Category: God’s Promises

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One More Gift

Some of you have been reading the advent devotional I wrote several years ago and today you’ll read the last chapter and then you’ll probably put the book away until next year. But I want you to know there’s one more gift I’d like to share with you before the year ends.

Last night I pulled my covers up tight, tucked myself in and began to thank the Father for the many wonderful gifts He has blessed me with over the years. As I was thanking Him for filling my life, I heard myself say “thank you for making each day a gift”.

For 10+ years I have been sharing daily the goodness of God on Facebook and the last 5 years I have also been writing this blog. Each day I wake up knowing that there will be something in the day that I can embrace, each day is a gift of His love.

“Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.” James 1:17 CEV

But my life wasn’t always filled with this awareness.

I grew up in a Christian home and gave my heart to Christ when I was very young. However, as a teenager my relationship with the Lord lacked relevance. I became more concerned with pleasing people and being accepted by them than I was with the Lord. My first year in Bible College I became so despondent that I attempted to take my life.

That’s when the love of the heavenly Father became real to me. That’s when I came to know that each day is a gift from God. He wasn’t just some stories I had been told in Sunday School and the Bible wasn’t just words on the pages of a book.

“…’Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. 69 We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.’” John 6:68-69 CEV

My relationship changed. I saw myself the way He saw me. With all of my faults and my failures, my Father loved me unconditionally. There was nothing I could do to earn His love and there was nothing I would do that would keep Him from loving me.

Each day His word gives me the gift of life!

“ I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13  You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you” Jeremiah 29:11-13 CEV

Each day is a gift – a gift of hope and a gift of help!

As this year ends and we look to 2023 we have no way of knowing what things will come our way but we have the Father’s promise that our future will be filled with hope.

Each day is a gift from the Father – a gift filled with love!

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Holiday Travel

“Over the river and through the woods” in a one horse open sleigh isn’t something you see much of in Southern Arizona but it can be a fun way to travel, for a short distance anyway. But the more efficient way, of course, is to reach your destination by car or by plane.

Many of you are travelling to family’s homes for a Christmas celebration or are having family travel to yours. Some are wishing that you could be with family, but it won’t happen this year. Whatever your Christmas Day has in store know this, Jesus came from heaven to earth, He left his home and came to ours to bring us an abundance of gifts.

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:3-6 CEV

God the Father sent his Son to bring the gift of eternal life to all of us. By accepting this gift, so freely given, we are adopted into God’s family and He lavishes the same love and care that He has for Jesus on us. Marvelous grace!

This morning, I’ll be doing the last of my baking which we will take on Christmas morning to our youngest daughter and family. As I make some family favorites, my thoughts will be focused on each family member and how dearly they are loved.

Tonight we’ll go to candlelight service and have some new friends over to celebrate Christmas.

I want my Father, my heavenly Father, to know how much I love Him and how grateful I am for every good and perfect gift He has given me. I will make Him the center focus of all I do. He will be the honored guest!

“ Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.” James 1:17 CEV

He has adopted me and given me the right to call Him “Abba Father” as Paul says in Romans. Abba Father is an endearing term like “daddy” or “papa”, a term of great love and affection spoken by a child who has a wonderful relationship with their father. What more could a Father ask for but the love of His child.

I’m so grateful that there is no distance to travel to spend time with my Father. He is always here. Merry Christmas Papa Father – I love you!

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The Gift of Hope

This morning was heart is filled with song!

I like it when my morning starts like that. The last few days have been kind of rough – we came home from vacation with a winter cold. You know the kind with sore throats, achy muscles, congestion and cough. Not quite the backdrop for starting the morning with a song but these are the words and melody that filled my heart:

“There Is Strength In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Power In The Name Of The Lord
There Is Hope In The Name Of The Lord
Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord”

Oh yes, what a glorious and wonderful way to start the day. When I feel weak the joy of the Lord is my strength!

“Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLV

God, our Father, the great gift giver, has so many promises that we leave untapped either through our ignorance or our thoughts of unworthiness.

I once heard a pastor give this example: We have been given a great inheritance, but many have been duped by the world’s greatest thief. They have believed a lie, the lie that God’s promises and blessings are for others – those more holy or kind. So they give up their hope.

As the verse above says, God gives us hope and fills us with joy and peace because we trust Him. The Holy Spirit helps our hope grow stronger and stronger.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” II Peter 1:3-4 NLT

God has given us everything we need for godly living. He has given us great and precious promises. These promises give us victory in this life! My, oh, my!

One thing about our Father is that He is a promise keeper; He has never lied yet.

There is not only hope in the name of the Lord, there is power, strength, joy, peace, provision, protection, forgiveness, healing, restoration, and eternal life.

“ The robber comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I came so they might have life, a great full life.” John 10:10 NLV

So many blessings, so many promises – open the gift of hope and let your lives be filled with joy and peace.

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Willing to Wait

Well, this morning we are on our way to visit with our son and his girlfriend for a few days and then with our granddaughter and her family.

It seems I’ve been waiting forever for this day to come.

Waiting is hard, especially at Christmas time. Do you remember being little and having to wait for Christmas morning? Tell me ,why do parents put presents under the tree 3 weeks in advance? Why are we told grandma and grandpa will be here, 2 weeks before they arrive? For little ones that seems like an eternity.

Now, imagine if you will, being Mary on the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It was about 120 miles. Each night of the trip she waited for a comfortable bed but there was none. She waswaiting, hoping in all earnestness, for a warm and comfortable bed upon their arrival. But there was none.

Never in her wildest dreams do I think she imagined that she would be giving birth to her first child, God’s Son, in a barn!

“ I would have been without hope if I had not believed that I would see the loving-kindness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord. Be strong. Let your heart be strong. Yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 NLV

These words were written by King David but I think they must have also been the words of Mary’s heart.

But Mary wasn’t the only one who had waited for the day of Christ’s birth. God, the Father, had been waiting too. He had been waiting since the days of Adam and Eve in the garden.

“ Then the Lord God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, you will be hated and will suffer more than all cattle, and more than every animal of the field. You will go on your stomach and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will make you and the woman hate each other, and your seed and her seed will hate each other. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15 NLV

These were God’s words of prophecy to the serpent in the garden. The seed of the woman, Christ, would crush the head of the serpent, Satan. Satan’s fate had been sealed! God would have the final word but He had to wait!

Are you waiting for something big to happen? A clear doctor’s report? A new promotion? A vindication among your peers? A restored relationship? Retirement? Graduation?

Don’t get tired in waiting. Don’t try to rush the plans of God. Be patient. Be willing to wait for God’s best, don’t settle for Satan’s counterfeit.

“ I wait for the Lord. My soul waits and I hope in His Word. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than one who watches for the morning; yes, more than one who watches for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For there is loving-kindness with the Lord. With Him we are saved for sure.” Psalm 130:5-7 NLV

When we’re willing to wait good things happen. After all, it’s almost Christmas!

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Great Joy!

Joy.

It can be seen in the faces of little children playing in the sprinklers on a hot day, throwing snowballs on a cold day, giggling while playing with a new puppy. Joy is induced by many different situations.

Great joy.

Experienced by a couple on their wedding day, seen in the face of grandparents at the birth of their first grandchild. The arrival of loved ones. This kind of joy not only comes with smiles and laughter but also with tears of joy. It’s uncontainable!

“but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ” Luke 2:10-11 NLT

Great joy to all people, not just a few chosen elite, but to all! An uncontainable joy.

God’s message of Good News is for all. Remember what Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave…” Everyone who experiences life on this earth is part of “the world”. This was an entirely new concept to some of the religious rulers of His day. In their eyes there we only two divisions of people, the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews had been God’s chosen people for thousands of years but now, through Christ, the whole world could be adopted by God.

“And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 3:6 NLT

Our joy is very important to the Father. In fact, it is one of the characteristics that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives; the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.

The angels announced the great joy of Jesus coming and Jesus prayed for that joy to remain in us right before He was crucified. Joy was always forefront in the life of Christ.

“Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are…13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word…” John 17:11-14 NLT

It’s so easy to become overwhelmed by life’s circumstances. These were some of the final moments of Christ’ life. He was praying for our lives to be filled with joy. How? By staying grounded on His word.

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” John 10:10 AMP

If the thief has stolen your joy, come to the Father and ask for a refill. We are a testimony and light to this world and He wants our lives to reflect His joy, to the full, till it overflows!

Great joy!

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Don’t Miss the Small Things

I wonder how many small, life affirming moments I missed yesterday because I was busy. I realize I used to do that with my morning Bible reading, I’d skip over the little things looking for some great spiritual revelation.

“We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give you grace and peace.” Colossians 1:2 NLT

We read or see things so often that they lose their impact.

This verse is like many others that are the opening salutation in Paul’s writings to each of the churches he was instructing. Often those opening remarks are skipped to get to the heart of his teaching. But this is the heart of his teaching.

Our heavenly Father gives us grace and peace. He wants us to know that right from the beginning.

Grace and Peace.

Those two words are the summary of the Gospel. The Gospel is good news. What better news can we focus on than that of grace and peace.

Grace: unmerited favor. God giving us something wonderful that we are unable to earn. That something is a relationship with Him – being welcomed in His presence no matter the time day or night. Twenty-four hour access to the throne room of God.

“ So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 NLT

Our Father doesn’t want us struggling on our own. His message of “Peace on earth, good will to all men” proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds was His message of grace and peace.

Peace: soul rest. When everything is tumultuous and chaotic, we have the Father’s promise of peace.

Paul and Silas had been beaten and were imprisoned but they had such a sense of peace they were able to sing at midnight. Paul knew God’s promise of peace. Jesus was beaten and hung on a cross but in that moment, He had the peace of mind to say “Father, forgive them – they don’t realize what they are doing”.

This is the kind of peace God has promised us.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NLT

The Prince of Peace, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, tells us that our peace in every situation is found in Him. The world will have trouble, but He promises peace.

“Now may the God of peace…— 21 may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21 NLT

Our Father, the God of peace, will equip us with everything we need, every good thing that is pleasing to Him.

Don’t miss the small things – grace and peace aren’t just words that start every letter like “hello, how are you”. No, they start and end those letters with the same proclamation issued by heaven’s chorus.

Those words are a declaration of independence from worry. They are a mandate from God’s heart to ours!

Don’t miss the message.

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Sweet Peace

I think one of the most peaceful things I’ve ever seen is a sleeping baby. I don’t know how many times I have stood at cribs edge and watched my children and my grandchildren.

Not a care in the world. Total surrender. Immersed in peace.

Before they know the meaning of words, they know peace. That’s how our heavenly Father wants us to be.

“Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7 NLV

God never intended for us to carry the cares of the world on our shoulders. In fact, the verse that precedes this one is as follows:

“So put away all pride from yourselves. You are standing under the powerful hand of God. At the right time He will lift you up.” I Peter 5:6 NLV

Pride is a peace robber. Pride convinces us that we should be able to “handle this on my own”. Pride whispers, or shouts, “what will people think if you ask for help”. But with the absence of pride comes peace.

Peace to know that the powerful hand of God is working on our behalf. He will lift us up when we stumble and fall. He will lift the burden of the world’s cares from our shoulders. He will carry the load and we will be able to rest in peace.

“ I will lie down and sleep in peace. O Lord, You alone keep me safe.” Psalm 4:8 NLV

I was curious so I did a word search on peace. In the King James version of the Bible the word peace is used 420 times; in the NLV (New Life version) it’s used 381 times. Peace is a core teaching of God’s word.

One of the biggest attacks on my peace is the temptation to worry over my children and grandchildren, the ones I love most. They have faced some herculean obstacles. The Holy Spirit has always been there to provide me with peace and calm assurance.

“And this righteousness will bring peace. Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever.
18 My people will live in safety, quietly at home. They will be at rest.” Isaiah 32:17-18 NLT

“He will not be afraid of bad news. His heart is strong because he trusts in the Lord. 8 His heart will not be shaken. He will not be afraid and will watch those lose who fight against him. ” Psalm 112:7-8 NLV

Calm assurance is a state of being. I love the wording of the verses above. It’s a quietness, confidence, a heart that will not be shaken. That’s peace.

“I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace.” Isaiah 54:13 NLT

Each day I pray for the peace of my children and grandchildren. I pray that in every situation they will experience the peace of God which bypasses their natural understanding. I pray that in their smallest moments and in the largest challenges they will see God’s hand protecting them and bringing them peace.

As we close, let’s turn our thoughts back to that sleeping baby. We are God’s children, He wants us to be at peace, He will handle our cares and give us sweet peace!

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Thankful for Abundance

Years ago, I had a Thanksgiving experience that has reminded me to be thankful for leftovers. Putting away leftovers became a reminder to me of the Lord’s abundance.

This particular Thanksgiving occurred during our farming days. We had a hired hand named Max who irrigated for us. We invited him to come for dinner but he felt uncomfortable with that, so, Dave took a platter of food down to him. I had put some of everything on that plate.

Dave came back and he was almost speechless. Max said he had never seen so much food at a single setting. In fact, he wanted to know if we were going to come down and eat with him because this was just “too much food”. Dave told him it was all for him. Max was overwhelmed to say the least.

That year as I cleared the table and put away the leftovers my heart swelled with gratitude. We certainly had more than we needed, we had more than enough. We had an abundance that we took for granted.

Leftovers.

I wonder how the mother of the boy in the Bible who had a lunch of five loaves and two small fish felt when her son came home with leftovers.

“ Jesus said, “Bring the bread and the fish to me.” 19 Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish. He looked into the sky and thanked God for the food. Then he broke the bread into pieces, which he gave to the followers, and they gave the food to the people. 20 Everyone ate until they were full. When they finished eating, the followers filled twelve baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten.” Matthew 14:18-20 ERV

Here was a boy with a sack lunch, just enough to satisfy his appetite. Jesus took what he willingly offered and created a miracle that fed a multitude. I’m sure that some of what had been gathered was sent home with the boy. That’s what God does.

When we give, God gives. In fact, God gives before we do.

“ 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.” John 3:16 ERV

As we head into the Christmas season I want to be mindful of all that the Father gives us on a daily basis. Every good and perfect gift comes from Him.

May something as small as a bowl of leftovers be a reminder of God’s abundant blessings.

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Let the Son Shine

I love waking up to pray. This morning I learned of a young woman named Suzy who is going to have part of her thyroid removed and a biopsy done, it appears to be cancer. Her father posted a request for prayer. I count it a blessing and a privilege to pray for this lady and her family, whom I have never met.

Shortly after that I learned of a fire that destroyed everything a dear friend’s nephew had. Again – more prayers.

The Lord doesn’t prompt me to pray for every story or situation I learn of but when He does I want to be faithful.

“…The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” James 5:16 NLT

I believe that verse with all my heart and so I pray.

Finally, I read one more story this morning that another friend had posted. It’s about the town of Barrow, Alaska. On November 18, the sun set and won’t be seen again until January 23, that’s 65 days with no sun.

No sun, but how many days do some people experience with no SON?

That’s why I pray. I want those who are hurting, in need or in a dark place to experience the Son shine.

“We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.” II Peter 2:18-19 NLT

The Apostle Peter had a life transforming experience when he was with Jesus on a mountain top and heard God, the Father, speak from heaven. He’s saying here that because of that experience he has great confidence in God’s word. However, he is also saying that we, who haven’t heard an audible voice, can also have confidence in the Word of God. The Word is like a shining light for our path and Christ is like the light that shines in the morning, the sun, and He shines in our hearts.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NLT

“For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT

About a week ago, I met a man while having dinner with friends. After talking with him for a while he said something no one has ever said to me before. He said, “You have a light in you. It shines through your eyes and your smile.” Thank you, Lord, for shining in me.

Some people we meet are like those folks in Barrows, they’re living without “Son shine”. It’s up to us to let the Son shine through our actions and our prayers.

I’m so grateful for the light of God’s love!

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Make Yourself Comfortable

Some of you may not realize that I enjoy dissecting words. I’m not really a “word smith” but quite often I see a written word and its meaning deepens as I examine it.

Take the word courage. The definition means strength or bravery; when the prefix “dis” is added to the word the impact and meaning are greatly changed. The same holds true with the word ease. Add the same prefix to it, dis-, and it doesn’t just mean nervous or anxious but it also means sick or weakened – dis ease.

This is a bit of a tangent, but I wanted you to see where my mind was taking me this morning as I grabbed my cozy blanket, my cup of coffee, my laptop and took my place in front of the fireplace.

I thought “Thank you Lord for my comfortable home. I am grateful.”

Comfortable: Enabled by comfort. adjective. in a condition of comfort; having comforts; not suffering or anxious; hence, contented; cheerful; as, to lead a comfortable life. affording or imparting comfort or consolation; able to comfort; cheering; as, a comfortable hope.

Comfort – abled. The act of being comforted.

And there you have it – Jesus said that the heavenly Father sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter. His purpose is to bring us “comfort”, to impart comfort, cheering us up, making us comfort- able.

“ And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.” John 14:16 Amp

All of this is ours through the Holy Spirit. The Father knew we would need assistance in our life here on earth. As a loving Father, He made sure we had the “Helper” we need to live as His examples.

Providing comfort – comforting – making us comfort abled has always been a part of His plan.

“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. 51 Conceited people sneer at me, but I obey your Law. 52 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.

“Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. 4 He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share this same comfort with others in trouble.” II Corinthians 1:3-4 CEV

I am grateful that we have been made comfort-abled and can now share this same comfort with others. Let’s make ourselves comfort abled to the world around us.

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