A Time

 

     Fall will soon arrive. There is a letting go and anticipation. Letting go of the warm (extremely hot!) weather brings the possibility of a cute pair of new boots. Soup, stew and chili replace the fresh fruits and vegetables. The scent of fresh flowers turns to the smell of bonfires and the sight of falling leaves. Beauty and change fill the seasons of the year and the seasons of life.

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-

     Let go and anticipate the days ahead. Thank Him for the breath of life each day.

Dear Father,

There is a time for everything under the heavens. Teach us to appreciate each one. Today we praise You for the ability to let go of what is past and anticipate what is ahead.

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Blissful Ache

 

Sharing this one again as we watch our newest grandchild, Brooklyn.  This goes for grandchildren as well as children.

     There is nothing quite like the blissful ache of loving a child. The over-powering love that takes you through chaotic sleepless nights, questioning the cry. Are they hungry? Are they tired? Are they hurt? Are they sick? Trips to the doctor, tender moments of the first laugh or first step or first steps onto the school bus. That first step that opens up a world away from you.

     The years move with ever-increasing swiftness, but the blissful ache remains. Are they happy? Are they texting while they are driving? Will they be safe when they go out? The love acts as a magnet. And the blissful ache continues with the next generation, our grandkids. The mind and heart consistently respond to their joy, their laughter, their pain, their hopes and dreams. There is really no earthly comparison to this all-consuming sacrificial, unconditional love.

     My prayers for our girls have been steadfast and hopeful since they were born. I prayed consistently over the years for them to find spouses, chosen by God. And my prayers have been fully answered by our loving God. There is hope and overwhelming joy and just a twinge of what? Maybe it’s a tough realization that there is a letting go. The letting go, however, comes with an answered prayer, the fulfilled dream of raising remarkable human beings. My husband and I have realized it twice. The Lord has blessed us richly. The blissful ache of the deepest love, the deepest parts of our souls. It’s what Jesus feels for you, His child. It is an everlasting love.

The Lord appeared to us in the past saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children. Psalm 103:17

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.  1 John 3:1

Father,

Teach us how to lavish Your love onto our children and grandchildren. The love we feel is beyond measure and yet there is no comparison to the way You love us. Teach us how to accept Your perfect love and pass it on generation to generation.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Strength in Suffering

 

     Minnesota weather makes us strong and hardy or it is weak and foolish? Reading these words of Scripture today makes me smile and realize just how much we need God’s strength.

But God has chosen the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. 1 Corinthians 1:27

     When change surrounds us in the weather or in life, when we feel weak and foolish, God is there. Skies may darken. Lightning and thunder may strike and roll. After the storm, there is hope. The rainbow lights the sky. Something awakens within us. Suffering brings doubt and sadness, but it also brings strength and compassion. Somehow our loving Father uses the storms to bring hope to others. Our pain draws us deeper; deeper into the big questions in life; deeper in our faith; deeper in our trust.

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Romans 5:3-5

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  Isaiah 43:2

     Jesus will walk us through this life. Count on Him. Keep hope alive. There will be flood waters rushing by us, and flames burning around us, but heaven calls, the hope of glory. Hang on to hope. We persevere. We find times of refreshment. We hold on for dear life. We hang on to each other. And we hang on to Jesus. He will never let us go.

…which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Colossians 1:27b

Jesus,

You know and understand what we go through. Give those suffering right now Your comfort and peace. Help us to persevere and develop character and bring hope. You are the hope of glory, now and forever. And we rely on Your strength

Amen

 

The Whole World

 

      (I am sharing this story again in honor of our daughter’s birthday yesterday)

      Many of you know I am legally blind. When our oldest daughter was about 8 years old, she called from her friend’s house to see if her dad could pick her up. It was just around the block, but it was getting dark and she was scared. I told her he wasn’t home and she would need to walk. I knew I would not be able to bring her home because of the darkness.

     I told her I would have the light on and be there waiting. When she walked in the door, she said, “I wasn’t even scared. I sang, ‘He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands’ the whole way home.” Isn’t that a good reminder to all of us? He is in charge of all things. I have noticed the term, “all things” over and over again in the Bible. Here are a few verses for you.

Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  John 1:3

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power and that He had come from God and was returning to God.  John 13:3

He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?  Romans 8:32

For in Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  Colossians 1:16-17

     All things are His. The whole world is in His hands and so are you. Relax and be at peace in the darkness. His light is in you and surrounds you.

Father,

Thank You for Jesus. You have given Him authority over us. He was there at the beginning and He is the Word come to life. He will bring us safely home. Give us Your peace.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

The Fullness of Christ

 

And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.  Ephesians 1:22-23

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:10

     On a table sits a pitcher filled with sand, an empty jar and three rocks. Imagine taking the pitcher of sand. As you pour it into the empty jar, you list the ways you spend your days. Pour in the work, time with the kids, cooking, watching TV, reading, laundry, phone calls, computer and anything else that comes to mind.

     The jar is plum full. You love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul and strength. The three rocks represent the Bible, prayer and service. You try to squeeze them into the top of the jar but they just won’t fit. Now picture the sand being poured back into the pitcher. The three rocks are placed into the bottom of the now-empty jar first. And the sand? As it is poured back in, it all fits!

     We think we do God a favor by sitting in a church pew for an hour each week. One hour out of the 168 available to us. If the service goes over an hour, we look at our watches, think about the game about to begin or what we will have for lunch. A distracted faith. It’s there, but we place little value on it when all is said and done.

     Jesus wants a real relationship with us, not a ritual, not a religion. The Bible is His gift to us. It is a way to get to know the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit intimately. I guarantee when you soak yourself in the word you will develop a hunger and a thirst for more.  Remember the living water yesterday? It is always available.

     And reading Scripture and time with Jesus won’t feel like an obligation or duty, it will be the most important and valuable portion of the day.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Matthew 5:6

     And you will be filled.

    And to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19

 Dear Lord,

We long to sit with You on a daily basis, filling up on Your word and praying and talking with You. Let that be the desire of our hearts from this day forward. Develop in us a hunger and a thirst for Your righteousness.

Amen

See you back here in a couple weeks. Thanks for sharing God's word with me!

Amen

Sacrificial Love

 

     Extravagant love. What comes to mind? Is it a bracelet dripping with diamonds, a trip around the world, a love poem written just for you? Our world tells us, “You deserve the best.” “You are worth it.”  “You need this to be happy.” Jesus turns all of that upside down with His sacrifice on the cross. While we were yet sinners, He took it all upon Himself, suffered and died, because He loves us.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  1 John 3:1a

     Extravagant love may not come in the way we envision it. It comes in the heart of the mom with the disabled child. There is not much time to think about herself or her needs. She would not have wished or dreamed about this life for her family, but would she have it any other way? No, the love is deeper than anything she has or will ever experience.

     Sacrificial love. It’s all around us, in the care of a loved one with Alzheimer’s or cancer, in caring for the poor, in missionary work in other cultures, in the service of our country, in the front-line heroes. These lives are all around us and they are beautiful. The extravagant love of Christ is available and ready to be shared.

     This sacrificial love is often found in places and with people the world would rather avoid. The difficulties and sufferings we are called to endure, often become the very places we witness the holiness of Christ and His love. Don’t be afraid of His lavish love. It is there for the taking. He gives it richly, abundantly, extravagantly, sacrificially. Can we do the same?

Jesus,

You, the pure light of the world, washed the filthy feet of Your disciples. Show us how to love in the ways of Your heart. Take away our fear as we step a little closer to serving others sacrificially in Your name. After all, that’s what you taught us to do.

Amen

 

Soul-Quenching Love

 

     The heat has been unbearable on some of these drought-filled hazy days. The ground is parched and dry from thirst Is your soul thirsty and parched? That abundant love and contentment Christ offers can fade into the background of our daily existence, when the urgent takes precedence over our needs, our physical, mental, and spiritual needs. The Samaritan woman at the well during the hottest part of the day, met the One who would fill the dryness in her life. Here are His words for her and for you and to me.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

     The lost woman believed. She would become one of Jesus’ first evangelists as she offered the Messiah’s truth to her family and the surrounding area. Soul-thirsty answers, life-quenching truth, free-flowing living water available whenever and wherever we need it. Is it time to stop and drink?

    How do we receive this flowing spring water that will last until eternity?

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

   Believing in Jesus begins with His abundant love. We realize our need for a Savior and His offer is iron-clad. We are His until He will wipe the earthly water from our eyes and we will walk with Him beside the streams of living water forever.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  Revelation 7:17

    Heaven will provide perfection one day. What about our dry, cracked souls today? He offers us thirst-quenching answers for every tear-stained question, for every deep longing, for every pit of shame. The water is satisfying. Thirsty? Dip into the life-quenching well of Jesus.

Dear Jesus,

Walk with us beside the still, cool waters of Your saving grace in our uncertain lives. Take our hands as we search for answers and lead us to the Words of life. Refresh our souls. You are the answer to our longings. Fill us to the brim.

Amen

Satisfying Love

 

     It was a summer, Saturday evening over twenty-five years ago. The picture is etched in my mind. Our daughters were somewhere around the ages of six and four. The house was clean. The gardens were planted. The yard freshly mowed and trimmed thanks to my husband. Our girls sat quietly with their French braids, clean from their baths in their freshly laundered nightgowns.

       “Ahh.” Pure satisfaction. You may have noticed the time frame. This is not a daily experience. Far from it. We have those moments when all seems right with the world; when the jobs are done, the tough project complete, after enjoying a satisfying meal, enjoying a day off. Then hunger returns. Another project rears its ugly head. Dishes are dirty. Laundry is piling up. The house is in chaos, the kids squabbling, just too much to do.

     Jesus offers us this deep and satisfying, soul-quenching contentment. All day. Every day. When we place our lives totally in His hands, we recognize the kids are from Him, the grass and all of creation was breathed into existence, just for us. And our lives can be given completely to Him, the satisfying days, along with the frustrating and chaotic. What Jesus offers us is more than a momentary feeling of satisfaction. He offers us the abundant life, grace-given, love overflowing assurance of the more-than-enough life.

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

     Contentment with Jesus is available in the midst of the chaos, in the fear of the moment, in times of hunger and peril. Every moment can be entrusted to Him. Let’s dig into the abundant life this week. In the meantime, breath out a satisfied, “Ahh” with me. He has you in the palm of His hand. Be content there and then go tackle that mess.

Dear Father,

You gave us Your Son. He gave everything up for us and loves us too much to ever let us go. Give us that Godly contentment every day no matter what is in front of us.

In Jesus name

Amen

Great Advice/God's Word

 

    God’s word is available to us, to be memorized, meditated on and researched. Dig into it. It is the plum line for our lives. Saturate your mind with it, until it settles into your heart. I guarantee a hunger and a thirst will develop for it. The more you read, the more you want. There is no end to the blessings it offers. You will get to know Jesus and His ways. Truth will reign.

 

     Sit in awe at the scope of wisdom offered, the prophecies that have come to pass and the prophecies yet to come See Jesus foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament and how His death and resurrection fulfilled the law and the prophets. Read about His soon return and the glories of heaven. Not one word has been proven wrong. In fact, science, archeology, and history continue to catch up and prove its truth.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold. They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. Psalm 19:9-10

     Jesus is the word of God in the flesh. (John 1) The Bible is all about Him, from Genesis to Revelation. The story of creation, of Israel, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of David and Solomon, of the prophets, from Daniel and Isaiah to Micah and Zechariah, from the story of Moses and the escape from Egypt, to the baby born in a manger. Read about the flood and the ark, of Jonah and the whale, of the twelve disciples, about the transformation of Saul into Paul. Read about life and how to live it. Choose life and light and blessings. Read of His passion, His death and resurrection, about the life to come. Eternity awaits. Read all about it and go forth and live it!

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Jesus,

We pray for Your word to enliven us, to restore us, to redeem us, to teach and guide us. Develop a hunger and a thirst in our hearts to meditate on it daily, until everything we do and see is seen through Your loving eyes. Let us live for You.

Amen  

Great Advice/Grace and Truth

 

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

     Our churches today often err on one side or the other of grace and truth.  Truth hates sin. Grace loves sinners. How do we balance them? Jesus shared His compassion and love with all people. He came for the sick, the sinner, for you and for me.

     Strong Christians today are known for the truth they stand on, which is important. And too much grace with no Biblical truth waters down the Gospel and brings us into the follies of the world. It becomes easy to compromise and fit in with the world. Love and share Jesus and stand for His truth. It works.

     The Gospel saves and Jesus transforms. He lavishes His grace on us and sets us on the road to obedience. He wants only the best for us, not a watered-down version of what the world says is best. Don’t settle for conformity. You are sons and daughters of the King. Accept His protection. Accept His grace. Follow His truth and you will be blessed.

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15

Lord,

Keep us balanced in truth and grace. You love all of us, but You do hate sin. Let Your Spirit continue to sanctify us into the life You have in store for us. It is beautiful and blessed.

Amen

 

Great Advice/Be Filled

 

     Being filled with Jesus will increase our joy. Jesus calls Himself the bread and water of life. Our spiritual health is more vital than our physical health. Our souls are eternal, and our spiritual health will overflow into our physical health and general well-being.

     As we place our faith in Christ and trust Him to take care of us, as we spend good, quality time with Him, as we allow His Word and the Holy Spirit to fill us, the power of Christ will overflow onto others and bring light to the world around us.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5;6

…and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19

Jesus,

Fill us to the brim until we overflow with Your love. Keep our focus on You and let Your Spirit work in our hearts with the abundance of joy that only comes from You.

Amen

Great Advice/Be There

 

     The best advice is often the advice not spoken. Our one-on-one care ministry team trained in the art of listening. Allowing others to talk and to grieve and to unburden their hearts gives them the opportunity to heal. They are allowed to just be, right where they are, to talk out their feelings and emotions, while slowly finding their way. The more we can allow ourselves and allow others to let go of feelings, the more we come to a place of understanding, a place of peace.

     Often the best gift we can give another when they hurt, is to be present.  Quick answers and platitudes offer no real cure. A silent friend can be the one most refreshing, effective and valued.

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jeremiah 31:25

     When we bring Jesus into the presence of a hurting person, we bring His comfort. He refreshes the weary with His gentleness, His kindness, His goodness.  Do not be quick with leading questions, with solutions and answers. Bring the presence and love of Christ. The Holy Spirit will guide you as you listen and love.

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

Jesus,

We trust You with our silence and with our words. Guide us as we enter into the suffering of others. Take away our fear of silence. We share Your comfort as we have first been comforted.

Amen