The examples of God working through lives are endless and they
are eternal. The Spirit-filled life is one of abundance, deep joy and peace. The
blessings of God act as stepping stones to guide us on the path ahead. As our
trust and faith grow, as we rely more and more on the secure foundation of
Christ, we can walk in hope and show the world around us that everything in
life brings us to the One thing we need. It is Christ.
We have
this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner
sanctuary behind the curtain. Hebrews 6:19
The words in the
verse above give us strength. We have an anchor for our souls, where it matters
most, firm and secure, always hopeful. We can enter the very throne-room of
heaven with anything and everything and He is there. Jesus experienced every
single emotion, every single temptation, every tribulation we will encounter.
He felt every sin, felt the agony of each disease, suffered the pain and loss
of being separate from His Father in heaven for the first time. He knows. He
has been there.
Life is precious
and fragile. It is exhilarating and frightening. It is filled with happiness
and sadness, with hope and despair, and with Christ, we will get through it all
in triumph. He has overcome death for us! There is no more fear with Him. His
perfect love is forever.
There is
no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with
punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18
His mysterious ways
will remain that way until that glorious day we walk through heaven’s door
forever. All of our questions will be set at ease, all of our hopes realized,
all of our fears unfounded, all uncertainty gone, no more pain, no more tears,
only perfect love forever. Keep that foundation of faith with you each unsteady
step of the way. The anchor of Christ is secure and it is lasting.
Have I
not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be
discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Lord,
Whatever life holds, you hold us. Our fear keeps us from
trusting you. Our worries about tomorrow rob us of the joys of today. Be with
us wherever we go. You promise to never leave us nor forsake us. And Your
perfect love stays with us.
In Jesus name,
Amen
When we can’t find an answer, when we don’t know how to get
through the grief, or how to help a loved one, or what to do next, we can place our complete trust in Jesus. He
has the answers. He knows the way through. He has the words of comfort for us
to use. He sees the next step and the one after that. There are millions of
testimonies in history up to the present day reminding us and teaching us that
God works through everything..
The apostle Paul
wrote several of his epistles from a dark, dank, smelly jail cell in Rome. He
was chained to a guard at all times. All of these prison epistles are filled
with gratitude to God, with an understanding that even then, the good news of the
gospel would be preached.
He and his other
Christian cellmates sang songs of praise and joy, stunning their jailers and
other prisoners. The words throughout the book of Philippians speak of deep joy,
about the peace that passes all understanding, and the call for believers to
continue to shine as stars. Here are a
few verses to take with you today.
Now I
want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has
actually served to advance the gospel. Philippians 1:12
For me,
to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21
So that
you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped
and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.
Philippians 2:15
Rejoice
in the Lord always! I will say it again. Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
I can do
all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
The verses in the
Book of Philippians are worth reading time and time again. Put them to memory
and take them out when you are feeling weak and overwhelmed. Paul reminds us to
spread the gospel no matter the circumstances in our lives, to continue to
shine like stars in this warped generation, to rejoice always! God is good, all
the time. Stay filled with His peace and joy as we continue to marvel at His
mysterious ways.
Lord,
Thank You for the examples of faith both in Scripture and in
life. Teach us by example to rely on Your great love and strength that will get
us through life, all of it with peace and joy, always striving to shine with
Your glory.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Oh, the
depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His
judgments and His paths beyond searching out! Romans 11:33
When we sit in wonder and awe at
the scope and magnitude of our Creator God, it is simply miraculous that His
plans include us. Let this verse help you relax in His strength today. He is in
all things around us and He has absolute control.
For from
Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.
Amen Romans 11:36
All things. That
includes you and me, the spinning of the globe, the sunrise and the sunset, the
ocean waves and the breeze. All from Him. All through Him. All for Him.
Placing our very
lives in His hands is not easy. We want control. As humans it becomes difficult
to keep our peace as we question the future of the planet, as we obsess over
government or rulers, as we fret about our daily activities and work schedules.
God uses them all. Ultimately, the end of the earth as we know it will be in
His hands and eternity will be ours. Focus on the things that please God. Focus
on His beloved Son. And focus on the things of the heart.
Above all else, our
faith pleases God. His mysterious ways will not be completely understood by us
right now, but we know we have a secure foundation.
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
Lord,
How wonderful are Your ways! Keep us strong in faith and
trust, looking to You for everything we need in our lives. You are the author
and finisher of our faith and of the heavens and the earth. Give us peace today
as we leave it all in Your capable hands.
In Jesus name,
Amen
As we live out our lives, we will never completely
understand the mysterious ways of God. He weaves people, circumstances, places,
even our words into His timing and for His purposes. There are times we are
obedient and understand what He desires from us and what to do for and with the
people and opportunities He places before us.
Most
times, I believe, we won’t realize the impact we have made through the Holy
Spirit until eternity. When we use our spiritual gifts and ask the Spirit to
guide us, He WILL work through us.
My
husband and I were listening to music over the weekend and listened closely to
the lyrics of the Beatle’s song, “In My Life.” This song speaks of people
moving in and out of our lives Some have died and some reman, as we hold
affection for them all. Have you had an old friend pop back into your life? Have
you been able to thank someone for making a difference in your life? Has
someone told you how much you mean to them? Has a word spoken at the right time
meant so much?
Think
back over your life and smile as you remember those that have made a difference
to you. A parent, a teacher, a friend? Could
it have been a stranger you encountered along the way? Thank God for those
people and ask Him how He can use you in the same ways.
Let’s be
ready for His call. The most unexpected encounters may be the very ones God has
in mind to change a life through us with His presence, with His promises, with
His love. Don’t try to figure it all out. He works good through the toughest
times and brings blessings in the most mysterious ways.
Jesus
replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will
understand.” John 13:7
Father,
We love the journey we are on with You. Open our
eyes to Your ways, but keep us peace-filled when we don’t understand. Your ways
are so much higher than ours. We thank You for the people and the places we
find through Your lead.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Life moves through cycles of weakness and strength, of chaos
and peace, of sadness and joy, of comfort and unrest. After we come to know
Jesus, He sticks with us through it all and as we deepen our relationship with
Him, we look more and more forward to seeing Him face-to-face and we yearn for
our eternal homes.
My grandma, Pella,
made a huge impact on my life. I was lucky to have her until my late twenties.
As she aged and moved into her nineties, she would often say, “I just want to
go home to Jesus.” With her strong Swedish accent, she said, “Yesus,” and
called me “Yudy.” I still miss her, but
the older I get the more I understand the longing that faith brings and the
eternal perspective in life.
My aunt and uncle
are both in their nineties now. Along with my grandparents, they have taught by
example what it means to live a life of faith. My uncle, Paul, has always been
larger than life to me with his outgoing personality filled with laughter and
love, with his ability to speak passionately and pray beautifully, never afraid
to share His love of Christ.
Each time I talk
with him or my aunt, or receive a letter or card from them, they add the words,
“Come, Lord Jesus!” They long for His return
and they long for heaven, which now includes their beloved son, Dan.
Did you know that
the disciples expected Jesus to return at any moment? The apostle Paul, too,
wrote often about being ready for the soon return of Christ. Each generation
believed He could return at any moment, any day, any season. We, along with
generations past, should be ready as well.
His return is
imminent. About to happen at any moment. Are you ready and longing for His
appearance?
So, you
also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not
expect Him. Matthew 24:44
Therefore,
keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Matthew
24;42
Keep watch. Be
alert. Watch the signs and the seasons. As we witness Scripture coming true
prophetically, we can be confident in our faith and in the soon return of our
Lord.
When
these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your
redemption is drawing near. Luke 21:28
We have nothing to
fear. Live with confidence in Jesus. Wait patiently and with great expectation.
Each day is a blessing and our eternity is secure.
He who
testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come Lord,
Jesus. Revelation 22:20
Father,
We say, “Come, Lord Jesus.” What a day it will be when we meet
Him face-to-face and move into our glorious eternal home. In the meantime, keep
us ready and alert, doing what You ask us to do through our lifetimes here as
we await that glorious day.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Enjoy the long weekend and let’s remember those who have gone
before us and those who have served to give us our freedom. See you back here
on Tuesday, May 28.
Come and see what the Lord has done! As we live our lives with
Jesus, we begin to witness the miraculous all around us. His creation is more
magnificent and unbelievably beautiful than we appreciated before knowing Him.
The love we share with family and friends becomes more precious because of Him.
Our eyes open to
what is important to Him, the deep and the lovely world that Jesus offers. Deep
speaks to deep.
These are
the things God has revealed to us through His Spirit. The Spirit searches all
things, even the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10
Deep
calls to deep in the roar of the waterfalls, all Your waves and breakers have
swept over me. Psalm 42:7
Jesus opens our
spiritual eyes with the help of His Holy Spirit. After meeting Jesus and
following Him for a while, the deep blessings overwhelm us. His voice
reverberates in our souls and we begin to see through His eyes, hear with His
ears, serve with His hands, walk in His steps. We remain human and fraught with
weakness, slipping again and again, but His love remains strong and faithful as
He continually welcomes us back to Him and to come and see what He will do
next.
Come and
see what God has done, His awesome deeds for mankind! Psalm 66:5
Our testimonies
will become filled with His stories, with His ability to walk us through
anything, with the blessings of His love. John and Peter had been arrested while
sharing the Gospel and were told not to speak in public anymore. After their
release, they went right back out. Why? Here is the answer.
“As for
us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20
Come and see what
Jesus has in store for your life, and you, too, will not be able to stop
speaking of everything you see and hear.
Lord,
Your ways are much deeper than our ways. Open our spiritual
eyes to see what You have to share with us. The glories You offer are beyong
this world, sent from heaven for our pleasure. We love You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
After coming to
Jesus with our hearts, He asks us to follow Him throughout the rest of our earthly
lives, trusting Him through each day, with every step, through the tough times
and the smooth times.
“Come
follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1;17
Then He
said to them all, “Whoever wants to be My disciple, must deny themselves and
take up their cross daily and follow Me.” Luke 9:23
“My sheep
listen to My voice. I know them and they follow Me.” John 10?27
Following Jesus
does not mean our lives will be perfect and easy. On the contrary, He often
works best through our times of suffering and sadness. We become closer to Him.
Our testimonies become rich with wisdom and trust. His blessings are much
deeper than the blessings the world sees as most vital. His love and hope grow
in us when we are most vulnerable.
Follow Him and
listen to His voice. He has the answers to the questions you are asking right
now. Feel the warmth of His love and comfort. Follow His lead. He will use your
stories to shine with His love.
Lord,
Even when life is not easy, we come to You. We follow You. We
listen to You. Teach us to trust You and count on You every minute of every
day.
In Jesus name,
Amen
