Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14
Everything
in love? All things in love? What about the neighbor keeping me up last night?
What about the friend who spoke untruths about me? What about the rude cashier?
We can come up with a thousand reasons a day not to walk in love, can’t we?
Jesus loved us
enough to die for us, each one of us. He has forgiven us past, present and
future. While we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, Jesus loves us
enough to forgive us for all of it.
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
What would it look
like to do everything in love? Can we forgive those who don’t deserve it? Can
we speak gently to the one who is rude? Can we bring hope to an angry
acquaintance, or stay calm in a tense situation? Can we focus on our spouse’s
great qualities and not the things that drive us crazy? Can we consistently
walk in love?
Only when we are
filled with Christ Himself can we live in love. He gives us the strength and
the hope we need to walk in step with Him. Let’s give Him everything today, in
love.
Lord,
Your love knows no bounds. You give grace and mercy where none
is deserved. Continue to show mercy to us as we struggle with our days. Reduce
us to love today.
Amen
How do we continue to keep Jesus first in our lives, as our
lives become stretched too thin? Calendars fill up. Work and chores need to be
done. Friends and family need us. Our young children deserve our constant and
consistent attention and care. Where does Christ fit in?
Looking back over
the many decades of my life, I know the times I have been most out of sorts have,
invariably, been the times when my focus has been taken off Jesus. Enjoying and
welcoming and relying on the Holy Spirit’s lead is the only answer to maintaining
a peaceful and joy-filled life. It’s ultimately all about Him.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not human masters. Colossians 3:23
The
definition for “everything” includes “all things” and “life in general.” What
if every single thing we do and say, including our actions, our work, our
attitudes, could be given to Jesus? He bought us with a price and our lives now
belong to Him.
I can’t imagine
trying to give Him some of the things I have said or the ways in which I have completed
tasks half-heartedly, or done something for someone grudgingly. So many
instances come to mind as I think about giving everything to Christ. I’m sure
Jesus would want nothing to do with some of it.
We won’t be perfect, nope, not ever on this earth.
But, for today, I
am going to think and act mindfully as to the Lord, focusing on the way I live
and act, as a child of the most-high God, as one who belongs to Christ and is
given the honor of representing Him to a fallen world.
Jesus,
Help me to give all of my life to You, to act and do
everything in Your honor and with You in mind. No matter how mundane, let us
welcome Your presence into all we do, in all things, in everything.
Amen
Feeling weak? Let Jesus be your strength. Feeling tired? Come
to Him and He will give you rest? Feeling unsettled? He will bring you back to
peace. Are you grieving? Let Him comfort
you. Content and happy? Jesus will
rejoice with you.
Be reminded that
Jesus is with you. He is beside you and within you, surrounding
you on each side, above and beneath you. In all things, Jesus is there. All
things were created through Him and for Him.
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. Colossians
1:16
We have been saved
for eternity through Christ. He is with you today and tomorrow. He will walk
with you, talk with you, listen to you and He is able to sustain you in all
things. He is enough. Have faith.
Through Him, you believe in God, who raised Him
from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter
1:21
Father,
Thank You for reminding us today that, because of Jesus, we
have access to You. Our hope and our faith remain steadfast in You. Give us
exactly what we need today.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Studying and thinking about the power of our tongues has me
thinking and praying. How about you? James has so much to say about the damage
our tongues can do in Chapter 3 of the book he penned. He compares the damage
of slander and gossip to the spark that brings about a forest fire!
Likewise,
the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider
what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. James 3:5
Every person on
earth is loved by God and His desire is to save each one. When we speak evil
about another, it causes damage to ourselves and to a potential child of God.
With the
tongue, we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who
have been made in God’s likeness. James 3:9
King Solomon adds
to James’ warnings. We can avoid the fire altogether and put out the flame.
Without
wood, a fire goes out, without a gossip, a quarrel dies down. Proverbs 26:20
And finally, a reminder that our
tongues can bring harm to others, but ultimately our boasts and slander and
gossip cause the most harm to ourselves.
Those who
guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. Proverbs
21:23
Let’s keep these
verses as daily prayers.
Set a
guard over my mouth, Lord, keep watch over the door of my lips. Psalm 141:3
Let the
words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord,
my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
Amen
No blog
next week. Enjoy the summer! See you back here on July 29th.
Gossip is a tough subject. God hates gossip. It is listed with
the other things He hates in Proverbs 6. How do we recognize gossip? Another
tough subject and question to consider. As Christians, we can tell another
person’s story under the guise of needing prayer, or sit in judgment when we
view things from a different perspective.
We can talk about
our neighbors or friends as a way to feel better about ourselves. Gossip can
become a way of life so easily, and God has been convicting me of just that.
When we are in a group talking about others, we feel safe. At least they are
not talking about us. It may go all the way back to grade school when we just
wanted to fit in, to be accepted. The Bible is clear about gossip. We are not
to take part in it and we are to avoid people who wallow in it.
A gossip
betrays a confidence, so avoid anyone who talks too much. Proverbs 20:19
Continually strive
to turn the conversations in a positive way about the person or persons being
discussed, change the subject or leave. We can make a difference. A good
benchmark is to decide if you would say the same things you are saying directly
to the person being discussed. Gossip causes damage and we can avoid it. Here
is a wonderful verse to think about as we consider the way we speak.
Do not
let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up, according to their needs, that it may benefit those who
listen. Ephesians 4:29
Father,
Keep a guard on our mouths. (Psalm 141;3) Remind us to make
sure our conversation is beneficial and uplifting about and to others. You know
how hard this is for us, but You will help us. We love You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
As the called-out children of God, we are to be set apart from
a world gone mad. Part of living righteously is watching our tongues. We don’t
need to fit in. We can be sure God will give us the opportunities to be different,
to set a higher standard, to be representatives of Jesus.
The
mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just.
Psalm 37:30
Are we fair when we
speak of others? Are we sharing the wisdom we learn from Christ? How about our
language?
Nor
should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of
place, but rather thanksgiving. Ephesians 5:4
Feeling bitter and angry?
Gat rid
of bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of
malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as
in Christ, God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32
As we listen to ourselves speak and take responsibility for
the damage our tongues can cause, we can take great advice from the word of
God.
My dear
brothers and sisters, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen,
slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19
I don’t know about
you, but many times I am quick to speak and slow to listen. We think about what
we are going to say next, rather than give our full attention to the one
speaking. Listening to others is a gift, to really hear them and try to see their
hearts. We jump to conclusions from appearance or actions and don’t take the
time to go beneath the surface.
Be slow to speak,
be slow to get angry and be quick to listen. I am going to listen to that and
give it a try.
Lord,
Thank You for Your great wisdom. I pray we will listen to Your
advice as we look at the power of what we speak.
Amen
At the very moment we believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit moves
into our hearts and souls and our bodies become His temple. Things change. As
we deepen our love for Christ, gain knowledge of His mighty word and believe in
His resurrection power, He begins to change us from the inside out. We may not
notice the subtle changes for years. Luckily, He is patient! His enduring love
stays with us, wherever we are, teaching and guiding us into new truths.
Lately, God has
been convicting me on the importance of our words, as we speak to ourselves and
as we speak to others. When I think of the things I say, it is not always
pretty. I get down on myself for doing stupid things. (Sound familiar?) I speak
negatively about others or think about the annoying habits of others. Hard not
to, right?
There are numerous
verses about the power of our tongues and we’ll focus on those this week. When
the Holy Spirit asks us to move to a better place, I hope we will all listen. Have you been hurt by the words of another?
The
tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its
fruit. Proverbs 18:21
What? The power of
life and death? Makes me want to think about what I say and how I say it. We
have the power to speak words of love, encouragement, and kindness and, as we
do, to think the best of others. We also have the choice to think ourselves
better than others, to believe we have all the answers, to try to get even, or
to speak negatively to or about others.
Lord,
Help me, help us to do a better job of representing Your love
and kindness even when we and others don’t seem to deserve it. Our tongues have
great power to put down or to lift up. Please show us how to make the right
choices. Once harsh words are spoken, they can never be taken back, and their
impact can be felt in our hearts and etched in our minds forever.
In Jesus name,
Amen
My soul is uplifted. Thanks for listening and walking with me
this week. What is the state of your soul today? Peaceful? Agitated? Worried?
Sad? Joy-filled? The emotions of life
take us on a roller-coaster ride, don’t they? Here is an excerpt from a
devotion I wrote many years ago.
These lives of ours are filled with times
of steady ease, times of unexpected dips and curves and earth-shattering and
frightening lows. Even though we can’t possibly experience everything with each
other, even those we love the most, there is One who can.
Jesus will be there
during the entire ride, to experience every ear-splitting yell of pure joy, to
ease our fear as we see the dangerous curves ahead, and to be our companion
through every time of smooth sailing. Remind yourself of that today.
He will never
complain about being too dizzy or too tired to go again. He has been higher and
lower than any of us will ever experience. He sits in the glory of heaven and
He suffered through the pits of hell. He will look you in the eyes and say, “Surely I am with you always, even to the
very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
Whether you are in
the beginning of your life, or starting up that final ascent, Jesus will be your
ever-present constant companion. Take His hand and experience it all.
Dear Jesus,
Stay close beside us today, no matter where we find ourselves,
in sorrow, or joy. Remind us to talk with You, to listen to Your voice. You
will get us through today, tomorrow and until the end of the age.
We love You.
Amen
Follow peace. A
friend sent me a wise thought this week. If something just feels wrong and you
can’t find any peace or joy, most likely, the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you
something. Take a step back and pray. God always brings us peace as we follow
and listen.
Walking in step
with the Spirit takes time. The voices swirling around us take our attention.
The world sucks us back in to its loud and clamoring voice. Sitting in the
quiet with Jesus will bring our souls back to a calmness, a time of rest. Jesus
offers us these thoughts. Hear His voice
for you today.
Then because so many people were coming and going
that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with me by
yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31
“Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and
I will give you rest.” Matthew 11;28
There will be
seasons of being over-busy, burdened with life, pulled in the wrong directions,
sidetracked with work and kids and life. Jesus will beckon us with His
words. “Come to Me.” As we return to Him again and again, our
weary souls find rest and peace. Follow
peace. If your soul is in turmoil, if
you are losing sleep, if you are filled with anxious thoughts, come away with
Him to a quiet place and rest.
Jesus,
You are our rest and peace. Remind us of the importance and
value of being with You, sitting in a quiet place, reading and studying Your
word and taking time to pray. The power of our prayers is real and it is
necessary. Find us some queit times in our lives to sit with You, Lord,
Amen
As we forgive and
remove anger and bitterness, a release follows, a great breath of fresh air, a
new beginning. Setting boundaries in our lives can be healthy and, often, necessary.
I have had to take myself out of an unhealthy situation recently. It has been
difficult in so many ways.
It actually took a
few years to get to this point, but with prayer and study, I realized God was
moving me in a new direction. How about you? To keep ourselves healthy and
whole, God may close some doors in order to open something new. He always uses
us for good.
A time to search
and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away. Ecclesiastes
3:6
Are you hanging on
to something that is not healthy or to a relationship causing harm? Is it time
for God to take your hand and move you in a new direction, to let go? Turn your
gaze upward and move ahead. Watch for Christ to work, even though the letting
go can be heart-wrenching.
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
Forget the former things, do not dwell on the
past. 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 desert. Isaiah 43:18-19
Father,
Help us to listen to Your lead, no matter how difficult it is
to leave something or someone behind. Keep us strong in your love and peace,
always straining toward what is ahead.
In Jesus name,
Amen
It’s easy to allow
bitterness to grow. Years and years ago I had a falling out with my brother and
sister-in-law. They completely quit talking to me for a few years. I remember
growing bitter and angry. I nursed and rehearsed all of the things I would like
to say to them.
The unforgiveness
we spoke of yesterday and the bitterness that can grow when we are angry are
not healthy, and the Bible warns against these negative emotions. Our
irritations and our critical thoughts can become habits and grow into what the
Bible calls a bitter root.
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of
God, and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews
12:15
Not only do these
negative emotions harm ourselves as we allow them to eat away at us, but they
defile the people around us. All of us have known bitter and negative people
and their attitudes seep into the atmosphere around them. These verses will steer us in the right direction.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger,
brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and
compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Jesus offers us forgiveness,
kindness and compassion. Give the same away to others, no matter how they treat
you. Not easy, but it will bless you and others.
Father,
Help us to forgive and to remove any bitter root or anger
against others. When we are hurt, allow us to give it to You to work out for
us. We trust You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
True forgiveness is an impossible human trait. When we are
betrayed by someone we love, or abandoned or abused by others, our first
emotion is to strike back to hurt or harm or to turn others against that
person. You have heard the story of the little boy that was thrown over the
balcony at the Mall of America by someone that randomly chose him. He admitted
he was out to kill someone that day.
This young child
lived through it, but has a very long and difficult road to travel. Imagine the
thoughts of his family. Instead of lashing out, they forgave. They put their
trust where it belongs. In Jesus. Their example and their response is possible
only through the love of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
No matter what life
throws at us, (we will all be hurt) we need to turn our focus on Jesus. He will
work things out in His own way and in His own time. One day, everything will be
sorted out in a fair and just manner.
Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what
is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on
you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but
leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, “It is mine to avenge. I will
repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:17-19
The Lord always
takes care of His own. Place your trust in Him. Live in peace, as far as you
are able, with everyone and wait on Him.
Lord,
It is hard to forgive in our hearts. Show us how to do just
that and give it all to You. You will make all things right. Show us the way to
peace.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Earlier in the
week, I mentioned my love of rocks. Most of the rocks in my gardens are nondescript,
pretty basic in hues of gray or beige. In addition to the rocks in my garden, I
appreciate the stones in my ring that symbolize my love for my husband. The
gemstones available to us are beautiful and precious. Can you imagine what our
new heaven and new earth will be like?
God gives us
glimpses in his word. The heavenly city will be made of precious stones and in
the following descriptions from the book of Revelation, we can try to envision
our future home.
The imagination of
our most creative artist could never capture what heaven will be like. I imagine the
colors, the sights and sounds will be unlike anything we have seen or
experienced here. The colors will be infinitely brighter and bolder and more
precious than our most expensive stones. Here is the description of the holy,
heavenly city.
It shone with the glory of God, the brilliance was
like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. Revelation
21:11
The wall was made of jasper and the city of pure
gold as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with
every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second
sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby,
the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise,
the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth 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 21:16-21
We can only
imagine.
Father,
Our heavenly home will be more than all we hope or imagine. As
we await the day of our homecoming, help us to appreciate Your miraculous
creation surrounding us now. We take so much for granted. Keep our faith strong
and solid, built on our Rock, Jesus. And in His name, we pray.
Amen
Whatever path you are on, Jesus is making a way ahead. Believe
it! He is always a few steps ahead of us. He understands what comes next and He
will figure it out. God takes care of His own and you are His beloved child.
The path of the righteous is level. You, the Upright
One make the way of the righteous smooth. Isaiah 26:7
I love the thought
of Jesus smoothing the way, removing those rocks and boulders, making the road
level and safe for us. Not only will He smooth the path ahead, but He will shed
light on the darkness surrounding us.
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
Remember,
Jesus leads us along unfamiliar paths. Do not be afraid. He will be your guide.
He is smoothing the path ahead and lighting the way. His Word is one of the
many ways He leads us.
Your Word is a lmap to my feet and a light to my
path. Psalm 119:105
Find some light
today for your soul. We all need it. Trust Him to smooth the rough places
ahead. He is there right ahead, paving the way.
Jesus,
Thank You for Your Word. Let us remember to let You lead as we
try to stumble our way on the paths of life.
Amen
Is it time to let
something go and begin again? Time to tear something down and rebuild? Change
may be welcomed. Change may be frightening. Change may be necessary, but
difficult. Change may come out of nowhere and face us with challenges ahead. Is
it time to accept something new?
A time to cast away stones and a time to gather
stones together. Ecclesiastes 3:5a
The verse above
comes from the familiar Chapter of Ecclesiastes 3. (Also familiar from a song
by The Byrds in 1965 titled, “Turn! Turn! Turn.”) There is a season for
everything in life. What does it mean to cast away stones and to gather stones?
There are varying
opinions and commentaries on this particular verse. One way of looking at casting
away stones is to think of physically tearing down an old building or to remove
something no longer necessary or useful, to cast away something or someone
harmful, to throw out the old and welcome the new.
Gathering stones to
rebuild our foundation of faith may be necessary after a time of letting go or
grieving. What will life look like with the changes surrounding us? Have we
lost our trust in Jesus? When we lose our way, He waits for us to return to
Him. He will help us rebuild and weather
the storm, offering us the firm foundation of faith.
Building and
rebuilding our faith on the Rock, allows us to keep gathering and regathering the
stones of faith. As we gather His Words into our hearts and follow Him, we need
not fear the changes in life.
“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine
and puts them into practice is like a wise man who builds his house on the
rock.” Matthew 7:24
Lord,
Whatever choices we need to make, You are ready as our Rock,
our firm foundation to help us rebuild, to show us the way, to help us gather
the stones needed to remain safe and steadfast in Your care.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Have you stumbled through life a time or two? Fallen down with
no idea how to get up and begin again? Walking with hesitation comes naturally
to a legally blind person like me. In life, there will be times we lose the
road ahead. The next step is too high, too hard, too precarious. Sitting
immobile, fear-bound, leaves us trapped in one spot.
Luckily, Jesus
offers us a way up, a way around, or a way over the next rocky road ahead. As
parents, we hope our kids have an easy life, don’t we? We long to protect them,
to cushion the blow, to take the pain from them. The pain they feel becomes ours, the joy they
experience fills us to the brim.
Christ does the
same for us. His protection, His strength, and His love are deeper and more
profound than the greatest parent’s protection, strength and love. Sorrow and
suffering will often be our closest companions. With hindsight and perspective,
we begin to understand. Wisdom and strength often come from the tough times. Sacrifice and weakness bring us to rely on Jesus more as we become
witnesses to His goodness and His never-ending hope. Jesus pulls us out.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud
and mire. He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:
As we
stand still in His protection, we are safe in His refuge. He will let us know
when it is time to move on, to move unto the next stepping stone. The obstacles
and rocky spots in life can bring the deepest blessings. I read this quote many
years ago:
“If God removed the rocks, a brook would lose its song.”
God will use the
rocks along the way, until our life unfolds into one beautiful song. Yes, some
of the notes will be minor and forlorn. But the refrain will resound in the
major notes of praise and worship as we take the path to our heavenly home.
Father,
You know the end from the beginning. We trust You to pick us
up, to brush us off, and to find the
next step when we are ready. You are the Rock and our salvation.
In Jesus name,
Amen
I love rocks.
Typically, on our vacations, I will slip a small rock into my suitcase to add
to my garden. There is just something about them, as you kindred rock lovers will
understand.
The image of God is
represented as a rock over and over again in the Bible.
Truly He is my rock and my salvation. He is my
fortress. I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:2
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord
Himself is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4
The
Israelites followed ancient customs and set up standing stones to commemorate
God’s miracles among them. Jacob set up standing stones to remember his dream
in Genesis 28 and 35. Moses built twelve
standing stones at the foot of Mount Sinai after receiving the ten commandments
in Exodus 24. Standing stones were left
after the miraculous crossing of the Jordan river in Joshua 4.
Listen to Peter’s
description of both Christ and His believers in the New Testament:
As you come to Him, the living Stone-rejected by
humans but chosen by God and precious to Him-you also, like living stones, are
being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
We no longer need
outward traditions or physical monuments or laws on stones to be acceptable to
our holy God. Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice. He is the living stone and
our spirits are alive and well forever because of Him. Stand tall in your
confidence in Christ, our rock and our salvation. We are His representatives in
a world gone mad. You are a spiritual stone being built for your eternal home.
Lord,
We are living spiritual stones building the house of God. Help
us to tell others of Your unending promises offered as a free gift to all who
will come to You through Jesus.
Amen
