Category: Faithfulness

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Love and Beauty

I saw this picture many years ago and I was awed by the beauty of it. It was taken by a photographer from Federal Way, WA, Sarah Alston. Sarah is a friend of my daughter Kim’s and her artistry with a camera is wonderful.

As I looked at this picture and the others in the wedding album, I thought of the preparation, months and months of preparation, that go into planning a wedding. Everything has to be perfect. Every detail complete. The venue, the gown, the rings, the guests all require time and planning but most important are the two people who are preparing their hearts for a lifetime of love and commitment.

Is it any wonder that I relate this to our time of preparation as we await the return of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ? He says that He has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us and when it’s perfectly prepared He will come back and take us to our new home.

The prophet Isaiah paints this picture for us approximately four hundred years before Christ was born.

“The LORD makes me very happy. I am completely happy with my God. He dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He put the victory coat on me. I look like a man dressed for his wedding, like a bride covered with jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 ERV

The Apostle Paul writes about the marriage relationship a few years after Christ was crucified and ascended to heaven. He uses that union as an example of the relationship Christ aspires to have with each one of us. He desires to be our loving husband and provide for us, protect us and see to our well being. It’s our place to accept His proposal.

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish…32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:25-27, 32

Some day, in the not to distant future, we are told there will be a heavenly banquet. The Bible tells us it’s called the marriage supper of the Lamb. Our bride groom is taking care of all the details. We are all invited to be there; His love leaves no one out.

I hope you are excitedly waiting for His return. What a wonderful day that will be!

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What Is Sacrifice?

This morning we will have an interactive blog posting. I will ask you a couple of questions and hopefully you will answer. Of course I won’t be able to hear those answers unless you post them as comments but answer them in your heart just the same.

The definition of the word sacrifice is this: to offer up, surrender, or suffer the loss of something. The term has been used in a number of ways; the sacrificial hit of a batter, a service member giving the ultimate sacrifice, a parent sacrifices their material and emotional needs to provide for their children. In every one of these circumstances, the person is offering up or laying down their own well-being for the needs of another.

First question: What sacrifices have you made for those you love?

I’ve recently been reading in the book of Leviticus. It’s here that Moses gives the laws of living and instructions for sacrifice to the Israelites. They are in the desert, about to go into a new land. They need instruction to properly set up their governance and life as a nation. God gives them instruction on sacrifice; the kind of animals that are acceptable, oil, bread and wine offerings too. Each sacrifice was a reminder that the Lord was their God and He would go with them and protect them.

This morning I made a discovery about praise. In the Psalms, King David asked the Lord to consider his prayer as a sacrifice.

“Lord, I call to you for help. Listen to me as I pray. Please hurry and help me! 2 Accept my prayer like a gift of burning incense, the words I lift up like an evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:1-2 ERV

Question Two: What did King David sacrifice?

He sacrificed his words. I believe, on more than one occasion, he sacrificed his words of fear, worry, and complaining to praise God for His faithfulness. Just like the Israelites, his sacrifice of words was a reminder that God was with him in all things.

Question Three: How do we offer sacrifice to the Lord and show Him our love?

“So through Jesus we should never stop offering our sacrifice to God. That sacrifice is our praise, coming from lips that speak his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with others, because sacrifices like these are very pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:15-16 ERV

Answer: We praise Him! We praise the Father that Jesus sacrificed His life for ours. We praise Him that He is in control, even when things seem to be completely out of control. We do good and share with others because God, our loving Father, has given us all we have need of and more.

The most effective form of sacrifice that we can give is praising God when we don’t feel like it and when it looks like there is nothing to be thankful for. It is then that we sacrifice our emotions and will to His safe keeping. A sacrifice of praise reminds us that God is in control and we can trust Him.

I hope you will join me and offer the Lord a sacrifice of praise.

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Joy Comes in the Morning

How did you sleep last night?

Were you blessed with restful, peaceful sleep? Be thankful, so many weren’t. There are those who were up standing watch over their cities; firefighters, police, EMT’s, hospital staff. Then others were assigned to their posts of protecting our Nation; Army, Air Force, Marines, Navy, Coast Guard and Border Patrol. They all have a daunting task to perform in keeping us safe and they do it willingly.

Others I know were up half the night grieving over the recent loss of a loved one. The sadness, the loneliness covers them like a roaring wave, crashing on the shore. Last night, for many, was filled with travel; a flight taking them home to family and loved ones or taking them too some exciting destination. Then there were those who sat beside a dear precious soul getting ready to leave this earth for their heavenly home.

“The night may be filled with tears, but in the morning we can sing for joy!” Psalm 30:5b ERV

Over twenty years ago, I began each morning by reading Psalm 143 and Psalm 145. No matter what had happened the night before, I greeted each day focusing on God’s love and provision. I felt compelled to share this with you today. I have no idea what your night was like but God does. His purpose is to bring you joy this morning, lasting joy.

“Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For I trust in You. Teach me the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. 9  Rescue me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You. 10  Teach me to do Your will [so that I may please You], For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11  Save my life, O Lord, for Your name’s sake; In Your righteousness bring my life out of trouble. 12  In your lovingkindness, silence and destroy my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my life, For I am Your servant.” Psalm 143:8-12 AMP

“The Lord lifts up people who have fallen. He helps those who are in trouble. 15 All living things look to you for their food and you give them their food at the right time. 16 You open your hands and give every living thing all that it needs. 17 Everything the Lord does is good. Everything he does shows how loyal he is. 18 The Lord is near to everyone who sincerely calls to him for help.” Psalm 145:14-18 ERV

I hope your day is joy-filled. The Father is reminding you of His lovingkindness.

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Start the Day with Love

What’s the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning?

I look for my robe and slippers. Then I take Glory out of our room, close the door so we don’t wake Dave and head to the back door to let her out. I bring her back in, feed her, get my coffee (the auto start feature is wonderful), grab my Bible, my computer and I sit down for my quiet time. However, the first thing I see is the clock. If it’s too early I try to roll over and go back to sleep for a while. That’s the way every morning has started for the last eleven years.

But, the first thing I do each morning is take time before I get out of bed to say my I love you’s. “I love you Father, I love you Jesus, I love you Holy Spirit. Good morning.” I start each day with love.

As I was reading in the Psalms I found a comment by King David at the end of Psalm 17.

“When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.” Psalm 17:15 CEV

To see you as you are! Psalm 17 is another one of David’s psalms of praise – thanking the Lord for being his strength, his defender, his protector, his creator. How much better would our day go if we just focused physically and spiritually on seeing God as He is?

“I pray to you, God, because you will help me. Listen and answer my prayer! 7 Show your wonderful love. Your mighty arm protects those who run to you for safety from their enemies. 8 Protect me as you would your very own eyes; hide me in the shadow of your wings… 14 You provide food for those you love. Their children have plenty, and their grandchildren will have more than enough. 15 I am innocent, Lord, and I will see your face! When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.” Psalm 17:6-8, 14-15 CEV

Today there may be many things fighting for our attention but when we focus, when we set our heart and mind to see God, we can start our day with our loving heavenly Father and see Him as who He is!

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Keep Looking

Only another week until Valentine’s Day. I’m so glad that I don’t need a single date on the calendar to tell me that I should express my love to others. What makes a difference is the little things, the day-to-day expressions; the determination to never give up.

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” I Corinthians 13:7 NLT

Jesus told a beautiful story of enduring love to his disciples.

“Then Jesus told them this story: 4 “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost. What will you do? You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep. You will continue to search for it until you find it. 5 And when you find it, you will be very happy. You will carry it 6 home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change.” Luke 15:3-7 ERV

This is not a story about proper animal husbandry. It’s a story of love. King David often drew a correlation between the Lord’s love for us and a good shepherd caring for his sheep. In fact, one of the most quoted Bible references is Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd”.

Jesus referred to himself as the good shepherd who cares for his sheep. He said that there is a thief out there who wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy us. He, as the good shepherd, came to give us life to the full. That’s why, when we’ve lost our way, He goes looking for us. Love never gives up, love never fails. He keeps looking until He finds us and then carries home and has a party.

Imagine that! We are God’s reason to party.

I want to be like that with the lost sheep in my life. I will keep looking for ways to find and heal those situations. Prayer, kind words, an attitude of never giving up will go a long way in the recovery process. Ultimately it is the Shepherd who brings back what was lost and then it will be time for a party.

Love never gives up, never loses hope. Keep looking!

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Yesterday’s News

Yesterday I watched as something very strange transpired. The stock market fell and all the financial analysts were saying it was because of the coronavirus reports.

Fear was rearing it’s ugly head!

For years I have read and taught about the protection the Lord promises us from His Word, particularly Psalm 91. However, there was a part of that chapter I didn’t fully understand until a few years ago.

“You will not be afraid of trouble at night, or of the arrow that flies by day. 6 You will not be afraid of the sickness that walks in darkness, or of the trouble that destroys at noon. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand. But it will not come near you.” Psalm 91:5-7 NLV

In my lifetime we have been warned of the swine flu, the bird flu, SARS, Legionaire’s disease and now the coronavirus. I’m not saying that these diseases are not real threats but I am saying that God’s word gives many promises of protection to those of us who trust Him. He will keep us safe.

“Because you have made the Lord your safe place, and the Most High the place where you live, 10 nothing will hurt you. No trouble will come near your tent.” Psalm 91:10 NLV

The Lord doesn’t want us living in fear. I know I’ve told you before but it bares repeating now. There are over 300 verses in the Bible that counsel us not to fear, to worry or be anxious. Those things, left unchecked, will rob us of our faith in God. Faith is trusting the Father to handle all the circumstances of our lives; fear displaces that trust and tries to convince us that He won’t.

“I will give honor and thanks to the Lord, Who has told me what to do. Yes, even at night my mind teaches me. 8 I have placed the Lord always in front of me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. 9 And so my heart is glad. My soul is full of joy. My body also will rest without fear.” Psalm 16:7-9 NLV

Rest without fear!

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Coat of Many Colors

One of my favorite Old Testament characters is Joseph. There is so much that we can learn from him.

It seems life dealt him an unfair fate. He had ten older brothers but he was his father’s favorite and he knew it. There was definitely some sibling rivalry going on in this family. Joseph told his brothers and his father that he had dreamed they would all bow down to him one day.

Joseph’s brothers were so angry with him that they were tempted to kill him. Cooler heads prevailed and they sold him to slave traders. He was transported to Egypt. His brothers concocted a story of finding Joseph’s coat covered in blood and they told their father they believed he had been killed by wild animals.

Joseph was bought by the official in charge of the palace guard and served him well. Everything Joseph did had a sense of excellence. His master’s wife was a flirtatious woman and she tried continually to get Joseph to go to bed with her. He refused. Frustrated by his constant refusal, she accused Joseph of rape and he was thrown into prison.

Once again, Joseph excelled in his duties and became the servant of the captain of the guard. He was imprisoned for twelve years before he was brought before Pharaoh. Pharaoh recognized that God’s hand was on Joseph and that he was a man filled with wisdom. Pharaoh appointed Joseph to the highest position in Egypt, no one except the Pharaoh had more authority.

Never once do we read of Joseph complaining about the fate that had befallen him. Not once is it recorded that he spoke evil of his brothers. Repeatedly we read that Joseph served God, God blessed him and he was faithful to God.

A famine came to the entire region. Because of Joseph’s wise counsel Egypt had stored grain and had surplus to sell to its people. This is where we encounter Joseph’s brothers again. They came to Egypt to buy grain for their family.

The brothers didn’t recognize Joseph when they came to buy grain. Through a series of circumstances the brothers came before Joseph several more times before Joseph revealed his true identity. Now the brothers were scared; they were frightened Joseph would retaliate by taking their lives or imprisoning them. Look at Joseph’s reaction:

“Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.

3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.” Genesis 45:1-8 NLT

Joseph treated his brothers with loving kindness. His focus was to provide for the well being of those who hated him and had lied about him. He didn’t hold the hurt that such a betrayal would foster. Joseph used each situation to honor God. (I encourage you to read Joseph’s life story in Genesis from chapters 37-50.)

Everyone of us have probably experienced some sort of betrayal from loved ones, maybe not as severe as what Joseph did but betrayal all the same. We can spend our days looking back in bitterness or looking up with gratitude for God’s provision.

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 NLT

Joseph’s coat of many colors was a sign of his father’s love. We have been given a robe of righteousness; it too is a sign of our Father’s love. Let’s be like Joseph.

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Choosing Sides

Whose side are you on anyway?

Have you ever asked that question or been asked that question? Choosing sides in an argument can be risky business. Choosing sides in life is a necessity!

There are political affiliations, sports teams, environmental issues, auto preferences, dietary selections and those are just the trivial. Each day our life is filled with decisions, choosing one side over another.

But there isn’t always two sides to every story or situation. Joshua, the leader of Israel, found that out very quickly.

“One day, Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man standing some distance in front of him. The man was holding a sword, so Joshua walked up to him and asked, “Are you on our side or on our enemies’ side?” 14 “Neither,” he answered. “I am here because I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” Joshua fell to his knees and bowed down to the ground. “I am your servant,” he said. “Tell me what to do.” 15 “Take off your sandals,” the commander answered. “This is a holy place.” So Joshua took off his sandals.” Joshua 5:13-15 CEV

It’s not my side or your side of things that’s important. It’s God side. If we want to be right, we need to be on God’s side and then there is no other side. Joshua immediately recognized what he needed to do, he needed to be on God’s side. He recognized God’s authority and made himself, and as a result the children of Israel, subservient to the Lord.

There are many choices before us. The important thing is to choose the premise or foundation for our lives that we are willing to build everything else on. Then we make the smaller decisions line up with our foundational purpose and we have true direction.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT

The winning side is always the best and when God is leading there should be no hesitation. Whose side are you on?

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Stacking Stones

My morning Bible reading has been in the book of Genesis. The last few days I have been reliving the experiences of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jacob is a very interesting character. He’s a conniver, a schemer – a real con man. And then he has a personal encounter with God; in his sleep he dreamt he saw a ladder leading to heaven.

“The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. 19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz. 20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” Genesis 28:18-22 NLT

Joshua also stacked stones as a memorial for the people of Israel when they crossed in to the Promised Land. Jesus is called the chief cornerstone. Stones were used to mark important occasions in the Bible. They were permanent, they couldn’t be destroyed.

When we moved to our home in Southern Arizona I enjoyed looking at the yards of our neighbors as I would be out on a walk. Most of the yards had stacks of rocks piled at one corner of the property. Some stacks were tall, others were just 3 or 4 large rocks set one upon the other.

One day I asked a neighbor why the rocks? He told me that is was something that had been done in our area for hundreds of years. It was a way of marking a particular area. He wasn’t sure why, but they decided to place a traditional stack of rocks in their yard.

The stones that Jacob stacked had meaning. He even named the place so that all who came that way would know of his meeting with God. Through the years the stones were a testimony of God’s goodness. They spoke of Jacob’s faith in God.

There are things in each of our lives that should be memorialized. Times when the Lord has met us in a special way. We should tell our children and our neighbors of God’s goodness. The first big stone we place can be a reminder of when God showed us His overwhelming love and brought us into relationship with Himself. Then there could be more stones stacked throughout the years; healing, deliverance, baptism of the Holy Spirit, protection, provision, etc.

We have placed a stack of seven large stones in our front yard. It took seven years to sell our home in Montana and move back to Arizona. Those stones commemorate God’s faithfulness to us.

“Then Joshua told the people: Years from now your children will ask you why these rocks are here. 22-23 Tell them, “The Lord our God dried up the Jordan River so we could walk across. He did the same thing here for us that he did for our people at the Red Sea, 24 because he wants everyone on earth to know how powerful he is. And he wants us to worship only him.” Joshua 4:21-24 CEV

I’m sure you have plenty of reasons to make your own stack of stones. Don’t stack stones as a matter of tradition but as a source of testimony.

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A Trusted Friend

Who is your most trusted friend? Your spouse, someone you’ve known for years or someone new in your life? This is the person that you know would never lie to you…when they give their word, they keep it even if it is detrimental to their own well being. They know you are counting on them and they would never let you down.

Think about them for a minute. I’ll wait…(silly fact, I am sitting here waiting for you to think).

Now let me share with you what I found in God’s word this morning.

“We believe what people tell us. But we can trust what God says even more, and God is the one who has spoken about his Son. 10 If we have faith in God’s Son, we have believed what God has said. But if we don’t believe what God has said about his Son, it is the same as calling God a liar. 11 God has also said that he gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from his Son. 12 And so, if we have God’s Son, we have this life. But if we don’t have the Son, we don’t have this life.” I John 5:9-12 CEV

We can trust what God says even more than we trust our closest friend. When we read God’s word and hear what He has promised do we believe He is telling us the truth; that it really will happen or are we just wishing and hoping that God’s word is true and going to work for us?

How would our relationship with that “trusted” friend be hindered if they knew we weren’t really confident that they were going to do what they said they would? It would weaken the relationship for sure.

I’m encouraging you this morning to strengthen your relationship with the Father. Don’t hope His word is true – spend time talking with Him, watching Him and listening to Him speak through the pages of His word and then confidently trust Him to do what He says He will do.

I grew up with the mindset that we hope for the best but never really know what to expect from God. We just never know what He might do. Yes, God’s ways are higher than ours. He never lies or misrepresents. He doesn’t mislead by insinuation. His thoughts and ways are so much better than anything we can imagine.

Can you imagine if you had been David facing Goliath and only “hoping” that God would show up and things would work out right? Or Moses standing at the edge of the Red Sea with the Egyptians behind him and hoping that God was going to provide a way across to safety? These men had trusted God, taken Him at His word and they knew God would not lie.

Trust, complete trust, should be our response to God’s word. It has never failed and it never will! That’s why I’ve chosen Numbers 23:19 as my favorite verse in the Bible.

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” ERV

When we make God’s word the final authority in every area of life we will never be disappointed. His counsel is trustworthy.

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