We all have issues and people to deal with. No matter how good things look on the outside, no one's life is free from complications. Some may outwardly handle it better than others. There are those who carry a heavy load with a smile on their face to try not to burden others with their problems. Then there are those who express and share every detail of their pain with anyone who will listen. Don't be so quick to judge those who keep to themselves or wish you had their life, they may carry a lot of pain before they break and cry out. Here's a task for you today: reach out to that person that you see as having the perfect life and ask them if you can pray for them. Chances are that they will bust into tears because no one ever notices their pain. This task will take a little selfless effort on your part, but it will make someone's day. Being a blessing to someone will become a blessing for you as well.
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
If it doesn't bring glory to God, then it is evil! To say that evil things are not evil, is evil. The devil has a cunning way of skewing minds and giving them a voice that can be heard by millions. I am overwhelmed that our society is so twisted that they have bought into the lies of the enemy and keep listening intently them as if they're going to miss something if they don't turn them off. Jesus told Satan to get behind Him and then He stopped listening to him! Are we going to keep allowing garbage and filth to penetrate into the Holy of Holies? We might as well slaughter a pig in the temple! Something good is coming from all of this; God has turned on a light and the roaches are scurrying around. And now that you know you have roaches, it's time to get out the spray and do some pest control, unless of course you like living in the filth. Fill your mind with the good things of God so you can easily identify the enemy within your midst.
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20
I'm no expert on photography but, I do know that lighting has a lot to do with how a picture will turn out. If you've ever tried to capture the moon with your phone camera, you know that it comes out grainy and possibly blurry because of the lack of sufficient lighting. On the contrary, when you take your pictures in the early morning sun, you get beautiful, light drenched photos. The more light there is, the more vivid the colors are in your photos; however, if there is too much light, then they become overexposed. For a moment, let's compare our mind to photography. When we expose it to the light of Jesus, the truth is exposed. The colors in our mind's eye become more dramatic and we see our life in the light of the truth. Not just the truth concerning you, but the truth of God and His great love for us. If you want to live your life in true, vivid color, keep exposing it to Jesus! In His light, darkness flees.
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
Before marriage, there is a process we go through when we meet someone we are attracted to. You may feel an instant connection which helps the conversations to begin to flow. We feel an eagerness to see one another, so you begin dating and spending time together. If everything works out you fall in love, your passion grows, and eventually you get married. Getting to know them is vitally important to any successful relationship. We are in that beautiful dance with Jesus! We are betrothed in marriage to Him and should be faithful to Him as we wait upon His return to us. We have entered into a formal agreement with Him and should only be seeking to connect with Him alone. He has gone to prepare a place for us in His kingdom, so don't be foolish and pursue other loves while He's away. Instead, do everything you can to learn about Him and be ready for His return.
"Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning...You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." Luke 12:35 & 40
Step into this new year full of faith and optimism. God is the one who goes before us and prepares the way. Listen for His voice to pierce the darkness and give you clues to the way you should go. He has a set plan and the pieces must fall into place at His command. Those of us who are trusting Him with our lives have nothing to fear. He has given us everything we need to know written down in His Word. He will give us understanding and wisdom concerning it as we mature. A child learns as it grows, starts out crawling, then pulls up on furniture, eventually it will become brave enough to take a step. This is very similar to how we grow in Christ. A baby never comes out of the womb running, nor does it learn to walk if it never tries. As you spend time in prayer and reading the Bible, He will start opening your eyes to the depth of His truth and bring you into maturity. Eventually you will be running!
An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15
My sister is a runner and has competed in many races. While we were in DC, she decided to take in all the sites on foot and ran for ten miles seeing every monument that we had seen the previous night plus took in a few we hadn't seen yet. Who does that for fun? However, she didn't just wake up one morning and say, "I'm going to run 10 miles today"! It has taken her time and lots of training to get to where a ten mile run was easy. The same goes for believers, you don't just wake up one morning knowing everything you need to know about God, He's more complicated than that! Much training is needed just to begin to understand the depth of who He is. This is why it is vitally important that you start your training now; it takes time to begin building upon your layers of knowledge. It's worth it for what is waiting for us at the finish line! GET ON YOUR MARK! GET SET! GO! Finish the race!
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Happy New Year! Today is a day for a fresh start, a do-over, new beginnings, and a brand new page in history. What are you going to do with it? It really just feels like the next day for me, but the calendar and the activity from last night indicate that we have a new year. Jesus gave all of us exactly that when He gave His life for our sins. Just like Frosty the Snowman when he comes back to life after melting, he was given new life so he came back exclaiming "Happy Birthday!" On this, the birth of a new year, maybe it would be a good day to go over your laundry list of sins, repent, and start off this year with a clean slate. Sin is what separates us from the Father, so it is very important that we have a repentant heart and ask forgiveness. I would rather not have God hide His face from me and know that he hears my cries as I ask for help. I pray that you see God's activity in your life today and for the rest of this year!
Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2
Tonight, a lot of us will stay up later than usual, but others of us will go right to bed at the same time only to be wakened by the fireworks ushering in the New Year. By today, most people have set New Year's resolutions or are at least thinking about making changes in their life. I have found that resolutions don't work for me. But, what does work for me is making a commitment to God. I mean, I am going to try my best not to renege on my promise to Him. Without it, I'm more lenient on myself and more likely to release myself from it than I am if God is the one keeping me in check! Besides, when you have the Holy Spirit helping you, it's just easier. So this is my challenge to you: make a commitment to God to read your bible daily and spend some time in prayer talking to Him. I guarantee you that He will help you find the time. So what do you say, won't you join me and take on this challenge?
It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. Deuteronomy 6:13
Very soon the cleanup will begin as we start to transition from Christmas to New Years. The Christmas tree will become a bomb on the burn pile and singe your hair if you stand too close when it's lit. The trash that's out by the road is full of boxes and gift wrap and the burglars are scoping out the next home to rob. All those Christmas lights must come down at some point and the chances of someone falling off the roof are quite good. And let's not forget to mention all of those credit card bills! It's really ashamed that we must be concerned with every little detail of our life in order to remain protected. Can you ever imagine what it will be like to never worry about those things again? God has a plan for that, and its salvation through Jesus His Son! Rest easy my friends, the life that we now live will be just a shadow in our memory once Jesus comes back to meet us in the sky and all our worry will be over!
And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Revelation 21:5
When I was in elementary school, I was supposed to go home with my friend Tammy to spend the night. I was very young and didn't understand how the school bus system worked because I walked home from school. So I just got on any bus, but my friend wasn't on it. I have no idea what was going on behind the scenes, but I ended up being the last one on and the bus driver brought me back to school. I'm sure it must have caused an uproar. The principal of my school took me home. I had been lost and alone, I'm sure I was crying; I cried over everything! But God was watching over me and kept me safe until I was reunited with my mom and dad. God is still watching over me. If you feel lost and alone, cry out to the Father. He will draw you close and bring you comfort like no one else can. He's our protector and defender and will rush to your side when you call out to Him. Trust Him.
When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. Psalms 91:15
When my kids were little they liked to play in the lake. I never worried about them because they all knew how to swim and they kept tabs on one another, plus I did a head count every few minutes. They would get so filthy digging in the mud and clay! The clothes they played in would never come clean from all the mud and grime. It was one day during the summer and they had been playing in that lake all day; when I called them in to hose them off before coming into my house they came with a nice little surprise, it was a clay sculpture! They had fashioned it to look like a girl's head with pine straw for hair. It had been drying in the sun all day and they presented it to me as a gift. They are all grown, some with their own kids, and I still have it today. The memories that I share with them are incredible. God gives us children to further His kingdom and I am very thankful that they have decided to follow Him.
but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14
We are all a part of this great battle between good and evil. We are the ambassadors to this world to fight for the treasure that God has given us in Jesus. This is not an easy battle because the forces of evil would like nothing more than to take every ounce of good we have in us, dispose of it and fill up the emptiness with every demonic force available. It seems as though the enemy has forgotten who side we are on and the warrior that dwells within us. This time of year seems to be the perfect time for the enemy to strike. As we gather with our families to celebrate our Savior's birth, the enemy would like nothing more than to tear it apart. He pulls out all the stops by orchestrating tragedy, causing deaths, bringing on sickness, all to try and bring you down. Don't be discouraged. God will redeem your tragedy and you will pull through it victoriously! You may suffer a little while, but the glory of God will shine through!
"I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. Isaiah 45:2-3
I was just going about my day when some words to a Bible verse popped into my head. It wasn't a verse that I had memorized or even one that I had recently heard or read. It wasn't the whole verse but just a few words from it, which of course made me stop and think "what is the rest of this verse?". I looked it up as soon as I could. It brings tears to my eyes to think that the Holy Spirit would take time to speak to me and encourage me by giving me words and a verse that are specific to what He is doing in my life right now. I want to encourage you to start focusing on your perception and stop writing them off as random thoughts or songs; especially if you hear it more than once. He speaks to us in many ways but when He uses His own words from the Bible you can be pretty sure that you heard from Him! These are the words I heard: I am doing a new thing, don't you perceive it?
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19
Today is the day that we all gather with our families and friends to celebrate, for one reason and one reason only, the birth of our Savior! If it's anything different to you, you may need to reassess your commitment to Jesus. It's not about Santa, gifts, or decorations, it's about Jesus. He is the reason for our being. He's the reason we have hope for an eternity. It's not very likely that Jesus was born on this very day, but none the less this is the day that was chosen for us to celebrate. It wasn't called Christmas, it was a census and there wasn't anything joyful about that. The joy came when the angels announce His birth. They weren't sent to the chief priest or anyone that was exalted by men but to the poor shepherds. The news was presented to those He could trust to spread the word of His birth without it being contaminated or twisted. Much to our joy, Jesus our King has become our Shepherd.
And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11
I try everything I can to avoid the craziness of the stores at Christmas time, especially the Saturday before! They are crowded and the traffic is pure madness. My husband insisted that we take a platter of sandwiches to church that you can only get from Costco. We had to be there in less than an hour! I get halfway there and realize, I don't have my purse! I did have a credit card stuck in my phone, but Costco requires a membership card. So I start praying! I just want you to know that God answers prayers on the spot. I get there, walked in and the customer service line is empty and I got my pass without identification, this never happens! I went from the front of the store straight to the back without getting stopped by other carts, this never happens! When I got to the checkout and it was quick and I had twenty minutes left to get to church! Make sure you present all of your request to Him, even the small stuff, because He answers those too!
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:5-6
Are you ever just going about your business and start to notice God's work in your life? It's almost as if it just suddenly happened, but the truth is that it has taken Him quite a while to orchestrate the events leading up to that moment. It's like baking a cake. You look for a good recipe and gather the ingredients. Then you carefully follow the directions, adding just the right amount of sugar, flour, butter, eggs, and flavoring. No one in your home really knows what you're doing until you put it in the oven and they start smelling something cooking. Our faithful Father is an amazing chef and He knows how to create the most wonderful delicacies that are so hard to resist. Once the cake is out of the oven we have to wait until it cools before we put the icing on. We are all at different stages of the process, but we can all agree on one thing, we can't wait for Jesus to come so we can all have a bite of that cake!
For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3
I love to take my paddle board out onto the inter coastal waterway. I'm a collector of seashells and even though I find plenty on the beach, the larger ones usually only wash up after a big storm. One day, during a full moon cycle, the tides were very low and the water was calm, it was perfect for paddle board shelling. I found a lot of large lightning whelk mollusk, but every one I turned over was occupied. Then I saw something under some grass and mud. I got off my board and used my paddle to get underneath it and turn it over. I'm just not brave enough to stick my hand down there because you never know what's hiding in it. Air bubbles started rising to the top and then I knew it was empty! Imagine the excitement I felt as I carefully reached down to pick it up finally realizing the treasure that I had. It was HUGE! That's what it's like to have Jesus, until you pick Him up, you don't realize the treasure you have.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46
I'm writing this from my own perspective and I'm spoiled by the conveniences of the modern age so I feel pity for the young woman Mary, who had ridden ninety miles on a donkey! I know that I would have been complaining! Yet I'd forgotten that she was hand picked by God as His transportation into this world as a man. She certainly hadn't forgotten; she calls herself a servant to the Lord. She was given an enormous responsibility and remembered whom she was carrying. She was a witness from the beginning of His earthly life all the way through to His death and possibly a witness after His resurrection, but that is not made clear in the Bible. Now, we are responsible for carrying Him! I believe that we too are highly favored servants of God, cleansed of all unrighteousness and are witnesses of His life through the knowledge we get from the Word of God and through the Holy Spirit.
And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; Luke 1:46-48
When my family gathers for the holidays, we are sometimes blessed by the labor of the young men in our family who make a trip into the woods to gather the ingredients for a Florida delicacy called Swamp Cabbage! It's the heart of the state palm tree, locally known as a cabbage palm, but lovingly referred to by others as the Sable Palm. Now to all you tree huggers out there who might be reading this with worry, these trees are a renewable source of food since they grow like weeds! The preparation is usually done by the men in our family since they can't trust such a fine dish to just anyone. Most of us are quite happy leaving it to them. This is an old tradition in our family probably dating back to the pioneer days. It is good for us to enjoy the bountiful feast the Lord puts before us, rejoicing, prayerfully giving thanks continually, and holding fast to what is good, especially the Swamp Cabbage!
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21
I can't help but keep thinking about the circumstances of Christ's birth. It's quite heartbreaking to think of the situation that He was born into. Isaiah in his prophecy calls Him despised and abhorred by the nations and a servant of rulers. He was born under the authority of Roman rule and that for the first time Judea was being registered, which is a sign of their servitude. Not only that, but for the innkeeper to turn away a pregnant woman who was obviously ready to give birth; you wonder where the compassion was. But, more than likely it was because they were poor that they were sent to the stables, rejected and deprived of the proper facilities for His birth. Born under the rule of the Romans, turned away by the people at the inn to face a humiliating birth in a world far from His Kingdom of Heaven. He was born with nothing, accumulated nothing, yet He carried away a world of sin upon His death.
He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3
