Saturday, January 21, 2017

January 21

A woman had suffered many years dealing with uncontrolled bleeding. She had been to many doctors but none were able to bring her bleeding under control. She heard about this man who had come into town and all the amazing things that he was doing and thought that if only she could touch the edge of his garment she would be healed. So she made her way through the crowd risking her life because she was considered unclean because of her issue. She made it to him and upon touching his robe she was immediately healed. The man felt power leave his body and insisted that someone confess to what they had done. She told him what she had done and he told her to go in peace that her faith had healed her. Are you suffering? Are you chasing after Jesus for your healing? When you have exhausted all human efforts, turn to Jesus. His power is made perfect in our weakness.

And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease." Mark 5:34

Friday, January 20, 2017

January 20

We've all had to deal with people who are obnoxious and have terrible people skills. They are very set in their ways and may have trouble understanding simple things like kindness and tolerance. It takes all kinds of people to make up this world and even though we find their actions unacceptable, we also know that God loves them with their flaws and all. For instance, Jesus and His disciples came across a man who had been tormenting a neighborhood for years. The community had bound him with shackles and chains, but they no longer held him. When Jesus got to the area, this man came out to meet Him. Jesus healed this man by commanding the demons to come out of him. He then began to act human again. Jesus loves everyone and can even heal behavior issues and release anyone from chains. One day they too may proclaim all that God has done for them.

And he did not permit him (to go with Him) but said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." Mark 5:19

Thursday, January 19, 2017

January 19

I don't know about you, but I do some pretty inconvenient things for those I love. What made me think about this is my little dog Rudy. He likes to sit with me in the mornings and sleep next to me. Over the past week he has decided to curl up on my lap. This makes it very hard to type or do anything on my iPad. He's just so cute sitting there that I can't bring myself to move him. That means that I must contort my body and sit at a weird angle just to be able to type. I also do some weird things because I love Jesus. Probably the most unusual thing for any of us to do is to strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and tell them about Jesus. How uncomfortable and inconvenient is that? But I love Him and out of that love for Him I do some things that are outside of my comfort zone. It's not easy owning a dog and it forces you to change your life and the way you do things; it's the same way loving Jesus!

We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

January 18

As I've gotten older, the things that were once important to me have changed. It may also be my maturity in Christ that has changed my perspective. I once drove a fancy car, now I drive a truck. Don't get me wrong, my truck is pretty nice! I've always worn the latest fashions and carried a designer purse, now that doesn't feel as necessary. Jesus has been working on me and renewing my mind to resemble His. As I grow in Him, this temporary world holds less value than the things of eternity. As you follow the footsteps of Jesus throughout the Bible, you begin to notice that His heart was only concerned about and focused on our eternity and His love for the Father. He loved people and loved the Father to the point that His death, being the only way to reconcile the two, became the focus of His earthly mission. We should have a similar goal; to reconcile people to the Father through Jesus.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

January 17

God knows me all too well. He located me in a place where my soul could thrive; right here in the state of Florida. Would I have longed for the shore if I had been placed elsewhere? I'm not really sure. There is just something that draws me to the water. Maybe it's the mystery of the open water and knowing that there are living creatures among us that we can't see just below the surface of the water. I think I love it because it's similar to the kingdom of heaven in that we don't know everything about it, just bits and pieces. Most of what we know about the ocean has been told to us by others, just like our knowledge of heaven. Every now and then we get to see a glimpse of the mysteries of the sea just like on occasion we meet an angel, or so we think. We are not alone on this earth with only those beings we can see; there is a vast unknown world working all around us. Do you sense it? 

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2

Monday, January 16, 2017

January 16

After seeing my sister run ten miles around Washington, DC, I decided to give it a try. I began a program in December that takes you from the couch to 5k in 10 weeks. I'm no fan of running and I really like the couch, but as I slowly pushed myself to do this I can feel myself becoming stronger and healthier. I had my husband drop me off across town so I could run home; it was about three miles away and I did it; I ran the whole way home. I've reached my goal in about six weeks! Now I'm signed up to run a 5k in the Gasparilla Distance Classic. No, I didn't sign up for it myself; I was just happy to beat my training app, but my son encouraged me to run it with him. Now, at the end of February, my son, my two daughters, and I will be running together in a real race. Imagine that, a happy couch sitter running a race! We are all in a race toward Jesus. Don't wait, begin your training now; He is the prize waiting for us at the finished line! 

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Sunday, January 15, 2017

January 15

What do you do when you keep running into a wall and feel that you can't hear God's voice or are missing His direction in your life? I go through a checklist to eliminate anything that may be causing my hearing impairment. The first thing I do is ask for forgiveness of my sins, just in case I did something in my sin nature that has caused my prayers to be ignored. Then I begin praising Him and offer Him my worship. If I still can't hear Him, it's probably because I'm trying too hard. His voice is very quiet and sometimes the voices inside my head need to be quietened and the loud speaker turned off. God is always there; separation comes from us, not from Him. Remember when you were a kid and you got wrapped up in your favorite television show and tuned out everything going on around you? The things going on in our life can cause us to tune Him out just like that. Focus on Him and the wall will come down. 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Psalms 32:8-9