May It Be So

 

     It has been a week of challenging ourselves to move beyond our own  needs and desires, to bring ourselves closer and closer to Jesus. In getting to know Him more intimately, in growing in wisdom and knowledge, in our times of prayer and within the grace He provides daily, we can continue to bring glory to Him. Our faith pleases Him. Our time with Him delights Him as much as it fills us.

     As I continue to challenge myself in the faith and allow God’s Holy Spirit to do His work, I leave you with this. I pray it over each person reading today. May it be so!

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord, and please Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:9-10

Amen!

All Glory

 

     As we grow in spiritual maturity and in the grace of God, we finally figure out that it’s not about us. It’s all about Him. We are His children, His beloved friends, His inheritance, His disciples. When we live our lives in honor of Him, it brings us out of ourselves into living a life filled with His Spirit.

     All glory goes to Him, and all of this glory will move with us into heaven one day.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen 2 Peter 3:18

     I love this thought. Bringing glory to God doesn’t mean pleasing others. It doesn’t mean a show of faith and how much we are doing. It might consist of just being in His presence, of being thankful while cleaning the kitchen, or stopping to enjoy the sunrise. He will definitely use us in the lives of others, but our greatest desires should include spending time with Him, and changing other lives so that they, too, can know Him.

I will give thanks to You, O’ Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Your name forever. Psalm 86:12

     As we mature and grow in the faith, everything we do, will be about Him. Both Peter and Paul lead us into living our lives for His glory.

Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified, through Jesus Christ, through whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen 1 Peter 4:11

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Father,

We are always in Your presence. You will provide what we need, when we need it, wherever we are, with the people we meet. You are everything and to You belongs the glory. Bless this day to Your glory.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Increase Our Faith

 

     If you are struggling with faith, or in trusting God, or in growing in your faith, join the club! The disciples were filled with doubt and fear. They stumbled along the way. They let Jesus down when they fell asleep after He asked them to pray. They were afraid of the storm when He was in the boat. Peter denied knowing Him when he thought he was in danger. The list goes on and on in their lives and in ours. Here is a prayer we can use, just as the disciples cried to our Savior.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” Luke 17:5

     Our faith and trust in God please Him. Trusting in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus saves us forever. God rewards us as we continue to seek Him and to know Him better, to continually increase our faith.

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

Jesus,

Increase our faith! Show us more and more of You. We do believe that You exist and we earnestly seek You. Bless us with all of the spiritual riches that belong to us because of You.

Amen

 

Spiritual Growth

 

     Training our spiritual muscles takes time and training. Our knowledge of God and our faith-filled life can grow through struggle, through blessings, through tragic times and joy-filled moments. God weaves and works through all of life, if we are willing to let Him change us and train us.

     Our spiritual food is necessary for our souls. Our training in the Scriptures and in prayer brings a harvest of fruit into our lives. Don’t be afraid of disciplining yourself to spend time with Jesus. Just as our bodies sometimes cry out when we push them through some physical training, our spiritual disciplines can test our patience and take up our time. Paul reminds us, it is worth it!

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

     God tells us just what our spiritual harvest will look like, as Jesus works on our hearts through our time spent with Him. Think about what this spiritual fruit looks like in your own life.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22

     When God works on any one of the fruits listed above, He will provide all of the challenging situations and experiences necessary to grow us spiritually. Have you gone through times that tested your patience and learned from them? Have you learned to discipline yourself in a certain area of your life that wasn’t healthy? Have you blessed someone that is difficult to be around and felt a peace in your soul? There are so many ways in which God grows this fruit.

     If you are being tested in some way right now, take it as a good sign. God may be growing the spiritual fruit necessary to become more like Him. It will bless your life and the lives of others.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:1-3

Father,

Continue to grow us even when we are struggling through our tough times. Teach us Your ways that do not come naturally to us. Keep us rooted in the vine that is Jesus. He will grow the fruit for us that brings true value to our present lives and the lives to come.

In His name we pray,

Amen

Worship

 

    I’ve been guilty of attending church and thinking the message didn’t resonate, or the music was too loud, or wondering why they did things a certain way and not another. You, too? We all have our ideas about what we need and how worship should be done.

     What would happen if we went in with a mind so full of love for Jesus that we brought that selfless spirit in along with us? It would change the nature of our thoughts and maybe bring a smile to someone else, not to mention having a heart full of true worship.

     Paul tells us we, are called to become more mature. It is our responsibility to soak up God’s word, to feed on it, to nourish ourselves with it as if it were as imperative as the food we eat to strengthen our bodies.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. Hebrews 5:12

     Just as babies move from needing only milk, to needing and desiring solid food, so, we too, need to develop a hunger and a thirst for more of God. And maybe, we will bring our hearts so full or worship, that we feel God’s presence no matter where we are with a loving Spirit along with us.

God is Spirit and His worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth. John 4:24

Lord,

Draw us deeper into your Word and into your ways. Let us delight in the spiritual food you offer us on a daily basis and grow us into mature, active believers.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Guardian Angels and Escorts

 

     Today is our last day on angels. I hope you have enjoyed this peek into God’s heavenly creation and what the Bible tells us about them. Two have names: Gabriel and Michael. One is a messenger and one is a warrior. We met the seraphim with their six wings residing above the throne of God and the cherubim, the living creatures, with four faces, with live coals in the midst of them, following along are wheels with eyes and a spirit. They surround the throne of God.

     Lucifer was created as one of God’s highest-ranking angels, created in beauty and splendor. His pride caused him to fall and he has temporary reign over the earth and the air along with the other demonic angels. They can masquerade as angels of light and seek to destroy and devour.

     God’s angels deliver, minister, protect and guide those of us on earth. I want to leave you with more comforting news about angels as we leave our study. Remember God’s angels are innumerable. Once in a while God opens human eyes to see these angels in their full glory. In the Bible they are dressed in bright white, filled with brilliant light and are tall.

   In the book of 2 Kings chapter 6 we find the King of Aram poised to attack Israel. Elisha, God’s prophet, warns Israel about this secret plan. The King of Aram becomes angry and surrounds Elisha with a great army with horses and chariots. Elisha’s servant becomes fearful and what does Elisah say?

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 2 Kings 6:16

     It gets even better!

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.”  Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:17

     I heard an account of a missionary and his wife, only the two of them, struck with fear as a tribe in a remote village of Africa surrounded their tent. They fell to their knees in prayer.  A few days later they heard through an interpreter that the group ran away when they saw the great bright army with swords surrounding their small tent! Angels are still active today.

     What about guardian angels? There is not a specific mention, but two verses will make you believe we do indeed have our own angels.  Jesus is speaking a warning against harming any child.

  See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. Matthew 18:10

    The next mention of a personal angel comes after another angelic encounter.  Peter has been arrested and is in jail sleeping between two guards and bound in chains.  There are sentries at the doors. An angel strikes Peter to wake him and the cell is filled with light. The angel speaks to him, tells him to get dressed as his chains fall off of him. The doors open and they walk out.  At first Peter believes he is having a dream, but once they are walking outside he comes around and the angel leaves him.  He walks to a house where his fellow believers have been in earnest prayer for him.  The servant is so startled she shuts the door on him and goes to tell everyone. Here is their response:

“You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”  Acts 12:15

    Could this mean we do have a personal angel and maybe they even resemble us? Something to ponder today.

     I believe angels will escort us to heaven when we die. I have worked with hospice patients on several occasions. Do you know where the most reported angel sightings are documented in the age in which we live?  In hospitals and hospices.

The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  Luke 16:22

     Comforting Scripture verses for us today. God can call armies of angels to protect us, a personal angel to attend to us and an angel to escort us to heaven and watch our reaction as we enter our home.  Thank you for taking part in this study. You are loved!

Dear Jesus,

You have thousands of angels at Your command. You care for us each and every moment of each and every day. Help us to trust You with everything.  Open our eyes to see.

Amen

 

Angel Stories

 

     Stories of angels protecting, guiding, ministering and delivering are written throughout the Bible. When Daniel is thrown into the lion’s den, an angel protects him by closing the lion’s mouth. In the book of Luke an angel comforts Jesus after his 40 days of fasting. An angel breaks Peter out of prison and an angel tells the women at the tomb that Jesus is not there.

     I highly recommend the book, The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. Her family, even though they were not Jewish, were sent to a concentration camp after protecting some Jews in their home.

     As she and her sister entered the camp, each woman was stripped of everything, even underwear, and left with a thin dress to wear. She had a Bible with her and asked God to put His angels around her. They continue on through two check points and it was as if no one could see her. That Bible would offer comfort to their camp over the next years. God’s ministering angels were around her.

     We saw yesterday that angels can also disguise themselves in human form. Do you have an angel story? Here is what I believe to be my angel story. I gave up driving almost thirty years ago I had lost some peripheral vision, but could have driven for many more years and I could have easily passed the eye exam. But on this particular day, I was at a four-way stop with my then six and eight-year-old daughters in the back seat. I did not see the large, old car to the left of me.

    I ran into the front right side of the car.  The car pulled over and I pulled in a ways behind it. I walked up to the car. An older woman with the sweetest smile put an arm around me and said, “Oh sweetheart, don’t worry. This old car isn’t hurt. Now you go take care of those two girls.” I thanked her and apologized and walked back to the car, which took about ten seconds. Her car was gone. There was no way she would have been out of sight (even with my limited periphery!)  I also did not know how she could have seen that I had two girls as they were in the back seat a long way from where we were talking.

     This encounter was a wake-up call for me and I gave up driving that day. I did not want to put anyone in danger and I believe God sent that sweet angel to “bump” into me that day.

     Angels are around us daily. They comfort us, protect us spiritually and listen in joy as we talk about Jesus and His word.

Dear Father in heaven,

We thank You for Your ministering angels today. We pray they will surround us as we move around in our lives each day. Help us to tell our stories of Your amazing love.

In Jesus name,

Amen