Today is a day of celebration!! No, it’s not my birthday but thanks for asking. The reason I feel like having a party is because today is January 15, 2019 – and it’s a perfectly good day to celebrate.
“The Lord made this happen, and we think it is wonderful! 24 This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be happy today! 25 The people say, “Praise the Lord! The Lord saved us!” Psalm 118:23-25 ERV
From the beginning of time, God has planned and ordained this day. His plans are good, very good. I don’t know what He has designed for me today but I do know if I start out praising Him for His mighty works my day will fill with joy and I will see God’s goodness spreading out before me.
When I went to Biblegateway.com this morning and did a search on the word rejoice it brought up 240 references for that one word in the King James version of the Bible. This did not include the words praise or joy. That’s a whole lot of good times! Everything that God does is good; one of His attributes is goodness. God doesn’t do evil; it’s not in His nature.
“Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:4-7 CEV
Do you see that? That one word – ALWAYS! It’s an absolute. It doesn’t mean sometimes, possibly, the majority of the time, on days that begin with S or T; it’s not conditional.
ALWAYS!
We don’t rejoice because of our circumstances. There is one reason that we can ALWAYS be glad or joyful. That reason is God’s unconditional love! Each year, each day, each hour and minute Jesus walks with us and showers us with love.
“We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. 23 Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 ERV
Rejoice – be glad! God has made this day just for us.
The last several days I have been talking to you about the importance of God’s word. We have seen that the Bible is our firm foundation and that God keeps His promises. He doesn’t say anything that isn’t true!
Today I want to talk about our words. Each day we speak hundreds, if not thousands, of words so we need to evaluate what we are saying. Do we speak words that bring encouragement and life or can our words be damning and condemning?
“A man’s stomach will be filled with the fruit of his mouth. He will be filled with what his lips speak. 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:20-21 NLV
Daily, we are bombarded with words. They come in the form of emails, text messages, postings on the internet, spoken words on radio and television and in the form of conversations. Our prayers are constructed of words. The question is, are they beneficial or detrimental? Are they words that heal or words that harm?
Periodically I am reminded to look at words the way the Lord does.
“Honest people can always feel secure, but lying cheaters will be caught. 10 If you fail to speak the truth, trouble will follow. If you speak openly, peace will come. 11 The words of good people are like a spring of fresh water, but the words of the wicked only hide their violent plans.” Proverbs 10:9-11 ERV
“By your teachings, Lord, I am warned; by obeying them, I am greatly rewarded. 12 None of us know our faults. Forgive me when I sin without knowing it. 13 Don’t let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault. 14 Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, Lord, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.” Psalm 19:11-14 CEV
God, our Father, is a life-giver and One who is always looking for ways to bless His children. He hates it when actions go contrary to His nature. We are warned repeatedly not to lie, gossip or cause discord. Instead we should be like Christ in our love and encouragement of one another.
“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God. 3 You are God’s people, so don’t let it be said that any of you are immoral or indecent or greedy. 4 Don’t use dirty or foolish or filthy words. Instead, say how thankful you are. ” Ephesians 5:1-4 CEV
When I was a little girl we had a song we sang that said “Be careful little eyes what you see, Be careful little ears what you hear. Be careful little lips what you say.” Those words still ring true today. We could do so much to disarm hurtful situations if we made sure our words were loving, kind and true.
“All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body…Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.” James 3:2, 16-18 CEV
The Apostle Paul knew what it was like to be maliciously lied about, ridiculed, and he was often at the center of mean-spirited conversation. In spite all of that, he gave us this instruction.
“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
Let’s be like Paul. Let’s keep focused on the things that are pure, right and true. When we do, we will be surrounded by God’s peace.
I like to watch those home improvement shows on television. Some of those houses are in bad shape. You would think the best thing would be to tear down the entire structure and start over. But that’s when you hear the host of the program say “this house has really good bones”.
Good bones.
Years ago I became aware of a verse in the Bible about bones. Before I give you that verses I want to share this experience I had last May while we were at the Indy 500. Each morning I would get up and take my coffee and my Bible then go outside the RV to have my morning quiet time. Dave and Koy were sleeping inside and I didn’t want to disturb them.
I loved it. Sitting in the camp chair I could enjoy my coffee, read my Bible, pray and listen to the cars going through their morning tune-ups over at the track. Not really quiet but it was my time with the Lord. One morning I left my Bible on the outside table while we went about our day. That afternoon we had a brief rain shower. Things under the awning got damp but not really wet. Koy wanted to know if he should move my Bible inside but I said it was ok.
Later that day my Bible began to expand, literally! The pages got fatter as they began to absorb the moisture. When it dried out it never did shrink back to the previous size. Now, when I pick it up to read if I squeeze it together it crackles. It is daily reminder to me of this verse.
“The Lord is far from the sinful, but He hears the prayer of those who are right with Him. 30 The light of the eyes makes the heart glad. Good news puts fat on the bones. 31 He whose ear listens to careful words spoken will live among the wise.” Proverbs 15:29-31 NLV
Good bones, fat bones.
Good news puts fat on the bones. Another version of this verse says “a good report maketh the bones fat”. Each day when I pick up my Bible and open it to where I’m going to read I say “Thank you Father. The Good News in this book is making my bones fat. Just like the pages of this Bible got fat, when I read the words of this book they are making me strong, healthy and giving me wisdom.”
I truly believe that. God’s word is our good news. In fact, it’s the best news ever. Where else will we find unconditional love, unending mercy and infinite grace? Where else we find direction, peace and complete forgiveness? There is nowhere on the face of the earth, there are no other books that contain life-giving words and there are no computer programs or data updates that bring us into a loving relationship with Almighty God.
“My soul will be happy in the Lord. It will be full of joy because He saves. 10 All my bones will say, “Lord, who is like You? Who saves the weak from those too strong for them? Who saves the poor from those who would rob them?'” Psalm 39:9-10 NLV
“Because of Your Word and Your own heart, You have done all these great things to let Your servant know. 22 For this reason You are great, O Lord God. There is none like You. And there is no God but You, by all that we have heard with our ears.” II Samuel 7:21-22 NLV
It’s time for self-assessment. If I compare myself to a fixer-upper I must admit that I have some rehab work that needs to be done. There’s some selfishness that needs to be scrubbed off the walls and some spots of pride that have stained and discolored the countertops. There are other issues that the Lord needs to replace, I’m still under construction. But…I have good bones!
The framework, the support beams, have been furnished by the Holy Spirit and they are strong. I am His dwelling place.
“Do you not know that your body is a house of God where the Holy Spirit lives? God gave you His Holy Spirit. Now you belong to God. You do not belong to yourselves. 20 God bought you with a great price. So honor God with your body. You belong to Him.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NLV
My foundation is solid, it’s built on the rock of God’s word. God has placed His light in my soul and He causes me to shine with His glory.
“It was God Who said, “The light will shine in darkness.” He is the One Who made His light shine in our hearts. This brings us the light of knowing God’s shining-greatness which is seen in Christ’s face.” II Corinthians 4:6 NLV
The good report, God’s Good News, is putting fat on my bones. Yes, I’m going through some renovation but I’m so glad to be the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. I have strong bones!
Do you remember those scenes from the Christmas movies when the man of the house had worked so hard at putting up the Christmas lights and when he plugged them in nothing happened?
Or worse yet, the lights came on for just a moment and then they tripped a circuit breaker. All that effort, all that work but not enough power to display it. We had a tripped circuit breaker at our house the other night. Not from too many lights; it was caused because there was too much power demand made on too small a circuit. It could have been easily averted if the cord had been plugged into another outlet with a greater capacity.
Many of us live our Christian lives in a similar scenario. We have the desire to be a witness for the Lord. We want to share His love with those around us and live the kind of life that reflects the Lord but the effort is all ours. We aren’t depending on God. We are plugged into the circuit of our own power when we should be utilizing the Lord’s power.
“As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. 32 “For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God? 33 God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect. 34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places.” II Samuel 22:31-34 NKJV
As Christians we are all witnesses. The question is what kind of witness are we? When we are operating in our own power we have a tendency to burn out. When we allow God to energize our lives we take on a new glow and allow His godliness to shine through us.
“God once said, “Let light shine out of the darkness!”[a And this is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts to let us know that his own divine greatness is seen in the face of Christ.
7 We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us. 8 We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up. 9 We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed.” II Corinthians 4:6-9 ERV
The important thing to remember is we must depend on His amazing power and not our own. When things get difficult…and they will, when life greets us with unexpected hardship, devastatingly disastrous events and serious setbacks if we are plugged into that amazing power of God we won’t quit.
“For this reason, I ask you to keep using the gift God gave you. It came to you when I laid my hands on you and prayed that God would use you. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of fear. He gave us a spirit of power and of love and of a good mind. 8 Do not be ashamed to tell others about what our Lord said” II Timothy 1:6-8a NLV
When we go through those difficult times I mentioned above and we keep an attitude of joy and stay in a place of peace those around us will notice and eventually they will want to know why we weren’t destroyed in the face of difficulty. Our actions will reveal the source of our strength. God’s light within us will come shining through.
The power that lit the sky on that first Christmas night is the power that has been made available to us. In fact, heaven is still singing of God’s power.
“I looked again. I heard the voices of many thousands of angels. They stood around the throne and around the four living beings and the leaders. 12 They said with a loud voice, “The Lamb Who was killed has the right to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and shining-greatness (glory) and thanks.”
13 Then I heard every living thing in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that are in them. They were saying, “Thanks and honor and shining-greatness (glory) and all power are to the One Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever.” Revelation 5:11-13 NLV
Let’s join with the angels’ chorus and sing praise to the Lamb of God, who sits on heaven’s throne. Let’s thank Him for the power He has given us.
“Jesus said to them, “You don’t need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls. 8 But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world.” 9 After Jesus had said this and while they were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him” Acts 1:7-9 CEV
Angels We Have Heard on High
Angels we have heard on high
Singing sweetly o’er the plains:
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Come to Bethlehem, and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heav’nly song?
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
See him in a manger laid Whom the choirs of angels praise Mary, Joseph, lend your aid While our hearts in love we raise Gloria in excelsis Deo!
The best way I know to operate at full power is to praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow!
So many people spend a great deal of time searching for their purpose in life. The movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” comes to mine. George Bailey, Jimmy Stewart, gets to see how the lives of those he loves would have been drastically changed if he hadn’t been around.
About thirty years back, society became aware of a new condition, the mid-life crisis. People were disillusioned, ending marriages, acting irrationally, searching for their purpose. I wish I could say that Christians aren’t effected by such behavior but we are. Everyone wants to know why we’re here and how our lives can make a difference.
“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV
There are so many in the Bible who thought they really had no purpose – Esther, a young Jewish girl ended up saving her people from annihilation. Gideon, a fearful farmer, defeated a vast army with only 300 hundred men. A young boy had Jesus use his sack lunch to feed a multitude.
Shepherds, possibly feeling they were unappreciated and unacceptable to society, were given the responsibility of spreading the news that the Messiah had been born. Joseph was just a carpenter but he was called to bring up Jesus in a loving home. Mary, a young girl, dreaming of her marriage to a carpenter was asked to be the mother of God’s Son.
Jesus, God’s Son, was asked to give up heaven so that He could bring salvation to all mankind.
“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17 ERV
Each one was willing to live a life of purpose. They all had to trust God, overcome obstacles and self-doubt to fulfill the plan God had for them. We too, have a call of God on our lives.
“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
19 What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. 20 We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. 21 Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.” II Corinthians 5:17-21 CEV
Our purpose is almost identical to the one the shepherds received. We have been given the work of sharing God’s message of peace with those around us. I’m so thankful that someone shared that message with me and that I can now share it with you.
I have a song to share with you this morning that may be unknown to many but the story is one of purpose. I believe it was written by Barbara Mandrell, I know she is the one who recorded it.
I got up earlier than normal this morning. I checked on the grandkids; gave hugs and kisses, said another round of prayers and restarted the “white noise” station on Pandora.
Everyone was cuddled in and I came to the living room to read and have my prayer time. The house was, and still is, silent. I love this time when the world, my home, is blanketed with stillness…
I had thoughts of laying down on the couch and going back to sleep. It was so peaceful but all I could think of was God – how great is His love, how vast is His goodness, how personal are His thoughts toward me. (deep sigh) So, I leaned back and snuggled into His presence. I felt dwarfed by the quiet but was completely comfortable in my awareness of the Father’s companionship.
Quiet.
That’s what I experience in His presence – quiet. I began to search the Scriptures for verses on “quiet”. What I found was quiet is equated with lack of conflict, turmoil or war.
“But you have a son who is a man of peace. I will give your son a time of peace. His enemies around him will not bother him. His name is Solomon. And I will give Israel peace and quiet during the time that he is king. 10 Solomon will build a temple for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his Father. I will make his kingdom strong, and someone from his family will rule Israel forever!’” I Chronicles 22:9-10 ERV
“But he who listens to me will live free from danger, and he will rest easy from the fear of what is sinful.” Proverbs 1:33 NLV or
“But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:33 NKJV
“The work of being right and good will give peace. From the right and good work will come quiet trust forever. 18 Then my people will live in a place of peace, in safe homes, and in quiet resting places. ” Isaiah 32:17-18 NLV
And one more…
“Do your best to live a quiet life. Learn to do your own work well. We told you about this before. 12 By doing this, you will be respected by those who are not Christians. Then you will not be in need and others will not have to help you.” I Thessalonians 4:11-12 NLV
Praise God for the quiet. In the quietness there is rest for the soul…
And then there was the abrupt intrusion into this time of silence, the coffee pot beeped to let me know that it was going to automatically shut off. I had to chuckle.
There could only be one carol that I would share with you while I’m enjoying this silence. It’s one everyone knows but I hope you will take the time to read all the words.
Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child Holy Infant so tender and mild Sleep in heavenly peace Sleep in heavenly peace
[Verse 2] Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight Glories stream from heaven afar Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born Christ the Savior is born
[Verse 3] Silent night, holy night! Son of God, love’s pure light Radiant beams from Thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace Jesus Lord, at Thy birth Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
The Father speaks to us in the quiet. If we listen, we can hear His words of love and grace and His word will free us from turmoil and unrest.
When you bring out your Christmas decorations where do you put your everyday stuff? Am I the only one who has to figure that out or do the rest of you have the same issue?
This is our fifth Christmas in this home and I’m still working on putting everything in a proper place so that we can get around the tree without knocking off the ornaments. Then there’s finding a place for the dining room table centerpiece and the things that had been on the coffee table. Everything has to go somewhere so we can enjoy the Christmas decorations.
This morning the grandkids will come for the weekend. The toybox will need to come out of the closet and we’ll make room for the race track, the puzzles and the blocks. I wouldn’t change one little thing, not for a moment, but there is some preparation involved.
As important as it is to prepare our homes it’s more important that we prepare our hearts. Things get cluttered and hurried. New things are added and they seem to crowd out the old. It can be stressful to say the least. Everything seems to be jostled and rearranged.
“Make Room. Prepare the space.”
There is an event recorded in Luke that I find really speaks to my heart.
“The Lord and his disciples were
traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman
named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. 40 Martha
was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus
and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do
all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”
41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, 42 but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 CEV
I was such a Martha. Always scurrying about making sure everything was ready; the house was clean, the food prepared, bedrooms ready, porch swept, etc. So much to do and if it wasn’t all done I was stressed and couldn’t enjoy the company.
I learned from this story that it is more important to prepare my heart than it is my home. No one is really coming to see if the floors are clean and the house has been dusted. They are coming for a visit, a time of loving conversation, so I need to prepare my heart to welcome them in the same way I would welcome Christ.
For Mary, everything that was going on in the kitchen paled behind her focus on the Lord, the guest of honor, and what He was saying. She had prepared her heart to receive from Him. Jesus said that she had chosen the best part.
I want to receive the best that God has for me and I want to give His best to those around me. The Lord doesn’t want me stressed out and panicked. He wants me rested and trusting in Him. I’m learning to do that much more easily than I used to.
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you. And you will eat with me.” Revelation 3:20 ERV
When we hear Jesus calling our name, knocking at our hearts door, and asking for our time let’s make room immediately. Forget our agenda, drop everything and make time. That’s the response of a heart that has prepared room for the Lord.
Joy to the world Joy to the world Joy to the world, the Lord is come Let earth receive her King Let every heart prepare Him room And Heaven and nature sing And Heaven and nature sing And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature singJoy to the world Joy to the world Joy to the World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy Repeat the sounding joy Repeat, repeat, the sounding joyJoy to the world, now we sing Let the earth receive her king Joy to the world, now we sing Let the angel voices ring Joy to the world, now we sing Let men their songs employ Joy to the world, now we sing Repeat the sounding joyOh oh He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The light of His righteousness And wonders of His love And wonders of His love And wonders of His love And wonders, wonders, of His love And wonders, wonders, of His loveJoy to the world, now we sing Let the earth receive her king Joy to the world, now we sing Let the angel voices ring
I pray that every heart prepares room for the One who came to bring joy to the world.
I’m using a play on words this morning; let love rain. I know it should be “reign” and not “rain” but the change in spelling makes a point.
Here in the desert we don’t have the snow scenes that you experience in the northern areas of the country. When we lived in the northwest it was great fun to hike out through the snow and cut our own Christmas trees; build snowmen and sledding runs; and even go on horse drawn sleigh rides. For a few days, a few days…the snow was fun and if I’m perfectly honest I do miss it from time to time.
But the other morning when Dave and I were on a walk after a nice soft winter rain, the day was glorious. The temperature was crisp, the sun was shining brightly, the desert grasses glistened with the previous days moisture, and the air was crystal clear. We both remarked what a beautiful day it was – this is why we live here! We have the beauty of nature and no snow to shovel.
Now how does this relate to rain and reign? The winter rains we experience in the desert are gentle, soft and soothing. Isn’t that what we all need this time of year? We need things to be soothing, soft and kind.
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. 8 Love will never end.” I Corinthians 13:4-8 ERV
During the Christmas season we seem to be more loving, accepting, gentle and forgiving. Maybe it’s because the season reminds us of how gracious God is to us. He doesn’t coerce or demand; He doesn’t ridicule or criticize. God, in His loving manner, welcomes us with open arms and He never gives up on us. Like a soft rain soaking in to the harden soil, God’s love soaks through even the hardest hearts to bring the message of forgiveness. He never loses hope and He never gives up on us.
It is important to have love reign as well as rain. When love reigns it means that it has set itself up as the ruling authority. Like a king establishes his rule throughout the land, love, when it reigns in our hearts, establishes its authority and dictates our actions. There is nothing greater than love.
“Be careful. Hold firmly to your faith. Have courage and be strong. 14 Do everything in love.” I Corinthians 16: 13-14 ERV
My desire is to shower folks with love. Each day I try to look for opportunities to be a godly example. Years ago I heard a song recorded by Barbara Mandrell, One Night a Year. She’s one of my favorite country artists and this song became an anthem in my heart. I hope you enjoy it. (you can listen to it by clicking on the song title)
Once again the windows shine with pretty lights
Once again our loved ones gather at our sight
Busy crowds of strangers greet each other with a smile
There’s Christmas in the eyes of every child
Once again the presents are resting by the tree
Once again we worship the One who came for you and me
I hear choirs of voices as they’re singing out His name
Again we tell the story of how the Christ Child came
One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year
Once again around the world heads are bowed in prayer
Once again the promise of peace is in the air
But soon will come the morning and the feeling will be past
And I can’t help but wonder why the feeling only lasts
One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year
One night a year we believe in peace on earth
One night a year we praise our Saviour’s birth
I wish every night the whole year through could be like Christmas Eve
When love’s pure light is shining everywhere, one night a year
One night a year
Let’s join together and let love rain more than just one night a year!
You understand what I am saying here, tired and cranky? We all have those times when we just want to throw a fit and get away with it. Right?
Monday morning I received a text from our youngest daughter telling me that our little granddaughter had just cut 3 new teeth. My first response was “that explains her mood on Thanksgiving, she was hurting”.
We excuse some crankiness when children are little and don’t know how to tell us what’s going on. But we should be giving them instruction that selfish actions aren’t right. The problem comes when we are teenagers or adults and we have these same outbreaks of self-centered frustration.
“Remember this: There are some terrible times coming in the last days.2 People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud and boast about themselves. They will abuse others with insults. They will not obey their parents. They will be ungrateful and against all that is pleasing to God.3 They will have no love for others and will refuse to forgive anyone. They will talk about others to hurt them and will have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.4 People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure.5 They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to let that “devotion” change the way they live. Stay away from these people!” II Timothy 3:1-5 ERV
These verses are a description of many of the attitudes and actions that are going on in society today. There’s an entitlement mentality that says I deserve it; I should have more and better things, not because I have worked hard or sacrificed but because I’m entitled to better.
I really wanted to be cranky yesterday. I did. I was tired, hadn’t slept much the night before and I “felt” that I deserved to be treated with more consideration. I wanted to be entitled. I was being selfish. I was thinking about me and what my needs were and what I wanted.
It only took a few minutes for the Lord to step in and correct me.
“If then you have been raised with Christ, keep looking for the good things of heaven. This is where Christ is seated on the right side of God. 2 Keep your minds thinking about things in heaven. Do not think about things on the earth. 3 You are dead to the things of this world. Your new life is now hidden in God through Christ.” Colossians 3:1-3 NLV
and
“Whoever wants to be first must serve the rest of you like a slave.28 Do as I did: The Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people.” Matthew 20:27-28 ERV
Pity parties have a very small guest list; me, myself and I. When we look at Jesus and how he lived, keeping our minds focused on how things are done in heaven, we will see that we have been given a higher assignment. We are to be an example of self-control and self-sacrifice.
“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways. 24 And because we belong to Christ Jesus, we have killed our selfish feelings and desires. 25 God’s Spirit has given us life, and so we should follow the Spirit. ” Galatians 5:22-25 CEV
Probably no one else has to deal with keeping their feelings, emotions and thoughts in line but just in case you are like me I thought I would share this with you today.
Let’s live like the Apostle Paul said here in verse 25. Let’s follow the Spirit. Life will certainly be better.
What a great Thanksgiving weekend! A wonderful dinner and delicious left overs. Time with family and friends. Overflowing with gratitude.
The words it is finished may make you think of an empty pie plate or the last bite of the dressing. It may also remind you that the long weekend is over and today you are back to work and life’s normal routine.
Sitting here this morning those three words have totally engulfed me. I am reflecting on what Jesus has done and continues to do in our daily lives.
“It is finished.”
What do those words mean to you? It could mean the end of a bad relationship. Possibly, it’s the completion of a special project, something you’ve been working on for a long time, it’s done and you can be proud of the result. You may be moving to a new place or a new job and your life is filled with uncertainty. Whatever those words mean to you, Jesus has chosen to be with you in each situation.
If it’s the end of a bad relationship, Jesus knows what it was like to be heart-broken. He was filled with great sorrow as He looked at Jerusalem and saw how they had walked away from the Lord. One of the reasons He came was to heal the broken-hearted and bring us into right relationship, a relationship with the Father.
“Someone handed Him the book of the early preacher Isaiah. He opened it and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has put His hand on Me to preach the Good News to poor people. He has sent Me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent Me to tell those who are being held that they can go free. He has sent Me to make the blind to see and to free those who are held because of trouble. 19 He sent Me to tell of the time when men can receive favor with the Lord.” Luke 4:17-19 NLV
Jesus worked on His earthly project for 33 years. It had been in the planning stage in heaven thousands of years before that. The project of restoring mankind to his original place, a place of right relationship was finished. He had paid the price, redemption was complete. God, the Father, was very pleased with what Jesus had done.
The work on earth was finished. The power of sin was destroyed. It was time to celebrate in heaven. Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us and then He will come again and take us there. Once we get there, to heaven, a wonderful banquet will be prepared for us to enjoy. Talk about thanksgiving, we will have a wonderful time with family and friends.
“There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I wouldn’t tell you this, unless it was true. I am going there to prepare a place for each of you. 3 After I have done this, I will come back and take you with me. Then we will be together. ” John 14:2-3 CEV
Now, if it’s time for you to make a move, to transition, to another location or another office, He is there. We have God’s promise that He will never leave us or abandon us. King David said even if I go to hell, He is there.
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:7-10 NKJV
Whatever you are saying it is finished to, know that it is time to look ahead with a hopeful heart. God will direct our steps and lead you to a good place.
“The Lord is my shepherd.I will always have everything I need. 2 He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water. 3 He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that he is good.” Psalm 23:1-3 ERV
