Purpose

 

     How do we find purpose on earth? What is it all about? If Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, what does He expect from you and me? He gave up everything to give us all new life. I know I have nothing to give in return. There is nothing we CAN do, nothing God needs. He is everything and He holds everything in His mighty hands. What He wants and asks from us is to have a relationship with Him.

     As we get to know Jesus through His word and through prayer, our purpose begins to become clear. Knowing Him, putting Him first, recognizing we can’t do anything without Him, finds us surprisingly able to do things we could not imagine. Our confidence is in Him, rather than in our imperfect selves.

     He may use our stories, our sufferings, our lives as a testimony to others. People may notice a change and ask us about the hope within us. We may speak boldly about our faith to the people God places in our lives. Jesus may even ask us to reach out to someone we don’t like very much. We can’t do it on our own.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

     Get to know Him. Open up the Good book. Imagine a new life filled with possibilities. Most of the thoughts in our head, what we worry about, compete for, save to buy, work towards, will not come with us into heaven.

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to the power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

     When we meet Jesus, He will burn up the things that are no longer needed as we walk through those pearly gates. But the things we did with Him and for Him and through Him? They will be refined like gold, beautiful and lasting. Good enough to last forever.

Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved-even though only as one escaping through the flames.  1 Corinthians 3:13-15

     This work is not anything we can do on our own, but only with Jesus, the foundation. He shows us what to do and how to do it, through His Holy Spirit, through His mighty word, through our time of prayer.

     Ready to give it a try, this purposeful life? It comes down to the heart and His love.

As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.  Proverbs 27:19

     What is the condition of your heart? Let it melt into a life with Christ.

Dear Jesus,

You give our lives meaning and purpose. Show us how to take the next step. Help us focus on Your love and getting to know You more intimately. We are one in spirit with You and the Father when we believe.

Amen

Perfection

 

     I want us to work backwards this week, focusing our eyes on the end of the story, and the warmth and beauty of heaven. If you are a believer in Christ (if you are not, stay tuned all week) we know we will live forever!

     One day, at the end of these earthly lives, we will live in perfection.  Our bodies will move from mortal to immortal, from perishable to imperishable (see 1 Corinthians 15;35-58) and yet we will remain our unique selves. Let this truth give you strength and hope, giving promise to a parent’s heart as they witness their child suffer with disability or disease; joy to a widow’s or widower’s heart as she or he continues to miss a spouse; an end to the labored breathing that comes with lung disease; a day to be free of temptation and addiction. A new beginning at what appears to be the end of the road.

     Finite to infinite, imperfect to perfect, perishable to imperishable, the unseen will be seen, time will become timeless. It puts our suffering, our temptations, our grief into perspective. God will redeem all of it one day, in His perfect timing.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:17-18

     We will meet Jesus face-to-face. We will live in glory. No time-frame, no hustle and bustle. A reuniting with loved ones. Our future with no more goodbyes. No more scurrying from place to place. No more stress! We can drink our coffee for hours on end. We will have time to speak to others in history. We will see Moses and Elijah, John and James, Mary and Joseph, Abraham and Isaac. Forever.

     There is no end to our story, other than a giving up of our imperfect bodies. We aren’t striving and struggling just to get to the end of this life. The end is the true beginning. Feel the hope. See the glory. Live out your life with passion and love. All of this is achieving for us a glory that far outweighs it all.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.  2 Peter 3:8

    Our sufferings last only a moment in light of eternity. Take in that strength today. Count on that hope. Believe in eternity. All of this will be redeemed in His glory. And every breath on this earth can be lived for Him. Every breath is precious. He gave you life on earth and He promises new life forever.

Dear Lord,

You give us hope for tomorrow, when we will be like You, with new bodies in a perfect world. A new heaven and a new earth, with Your glory shining all around us. The Son will be the sun of heaven. No more night. No more tears. The hope of glory. Our blessed assurance.

It is Jesus.

Amen

Dreams

 

     Resting in Jesus throughout our lives brings peace and joy. When pleasing Him becomes our greatest priority, we won’t care what others think. Honoring Him is the desire of our heart. When His dreams become our dreams, we have rest for our souls.

     Our lives may look insignificant to the outward-focused, money-oriented, me-first world, but to Jesus we are His treasures, His chosen people. His royal priesthood. Our prayers matter. Our Bible study matters. Our deep love for others matters. We are keeping evil at bay, every single day with the power of the resurrected Christ. Let His dreams become yours. You are making an eternal difference.

     Make a decision today to follow Jesus. Let Him take the lead in the dance of life. Delight in His footsteps. Find direction as he takes your hand. His light will fill you with all you need each day. Decide to accept Jesus as Savior. It is the one decision that matters most.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other way under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do. Ephesians 6:7-8

Father,

Keep our minds and hearts on Your dreams for us. With the decision to accept Jesus in our lives, we understand sacrifice. We understand love. We understand humility. He showed us the way through all He did for us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Dance

 

     The dance of life does not move in easy, sequential steps. There are times when we barely move, in a slow dance, rocking back and forth in the same place. Change is difficult. Some seasons we move in an elegant waltz, organized and flowing. Everything in the dance of life flows smoothly and steadily.

     The music speeds up and life spins out of control, a raucous and chaotic polka, spinning us wildly. We aren’t sure where we will land. And there are the moments of wild abandon and freedom. We don’t care who is looking. We take on the world and don’t care what others think.

     Whatever dance you are experiencing, let the Lord of the dance take control. He can keep up with each step. Worship Him as if no one is looking. Imagine the powerful King of Israel, dancing on the street in worship; so exceedingly filled with the joy of the Lord, he could not stop. Even with his wife’s embarrassment and harsh words, David needed to worship his God.

Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might. 2 Samuel 6:14

Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness. I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. Jeremiah 31:13

You turned my mourning into dancing> You removed my sackcloth and clothes me with joy. Psalm 30:11

     The dance of life with Jesus is sure. Our footsteps, whether in control or faltering, whether in wild abandon or joyful worship, are His. One day our mourning will turn to gladness and we will dance through heaven’s gate.

Jesus,

Take the lead as we continue the dance of life. With You, we will never completely lose our way. You are getting ready to take us home. Lead the way.

Amen

Decisions

 

     Wondering which path to take next? Do we look back to the past for the answers or do we press forward to what is ahead? The answer is “yes!”

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

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do; forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3:13

     Are you standing at a crossroad? When we need direction, there are answers in the Bible. Learn from the ancient ways. The Bible is full of stories of men and women just like us. They had doubts. They made mistakes. They followed the wrong path. They asked for forgiveness. And they moved ahead.

     Look at the ancient paths and forget the doubts and mistakes. You are forgiven. Press on to what is ahead. Jesus is right there leading the way. He may set you on a brand new path.

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

Jesus,

We get confused. We wonder what’s next. Guide our eyes and ears to see and hear Your Word and strain toward Your goals, Your ways, Your direction.

Amen

 

Dance

Daylight

 

     When we receive Jesus as Savior, we move from darkness to light. Jesus is the light of the world. (John 8 and 9 Matthew 5) Having been filled with His light, we can shine with His enduring love. Because of His complete forgiveness, we are washed clean.

This is the message we have heard from Him, and declare to you. God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1 5-7

          He purifies us from ALL sin. Let this freedom fill you with peace and joy. Because of His great love, we can walk out our lives in the light of eternity. Shine continually as a child of the light.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1;5

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 8:12

You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  1 Thessalonians 5:5

Jesus,

Because of You, we need not walk in darkness. The light of Your glory has forgiven us, washed us clean and set us in eternity. Fill us with Your light as we finish our earthly lives as children of the day.

Amen

 

Delight

 

     This weekend, we took great delight in the spectacular colors of fall in Minnesota. The vibrant oranges along the Mississippi River Road were heavenly against the deep clear, blue sky.

     These words came to mind this morning out of nowhere. You will make my dreams come true, when all I seek is to glorify You.  When God becomes our first love and our greatest desire is to follow and please Him, he blesses us with supernatural power and the desires of our hearts become His.

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

     Take time to delight yourself in the Lord today. Thank Him for His Son, Jesus who saved us, for His Spirit that guides us, for His word that teaches us, for His creation that inspires us, for friends and family to bless us, for food and shelter that sustain us. Take delight in His presence, in His power, in His protection, in His providence. He will give you the desires of your heart. And, don’t forget, as we take delight in Him, He takes great delight in you and in me.

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

Lord,

We take delight in You today for all of Your good gifts from above. We, as children of the light, are already seated in heaven with You. How miraculous! How amazing! How delightful are You!

Amen

Our Deepest Needs/Eternity

 

     This earthly life of ours will end and eternity awaits. The missing piece of the puzzle here on earth is Jesus. Our deepest needs are met in Him as we learn to pray, believe, rest and love in Him. His deep peace and joy will abide with us as we recognize the truth of the brevity of life on earth and the certainty of eternal life.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

      Eternity is in our hearts. All we are missing is Jesus. Everything is made clear in Him. Set Your focus on Jesus. He invites you into a life on earth surrounded with His love and a promised life forever in a perfect new heaven and new earth. Why wait?

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

For God so loved the world that God gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life. John 3:16

Jesus,

We love You. We believe in You. We take rest in You and we pray to You. Take our hearts as we confess You are Lord.

Amen

       

Our Deepest Needs/Love

 

     You are dearly loved by our God.

For we know, brothers and sisters, loved by God, that He has chosen you. 1 Thessalonians 1:4

     He has called you by name:

He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10;3

     He surrounds you:

You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:3

     His love is perfect:

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18

     He is always with you:

So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

     He loves you with 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

     Nothing, not ever, can separate you from His love.

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Romans 8:39

Dear Heavenly Father,

Your perfect love surrounds us. Your presence hems us in. We are Your dearly loved children. Nothing, not ever, can seperate us from Your everlasting love. You shared that love with us through Jesus, our Lord.

Amen

 

Our Deepest Needs/Belief

 

     God knows the end from the beginning. He knows the words that we will speak before one word leaves our mouth. (Psalm 139) He knows the steps we will take, and He walks ahead of us, making a way. As fallen humans in a fallen world, it is easy to become discouraged when we are facing a trial. Grief is real. Fear is real. Anxiety is real. But God…

     Joseph doubted. But God…(Genesis 41:16) Israel was doomed. But God…(Genesis 45:7) Others can set out to harm us. But God…((Genesis 50:20)  We doubt when we don’t get an answer. But God…(1 Samuel 14:37) We feel guilt. But God…(Romans 5:8) When we feel we haven’t done enough. But God…(1 Corinthians 3:6)

     Believe in the deepest recesses of your soul that God is working. He will overcome all of our weaknesses with His mighty strength. Our constant, steadfast faith pleases 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

Immediately, the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.” Mark 9:24

Father,

We ask You to help us with our unbelief. We long to trust You in every situation, knowing You are ahead of us making a way. Our faith pleases You. We do believe!

In Jesus name,

Amen

The Number 70

 

     My husband is 70 today! Impossible to believe. I am thankful and blessed to spend my days with him. Numbers are meaningful and have purpose in the Bible. To the Jews, the number 70 means having potential, new opportunities and completion. They were in exile in Babylonia for 70 years before they were freed.

     There are 70 holy days to celebrate and today we do celebrate. The moments, hours, days, years and decades are adding up behind us now. Having lost so many friends and family, we treasure each moment.  Celebrations and holy days are found throughout Scripture.

You observe days and months and seasons and years. Galatians 4;10

Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord throughout your generations, celebrating it as a permanent ordinance. Exodus 12;14

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

     We rejoice! New beginnings. New celebrations. New potential. New opportunities. Happy birthday Nip! We celebrate you and remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Father,

Thank you for the one You chose for me. Today I am grateful and ask for many more years to celebrate.

Amen

Happy birthday Nip! I love you!

Our Deepest Needs/Prayer

 

     None of us are able to understands what is going on deep within the hearts of others. Our outer facades may include putting on our “happy go-to-church” faces, with the typical, “How are you,” followed by the response, “fine,” or “good,” “And, how are you?”  In Minnesota we call it, “Minnesota nice.”

     Nice is well and good, but heading to church with our fellow believers should give us a safe place to share our hurt, to reach out for help, to forget about people-pleasing or acting in a certain way. How do we reach out to others in need? Or ask for help ourselves?

     What a gift it is to pray for those in need, to offer support and the love of Christ. Are you willing to open up to your fellow believers? I sure have over the years. The power of prayer has lifted me up and give me strength time and time again. Knowing others are praying in powerful and God will move!

     It is a true gift to know others are praying for us. The power of prayer is real and God moves mountains for us. He loves to hear our petitions, our needs and our gratefulness. He understands our deepest needs, the needs that are difficult to share.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With that in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 3:18

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:13-14

     Prayer can meet our deepest needs. Pray continually. Pray for others in need. Pray with praise and thankfulness. Make your requests known to our Father in heaven, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen

God's Favorites

 

     Look to the spiritual first. Look for the love, before the stuff, the trip, the house, the car, the money. Over and over again, in the Bible we are told to fix our eyes and our hearts on things above. Everything we see, hear, touch, taste and smell is temporary. Love and Jesus and our souls are eternal.  I leave you with some of my favorite verses and a list of others to look up at your leisure. I know you have many of your own within your heart.

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what we see is temporary and what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Seek comfort when we are weary: Matthew 11;28

When you need His strength: Philippians 4:13 & 2 Corinthians 12:9

When you don’t understand: Proverbs 3:5-6

The Holy Spirit understands when we don’t know how to pray: Romans 8:26-27

 Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ: Romans 8:38-39

When we yearn to please God with our words and our actions: Psalm 19:14

Praise Him: Psalm 145:8=10

Just believe: Romans 10:9

     My favorites could go on all day. Praise Him. Pray to Him. Plead with Him. Petition Him.

He is faithful. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Oh, how He loves you. You are His favorite and so am I!

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

Amen!

Steadfast Faith

 

     Our daughter, Lauren, has had a strong faith in Jesus since she was a very young girl. Prayer has always come naturally to her and her faith has remained steadfast over the years. Prayer sustained all of us as her son, Gavin, suffered with a rare form of epilepsy. Now, she is a prayer warrior at their church. Her favorite verse sums up all that God is, was and will be to her.

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

     Trust in God’s strength and not your own. Remind yourself of your salvation. Let Him be your Savior, the calm in the midst of chaos, the strength in weakness, the defense against any fear, the truth in the middle of doubt, our home at the end of this earthly life.  He is our salvation, now and forevermore.

Lord,

You are all things to us. This verse gives us so much to rely on in our day-to-day lives. Give us the faith of a young child, with open trust and love.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Do Not Be Anxious

 

     Many of the verses I have memorized come to my heart again and again as I journey through life. Do you have verses to comfort, to guide, to remind you of God’s love, to worship, to intercede for a friend or loved one? Scripture is alive and powerful. Speak it out loud. Read it over and over. Learn from Genesis to Revelation. Believe every word. All of God’s promises have and will come to pass.

     I have shared these verses over and over again with others and they mean a lot to me and to our daughter, Angela. (She inherited the anxiety gene) When anxiety strikes in the night, these words have comforted us and we rely on God’s Word to ease our panic.

     He understands and He brings peace back to our minds and our hearts. Rely on these words as you face worries and doubt.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests 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

     The peace that transcends all understanding, guarding our hearts and our minds. I can use that today. How about you?

Jesus,

We come to You with the worries in life. We bring our requests to the throne room, with thanksgiving, knowing that You are working it all out. Guard our hearts and minds today.

Amen

Words of Protection

 

     My cousin, Jim spent some very difficult years in Vietnam. My uncle, Paul, and my aunt, Mary Ellen, two more of my favorites were able to celebrate more than 70 years of marriage before Paul went home to heaven. Both are strong Christians and have been powerful witnesses over my lifetime. While Jim was overseas, they prayed Psalm 91 over him more than once each day. This Psalm is a Psalm of protection. Pray this over your loved ones when they face difficult times and pray it over Israel.

Whoever dwells in the shelter 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 in whom I trust.” Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge. His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tred on the lion and the cobra. You will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, I will rescue him. I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call on Me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91

Father,

We take refuge in You and we acknowledge the mighty name of Jesus. Honor us and protect us. You are faithful and You are our protector. We pray for the peace of Jerulsalem. (Psalm 122:6)

In Jesus name,

Amen

Favorites

 

     Like you, I have my favorites in life. My favorite husband, my favorite ice cream, my favorite time of the year. When it comes to Scripture, I could never choose just one! Come to think of it, I feel the same way about ice cream.

     I have been reminiscing this week about the various people I have met through ministry and the wisdom and valuable lessons I have learned. This week I want to share some favorite Scriptures and the stories behind them. I bet you have a few of your own.

     I trained to become a one-on-one care minister in 1994 and became a Stephen Minister. When I met my first care receiver, I barely knew one Scripture from another. God knew that and paired me up with a delightful woman. She remained peaceful and joy-filled until her death 2 years later.

     Somehow, as she lay in her hospice bed, she continued to put others first. For a whole year she lay there, in her dining, room, bird feeder hung just outside the window with various angel ornaments hung and strung around her.

     The Scripture verses she memorized and counted on, day after day, come from Psalm 121. I am sure you have heard it.

I lift up my eyes to the hills-from where does my help come? 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

     Such precious words. I can still hear her saying them and counting on them and anticipating her arrival in heaven. She called me the night before she died. Her voice clear and calm as always. “It won’t be long now,” she said. “But don’t worry about me. I will be at a party with Jesus. I love you.”

Father,

Help us to take these words of Yours into our hearts. You are with us both now and forevermore. Thank you for sharing this wonderful woman with me, I anticipate the party with both of you one day

In Jesus name,

Amen

Look Around!

 

     Pause for the miracles today. In the midst of the drudgery, before the dreaded meeting, after a difficult discussion, walking to the car, wherever you are, look around. God has spoiled us with the riches of His creation and we often take it all for granted.

     The spring flowers that perpetually show their beauty after the long winter months. A baby’s smile. A grandma and grandpa holding hands. The worms crawling through the garden making the soil rich and fertile, the cocoon ready to transform into a butterfly. The beauty of a fresh snow. The sun rising and setting every single day. The shape of the white, fluffy clouds, the sounds of a bird, a cricket, a cat. (The crickets do drive me crazy sometimes!!)

     Add your own to the list above. Leaves are beginning to change into their bounty of fall colors, ready to let go. Be observant. Praise God throughout your day. Thank Him for the miracles around you. Our God is an amazing God, our Creator, our King.

How many are Your works, Lord! In wisdom You made them all, the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24

Lord,

We stop to praise You for the splendors that surround us each day. Keep us mindful of all of the beauty and miracles around us today.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

Go Deep

 

     The disciples had been out fishing all night and had not caught one fish. This was their way of making a living. They were tired and discouraged. Have you had a time like that? We all know what it's like to feel empty, discouraged, downcast and hopeless.

     The times the future looks bleak, when we keep trying, but nothing happens. We move through life with lethargy and a downcast spirit. What did Jesus tell the disciples?

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch.” Luke 5:4

     Jesus always wants us to go a bit deeper, to try again, to persevere, to grow in patience. Did the disciples catch anything after their long night? They obeyed the Lord and their nets became full, so full they could not contain the catch!

     Are you ready to move into deeper waters? It may take awhile. You may go through some discouragement, but Jesus will fill your nets and give you just want you need to the very bottom of your soul.

Lord,

We don’t always understand the wait, the emptiness, the hard work, but You do. Keep us asking You with what’s next, where to go, where to cast our nets. The deep waters are waiting.

Amen

Walking With One Another

 

     Walking alongside one another is a privilege. Some seasons of life, (hopefully many) are filled with joy and love, other seasons we endure, those filled with grief and suffering. We are called to share in the ups and downs of life, to ease the burdens of others, to offer compassion, the same compassion we receive from Jesus.

     Is someone hurting? Are you? Can you rejoice when others are happy and content? I want to give up comparing myself to others and to be able to rejoice when others succeed, to sit with others wherever we are, whatever we are going through. Christianity does not promise ease and comfort, but it does offer a deep peace. That peace is one we can share whatever the season, whatever life holds.

Carry each others burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Father,

Give us your compassion and peace in order for us to share it with others. This life is filled with both joy and tragedy. We need each other. Show us the heart of others.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Fight the Good Fight

 

     It is so easy to push God to the bottom of the schedule, to mouth a forlorn, tired prayer as we fall asleep. We rarely acknowledge His existence in our day-to-day routines. We read the newspaper or watch TV more than look to the word of God. Adding a time to spend with God takes devotion and discipline, putting God first takes practice.

     Let’s practice talking to Him throughout the day, feeling His presence around us, asking for His guidance in our decisions, looking for His answers rather than our own, placing our trust in our relationship with Him more than our relationships with others. Practice makes perfect!

     The apostle Paul uses sports analogies throughout his epistles, such as being persistent, persevering through tough times as we run the race of faith. As he writes from prison, knowing his time on earth is coming to an end, he encourages Timothy and you and me. He has run the race God had planned for him. He is about to receive the prize of salvation, eternity with Jesus.

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

     His instructions to his son in the faith, Timothy,, are filled with encouraging reminders for us to keep going, to keep the faith, to endure and persevere. One day soon we will receive the crown of righteousness.

Father,

Keep us faith-filled, running the race You have set before us as we get closer and closer to heaven. The end of this life is just the beginning of our everlasting hope.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Abide

 

     What will you do with today? With this moment? With the next hour? We all have choices throughout our days. Many of the hours are planned for us, with work and schedules, with laundry and meals, with friends and family. Maybe the best choices we make will come from within; our attitudes, our reactions, our ability to stay in step with the Holy Spirit throughout each moment, each hour, each day, each season.

     Abiding in Christ does not come naturally to us. It is a work of the Holy Spirit and it is a work in progress.  How do we allow the spirit within us to grow into the knowledge and wisdom of Jesus? Make it a habit this year to go to the word of God during times of frustration, of loneliness, of grief, and of joy and blessings and comfort. In other words, go to Him each day. Pray, read, meditate, love.

Jesus says,

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

     Nothing? Well, I do stuff. That is our reaction to the statement of Jesus that we can do nothing without Him. Our purpose as believers is to glorify God with all we do.

     Sounds opposite of the world around us where we are valued for our education, for our money-making abilities, for our busyness and our business, for the success of our children, for our prowess iin sports, for our looks. With Jesus, we need to abide. Aaaah, sounds wonderful. Abide in Him today. Go to Him for everything.

Jesus,

Help us with our human frailties. And there are so many!  Remind us to forgive ourselves as well as others as we move through life. It is difficult to move away from what our flesh wants and to listen to the Sprit. Give us Your wisdom today as we abide in You through each moment, each hour, each day.

Amen