Faith From First to Last

 

     God’s love, His faithfulness, His grace and mercy will never fail. He will never, ever leave you. His promises are eternal and all will come to pass. His plans for you are good and His will is pleasing. All He asks of us is to trust Him, to have faith in Him above all else.

For in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed-a righteousness that is by faith from first to last-just as it is written, “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17

     We become right with God when we believe in Jesus as Savior. That is all it takes. The verse above tells us. It is all about faith, from first to last. Faith is the foundation of it all. God will remain faithful to you and to me. Let’s trust Him above all else with faith after faith. When doubt and fear rise up, have faith. When grief overwhelms, have faith. When you are lost, have faith.

     Our energetic, sweet, handsome gramdsons slept over recently.  After Gramps read them, “Green Eggs and Ham” time after time, one of them said, “It just gets funnier and funnier every time.” There is nothing sweeter in the world than the sound of their belly laughs.

     Right after that, Gavin taught me a lesson about faith.  It was time for bed. I tucked them into their bunk beds ready for a story and prayers. I talked about Jesus in the manger, how God had come from heaven to live a life here on earth, how the angels surrounded Him and the shepherds and wise men worshipped Him, ready to share the good news.

     Gavin stopped me and said, “Nana, do you know what the best thing is?” I askd, “No, what?”  He replied, “It’s a true story!”  The faith of a child. Jesus told us just that.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

     Have faith. It’s true!

Father,

The gift of faith in You is a miracle that will keep us secure until we reach heaven. Show us Your love as we continue to trust and have faith in Your Son, Jesus and in His name we pray.

Amen

Lean On Him

 

     Fear and worry, sadness and grief, anticipation and joy, depression and hopelessness, elation and happiness, contentment and peace, unrest and sleeplessness, love and desire, trust and loyalty, mistrust and rejection. Did any of these words hit home with you? There are times when my emotions hit several of the above within a twenty-four-hour time frame.

     God created us to experience desire and hope, to walk through grief and sorrow. In fact, our Father in heaven, sent His Son to experience all of it during His thirty-three years on earth. Throughout the Scriptures, we watch as Jesus weeps, (John 11:35) as He sweats blood in His agonizing prayer before His death on the cross, (Luke 22;44) as He displays anger at the money-changers in the holy temple, (John 2:15) as He sighs deeply, (Matthew 8:12) and, of course, as He suffers intensely for hours and hours on the cross. (See the Gospels and Hebrews 2:9)

     Is is meeting you right where you are, right now, this moment. Remember Jesus experienced those diseases, agonies, sufferings and sins for all of us. He endured it for the joy set before Him, which is us! (Hebrews 12:2) He overcame them all through His death and resurrection. Wherever you are emotionally, Jesus has felt it Himself and experienced it for you and me. Tell Him all about it. Let Him take the burden from you and replace it with His abiding peace and joy. Trust Him with the next step. Trust Him with your tears. Trust Him with your future. His agony brought about the joy of our salvation.

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to Him for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.  Psalm 143:8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord,

Teach me to trust You with my life and the lives of those I love. Listen to my prayer and make my paths straight into Your will today. Be my refuge and strength.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Advent Brings Faith

 

     Yesterday, on the second Sunday in December, the second purple candle was lit. This second candle represents faith. Some traditions call this the "Bethlehem Candle," symbolizing Christ's humble beginnings:

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:12, NIV)

     Again, the prophets foretold the birthplace of the coming Messiah.

But you Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small among the class of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel whose origins are from of old. Micah5:2

     No other book or person has foretold the future with 100 percent accuracy. Over 300 prophecies came true at the first coming of Jesus and even more are written about His second coming. These prophecies were written over a span of thousands of years and written by multiple authors. Have faith! Our 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

See the baby in the manger. The Messiah has come brining good tidings of great joy!

Father,

Our faith grows as we study Your word. Jesus is the word of God in the flesh and we praise You for the gift of faith.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Come Lord Jesus

 

     The guarantee of our heavenly home should provide all we need to get through all that life brings, the good, the bad and the ugly. Remember, we live in a fallen world. Even with our sins wiped clean in God’s sight, we will remain fallen, frail human beings until we receive our new bodies and live forever in heaven.

     The earth is deteriorating along with humanity. The Bible describes all that is happening right now in our world, in great detail. None of it surprises God. The earth waits right along with us.

For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. Romans 8:19

We know that the whole creation has been groaning, as in the pains of childbirth, (Matthew 24) right up to the present time.

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, , the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8;22-23

     The creation waits eagerly. The birds rise each morning with a song. The sunflowers turn their stunning faces to the son. Let’s do the same. We wait eagerly. Some days seem impossible to navigate. But, wait!  We have hope. Always hope. And our Savior offers all we need to get through each and every single day.

     The older we get, the more we anticipate heaven, but even the younger generation should keep an eternal perspective. The end of this short life is only the beginning of all things new and perfected. Wait in eager anticipation. He is coming again to set up a new heaven and a new earth for you and for me. Come, Lord Jesus!

Lord,

The anticipation continues throughout our lives as we draw ever nearer to heaven. We eagerly await seeing those who have gone before us. We miss them deeply. But one day soon, we will see You and we will see them and the reunion will never end.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Above the Clouds

 

     Faith, belief, trust. Jesus asks us to believe in Him, to trust Him, to have faith in Him above all else, to be filled with an everlasting hope for the future. 

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. 1 Peter 1:8

Maybe you have heard of Joni Eareckson Tada.  Over 50 years ago, as a teenager, she had a diving accident that left her as a quadriplegic. She has given her life to serving Christ.Through the years she has inspired millions. She is an amazing artist, painting painstakingly with her mouth. She is an author, and an advocate for those living with disabilities. Listen to this perspective from someone who has suffered so much

“I want to stay in the habit of ‘glancing’ at my problems and ‘gazing’ at my Lord.”

     Beautiful. Look above the clouds in your life to the glory of the Son. You can trust His promises. You can have faith that He knows what He is doing. Maybe like Joni, He will use your struggles to show His glory. What a privilege.

Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

     When we look over our lives, when we are seated in heaven, the things we did for Christ will remain. Trust, believe, have faith in the One who is worthy and the One filling us with hope..

Father,

Teach us to gaze at Jesus with complete faith and trust. This short life is meant to be lived for Him. He is the missing piece. We were made for Him.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Treasure These Things

 

If you haven’t listened to the song, “Mary Did You Know?” I highly encourage you to do so. Many have sung it over the years. I love all versions and the song never fails to leave me with goosebumps and eyes filled with tears.

    Mary had an unexpected visit with an angel. Gabriel gave her the news straight from the mouth of God. Mary was highly favored in God’s sight. This young virgin would have the privilege of carrying the Son of God and raising Him. It was impossible for her to comprehend this message, nor understand all that was to come

     . Can you imagine her thoughts as this precious child grew within her womb, as she raised her face to the sky above the manger brightly lit by the star, witnessing the worship of the shepherds and the wise men, along with the full glory of the angelic host?

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

     It is hard to fathom the thoughts and ponderings of Joseph and Mary as they raised their young Son. There is little written about the childhood years of Jesus, but as they traveled among their community from Jerusalem to Nazareth, Jesus stayed behind. He was twelve years old.

     When His parents realized He was not among them, they were worried and went back to find Him. Jesus told them they should not have been surprised to find Him in His Father’s house. The others in the temple had been astonished at His maturity and understanding.

The child’s mother and father marveled at what was said about Him. Luke 2:33

     Let’s take time over this season of anticipation and hope, to treasure all of these things in our hearts and ponder them, to marvel in all of God’s ways. How can we possibly comprehend all of the marvelous works of our God? After all, His own mother and father, His sisters and brothers, and His disciples could not anticipate all that was to come.

     Jesus continues to provide moments to be treasured, insight to be pondered, and acts in which we can marvel. Treasure the moments He gives you today.

Lord,

We can’t thank You enough for the word of God that brings all of our human frailties into focus. As we ponder Your birth, and treasure the truths of who You are, as we marvel at our salvation and all that is to come, let us praise You from the mountaintops!  Jesus Christ is born!  Hallelujah!

Amen

Hang on to Hope

 

     With the uncertainties in life, there is hope. Hope remains. At the end of the struggle, with the easing of grief, with remission after treatment, with recovery, with reconciliation and forgiveness, there is hope. At the end of this earthly life, all of our longings and hopes will be realized.

     In the meantime, hang on. Hope is there. Anchor yourself with hope today.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Hebrews 6:19

     Hang on to the anchor of hope in your soul. Jesus is guiding you through the uncertainties and struggles of life. He will never let you go. Your foundation is secure with Him.

Jesus,

Sometimes it’s hard to hang on to the hope you offer. Comfort and strengthen those with uncertain futures. You know the number of our days and we hang on to You.

Amen