Category: Philippians

Posted on

Thankful for Comfort

Those ten days we were gone brought cooler weather to our southwestern Arizona home.

Our community is higher in elevation than the bigger cities of Tucson and Phoenix so we don’t get the severe heat but we’re not as high as places like Flagstaff and Show Low so we don’t get as cold either.

However, the days are  getting chilly enough that we need to wear a polar fleece or a sweatshirt to be comfortable. It’s a chilly morning. Fall is here and winter is coming. Don’t you appreciate warmth? The coziness of a soft blanket; being able to cuddle into a fuzzy robe; a hot cup of coffee; sitting in front of a fire; a bowl of steaming soup or a soak in the hot tub. Awwww.

Comfort!

Comfort means different things to different people. To some it has to do with the weather; to others comfort is consolation because of a loss; and for still others it can have a financial connotation.

What does comfort mean to you? Where do you go to find it?

“When I felt my feet slipping, you came with your love and kept me steady.
19 And when I was burdened with worries, you comforted me and made me feel secure.” Psalm 94:18-19 CEV

“When I am hurting, I find comfort in your promise that leads to life. Conceited people sneer at me, but I obey your Law. I find true comfort, Lord, because your laws have stood the test of time.” Psalm 119:50-52 CEV

Our true comfort doesn’t come from the external things in our lives but from the eternal – from God’s Word and His love. The externals – a warm blanket, a cup of cocoa, a glass of wine, a piece of chocolate, financial stability, a shoulder to cry on – are nice but they only bring temporary comfort.

The promises we find in God’s word are eternal, they last forever. They stand the test of time. Jesus spoke plainly with His disciples the night he was arrested.

“ If you love me, you will do what I command. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper (Comforter) to be with you forever. 17 The Helper is the Spirit of truth.(Holy Spirit) The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you.” John 14:15-17 ERV

Jesus told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would bring help and comfort to all of us who believe in Christ.  This is true and eternal comfort.  The Apostle Paul also wrote of this love and comfort we receive.

“Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others.” Philippians 2:1 CEV

I am so thankful that the comfort I receive isn’t based on circumstances, situations, or locations. It is a heart peace that God desires to give to all of us.

My prayer is that you will be “Comfort-abled” today!

Posted on

Grateful for What Knots

Last night Dave and I were watching a show on television and one of the family members said, “We will plant vegetables and what knots”.

I looked at Dave with a smile and said, “I don’t think I have ever seen a recipe for what knots. I wouldn’t know how to cook one.” We both laughed and I knew then that I had the topic for this morning’s blog.

This morning I searched the Scriptures and was unable to find a verse about what knots but I did find some about “whatever”.

“Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. 9 You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9 CEV

These whatever’s are very good. They are true, pure, right, holy, friendly, proper, worthwhile and praise worthy. These what knots are our thoughts. Have you ever stopped to think about this? Every action we do and every word we speak starts with a thought.  We don’t just act or react spontaneously without thought; action is guided by thought. Words never just come tumbling out of our mouths, they are formed by thought.

If we want our what knots to be good our thoughts must be good.

Here is another whatever that Jesus gave us. It’s the whatever of answered prayer. Jesus was speaking to His disciples right before He was taken to be crucified. These are some of His final instructions.

“Ask me, and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father. 14 I will do whatever you ask me to do.” John 14:13-14 CEV

“You are sad now. I will see you again and then your hearts will be full of joy. No one can take your joy from you. 23 “When the time comes that you see Me again, you will ask Me no question. For sure, I tell you, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive. Then your joy will be full. ” John 16:22-24 NLV

Jesus says in one verse to “ask me” and in a verse a few chapters later “ask the Father in my name”. Before Jesus was crucified his disciples asked and received what they needed from Jesus and this brought honor to the Father. After He was crucified, we ask the Father for what we need based on what Jesus has done for us. Jesus had honored the Father with His sacrifice.

The result is the same in both these verses. Whatever we ask for we receive because of who Jesus is and what He has done.  Does that mean we can just ask for any selfish or rebellious what knot we want?

“We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. 15 He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him.” I John 5:14-15 ERV

We can ask for whatever we know pleases God and have confidence that He will give it too us. If we’re not sure if something we are asking for pleases God, all we have to do is search it out in His word. God is honest and He tells us what is pleasing to Him. His word reveals His will to us.

“Let the teaching of Christ and His words keep on living in you. These make your lives rich and full of wisdom. Keep on teaching and helping each other. Sing the Songs of David and the church songs and the songs of heaven with hearts full of thanks to God. 17 Whatever you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus.” Colossians 3:16-17 NLV

I hope you have enjoyed this brief search for some of the what knots of Scripture. They are good for us and we can use them to help others.

I am grateful for the whatever’s of God’s word.

Posted on

Thankful for Help

In the 70’s there was a commercial on television with this slogan; “It’s Shake n Bake, and I helped”.

Do any of you remember that one?

There are so many things we are thankful for and in that list should be those people who are especially near and dear to us. The ones who have helped.

I was talking with Mom yesterday about Thanksgiving and what we were going to be doing and what plans she has. For the last four or five years Mom, my niece and a couple, who are close friends, have gotten together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone works on different aspects of the meal; they share the cooking, enjoy their dinner and then the clean up.

It’s one of those things Mom looks forward too; she loves to cook for people. She really doesn’t do it anymore because of her age. So it makes those times when she can even more special.

When I was a girl we always had families over to share the holidays. We lived in AZ and most of our relatives lived in Iowa so, we didn’t have big family gatherings. Our friends were our family and they were around our table as often as possible.

Mom had a way of making everyone feel at home. She has a true gift of hospitality. This year, at 95, she is still wanting to help and said she really hoped there would be something she could do in the kitchen to be part of the preparation. She’s spent her life giving and doing for others and she’s not ready to quit yet.

” I thank God every time I remember you. 4 And I always pray for all of you with joy. 5 I thank God for the help you gave me while I told people the Good News. You helped from the first day you believed until now.” Philippians 1:3-5 ERV

People with a helpful heart are a gift! They come in and without being asked, lighten the load. That unselfish attitude is a gift from God!

Yesterday had another example of helpfulness. Shortly after I hung up from talking with Mom, I was getting things ready for our evening meal. I asked our three-year old grandson, Sam, if he would like to help me set the table. His eyes lit up, a big grin spread across his face and he came running.

The very young and the elderly both with hearts to help! It’s their calling.

“In the same way, we are many people, but in Christ we are all one body. We are the parts of that body, and each part belongs to all the others.

6 We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace God gave us. Whoever has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in a way that fits the kind of faith they have. 7 Whoever has the gift of serving should serve. Whoever has the gift of teaching should teach. 8 Whoever has the gift of comforting others should do that. Whoever has the gift of giving to help others should give generously. Whoever has the gift of leading should work hard at it. Whoever has the gift of showing kindness to others should do it gladly.” Romans 12:5-8 ERV

There in verse seven, serving is called a gift. None of us are capable of doing everything on our own. We need those “helping” people by our side. It’s not only for our benefit but its the fulfillment of who they are. I am so thankful for the assistance I receive from others and I desire to be more helpful.

It might not be a “Shake n Bake” kind of moment but whatever it is, I’m certainly thankful for those who help!

 

Posted on

Cornucopia Gratitude

Do you remember being younger and learning “adult” words?

That’s the way I was with the word cornucopia. I remember being in first and second grade when the teachers would put out the Thanksgiving  decorations with the Pilgrims, turkeys, corn stalks and the horn-of-plenty.

They would have pictures of a horn-of-plenty filled to overflowing like the one above. They would tell us how the Pilgrims nearly starved that first year in the New Land and from their friendship with the Indians they learned to grow good crops. They all celebrated together and enjoyed the plenty of their harvest.

Then there was third grade. Mrs. Griffin put out a horn-of-plenty and asked if we knew what it was. Lots of hands went up and we all responded with the same answer. It was then she told us that this was a cornucopia. Now, that was an adult word.

Nearly every year I put out my cornucopia and it reminds me of the wonderful plenty that God has given to me. My life is full and running over just like the arrangement.

This morning, let’s be grateful for “plenty”.

“Then all the people in that land will see that you are called to be the Lord’s people, and they will be afraid of you.

11 “And the Lord will give you many good things. He will give you many children. He will give your cows many calves. He will give you a good harvest in the land that the Lord promised your ancestors to give you. 12 The Lord will open his storehouse where he keeps his rich blessings. He will send rain at the right time for your land. He will bless everything you do. You will have money to lend to many nations. And you will not need to borrow anything from them.” Deuteronomy 28:10-12 ERV

The verses above are part of the summary of blessings that Moses told the Israelites God would pour out on them if they were obedient and followed the Lord.  In one translation the word “many” in verse 11 is also listed as plenty.

God has promised that He would supply all our needs according to the riches that we have in Christ.

“ My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 ERV

When Jesus taught about giving. He said when we give we receive. That’s the way it is in farming. We give the ground the seed; we give the seed the water and the seed gives us a harvest.

“Remember this: The one who plants few seeds will have a small harvest. But the one who plants a lot will have a big harvest. 7 Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. 8 And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. 9 As the Scriptures say,

“He gives generously to the poor;
    his goodness will continue forever.”

10 God is the one who gives seed to those who plant, and he gives bread for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow. He will produce a great harvest from your goodness. 11 God will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving through us will make people give thanks to God.” II Corinthians 9:6-11 ERV

That’s the way it is with God. We take what He has given us and with a joyful heart we give back. Then God multiplies what we give so that we always have plenty.

Today is a cornucopia day – a day of plenty. Plenty of gratitude, plenty of joy, plenty of peace, plenty of friends and plenty of what we have need of!

Thank you Lord that you are the God of plenty.

Posted on

Loving Others

In light of all that’s been going on in our world lately I wanted to share these thoughts.

Pooh is right; we feel love and that feeling can be labeled compassion. Jesus was moved with compassion to help those who were hurting. True Love is a person. That person is Jesus and it’s His desire that we love one another.

Jesus said the world would know that we are His disciples if we love one another. Jesus ministry was marked by His love for everyone He came in contact with. He loved the sinners and publicans; the tax collectors and the prostitutes, He even showed his love for the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He reached out to all with loving arms and was moved with compassion toward all.

“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” John 13:34-35 ERV

As Christians we should be a light of God’s love in this world. He is the one who gets the glory when we walk in love. No one is excluded from his love.  Jesus never accepted sin but he also never rejected a sinner. Doctrines and dogmas can be divisive but when we are being led by the Holy Spirit we will have a heart of love even when we don’t agree.

The Apostle Paul gave this instruction to the Christians at the church in Philippi.

“Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, 2 then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. 3 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. 4 Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.” Philippians 2:1-4 ERV

Make it a goal to walk in love so that the world will see Jesus living in us!

Posted on

What’s Humility Look Like

Have you been hurt or judged wrongfully? Have your good intentions been misunderstood?

I want to encourage you this morning.  Jesus was often misunderstood and ridiculed.

“think the same way that Christ Jesus thought: 6 Christ was truly God. But he did not try to remain equal with God. Instead he gave up everything and became a slave, when he became like one of us. 8 Christ was humble. He obeyed God and even died on a cross. 9 Then God gave Christ the highest place and honored his name above all others.” Philippians 2:5-9 CEV

What does Humility look like? It looks like Jesus. He gave up all the glory of heaven and His place at the right hand of God the Father to come to earth. There was no room for pride in His life.

Jesus played with children, gave comfort to the grieving, befriended rough and burly fisherman, spent His time with lepers, lame, blind and societies outcasts. He never compromised His deity but He never lorded His position over those He was teaching.

The Apostle Paul gave this instruction to Christians in the early church.

“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13 ERV

A humble person doesn’t need to be in the limelight. They help make others look good and feel elevated. A humble person is one who encourages others, someone who isn’t afraid to get in and help out where needed. They don’t need the praise of others, they do the right thing because it’s right.

“All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble toward everyone else. The Scriptures say, “God opposes proud people, but he helps everyone who is humble.” 6 Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes. 7 God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.” I Peter 5:5-7

A meek or humble person will be misunderstood and even be treated wrongly. Look at Jesus, he was despised and hated by the religious rulers of his day because He didn’t measure up to their ideals. He ate with sinners, showed compassion to harlots, healed on the Sabbath. In the face of their objections, He continued on.

Isn’t it better to be humble and know we are pleasing God than to measure up to all of societies ideals and expectations? Yes, it is. When our lifestyle reflects humility we may offend some, we may be passed over because we don’t have the “leadership” skills necessary. If that’s the case, so be it.

“ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10 NIV

I love that verse! The Lord will lift us up. Our loving Father will pick us up in His arms and give us a big hug. Or He’ll come in and wrap His arm around our shoulder and encourage us to continue on with what we’re doing. We’re acting like Him.

Thank  you Father for coming to our aid and taking our cares. We rely on you.

 

Posted on

Has Life Left You Frayed?

Do you know what tensile strength is? And why it’s important?

This is the definition from the Simple English Wikipedia. “Tensile strength is a measurement of the force required to pull something such as rope, wire, or a structural beam to the point where it breaks. The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of tensile stress that it can take before failure, for example breaking.”

It’s important to know the tensile strength of wire cable when it’s being used to lift or suspend extremely heavy objects. I’ve seen pictures, disastrous pictures, at high-rise construction sites when a cable breaks and objects come falling to the ground. The strength of the cable was overestimated.

Equally important is knowing the tensile strength of a rope, chain or tie down strap that is used  for towing. If someone is stuck in snow or mud and you’re going to try to pull them out, it’s essential that to know how much weight the tow rope can handle.  If it’s not strong enough it will snap before the vehicle is freed from its plight.

But what does all this have to do with us? Glad you asked.

If we try to lift a load emotionally that is too heavy or we try to carry it for too long, we can come dangerously close to reaching our maximum strength and we can snap.  Ever been to that point? Perhaps you’ve end said that’s the straw that broke the camel’s back – I’m done with you, I’m done with this. It’s over. I can’t take anymore!

What a horrible place to be? We weren’t made to carry those types of burdens or handle that kind of stress. That’s why God instructs us all through His word that He is our strength.

“Moses and the Israelites sang this song in praise of the Lord:  I sing praises to the Lord  for his great victory! He has thrown the horses and their riders into the sea.

2 The Lord is my strength, the reason for my song, because he has saved me. I praise and honor the Lord— he is my God and the God of my ancestors. 3 The Lord is his name, and he is a warrior!” Exodus 15:1-3 CEV

This is part of the song that Moses and the Israelites sang on the other side of the Red Sea. They had fled Egypt in the middle of the night and pharaoh was pursuing them with the armies of Egypt. They came to the Red Sea and the Lord displayed his strength by holding back the waters so the people of Israel could cross on dry ground. When the Egyptians started to follow after them the Lord released the waters and all the Egyptians drown.  They were celebrating God’s strength and saving power.

“I love You, O Lord, my strength. 2 The Lord is my rock, and my safe place, and the One Who takes me out of trouble. My God is my rock, in Whom I am safe. He is my safe-covering, my saving strength, and my strong tower. 3 I call to the Lord, Who has the right to be praised. And I am saved from those who hate me.” Psalm 18:1-3 NLV

King David wrote this praise to the Lord after he was delivered from the hand of King Saul. Saul hated David and hunted him like a wild animal. Saul was ruthless but David would not do anything to harm Saul because he was the king God had anointed. David knew he was to be the new king of Israel but he had integrity and trust in God which kept him from harming Saul.

“I praise you, Lord, for answering my prayers. 7 You are my strong shield, and I trust you completely. You have helped me, and I will celebrate and thank you in song. 8 You give strength to your people, Lord, and you save and protect your chosen ones.” Psalm 28:6-8 CEV

God gives us strength not of our own ability but by His ability.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God Who lives forever is the Lord, the One Who made the ends of the earth. He will not become weak or tired. His understanding is too great for us to begin to know. 29 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 40:28-31 NLV

When we feel like the rope or the cable that is holding our world together is beginning to fray, God is there! He gives strength to us when we become weary. When we come to our end, He is just beginning.

Tensile strength. How much can we take without breaking?  God wants us to lay down our rope or cable and let Him use his.

“I can do all things because Christ gives me the strength.” Philippians 4:13 NLV

Posted on

A Blank Screen

Yesterday I sat down at my computer to resume work on a project I started on Monday. I found the document name and tried to open the file, nothing was there.

It was all gone! My heart sank and I tried not to panic. It was a creative writing project, a book.  I had some basic guidelines written down but I would develop the thoughts more fully as I went along and now it was gone.

I spent the better part of my day searching through the files on my computer to see if somehow I had renamed it or moved it to another folder and I even looked through all the documents in my desktop trash.  I sent a text to my son-in-law Stephen and asked for his assistance.

He was able to call me and we talked it through. Then he said those words I really didn’t want to hear, “unfortunately Mom, it’s gone”. You see, the program I was working in was a temporary file and it automatically deleted after a specified time. I hadn’t realized that when I started the project.

This morning I woke with a verse running through my mind.

“My people are destroyed because they have no knowledge.” Hosea 4:6a ERV

Not having enough knowledge of the program I was using caused me to lose my document. As emotionally taxing as that is, it was only words on a page. Maybe I won’t be able to recreate it exactly but I still have the basics.

Then I started a search on the word “knowledge”. Of course there are many verses in Proverbs that deal with gaining knowledge and wisdom.

“If you listen to him (God), you will understand what is just and fair and how to do what is right. 10 You will gain wisdom, and knowledge will bring you joy.

11 Planning ahead will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:9-11 ERV

Knowledge will bring you joy! I needed some joy.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our day-to-day activities that we lose sight of what’s really important. Just yesterday morning I was reminding all of us that God has a plan, a good plan, for us; one that gives us a good future filled with hope.  Then a few hours later I almost forgot that.

This morning I have a deeper understanding of God’s peace and letting it guard my emotions.

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

I don’t know what your “blank screen” is. It may be a health issue, it may be a problem at work, possibly a relationship that has been deleted. I’m here to tell you that God wants to send his peace into your situation to guard your thoughts and emotions.

Father, I thank you for bringing peace to my turmoil. Thank you that Your plans for my future are good!

 

Posted on

What Do You Mean By That

Dave and I were having a conversation the other day about phrases that are commonly used; figures of speech or colloquialisms. Neither one of us really fell into that habit.

“To die for” has been a pretty popular phrase. It has been joined to clothing, food, movies, entertainment, cars and sports.

Colloquialism. col·lo·qui·al·ism. NOUN  1. a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation.

So let me ask, what’s to die for in  life?  Family…our faith…our neighbor…our country?

Christ looked at us and said “You’re to die for”. And He did.

“Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. 7 No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.

9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger. 10 Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life.” Romans 5:6-10 CEV

I think this morning is the first time I have really stopped and looked at verse 9.  Verses 6-8 focus on the amazing depth of Christ’s love for us; love beyond measure. Love that gave up all, His very life, for us. That would be enough for anyone, right? However, verse 9 goes on to say “But there’s more”!

Really? More than that kind of self-sacrificing love? Yes. More.  We have been given more than friendship with God, we have peace and salvation through Christ.

Now let me ask another question. What do you find worth living for?

” I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor to Christ.

21 If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more. 22 I don’t know what to choose. I could keep on living and doing something useful. 23 It is a hard choice to make. I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better. 24-25 But I know that all of you still need me. That’s why I am sure I will stay on to help you grow and be happy in your faith.” Philippians 1:20-24 CEV

Paul said he preferred to die and be with Christ but chose to continue living for the benefit of the Christians that he was ministering too. He had his life’s mission and he was determined to reach that goal.

God has blessed us with individual talents and abilities. He has strategically placed us in different parts of the country, in groups and organizations, among a diverse group of people. I can’t and won’t reach the same people  you do. The Apostle Paul often referred to Christians as “the body of Christ” because each part in the body has a specific purpose in providing strength and health to the whole. We should  do the best we can with the giftings God has given us.

Jesus chose to die for us. Shouldn’t we be willing to live for Him?

Posted on

Need Help?

Have you ever called Customer Service for help? Perhaps you have used an on-line chat or even clicked on the “Help” tab at the top right of your computer screen. Did you get the help you were looking for?

Yesterday morning I was reading in Ecclesiastes again.

“Two people are better than one because together they have a good reward for their hard work. 10 If one falls, the other can help his friend get up. But how tragic it is for the one who is all alone when he falls. There is no one to help him get up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 GW

Now that’s what I call a help line!

The image above is a poster that hangs in our oldest daughter’s bathroom. I asked her to send me a picture of it after I read these verses so I could use it in this morning’s blog.

When Kim and Koy were little they were given a real tool kit for Christmas. It had a small hammer, hand saw, level, tape measure and a screw driver. They used that saw and hammer to build this frame for their poster.

We told them that as they worked and played together they could accomplish more than if they were alone. Having a friend to help lightens the burden and adds joy to the journey.

And so it does in all our lives.

Asking for help can be hard to do because it means we need to admit that we are weak in someway and that makes us vulnerable. However, a true friend will never point out our inability to accomplish the task, instead they are glad to be part of the process.

Jesus was talking with his disciples a short time before He was crucified. He called them friends. He knew what was ahead and I believe He was stating how much he needed them and also He knew how much they would need each other.

“You are my friends if you obey my commandments. 15 I don’t call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. But I’ve called you friends because I’ve made known to you everything that I’ve heard from my Father. 16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you. I have appointed you to go, to produce fruit that will last, and to ask the Father in my name to give you whatever you ask for. 17 Love each other. This is what I’m commanding you to do.” John 15:14-17 GW

Shortly after Jesus said this He led his disciples, his friends, to the garden to pray. He asked them to pray with Him. Jesus was stressed over what was ahead. He had never sinned and now He was going to take on the sins of the whole world. He would be the sacrifice. He became sin so that we could be forgiven and have a new life, new relationship, with God the Father.

Jesus needs our help now to show the world what God is like. Our commandment from Him is to love each other. This is the greatest commandment.

When we do this for His honor and glory, Jesus tells us that we can ask the Father for whatever we need and He will be there for us.

WOW! We won’t get help like that from any other friend. He is there to help in each and every circumstance. Jesus is the friend that never leaves us or abandons us.

“Don’t love money. Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.” Hebrews 13:5 GW

Since we have Jesus promise to never leave us we don’t need to put  trust in our wealth or make money our god. We can trust Him to provide all that we need and more. We are His friends and He provides.

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.

“ My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:13 & 19 ERV

It’s great to have friends who walk with us through life; faithful, loyal, honest friends. I thank God for each and every one. They are examples of Jesus to me.

And then there’s that one friend, the One others can’t see but He is always there. He is the One who walks with me each step of the way and carries me when I fall.

What a friend we have in Jesus!

 

 

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress