Category: Nehemiah

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Counting Our Blessings

We’ve been gone from home for about two weeks. Got home yesterday afternoon and this morning I am enjoying the quiet of my own living room.

It’s good to be home and I am thankful for all of the Lord’s blessings. We had a wonderful time taking care of Sam and Kristine (a blessing) for nine days and then we had time with Mom (a blessing) before arriving back home.

Blessings:  1 God’s love    2  Family    3 Friends    4 Home    5 Food    6 Clothing…

And the list goes on. But there are some around us who have lost everything. I’m thinking specifically about those who have lost all their earthly possessions in the California fires. We need to pray for them and then find a good outreach ministry that is there giving aid and financially support them as well.

Jesus said when we have done a kindness for those in need we have done that kindness for Him.

“When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’

40 “Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’” Matthew 25:38-40 ERV

We need to be mindful of the many blessings the Lord has given us each and every day. Making a list is just one way of keeping our hearts centered on gratitude.

We’re only a week from Thanksgiving. We should make gratitude a part of our daily routine. While we’re  brushing our teeth or combing our hair, say thank you for three things.  Taking a sip of that first cup of coffee should be time to be thankful for two or three more. Arriving at work unscathed by traffic deserves a big “Praise God”.  Sitting at a desk or standing at a work station we need to be thankful, some people have no job to go too.

Yes, making a list of blessings is a great way to keep our lives filled with thanksgiving.

“Stand and shout praises to your Lord, the eternal God! Praise his wonderful name, though he is greater than words can express. 6 You alone are the Lord, Creator of the heavens and all the stars, Creator of the earth and those who live on it, Creator of the ocean and all its creatures. You are the source of life, praised by the stars that fill the heavens.” Nehemiah 9:5-6 CEV

There’s an old song in the movie White Christmas. The lyrics  say “when I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep then I fall to sleep counting my blessings”. The perfect way to begin and end any day is counting blessings and thanking the Lord for all He has done.

Lord, I love you and I thank you for the many blessings you have given me. Let me see the needs that others have and be used to help.

 

 

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A Spoonful of Sugar

The lyrics from Mary Poppins are running through my mind today. Can’t really think of those songs without a smile coming to my face.

In my mind’s eye I can see Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke singing and dancing. Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down in a most delightful way.

Have you ever looked to the Scripture for a good dose of medicine? It has healing qualities you know.

I particularly like these verses from Proverbs.

“ Happiness is good medicine, but sorrow is a disease.” Proverbs 17:22 ERV 

“If you are happy, your face shows it. If you are sad, your spirit feels defeated.” Proverbs 15:13 ERV

Happiness is good medicine! Is it any wonder that so many in life today are feeling sick and so their spirits feel defeated? They have lost their joy.

It’s essential that we become ambassadors of joy.

Dave and I love spending time with our little grandson, Sam. He always seems to be happy about something. Dave calls him Smiley Joe and calls his little sister Smiley Josephina. Their smiles come from a happy heart and they carry joy to everyone around them.

If we allow ourselves to stay focused on the things in our world that seem to being going wrong or those events in our lives that are contrary, we will be overtaken by the disease of sorrow.

But a good dose of the medicine of a merry heart will strengthen us and bring us peace.

“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

The word disease interests me. Break it apart, dis – ease. When our hearts are uneasy, worried or distressed we are susceptible to disease. How do we avoid dis ease?

“God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:7 CEV

Don’t look  at the circumstances  that are beyond our control instead look to God who changes circumstances. Then we can be filled with good medicine.

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

There’s a song that children sing in pre-school and Sunday School. If You’re Happy and You Know It – the song says if you’re happy and you know it…clap your hands, stomp your feet, say Amen.  And there’s one line in there that says “if you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it”, our faces will show it – we’ll smile and our eyes will twinkle and those who look at us will wonder what makes us so happy.

“I will celebrate and be joyful because you, Lord, have saved me.
10 Every bone in my body will shout: “No one is like the Lord!”
You protect the helpless from those in power; you save the poor and needy from those who hurt them.” Psalm 35:9-10 CEV

Dear Father, let our faces show what You have done in our hearts. Let us be ambassadors of joy today.

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Like A Spring Bouquet

 

There are days when life would seem so much better if we could enjoy  a bouquet of Spring flowers. The beauty, the fragrance, the color bring a comfort to the soul.

Now I know that none of you have ever been tempted to give up or to complain and quit when you have been waiting for the answer to your prayers but I have been there on occasion. In fact, I dealt with wanting to give up just this week.

However, when that temptation comes to complain or just quit, I have to go back to God’s word and find strength, encouragement and joy, yes, real joy to continue to stand.

“My Christian brothers, you should be happy when you have all kinds of tests. 3 You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up. 4 Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of nothing. 5 If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking. 6 You must have faith as you ask Him. You must not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave which is pushed around by the sea. 7 Such a man will get nothing from the Lord. 8 The man who has two ways of thinking changes in everything he does.” James 1:2-7

When I wait patiently with joy the wait doesn’t seem as long somehow. Do you remember when we were a kid and our folks promised to take us somewhere? Maybe it was for an ice cream, to a rodeo, or on a vacation but we had to wait! Waiting wasn’t easy was it? Oh but the anticipation…how sweet, it was.

We knew what we were going to wear, what we wanted to see first, what we were going to get to eat, etc. The waiting was hard but when we looked ahead to what was in store it was exciting. Well, that’s how it should be as we are waiting on the Lord.

We gain strength as we wait on the Lord knowing He has our best at heart and that He will provide all we need.  Sometimes the Lord uses good friends to remind us we shouldn’t give up. Sometimes a song comes on the radio or a verse comes to mind. He uses all these things to renew our strength.

“He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength. 30 Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.” Isaiah 40: 29-31

On those days, when we feel weak and want to give up or start complaining we need to draw on the strength that God provides. We aren’t joyful because of the wait but we can be full of joy during the wait because God is providing the strength we need.

 “Ezra said to them, “Go, eat and drink what you enjoy, and give some to him who has nothing ready. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

I don’t know if you’ve picked up on it here but we are dealing with two of the seeds we planted in our garden just a few weeks ago, joy and patience. They bring beauty to our lives much like the spring bouquet brings beauty to the room. 

We must keep the weeds of worrisome thought out of our gardens.

So today, count or consider it joy to be patient in trials; wait on the Lord to renew your strength. His joy will provide us with all the strength we need.

 

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The Sweet Taste of Joy

By now you’ve probably realized that we are planting a “character” garden. Each of the seeds that grow will produce Christ-like character in our lives.

Do you remember summers when you were a child? The warm weather, playing outside with your friends, the ball games, the picnics, the bar-b-q’s and the watermelon. Oh yes, the watermelon. Big green oblong bladders filled with the most delicious, ripe, red, juicy fruit!

Makes me smile just thinking about it. You barely start the knife to slice it and you hear that crack. You know this is going to be a good one – ruby red inside. You take that first bite and the juice begins to run down your arms and drips from you elbows. You don’t care – this is summer, this is watermelon season.

This is your happy place. Folks all around are laughing and talking and enjoying the fruit of the harvest. There is joy in the air.

Happiness goes with summer fun but happiness is conditional. What we need to plant in our character garden isn’t seeds of happiness but seeds of joy. Joy has deep roots and it is an abiding characteristic that can be present even when happiness eludes us.

It’s important to mention here that when planting seeds, you need to get them from a reputable dealer and that’s why our seeds should always come from the Word of God – those are seeds that are certified pure, weed free.

So before I give you this packet of seeds, let’s take a look at how our garden is coming along.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23

That’s a pretty fine looking garden.  These joy seeds are amazing.

“You have given him blessings that will last forever. You have given him the joy of being near you.” Psalm 21:6

“You have changed my sorrow into dancing. You have taken away my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” Psalm 30:11

“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.” Philippians 4:4

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psalm 16:11

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. 4But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

As I stated above, joy isn’t happiness. I’m sure that Paul, the apostle, wasn’t happy that he had been beaten and was in a dark prison cell but he was joyful that he was serving Jesus and began to sing at midnight in spite of his circumstances.

Years ago, I was going through a devastating experience! My relationship with Jesus brought me comfort and joy through the heartache and the pain. I even had one woman tell me “I was going to try and comfort you but you have such a look of joy about you, I guess you’re ok.”

Oh, I needed my friends. I needed their prayers, kind words and even their hugs but I was ok because I was depending on God and His word to bring me comfort and joy in a difficult time. My eyes were on Him and not my own circumstances.

I wasn’t depending on people although good friends are invaluable but I was dependent on God! And “in His presence is fullness of joy”.

Plant some joy today – it will sustain you and give you nourishment in the toughest times!

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Comfort in Troubling Times

Do you ever have thoughts come to you out of the clear blue? You know, you’re thinking about one thing and then something else just invades you thinking process. That’s the way it was for me this morning.

I wasn’t even really awake when a song I had heard on the radio on Sunday arrived in my heart and head bringing me to a place of conscious thought. Here are just a few of the lyrics that were written by Hillsong.

“What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus”

And as I kept repeating that refrain my mind went to what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 18:9

“The Lord is a mighty tower where his people can run for safety—”

And then I began to pray for those who lost loved ones yesterday in Las Vegas and those who were injured and those who were called to care for the injured and the dying. How do we cope with such senseless acts of violence and destruction?

I run to the Lord and find comfort in His loving arms.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 I trust God, so I am not afraid of what people can do to me!
I praise God for his promise to me.” Psalm 56:3-4 ERV

God wants to use us to bring comfort and consolation to those around us. It’s important that we aren’t overwhelmed but that we stay anchored in His love.

“Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.” Romans 12:21 CEV

So even as I am writing this the chorus above keeps going through my mind. What a wonderful name it is, The name of Jesus! I will continue to trust in Him, to lean on Him for strength and will praise Him because He is greater than all my fears.

“Stand and shout praises to your Lord, the eternal God!
Praise his wonderful name, though he is greater than words can express.” Nehemiah 9:5 CEV

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Don’t Worry – Be Happy!

Time to start a new week. What’s on your calendar today? Bring strength to your life today. Bring health to your body. Don’t let stress or “dis – ease” rob from you today!

Be thankful – focus on God and what is has done and is able to do and live in peace, joy, health and strength.

” Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10

” A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

“The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm. 4 So always trust the Lord
because he is forever our mighty rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4

So many times we end up thinking that if we live a godly life we’ll be missing out on all the fun. However, just the opposite it true. God will show us the answer to our problems and fill our lives with joy and pleasure! If you are anxious, worried, stressed out and don’t know which way to turn – hang out with God today – there’s joy, pleasure and peace in His presence.

“You will show me the path of life, in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Let the Lord fill your life with joy and bring you pleasure today!

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True Strength

Dave and I had the wonderful opportunity to be up in Chandler this last week with Kaci, Stephen, Sam and Kristine. We headed up early Sunday morning – Kristine was born before we got there but we saw her when she was less than 7 hours old.

After we left the hospital, we took Sam home and became his playmate for the next few days while Momma & Dadda stayed with baby sisser at the hospital. He’s not quite two and full of energy. (There is a reason the Lord gives you children while you are young.) We older folks just don’t have the stamina we had in our 30’s. Sam is a sweet boy and we had tons of fun!

Then the rest of the family joined us and we were there another couple days before heading home. So sweet to see this family melt together – San’s excitement seeing his Momma and Daddy after being separated for 3 days, accepting his new baby and Kaci and Stephen making sure Sam knew he was special and loved. It was great!

But then came time to come home! Home and rest. Spent most of our day yesterday doing that very thing…resting. Sometimes the things that drain us are joyful and exciting, at other times it can be situations that are difficult and emotionally and physically taxing.

True strength comes from one place. When we wait on the Lord we are renewed in strength and this strength is a fruit of taking joy in the Lord. (Nehemiah 8:10) That joy comes when we focus on Him; His goodness, His grace, His mercy, His provision.

The people in Nehemiah’s day were rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and during the reconstruction they came across the scrolls containing God’s word. As the priest read, the people were saddened and became repentant because they had fallen away from following God’s word.

“The people started crying when God’s Law was read to them. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher, and the Levites who had been teaching the people all said, “This is a special day for the LORD your God. So don’t be sad and don’t cry!”
10 Nehemiah told the people, “Enjoy your good food and wine and share some with those who didn’t have anything to bring. Don’t be sad! This is a special day for the LORD, and he will make you happy and strong.”
11 The Levites encouraged the people by saying, “This is a sacred day, so don’t worry or mourn!” Nehemiah 8:9-11 CEV

Finding God’s word first convicted them and then it encouraged them. It brought them reason to celebrate, reason for hope, it brought them strength!

Do you need strength today? Physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, financial – then look to God’s word – it will bring you joy and in joy is your strength.

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