Abundant Blessings

 

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

     Take in the blessings of God this week. Allow Him to fill the holes in your heart and bless you in all things at all times. Jesus loves you to the moon and back and beyond the stars. After all, He has washed your sins as white as snow. Take that love and the blessings of God and give some away. Count your blessings on Thanksgiving Day and every day. And don’t forget to pray for others and allow others to pray for you.

And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.  2 Corinthians 9:14-15

     God’s gift of grace is meant to be shared. And prayer changes things. Prayer opens hearts and heals wounds and brings peace to the soul. I thank God for each one of you and I pray that God’s gifts be given to you abundantly so that you may overflow with joy.

Happy Thanksgiving! See you Monday.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for Your indescribable gifts. We take each one as a blessing from above and we ask to be given opportunities to give to others.

Amen

Rise Above

 

     Well, let’s admit it. Along with the delightful, smells, tastes, sounds and anticipation of the season, there is more. More stress, more busyness, more annoying relatives. There are the gifts that don’t work, that don’t fit, that we don’t need. We overeat, we over shop and wo overdo.

     Take a break before the hectic days and the hoopla begin and remember the One above watching over us, above all else He is there.

Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.  Colossians 3:2

  This time of the year is especially difficult for those grieving the loss of loved ones. Jesus is there to comfort, to find hope, to remind us of His great gifts. Remember the blessings and, remember, there is a great cloud of witnesses awaiting us in heaven.

     What do you think? Can we rise above the craziness and focus on the hope that awaits? Shine with hope this season. Let’s focus on the love around us and share memories of loved ones waiting for us and the One who came for us. It’s all about Him after all. He can change everything.

Jesus,

Calm our spirits as we get ready to celebrate the loveliest and purest gift ever given, the life You sacrificed for us, offering us grace and forgiveness. Keep our focus on You and on sharing all of the noble gifts You give to us. Please comfort those who mourn.

Amen

The Aroma of Christ

 

     The sights, smells and sounds are upon us. Leaves have fallen. Christmas lights and displays are ready to greet us. The smell of pine will soon infiltrate our homes. Many of us will savor the smell and taste of our Thanksgiving feasts. I love this time of the year and look forward to decorating, baking, spending time with loved ones. Picking out gifts and delighting the young ones around us add to the holiday anticipation.

     What about the reason for the season? What about the anticipation of celebrating the miraculous birth of Jesus? The sights and sounds of the choir of angels greeting the shepherds as they tended their flocks? The realization that the Savior of the world was wrapped in swaddling clothes? What were the sights and sounds and smells of the manger where he slept?  The surroundings were common, but the magnitude of the event, astounding!

     Did you know we can be the aroma of Christ? Imagine that as this season engulfs our minds, our senses and our hearts, as we become distracted from the true meaning of Christmas.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere.  2 Corinthians 2:14

Jesus,

Help us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of You throughout this season. We celebrate You. Born of a woman and the Son of God! Sent to save us all. We look forward to celebrating Your birth. Help our focus to remain on You throughout this busy season filled with sights, sounds and smells of the holidays.

Amen

The Bible

 

     God’s word is available to us, to be memorized, meditated on and researched. Dig into it. It is the plum line for our lives. Saturate your mind with it, until it settles into your heart. I guarantee a hunger and a thirst will develop for it. The more you read, the more you want. There is no end to the blessings it offers. You will get to know Jesus and His ways. Truth will reign.

 

     Sit in awe at the scope of wisdom offered, the prophecies that have come to pass and the prophecies yet to come See Jesus foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament and how His death and resurrection fulfilled the law and the prophets. Read about His soon return and the glories of heaven. Not one word has been proven wrong. In fact, science, archeology, and history continue to catch up and prove its truth.

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold. They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. Psalm 19:9-10

     Jesus is the word of God in the flesh. (John 1) The Bible is all about Him, from Genesis to Revelation. The story of creation, of Israel, of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of David and Solomon, of the prophets, from Daniel and Isaiah to Micah and Zechariah, from the story of Moses and the escape from Egypt, to the baby born in a manger. Read about the flood and the ark, of Jonah and the whale, of the twelve disciples, about the transformation of Saul into Paul. Read about life and how to live it. Choose life and light and blessings. Read of His passion, His death and resurrection, about the life to come. Eternity awaits. Read all about it and go forth and live it!

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Jesus,

We pray for Your word to enliven us, to restore us, to redeem us, to teach and guide us. Develop a hunger and a thirst in our hearts to meditate on it daily, until everything we do and see is seen through Your loving eyes. Let us live for You.

Amen  

Grace and Truth

 

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

     Our churches today often err on one side or the other of grace and truth.  Truth hates sin. Grace loves sinners. How do we balance them? Jesus shared His compassion and love with all people. He came for the sick, the sinner, for you and for me.

     Strong Christians today are known for the truth they stand on, which is important. And too much grace with no Biblical truth waters down the Gospel and brings us into the follies of the world. It becomes easy to compromise and fit in with the world. Love and share Jesus and stand for His truth. It works.

     The Gospel saves and Jesus transforms. He lavishes His grace on us and sets us on the road to obedience. He wants only the best for us, not a watered-down version of what the world says is best. Don’t settle for conformity. You are sons and daughters of the King. Accept His protection. Accept His grace. Follow His truth and you will be blessed.

God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:15

Lord,

Keep us balanced in truth and grace. You love all of us, but You do hate sin. Let Your Spirit continue to sanctify us into the life You have in store for us. It is beautiful and blessed.

Amen

Be Filled

 

     Being filled with Jesus will increase our joy. Jesus calls Himself the bread and water of life. Our spiritual health is more vital than our physical health. Our souls are eternal, and our spiritual health will overflow into our physical health and general well-being.

     As we place our faith in Christ and trust Him to take care of us, as we spend good, quality time with Him, as we allow His words and the Holy Spirit to fill us, the power of Christ will overflow onto others and bring light to the world around us.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5;6

…and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19

Jesus,

Fill us to the brim until we overflow with Your love. Keep our focus on You and let Your Spirit work in our hearts with the abundance of joy that only comes from You.

Amen

Be There

 

     The best advice is often the advice not spoken. The two one-on-one care ministries I was involved with and led, trained in the art of listening. Allowing others to talk and to grieve and to unburden their hearts gives them the opportunity to heal. They are allowed to just be, to remain right where they are, to talk out their feelings and emotions, while slowly finding their way. The more we can allow ourselves and allow others to let go of feelings, the more we come to a place of understanding, a place of peace.

     Often the best gift we can give another when they hurt, is to be present.  Quick answers and platitudes offer no real cure. A silent friend can be the one most refreshing, effective and valued. I often need to remember that.

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jeremiah 31:25

     When we bring Jesus into the presence of a hurting person, we bring His comfort. He refreshes the weary with His gentleness, His kindness, His goodness.  Do not be quick with leading questions, with solutions and answers. Bring the presence and love of Christ. The Holy Spirit will guide you as you listen and love.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Jesus,

We trust You with our silence and with our words. Guide us as we enter into the suffering of others. Take away our fear of silence. We share Your comfort as we have first been comforted.

Amen