Stillness in the Storm

     How do we trust Jesus when the storms of life hit? His disciples were overcome with fear when a storm tossed and turned their boat as they crossed the sea. What was Jesus doing? Sleeping peacefully. His fear-filled companions woke Him.

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Quiet! Be still. Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Matthew 4:39.

     Even when fear begins to overtake you; even when it seems as if your God is sleeping or ignoring your prayers, He is there. He knows it all. Someimtes He takes us through the fire. Sometimes He walks us around it and we avoid it all together. And sometimes He just takes us home. He is in charge and He will fight for us. He is there and understands.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” Plalm 46:10

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

    Allow your soul and spirit to find stillness today in the midst of your struggles. He is fighting for you. Trust Him. Let His peace wash over you. Be still. And know that He is God.

Lord,

Our human frailties take over and we lose hope. Help our unbelief. You are there and when the timing is right You calm the waters of our storms. You take us through and we understand more of Your comfort and strength. Give us Your peace right now.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Stand in the Storm

     Cold and flu season is upon us. Yesterday I mustered up the energy to go on an errand or two with my husband and a short walk, after which I proceeded to watch several Hall mark movies in my miserable, tissue-laden, sneezy/wheezy state. Besides the movies my only distraction was trying to hit the wastebasket with my tissues (about six feet away) Yes, I am letting you into my wackiness today. My husband offered to move the wastebasket, but what fun is that?

     In the middle of the mire, there is hope. From the inside of the pit, there is a hand to help you out. Blessings surround us in our misery or in our hopelessness or loneliness. My husband still loves me even when I look like a train-wreck. We have our daughter’s wedding coming up and my cold will be gone! Praise God! Our daughter, Angela, is home from vacation and I get to see her tonight!

     Let’s look for the blessings today, whether it’s a mountain-top view or one from the valley. Christ loves us. He will share our burdens, give us Scripture filled with love and compassion. Read a Scripture on a subject made just for you this morning.

God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life. Job 33:28

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 40:2

     Whether lying in bed, going through chemo, grieving a loss or having a blessed day, stand firm on the rock of faith. God has given us a firm place to stand. As I go back to lie down, I am going to remember the rock on which I stand. He will get us through.

Jesus,

Thank you for giving us a hand out of the pit, for giving us smiles when we are miserable, for standing with us in the mud and mire. You lift us up and give us hope. Bring hope to each of us today.

Amen

Loving Together

     Jesus summed up how we should live:

Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39

    We can only love the Lord with all of our heart, soul and mind if we understand His unfailing, never-ending, sacrificial, unconditional love for us. Allow that love to wash over you today until it fills you entirely. God loves you. He died for you. He wants to change your life with that love. Thank Him. Praise Him. Love Him back and that love will begin to flow unto others. And as we love the unlovable, they will recognize the One who sent us.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7

Jesus tells us:

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

Lord,

Thank You for the love you first gave us. Only when we understand how much we are loved can we love others. Jesus shows us how to do it and in His name we pray.

Amen

Study Together

     Have you found time to read the Bible lately? Have you considred joining a Bible study or looking more in-depth to one of its books? Does it intimidate you? Has it confused you or do you have pre-conceived notions of it? At one time, I believe the Old Testament was filled with hatred and death and the New Testament with all love and grace.

     The Old Testament is filled with the foreshadowing redemption of Jesus. The stories of the lives of the characters fill in the details of the Messiah to come. Over one hundred prophecies from the Old Testament came true in the first advent of Jesus. Hundreds more are beginning to be fulfilled in our lifetime! Yes, there is judgment and destruction coming before the new heaven and new earth.

     All of this should give us an urgency to spread the news of Jesus. Study the Word. Be ready to give an answer.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.  1 Peter 3;15

     Do we have a hope in us? How would you answer if someone asked you about Jesus? Sit in with others and learn from one another. What a privilege it is to have the freedom to study the Bible together, to ask questions, to discern truth, to dig in. We sharpen one another.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Father,

Thank You for Your Word. The truth gives us hope as we await Your final coming. Give us opportunities to study together and sharpen one another and allow others to see a hope within us.

In Jesus name

Amen

Worship Together

     Coming together to worship God gives us increased faith and strength to meet the challenges of our days and weeks. Sharing God’s love together and singing songs to honor Christ, saying the Words we believe and hearing the Word, draw us closer together and brings about a deepening faith.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as we see the day approaching.  Hebrews 10:25

     The Bible is clear. As the day of the Lord approaches, the whole earth will be shaking with earthquakes and wars and an increase of evil. There is no need to fear. We are to encourage one another and gather together as children of the light. The light shines brightest in the darkness.  Do not forsake the assembling of the church. Worship and praise and sing and take in the Word. He will be here soon, in the twinkling of an eye.

Jesus,

Keep us from fear. You are with us every step of the way. Your plan is perfect. We will continue to gather together to strengthen and encourage as we shine Your light and joy in the darkness surrounding us.

Amen

Pray Together

     Jesus took time to pray with His Father when He was on the earth. He would often venture off to solitary places to pray. I hope you do the same. Along with praying alone with Jesus, it is comforting to ask others to pray for us. And, even more powerful, is to pray together. Jesus promises us; He will be there.

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”  Matthew 18:20

     Ask others to pray with you. Pray with your children before they fall asleep. What a blessing to let them know that Jesus is right there with them throughout the night. He listens, and He works, and He intercedes with us in heaven to answer us. Heaven is filled with the incense of our prayers.

Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.  Psalm 141:2

And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.  Revelation 9:4

Father,

Thank You for the privilege of prayer. Let the incense of our prayers rise up to You today.  You are there, in the midst of us, when we gather to pray, in the name of Jesus.

Amen        

Working Together

     I love the fact that God uses us in so many unique ways. Have you allowed Him to use you in an unexpected way? He knows your personality, your weaknesses, your talents and your fears. Sometimes He even takes a weakness and uses His strength through it for His purposes.

     I facilitate a Bible study on Tuesday mornings for about 30 wonderful women. As a legally blind instructor I need a whole team to make this work. The beauty of working together inter-dependently is counter cultural.  We crave our independence, beleving we can do it all ourselves. We are strong! We are invincible! Now, don’t get me wrong. We can all use a good pep talk now and again and we do need to press forward on our own once in awhile.

     But Christ reminds us that we need each other. We are called into the church to work together as His body, each one doing our part. I am reminded of this truth each week as my sweet 84-year-old neighbor drives me to and from Bible Study. I am reminded of it when my husband and daughters read me some small print. I am reminded of it when the technology whiz at church helps me mirror the small screen to the large viewing screen and as I watch the 30 women around me minister to one another.

     We need each other through the valleys and the mountain-top experiences. We need others to be strong when we are weak. We need teachers to teach and the hospitable to welcome and serve and the serving heart to set up and clean up. We need the pastors to preach and the intercessors to pray. We need the administrators to keep us on track and the encouragers to give us those pep talks.

     Celebrate our differences today and, miraculously, celebrate how God weaves us together in a way that works. After all, we have one Spirit and One Father in heaven and He distributes the gifts.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Ephesians 4:4-7

Father,

We are all one in You. Teach us to appreciate each other and to work together as You see fit. Give us the gifts You desire to live out our purposes for You.

In Jesus name,

Amen