The days of our lives are numbered. One day we will reach the
end of our earthly lives. With Jesus, we need have no fear of death. Each step,
each year, each moment, brings us nearer to Him and to our heavenly home. With
this is mind, we, like Paul, can press on as we eagerly await forever.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me, heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
My Uncle Paul is
ready for heaven. He has been in hospice care for a few weeks now and I have
been blessed to speak with him three times. Each conversation remains the same.
He says, “Judy, I will be with Jesus soon. Thank You, Jesus!” He is almost there. The angels will surround
him soon and bring him safely home. What a blessed assurance we have in Jesus.
We have a continual living hope.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. In His great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance
that can never perish, spoil or fade. The inheritance is kept in heaven for
you. 1 Peter 1:3-4
Unlike our earthly
bodies and our earthly home, our forever bodies and our forever home will never
perish, spoil or fade. Forever with Jesus, our living hope. Keep the peace and
joy for eternity ever in your hearts as you walk through your yesterdays,
todays and tomorrows.
Until heaven, we
will not understand it all. But eternity awaits!
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also,
He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work
that God does from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11
Father,
Today we praise You for eternity. You offer us this hope
through Jesus, His birth, death and resurrection reminds us we need not fear
death. Keep eternity in our hearts as we move through our lives.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Having Scripture to guide us with wisdom from the past, living
in the present moments with Jesus showing the way, gives us a deep hope for
tomorrow. He provides for us. Give yourself to Him and find rest for your souls.
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 3:5-5
The verses above
give me peace. If we acknowledge God is everything we do, He will give us the
right path to follow. Each step can be given into His capable hands. His ways
are so much higher than ours.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:5
Look to God’s word
for answers. Rely on His strength to get through each day. The Bible is full of
power and light. The promises packed within the pages are true and mighty.
Place the words on your heart and pull them out when you need them. Listen to
these beautiful verses about God’s word from the prophet Isaiah.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and
flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is
My word that goes out from My mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will
accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah
55:10-11
Father,
We acknowledge You in our ways. We look to Your word to give
us hope for all of our tomorrows. Your word never returns empty. It
accomplishes all You desire for us and for others who rely on You. yesterday,
today and tomorrow are in Your hands.
In Jesus name,
Amen
As we focus on
being present in the moments of our days, the Bible also reminds us to look and
learn from the ancient ways, to learn from those that have gone before us,
especially from the Scriptures. God will teach us lessons from the lives of
others and walk us through the tough times that arise in our lives. Pray for
His guidance that comes from His eternal wisdom.
Show me Your ways Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide
me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You
all day long. Psalm 25:4-5
This is what the Lord says, “Stand at the
crossroads and look, ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and
walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16a
Remember the former things, those of long ago. I
am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like Me. Isaiah 46:9
Father,
We long for rest for our souls. Your words and Your ways guide
us, as we stand at the crossroads of our lives and pray. You have the answers.
You provide peace and joy from within. Thank You for the ancient paths that
show us the good way to go.
In Jesus name,
Amen
The last two weeks have been filled with family and friend
get-togethers, with the celebration of the birth of Jesus, with too much
eating, and finally, with a day or two of rest. My husband and I like nothing more
than having a day to relax. We love the days when we can be together, take a
walk, do a crossword, or go our separate ways for a time of solitude. Yes, we
are growing older.
I have always
appreciated the days I have to myself, to meditate on Scripture, to read and
reflect, to contemplate, to write. This is the way I gain energy, a true
introvert at heart. How about you? What will you do with today? What gives you
renewed energy? What is your favorite type of day?
How are you at
living in the present? We are apt to dwell on past mistakes, or worry about
future events, real or imagined. Our minds launch into scenarios that may or
may not take place and we worry too much about what others think of us. What
would happen, if this year, we try to live in the present, to try to live by
the will of God and let Him take care of the worrying and remove our regrets?
I’m willing to try.
He is our guide and our biggest cheerleader. He has work for us to do, without
panic or worry, without burdening ourselves with the past or the future. He has
grace for each moment, for every circumstance. He is here, omnipresent,
omniscient, omnipotent. Let’s listen for His voice today.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your
ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Isaiah
30:21
In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the
Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 15:9
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you
should go. I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8
Lord,
Thank You for Your loving presence, available to us each
moment of each and every day. We turn to You again as we begin a new year, a
year of hope-filled joy as we listen for Your guidance. Help us to live in the
present with You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Another year is
about to begin. There is something hopeful about turning the page, starting
anew, pondering the year ahead of us. Are you waiting for something? Making a
resolution or two? Praying for transformation?
I gave up resolutions years ago. Invariably, they would be set aside after a week or two,
often with no recollection of what I had resolved in the first place. A few
years back my cousin gave me the idea of selecting a word of the year. This
tradition has made a difference to me, as I decide, with God’s help, where to
place my focus and heart and how the Holy Spirit can help.
Without planning,
the first two years began with an “A word,” followed by “B.” In 2017 my word of
the year was “authentic.” I wanted to be truly myself wherever God took me, in every
and all situations. In 2018, the word chosen was “beginning.” That particular
year, our oldest daughter became engaged, our youngest daughter became
pregnant, my husband was newly retired and we took care for our grandchild full
time. Talk about beginnings!
From there, I continued
the alphabetical theme. Last year the word was “content.” This word came to
mind after witnessing my almost 90-year-old neighbor, Phyllis. She has weakened
considerably over the last couple of years, both in mind and body. This dear
friend of mine is always upbeat and content. The Bible verse that reminds me of
her is found in 1 Timothy 6:6. But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Godly and content. I want to grow up to be just like Phyllis.
Being content with
whatever life brings can only come through Jesus. This year’s word is
“devoted.” The word is described as being loyal, faithful, true, steadfast,
dedicated, devout, loving, affectionate, caring.
All words that
describe Jesus. As we draw closer to Him and His word, more devoted to Him, the
Bible promises us that we will be made more and more into His image, drawing in
more and more of His light. What a gift it is to be be devoted to Jesus.
And we all, who with unveiled faces, contemplate
the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image, with ever-increasing
glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 3:18
Devoted
to Christ. Devoted to family. Devoted to friends. Devoted to study. Devoted to
what is most valuable in life.
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one
another above yourselves. Romans 12:10
Father,
Let this year be devoted to You, to become more and more like
Jesus, to listen, read and meditate on Your Word and to shine with the light of
Christ to the world around us.
Amen
See you back here on January 6th. Happy New
Year! I will be praying for you.
Jesus came to this earth to fulfill the promises made by our
God. The promises are many and were written for our benefit by the prophets of
old, filled with and led by the power of the Holy Spirit. Over 300 prophecies
were fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus.
God promised a
future redemption when sin first came upon the earth through one man. Another
man, the perfect man, would, one day, conquer death for us all. It is Jesus.
Thank Him this season. Glorify His holy name. Share His promises with others.
Tell them about His goodness and His unfailing love. He is trustworthy and
faithful even when we are not.
Isaiah left us with
these words. They were written over 700 years before Jesus was born. They were
fulfilled in a manger over two thousand years ago.
Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign.
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son and will call Him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7;14
For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given,
and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
“He will
be called Immanuel.” Immanuel, “God with
us.” Worship the Mighty Counselor, our Mighty God, our Prince of Peace. It is
Jesus. God is with us.
Father,
Thank You for the miraculous ways You have fulfilled Your
promises to this earth. We are humbled by Your everlasting love for us. Let the
good news of Jesus spread throughout the world.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Merry Christmas! See you back here on Monday for a note about
the New Year.
My mind and my heart have been on a roller-coaster ride of
thoughts and emotions this week, from the sad news of my uncle moving to
hospice, to laughing often and savoring moments with our little grandson. Where
are your thoughts today? Wherever you find yourself this Christmas season,
Jesus is with you.
God is the only one
who knows the span of our lives and He is present from before our birth until
death.
Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days
ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. How
precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast the sum of them! Were I to
count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand-when I awake I am still
with You. Psalm 139:16-18
God has Your life
in His Almighty hands. Trust Him with your joys and sorrows. Find peace in the
knowledge that He is with you morning, noon and night, from before you were
born until death and beyond. What peace this brings.
May this season of
joy bring you back to the good news that never fades. Jesus was born. The Word
became flesh and lived among us. (John 1) He overcame death for us. And He has
the whole world in His hands.
Jesus,
Your ways astound us and Your Word comforts us. Help each one
of us to find Your peace that passes understanding through the seasons all the
days of our lives. Be with those who mourn and thank You for the joys of the
season.
Amen
