peace? Count me in! Trusting Him with all things? I continue to work on that!

     I am grateful for each one of you as we study God’s Word together and listen and learn from what He offers. I leave you with this verse as I pray for you today.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives. Colossians 1:9

Amen!

 

 

Gratitude and Glory

 

     As we fill ourselves with the living water and the bread of life, our hearts will become filled with thanksgiving to God. Though we face trials and tribulations in this life, God gives us the strength to believe in His love, to find hope, to use His grace to get through each day.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7

     I want my heart to overflow with thankfulness for the faith that strengthens me. How about you? I love these next verses. Keep eternity, our real home, tucked in your heart each day. We are already seated there and one day soon, we will be with Christ forever!

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. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

     One day, glory. For now, we remain filled with thanksgiving for Christ who is our life. Let’s focus on things above as we live out our lives for Him.

Father,

As we fill ourselves with Your Spirit, You give us grateful hearts. Thank You for keeping our faith strong in these difficult times and keep hope alive as we wait.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Renew Your Mind

 

     Jesus transforms us from the inside out. His world moves us out of the physical realm around us and into heaven, where we come boldly to the throne of God.

Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4;16

     Not conforming to the world around us is difficult, isn’t it? Our culture talks to us 24/7 on our devices, through the media, through advertising, in our places of work, in our neighborhoods.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

     How do we not conform to the patterns of the world? The Scripture above answers the question for us. Meditate and study God’s word. Pray and listen for the Holy Spirit’s lead and renew your mind, to discern what is good and pleasing to Him, rather than what appears to be good in the world around us. Remember, Satan is deceitful, can masquerade as an angel of light and is the father of lies. (John 8:44)

     The truth is ours and it will set us free from the chains that bind us.

Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

     Move to the throne of grace and focus on things above. God’s word will renew our minds to be filled with God’s world rather becoming filled with the world around us.

Lord,

Renew our hearts and minds to be focused on You above all we see, hear and touch. Our spirits are hungry for what is good and pleasing to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Guard Your Heart

 

     The heart is most important to our Lord. He wants us to focus on our hearts more than what is outwardly visible. Years ago, our church sponsored a small, poverty-stricken church in Mexico. The pastor from that church came to visit and one of our pastors took him to the Mall of America during his time here.

     The culture shock shook him to the core. He insisted on leaving almost immediately. His thoughts? He felt pity and sorrow for Americans, who needed all of the lights, all of the products, all of the moving to and fro to be content. He said the poor people of his congregation understood that only God can give us what we need. He saw a joy and contentment in his people that he believed was missing in those he saw here.

     His observations were enlightening and caused some soul searching. When Jesus gives us what we need most in life, the heart will sing. We will overflow with what He has given us, His love, His hope, His soul-transforming life.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. The Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

     Whatever fills our hearts will show outwardly. When our hearts are all about Jesus, He shines through rather than our unruly emotions or fear. His spiritual food is more important than our physical nutrition.

What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouths that is what defiles them. Matthew 15:11

Lord,

Fill us with the spiritual food that brings joy and contentment and goodness and let it show. What fills our hearts will overflow to the world.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Spiritual Nourishment

 

     Feeling the need for deep nourishment and rejuvenation? Jesus has the answers and the ability to fill our deepest needs. Our soul and spirit need to be fed and filled just as our physical bodies need nutrients and hydration to survive. In fact, Jesus calls Himself the “bread and water” we need.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

     Filling up with God’s word and allowing Jesus to feed our souls means we will never be thirsty or hungry for our deepest desires again. A saying came to me last night. I’m not sure if God gave it to me or if I heard it somewhere, but here it is:

     “With Jesus, even when everything else is gone, we are left with everything we need.”

     Jesus knows us deeply. He understands our quirks, our weaknesses, our flaws. He loves us in a more intimate way than anyone else. Allow Him to nourish you today. Ask Him to feed you good spiritual food and the living water that leads to eternal life.

“Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow within them.” John 7:38

Jesus,

Fill the empty places in our souls. Give us the living water that will flow within us. We long to be filled with the bread and water of life.

Amen

 

The First and The Last

 

     Not only is Jesus first, He is last. He was there at the beginning of time and He will finish it. The Bible reminds us that everything was known to God, the culmination of all redemption, an end to evil and a new heaven and new earth, all of it, before time began.

     When Adam and Eve disobeyed for the first time, it came as no surprise to the omniscient One. The perfect Son came at the perfect moment and when all things have been perfectly fulfilled, it will be done. Sin was conquered at the cross. Evil will be vanquished at the end with one word from the victorious Christ. He is coming soon. Remind those you love and tell the world. Come ,Lord Jesus.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:8

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Revelation 22:13

     The Beginning, The End, And the Beginning of Forever.

Jesus,

All of creation is groaning for Your return. Your finishing work is close at hand. Open the eyes and hearts of many to know You. You began it all and You will be the Omega, the Last, the End. The end of evil will mark the beginning of eternity. We wait expectantly.

Amen

Seek Him First

 

     God loves us first, adopts us as His beloved children and is there for us always.. As we seek Him first, He promises to meet all of our needs. He is sufficient for the day.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.   Matthew 6:33

     Seek His wisdom every morning. Seek His love all day long. Seek His word for every answer. Seek His healing when you are sick. Seek His presence when you need to say an earthly goodbye. Seek His everlasting hope, when you feel hopeless and lost. He will give you all things as you seek Him first. Be mindful of His constant presence and rely on Him for His blessed assurance.

Jesus,

Your promise is to never leave us nor forsake us. We place You in first place right now. Guide us to seek You in the morning, at noon, in the evening and as we rest for the night. You are there.

Amen

He First Loved Us

 

     Where did you learn to love? So many today live in loveless homes. They live with addiction, or abuse or apathy. Our precious children live away from reality, caught looking at a screen, more than looking at creation, at God or at one another. We all need unconditional love and a little kindness. We all need someone to listen to our lost hearts, to encourage us, and find healing and health.

     Of course, the answer to all of this is Jesus. His love overpowers the deepest hurt. He becomes the parent to the orphan, the answer to the addiction, the healer of all wounds. For anyone to be able to really love, they first need to be loved, really loved; loved in spite of flaws, in spite of mistakes, in spite of everything the world has thrown at us. That love comes from our Creator in the form of His only Son. He loved us first.

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Jesus,

Let Your unconditional love fall on our hurting world. Teach us how to love Your children. You do not want to lose even one.

Amen

First Things First

 

     Have you been struggling with the immorality, the violence and the chaos of our times? So many people do not know Jesus. The word of God is foolishness to them.

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.  1 Corinthians 2:14

     Preaching or pointing out sinful behavior only pushes people away. What did Jesus do when He met the woman about to be stoned for adultery? She was caught red-handed and the law permitted the stoning. Jesus looked at the crowd about to strike and said,

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7b

     He understood her. He loved her first and then He tells her to go and sin no more.  I believe we need to show the love and kindness of Christ and allow Him to change us and others. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can be led into a more holy and pure lifestyle, the life that God knows is best for us. Let the love and understanding heart of Christ dwell in you as you confront the world around you and, when given the opportunity, share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Jesus,

We pray for opportunities to share the love you have given us. Dwell in us in a way that shows outwardly to others. Let Your grace and mercy be present in our lives, knowing that You have forgiven us for so much.

Amen