Hidden Treasures

 

     After giving Jesus the good, the bad, and the ugly of our lives, the God of the universe begins His miraculous work. He is the One who spoke the earth into being, who placed each hair on our heads, who names each star in the sky. He is the One who can heal, comfort, and walk us through our suffering. He is the One with the nail prints on His hands. He is the One who willingly left the perfection of paradise to take on the passion of the cross. He is the One to shed His blood in order to remove the gap between God and man. He is the One to take it all, the baggage, the distress, and the hopelessness and turn it into something precious.

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

     The first part of the above verse is the most valuable. Take delight in the Lord. As you grow to know Him and understand His ways, His desires will become your own. His dreams for you will become clear. The hidden dreams in God’s heart for you will, most likely, be far different from anything you have imagined. Most of the time, the blessings He brings our way will be from the desire to bless someone else. It is His way and the desires of His heart for you will make your own heart sing.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:5-6

I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.  Isaiah 45:3

     Dig for God’s hidden treasures in your life. Watch for His riches in places you would never expect. Watch for a rainbow through the gloomy clouds, a prayer answered, a dream fulfilled, a friend’s joy, a warm, tight hug, the chance to bless someone in your life, the opportunity to love. He is with you, inside and out. Enjoy the weekend.

Lord,

Fill us with your Spirit as we delight in You. Teach us the hidden treasures of Your kingdom as we finish our time on earth and get ready to come home to You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Spiritual Power

 

     I pray that God has begun to heal the hidden hurts in your heart. When we allow Jesus to work with us, the world around us begins to shift as our perspective changes. Gradually our hearts and minds become filled with the things of the Holy Spirit. Our values change and one day we realize it has become more important to please God than to please ourselves or others. Miraculously, that unseen, hidden power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed.

For God has not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

     A friend of mine went on a mission trip to a poor area of Mexico. The group was looking forward to bringing food and water and other essentials to these people living with the bare necessities of life. This group saw themselves as the providers, the ones with the answers, the ones to help this poor community.

     God had a different plan. This very small, very poor community ended up teaching these seemingly wealthy Americans a great lesson; how to rely on God for everything. This group of missionaries saw pure joy and contentment in the faces and in the lives of this impoverished group. In fact, the Mexican people had great sympathy for all of us who have plenty or a little too much. They had learned how to trust God completely.

 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

     Rely on God’s power. Trust Him with your hurts and weaknesses. Unleash that unseen power of the Holy Spirit today in love. Let the contentment of having Christ with you be enough.

Dear Jesus,

The culture around us tells us we never have enough. We strive for the unimportant and lose sight of true riches. Give us Your power and love as we move out in the world today. Give us godliness with contentment.

Amen

 

Hidden Things

 

     Are there feelings, memories, hurts hidden deep within you? Have you put on a happy face and answered falsely, “I’m fine,” when asked how you are doing? Is there anger and bitterness hidden deep within? Have those feelings been pushed down deep where they have been slowly simmering for years?

    God can heal the hidden things in our lives. He knows it all. The unseen things within us are seen with His all-seeing eyes. Think about speaking it all out to him, the loss, the shame, the unforgiveness, the hate, the fear, the anxiety, and the loss. Give it all to Him to sort out and allow Him to help you heal.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.  Hebrews 4:13

     Is it time to release it? Lay it bare before your Father.. He loves you, every bit of you, even the parts you do not want to share. God turns darkness into light and He will transform those hidden thoughts and past hurts into joy and peace. He will use the hurt within you for good with His miraculous ways.

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

     God is pure light and light dispels darkness. It’s time to heal, to put the broken pieces back together and make something new. You are God’s child. You are His workmanship. He is waiting in the light of day to heal the hidden things in all of us.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  Psalm 147:3

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 8:23

Jesus,

We ask you humbly today to heal the hidden things.  Hear our words and heal our broken hearts. We lay it all bare before You. Replace hurt with peace. You are the light of life. Remove any darkness and fill it with your glorious light.

Amen

Missing Pieces

 

     “Unseen Things” could be the title for my life. I miss so much of what is going on around me. With no peripheral vision, there is a whole world operating around me, just beyond my sight. I miss handshakes at church, full cups sitting on the counter, and the curb right in front of me as I walk. Even large print is becoming difficult to read. Adjusting from sunlight to the indoors takes much longer than for most.

     I am blessed to have patient family members and friends willing to assist me along the way. I was fortunate for years to have my 80*-year-old neighbor drive me to the Bible study I facilitated every Tuesday. It makes me smile.

     What are you missing in your life? Are your senses beginning to dim with age? Are you missing someone you love or waiting for a new love in your life? Are you missing out on the inner life of the Spirit? I guarantee Jesus can fill in the missing pieces in your life. Maybe He will ask you to fill in the missing pieces in someone else’s life. You may have heard this verse from me before, since it is one of my life verses. Jesus will give you words to fill your heart, too.

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

     You may have heard this before, too. Jesus changes everything. Allow Him to make the rough places smooth before you and to turn your darkness into light.

Dear Jesus,

You make the impossible seem possible and You use us to do Your work in all kinds of ways. Would you fill each reader’s missing pieces in their lives today? Remind them of Your eternal love. You are with us. You are the One with the missing pieces in our lives. It is You.

Amen

The Unseen

 

     Our wonderful friend, Patsy, died over ten years ago and we miss her. On a girl’s weekend shortly after she died, as we drove along a country road, and one of the group noticed a rainbow directly to our left. I said, “I think it’s Patsy saying hello from heaven.” We said a prayer of thanks for our friendship and for Patsy. When we looked again, the rainbow was gone.

     My father-in-law witnessed a bright light at 2 a.m. on the night my mother-in-law passed away in a nearby nursing home.  Has God opened your spiritual eyes to a glimpse of heaven, to an eternal sign?

     Discovering the eternal within our finite lives isn’t always as visible as a rainbow or a light from heaven, but God is with us riding along on a country road or sitting in our backyards, or at our desks. His all-seeing eyes will help us to see those things from above. The things that will last forever.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

     The colors of the rainbow are just a glimpse of what will be ours forever, when we will see Patsy and our other loved ones amidst the beauty of heaven, as we are escorted into the throne room of grace.

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third, agate, the fourth, an emerald. The fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth, a topaz, the tenth, a turquoise, the eleventh, a jacinth, the twelfth, an amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold as pure as transparent glass. Revelations 20-22

Dear Father in heaven,

Open our eyes to witness a little bit of heaven today, as we fix our eyes on the eternal rather than the temporary. We fix our eyes on You and Your Son.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Pray

 

     Here we are at the end of two weeks on the “p’s” of prayer. As with any relationship, the time spent with Jesus creates intimacy and gives us opportunities to know Him, to listen to His voice, to wait for answers, or simply sit in His presence. Our private time brings us closer to him, our perpetual prayers remind us of His constant presence.

     Jesus protects our prayers and intercedes for us through His shed blood on the cross and the Holy Spirit perfects our words and brings our needs to the throne room of grace.  That same Holy Spirit gives us the power to pray and believe in the will and strength and holiness of our God.

     There are prayers that seem to go unanswered and we struggle to be patient in our requests, but we are to be persistent. God tells us in the story of the persistent widow to “never give up.”  As our relationship with Jesus deepens, we gain wisdom into His heart and we fall before Him and surrender our needs, knowing we give them to the One who cares about us the most.

     We can praise Him for who He is, not for what He can give us. Our story is but one of billions over the millennia and yet ours is vital to His story. Our lives play a part. Maybe your prayer will change a life. Believe He is working in your life and in the lives of those you love. Is it time to go meet with Him for a while in personal prayer? I think I’ll do the same.

     Each of us is unique. Our prayer lives will differ. Our time with God is special. You are one-of-a-kind. God has fearfully and wonderfully made you! (Psalm 139)

And I will continue to pray for you.

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers. Philemon 1:4

Dear Lord,

Continue to teach us how to pray. Hear our needs, deepen our love, give us Your blessings and allow us to intercede for others as we wait for Your response. We trust You and leave everything in Your strong and able hands.

In Jesus name,

Amen 

 

Praise in Prayer

 

     Beginning our day, beginning our prayers praising God lifts us beyond our own needs and fears and trouble. Our first thoughts turn to the details of the day. We begin with our to-do lists, our work schedule, our kids’ schedules, our worries, grumbling about the weather (don’t get me started on our winter!) our aches and pains and a myriad of other distracting thoughts, those thoughts that  satisfy the wishes of the enemy of our souls.

     How would our days change with thoughts of God? How would our attitudes shift if we begin with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for our blessings, for our ability to work, for the birds and squirrels outside of our windows, for the sun’s rising each day, for the people in our lives, or just for the fact that Jesus loves us always and forever? Our praises take the focus off of our struggles and our busyness and allow God’s presence His strength and His power to fill us.

     Here are a few verses to get you started. Look up some of your own. There are over 300 verses with the word, “Praise” in them. The Psalms are full of praise. David, even in his darkest days of grief and shame turned back to praising our God. Praise and pray to God using these verses adding thoughts of your own:

I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me. Psalm 13:6

Praise be to the Lord, for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise Him. Psalm 28:6-7

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5

Praise be to the Lord, our  God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  Psalm 68:19

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3

Dear Father,

We praise You today for Your compassion, for Your comfort, for the love of Jesus, for Your mercy, for bearing our burdens. Be our strength and give us hope as we go through our days.

In Jesus name

Amen

Perspective in Prayer

 

     Jesus hung around with the outcasts of Jewish society; the tax collector, the adulterer, the demon-possessed, the ordinary, and the weak, looking for those willing to turn to Him and change their ways. The Pharisees were the keepers of the law, the academics, the readers of Scripture, the outwardly religious. Jesus sees the heart. Listen to His perspective on the prayers and attitudes He honors.

Two men went to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, God, I thank you that I am not like other people-robbers, evildoers, adulterers or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, God have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.  Luke 18-10-14

     God’s perspective is not on our outward trappings, the way we look and the things we do. He does not care about the grammar, the fine theological discourse or keeping check marks on each other. He appreciates and looks for the humble heart, the one with His face on the floor before Him, asking for forgiveness, asking for help, recognizing the need for a Savior. And the humble will be exalted.

     No need for comparisons. No need for posturing. No need to compete for attention. God loves the gracious heart, the one with the cheerful giving attitude, with no expectations of receiving accolades, or in keeping things even. Find the one above and show others who He is. Focus on Him After all, it’s not about us. It’s all about Him.

Dear Jesus,

Give us humble hearts to serve You. We kneel before you today, understanding Your holy and all-seeing presence and understanding we are nothing without you.

Amen

Persistent Prayer

 

     I can read your minds this morning. How many types of prayer can she find that begin with the letter “P”? I have not run out yet and this particular one surprised me. I hadn’t read this parable about the persistent widow in a while.

Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1 

     A widow in this parable returns to visit a judge, time after time, begging him to give her justice. The judge, after repeated visits from the woman, gives in and says a few strange things.

“Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think.” (v.4) and “I will see she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me.” (v.5)

     In one breath, he says he does not fear God or care what others think, and in the next verse we find he may not fear God, but he fears this widow. Maybe she had friends in high places? The point of the parable, I believe Jesus wants to share with us, is to keep our faith and be persistent in our asking. He continues:

And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off/” Luke 18:7

     You may be praying for the same things over and over again, for a certain situation to be over, for a loved one to be healed, for a job to be found, for a relationship to be renewed, for a child to become a believer. The list goes on. Today Jesus reminds us to keep praying. Don’t give up. Be persistent. Keep going to Him with your requests. He is listening. Faith pleases God. Believe He wants to give You what is good and pleasing in His sight.

Dear Father,

Thank you for the story of the persistent widow. We will keep coming to You with our requests, knowing You hear our pleas. Hear our voices today as we come back to you again. Here I am again, Lord.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Patience in Prayer

 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

     This is a great verse to memorize. It is packed with wisdom and short enough to easily carry in our hearts and pull out when we need it. With Christ there is always hope. Even at the very end of our time on earth, it is just the beginning of forever. There is no end. Hope can be found. Hope that can give us the lasting joy of Jesus.

     Patience is not an easy concept in a fast-paced world. Even waiting for our morning coffee or sitting at a traffic light can be frustrating. Two women I know have faced battles against cancer. Both lost their hair. Both have suffered greatly, one with sickness and nausea. One is dealing with a slow recovery. Patience in affliction? During those long days and nights, when there seems to be no end in sight, hope and patience and even the ability to pray are nowhere to be found.

     During those times of suffering, hopes can be shattered, patience goes out the window as we lash out at those closest to us and prayer? Who has the energy? During those dark days, we count on others to pray for us, to give hope when there seems to be none, to be faithful to us even when we don’t have an ounce of faith left. And when all is said and done, Jesus is still there, with joy and hope, with patience to deal with us once again, always faithful. He never gives up.

Dar Lord,

Be our hope when there appears to be none. Be patient with us when we don’t have it in us to wait. Lead us in prayer when we don’t feel Your presence and when others are suffering, lead us to be the Jesus in their lives, bringing strength, hope and love. Give us the ability to share joy, patience and faithfulness when affliction comes.

Amen

Powerful Prayers

 

     As we finally experience the end of a long and snow-filled winter, we sit in the warm and powerful presence of Jesus. As we take time to know Him In our times of private prayer and practice His presence with perpetual prayer, as we trust that Jesus is prayng for our protection and that the Holy Spirit interprets and perfects our prayers we recognize the power we have available to us.

     Prayer moves the hand that moves the world. The following prayer was written by Paul to the church at Ephesus. It is a prayer for you and me, as we see and feel the power and love available to us. Soak it in and believe it on this day.

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 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, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory to the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen Ephesians 3:14-21

Amen!

 

Perfected Prayer

 

     The verses I want to share with you today are some of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. (Keep in mind I have many favorites) There are times we don’t know how or what to pray. We feel helpless in our struggles, hopeless in our suffering. God is there with us, in the midst of it, with His understanding and compassionate heart.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26

      What a beautiful picture of a loving God. He intercedes with wordless groans. Years ago we used this verse in a confirmation class. One girl said the Holy Spirit took her words to God and explained to Him exactly what she meant. I can’t think of a better way to interpret that verse. It gets better. Here are the next two verses:

And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:27-28

     Trust the Holy Spirit with your prayers, even when or especially when, you don’t know how to ask or what to say. He will bring your requests to the Father through the powerful name of Jesus and do His will. His perfect and pleasing will.  Jesus is not Santa Claus, giving us what we want. He provides what we need.

     Notice in the verses above the words, “in accordance with the will of God” and “called according to His purpose.” He works all things together for good for us as we trust Him to know what we need most. Sometimes in the midst of our greatest suffering, in our times of despair and unanswered questions, we meet Him in intimate ways. We learn to lean on and learn from our Father in heaven.

     Allow the Holy Spirit to perfect your prayers and bring them to God as He groans along with us, as He understands the deepest parts of our hearts.

Dear Father,

The Holy Spirit sits with us through our darkest hours and in our highest highs and everything in between, sifting our prayers and bringing them to You through Jesus. We can’t see it with our earthly eyes, we can’t hear it with our earthly ears, and we don’t know what to say with our earthly lips. But as we lift up our prayers, they rise as incense to the throne room and heaven sees, hears and shouts for joy at each one.

In Jesus name

Amen

Protective Prayer

 

     Jesus set His gaze firmly ahead. Jesus prays in the 17^th chapter of John as He prepared for the cross. He prays for Himself to be glorified, and He prays for His disciples including this verse:

I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to You, Holy father. Protect them by the power of Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as we are one. John 17:11

And he prays for all believers:

Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:25-26

    Jesus has been here. He has suffered, been tempted, experienced sorrow, hunger and so much more. He intercedes for us and protects us with His name. He understands. He sits ready and able to keep us one with Him.

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. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16

     Feel confident as you pray before the throne of God. Isn’t it comforting to know that Jesus prayed to the Father for our protection and He continues to intercede for us? He covers all of our sins with His righteousness.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for becoming one of us. You pray for our protection in the world and grant us mercy and grace in our weaknesses. You understand. You have walked in our shoes and yet had no sin. Impossible love, unimaginable grace.

Amen

Petitions of Prayer

 

     A special, set-aside time each day to spend with God will strengthen your relationship with Him. Relationships take time and intimacy. The Bible goes a step further.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

     Tucked into these verses are the words, “pray continually” and “in every situation by prayer and petition.” Wow, pray continually and pray in EVERY situation? Jesus is with us and His Spirit lives within us every single moment of every single day. Can we lift up every circumstance as we move through our days? Praying for protection as we pull out of our driveways? Praying for someone we notice along the way that looks harried or sad? Can we stop to pray for a friend that comes into our mind and heart? Or praise God for the beauty of His creation? Can we ask for help with our anxious thoughts when they begin to take over?

     I would say a resounding, “Yes!” and “Amen!” God is our constant companion. The Holy Spirit of the living God resides within us and will calm us and listen to us and keep us in peace as we acknowledge His presence. I don’t know about you, but perpetual prayer sounds like a great way to live, continually surrounded with God’s presence.

     Private prayer and perpetual prayer in relationship with the real and living God is worth a try. Let’s welcome Him into our presence right now.

Dear jesus,

You are right here, right now, past, present and future. You are willing to guide us through this life, every step of it, until we walk into eternity. Show us how to pray continually in every situation, practicing Your presence along the way.

Amen

Personal Prayer

 

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  Matthew 6:6

     The Bible has much to say about prayer. Let’s take a peek into some of the ways the Bible speaks on prayer.. God loves to spend time with us.  Just you and Jesus, just me and Jesus.  We can ask for His guidance, and give Him our worries. We can cry out for help, or ask for protection for our families. We can lift others up in prayer. What a privilege!!

     Maybe you are praying for the snow to be done for the year? (I wrote this last week before the mild weather settled in, finally!) If you haven’t seen the Youtube video, “Jesus make it warm!” check it out today. It will make you smile. As I was reading through the Gospel of Luke last week, I noticed how often Jesus took time to pray.

 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place…Luke 4:42

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place…Luke 11:1

     Intimacy with God changes us. He delights in our company. He will bless and reward us for putting Him first. Let’s go to our rooms and shut the door each day. Take time to spend with the One you love most. He is there waiting to listen, to comfort, to strengthen, to guide, to teach, and to love you with everything He has. After all, He gave up His only Son to die for us. What kind of love is that?

Dear Father in heaven,

Teach us to pray in private. Discipline our hearts to yearn to spend time with you each day. Just us. Show us Your purpose for us today. Bless our homes and our families. Comfort the sick and the weak.

In Jesus powerful name,

Amen

 

Hallelujah! He Is Risen!

 

     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 Understands

 

     Jesus understands our sorrow and suffering. His emotions match ours in intensity, in dread and grief, 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. 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 Passover 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 was to be scrutinized and found to be without blemish, just as Jesus was scrutinized by the leaders of the day. They found Him to be blameless.

     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 ways 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