Yesterday as I wrote a post about some of the daily challenges I face, I thought to
myself, “well that sounds exhausting, no wonder you’re napping so long on the weekends. How are you even doing everything that you’re doing?” I penned this poem in response: I keep my eyes upon my Savior to tread these stormy waves To turn away might drown me, but I know that Jesus saves And He who calmed the waters and the winds so long ago Will keep me safe upon these waves to walk And I’ll follow I could not navigate these channels without the Light to guide me To illuminate my path ahead, to lead me on, or hide me Rock of ages, cleft for me You set a table before me in the presence of my enemies Though my body has been ravaged by an unseen fleet of savage microscopic hosted frenemies I tire easily and I return myself to He Who can restore my soul And place my feet upon the Rock The confession, On Christ the solid rock I stand All other ground is sinking sand So I clasp more firmly to His hand Even as this journey leads me on through valleys treacherous Even when this world would beckon me towards being lecherous Ever forward march I onward Until I, weary from the battle Put my head down And rest Knowing yet You fight for me Maybe you’re in a similar place. You’re navigating at the speed of life holding onto Jesus like Lois Lane holds Superman when they go up, up and away. “Please don’t let me fall, please don’t let me fall.” I wonder sometimes if I’m more on the side of “Oh ye of little faith,” or “I have not seen such great faith in all of Jerusalem.” Whichever of those you might more relate to, it’s nice to know that Jesus can still relate to you. Not that Jesus ever had little faith, but that Jesus spoke and had relationships with those who had great faith and with those who needed help with their unbelief. One of the many Names of Jesus is Wonderful Counselor. If you’ve ever needed counseling, you might have learned there’s a difference between a terrible counselor and a really good one. Thank God that He offers us free counseling and keeps all kinds of hours. If you can only meet with him at 8AM, He’s there. If you need him at 3AM, he’s there. If you need to keep him on call all throughout the day, you CAN. You maybe even should, as He instructs us to pray without ceasing. Life can be overwhelming. Everywhere you look can be overwhelm. Phil. 4:13 says I can do All things through Christ who strengthens me. I wonder if it would be better interpreted as, I can do everything I’m supposed to do through Christ who strengthens me. After all, I cannot do a lot of things. But all the things that I’ve needed to go through, everything I had to endure, I have made it because of Jesus. There have been moments where I literally felt it was not possible to go on. Yet here I am. Whether you know what I mean because you’ve been there, or your trials are ahead of you, Jesus promised to be with us even to the very end of the age. Rest assured, He keeps His promises. He is faithful to the end. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:13b-14 Jesus may not deliver me from the trials I am facing, but He will deliver me from my adversary. He will continue to be my trusted Navigation System until I get to the other side of this life. In times of trials, learn the habit of clinging to the One who knows not just the first steps, but the final ones. In fact, if you learn to cling to Him before the great trials, you’ll have great clinging muscles before you even start a trial. And you might get to a time where you feel like you can’t hold on anymore. But just as Lois Lane was held by Superman, even if she wasn’t holding on, Jesus is able to hold onto you. Ask Him. “Lord please hold onto me, because I don’t know if I have the strength to hold onto you.” By Peggie Potter
This I recall to my heart, therefore I have hope Because of the mercies of Adonai we will not be consumed for His compassions never fail they are new every morning ! Were we not rescued from the darkness of sin into God's brilliant light when we gave our hearts to Jesus ? Doesn't He offer forgiveness every time we fall into a sin ? Great is Your faithfulness my God & Savior Jesus Christ ! When we stray , doesn't He leave the 99 to search for the one ? John 10:28-29 When we are grieving or in despair is He not our comfort and our shepherd leading us back into the light ? Psalm 30:5 And despite these dark end-of-the-age days is He not our Hope ? Isaiah 43:19 & Revelation 21:5 By Joyce Pelletier
Acts 9:1-6 "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him. “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul were speechless; they heard a sound, but they did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground and opened his eyes but saw nothing. He was now blind. Sometimes the word blinded means we refuse to see the truth. Until this encounter, Jesus blinded Saul, so he would later see. This is not the end of the story, but what if we imagine ourselves on a road with a bunch of men going about murdering Christians, and probably many not understanding why. They were following Saul, thinking it was what they thought they must be doing. Saul fell off his horse and immediately lost his sight. So bright was the light (of Jesus) that blinded Saul, to get his attention off his own plan and take on the new vision of Jesus Christ. Romans tells us that Saul’s sight was restored. He knew he had encountered the Living God. God was merciful to Saul. In his old life he thought he was doing good, now his new life was completely turned around. In Romans, the new man that Saul became, was a completely different person. In his old life He was determined to destroy those who believed, and now, everything was different. He had to experience that he was blinded and lived by his own interpretation of correcting the believers. Now that he was now born again, He was humbled to see the truth. After he got up off the ground, Jesus told Paul what he was to do. He obeyed with uncertainty, and because he needed the help of others, he obeyed what Jesus told him to do. In this study of Romans, Paul came alive for me. I started to realize that Paul (after his name and identity were changed) traveled to many places preaching the Gospel of Jesus. Before he was judging the Christians, not realizing why. Now, he’s clear-headed and he knew and accepted the truth of God, that Jesus was the Savior and He let his presence be known to Saul. Even his name to Paul. Paul became well known as he began his life as a true Christian. As I read the first chapter of Romans, I was discovering the man that Paul became. He went to Rome, not to judge them, but to reveal the truth of the salvation story. He guided the new believers back to where they needed to be, rather than continuing to be on the paths they had chosen after their experience on Pentecost. Saul had a new name and a new life. Our new life in Christ is being changed to love not judge. Paul went to Rome to help these new Christians see how their life should now be. He never judged them. He loved them as Jesus had taught him. I learned that instead of getting angry over negative experiences, I had a choice to move on and reevaluate the way I should handle life’s challenges instead of being frustrated. I’m learning that when I truly love someone, I see things considerably differently. It helps me to be more accepting of others and helps me to forgive myself of the wrongs I do. For myself, those forty something years ago, as I sat with my best friend, admitting that I didn’t have it all together, I listened to her share the Gospel of Jesus. From that day, my name didn’t change, but my life did. What I read in God’s Word, showed me how to appreciate that Paul wasn’t the only one to not judge, I’m included in that role. It is far more effective to love someone than to point fingers and tell them what they should or should not do. Paul showed them the way. Coming through this study helped me see the new man, Paul. He’s the one I wanted to know, not the murderous person he used to be. It also showed me how my life has changed, too. I’m sure that most people can relate to our lives changing. We all have unique stories of our conversions. The changes we have experienced shows us how powerful God is. Romans 8:28 says that those who love God and are called in His plan, everything works together for good. There is no reason to fear when difficulties knock on our door. by Jennifer Hoyt
Have you ever said... “Well, I know what the scripture says in the Bible, BUT…I just don’t agree with it”? If you’ve said the above, believe me, you’re not alone. I’m sure there are plenty of scriptures that rub us the wrong way for our myriad of pet reasons. It’s okay to struggle to understand, or even to 'like,' a scriptural truth, but unfortunately, there is a sobering reality we need to recognize when deciding how to respond. You see, if the response that comes out is to bow up and say “I don’t agree”, then as harsh as it sounds, that response is not only sin; it’s deadly. It was this same mentality that said—I know what God saaaaid about that tree in the middle of the garden, buuut... He must be lying about the benefits of its fruit. Any mentality that exalts itself above God’s word, spoken or written, is trouble. The mentality that says, God might’ve said (fill in the blank), but I don’t agree with it and so I will not follow it—is straight from hell and means we are coming into agreement with Satan’s lies. Proverbs 14:12-16 KJV There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful; And the end of that mirth is heaviness. The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: And a good man shall be satisfied from himself. This verse highlights something we all know deep down in our hearts, there is no genuine happiness in turning to our own ways. Sin may seem pleasant for a season, but it never lasts. Eventually, the reality of where we are before God sets in and our hearts betray us. You see, a defiant and self-directed path is identified in scripture as backsliding. Proverbs is a warning to good people that this mentality comes from our attempt to take satisfaction from, and be filled by self, instead of God. Some of us are probably thinking “oh good, this doesn’t apply” to me, others are thinking “oh man, I really don’t want to face this”. I get it, but if we want to seek the truth, we need to do so honestly. So let’s take a deep breath, and jump in to explore this with some practical examples: I know what God said about forgiveness in the Bible, but you don’t understand what this person did to me. This one is all too common. We all struggle with it at some point. If we try to justify it though, instead of repent of it, that’s when we find ourselves in trouble. You see, according to Matthew 6:14-15, a person who doesn't forgive others will not be forgiven by God. Yikes, I need forgiveness from God, don’t you? I know what the Bible says about tithing, but I believe churches shouldn't be run like businesses because humanity is wicked. We ignore the fact that in Malachi 3:10 it says that tithing is the one time in scripture God encourages us to test Him through our obedience. I know what God said about divorce, but no one has tried living with my spouse. We ignore the word when it tells us that marriage is an important relationship God uses to sanctify His bride (that’s us) Matthew 19:8-9. I know what God said about adultery, but I think this other person is my soulmate and the spark isn’t there anymore with my spouse. We come up with every reason to excuse so many verses, including Exodus 20:14. “You shall not commit adultery.” I know what God said about sex before marriage and remaining pure, but people probably wrote that based on the times back then. Why should three hundred-year-old dead guys from a different culture dictate how I live my life now? We conveniently forget that the men who wrote the Bible simply transcribed the inspired word of God, as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The word of a God that is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 Before I tackle this next part, please note: Nothing that I will write here negates our duty to love people regardless of their sin. “I know what the Bible says about homosexuality, but love is just love, right? If two people love each other, God is the author of love, end of story.” In our ‘tolerance’ we conveniently gloss over 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. It says, “do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” The approach that fails to warn, is not love, no matter how hard we try to convince ourselves that it is. I know what God says in the Bible about God creating Male and Female, buuut, today there are: women, men, non-binary, transgender and let’s not forget: agender, cisgender, gender fluid, gender queer, intersex, and nonconforming. I mean, we can’t leave out this entire group of people that have never felt right in their body, can we? Perhaps God made a mistake? Or maybe it’s just fine with God for people to express themselves how they feel. Culture has changed. We insist, as we desperately distance ourselves from the call, to not conform to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I know what God said about fear, anxiety, worry, gossip, stealing, obeying my parents, loving my neighbor as myself, lying, drugs, idolatry, and not accepting His forgiveness, healing, grace, and direction (and on) BUT… I could write the longest blog post ever seen (and possibly get run out of town for everyone I’ve offended) if I tried to cover all the areas where our sinful heart tries to dilute the word of God. Is it any wonder that in Matthew 7:13-14 it says: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Only a few find it!! Read that again. Next time you go to church, look around. Only a few find it!! Think about all the people you know in the world—only a few find it!! Which gate do you intend to enter? If you’ve been reading along, lips pursed in grim distaste, just waiting for that moment when I hit your pet, I know what God said BUT… so that you can shut me down. Perhaps you're thinking that maybe I had too much caffeine today because clearly I’m wound up and spicy. Let me share with you why this is important, as though that last scripture that says broad is the gate to destruction and only a few find the road that leads to life isn’t terrifying enough. James 1:14-15 says: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then, when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. When we see the word lust, we think only in terms of sexual, but it really just means desire. In fact, other translations say, “we are drawn away by the desires within our heart.” What happens next? When we are tempted with the desires that exist within our heart, (Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?), and we mix our agreement with that temptation, it results in sin. See sin is a lot like the conception of a baby. You need the sperm (the idea or desire) and the egg (our agreement with that idea). That’s why temptation alone isn’t sin. It’s when we get into agreement with the idea/desire that it becomes our little sin baby. And when sin is finished, it brings forth death. Suddenly, we see the problem we face. Either we believe God loves us and His word for us is good, or we don’t, but the truth we find in the gospel isn’t a fence we can straddle. The death spoken of here might not be physical, but even more grievous, is when that death is spiritual. For those of us who want to quote John 10:28, which says that God gives us eternal life and no one can pluck them out of my hand—I have this news for you: It never said you couldn’t walk away, so why chance it? In Revelations, there is a warning to a church it calls lukewarm. In that warning, God says he will spit them out of His mouth. I’m going to leave you with these last two things: Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’… Who does it say enters the kingdom of heaven, BUT… (notice that God also has a BUT), only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. If you are hearing the word of God today—do not harden your heart like they did in the rebellion (Hebrews 3:7-8). Repent. Repent of deciding that you know better and allow God’s word to be the plumb line for your life. The thing you measure yourself against. Not just the things that feel good or the things that you agree with, but Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil. I once heard a powerful sermon given by a baptist preacher who said: “Some of you have designed your view of God around your worldview. And then you cry and complain that God never answers your prayers and it's almost as if He doesn’t exist. News flash: That god doesn’t exist. You made him up! Any God that is defined by your worldview isn’t God. God is in the business of defining your worldview—not the other way around.” The good news is that God warns you of these things not because there is no hope, but because there is! We have the opportunity to repent, turn from our sin, and God will not only forgive us and heal us, he will welcome us with open arms and transform us by the renewing of our minds. We serve a loving God and because He loves us; He directs and corrects us. All scripture is profitable… we have to choose if we want to profit from it spiritually. It’s worth it. By Rebecca Vickery
Not every moment is a mountaintop moment. Mountaintop moments, you feel the light of the Lord on your face, your faith is revived, renewed, restored, and you leave with a glow. These are the high times, the times in which we soak in the rays of the Son. Mountaintop moments matter. They are important. But maybe what happens in the Valley is more so. I have seen more valleys than mountains in recent years. The moments I have come to know His presence in the midst of my deepest hurt, I have found to be even more precious than mountaintop moments. God is faithful in the valley. His peace is so perfect and healing. His presence is a balm to my soul when nothing else will remedy or satisfy. He is a refuge, a safe harbor, a strong tower; all the things He has promised to be. We can lose sight of this when our lives are full of so many distractions. Good distractions. Bad distractions. They all pull away our eyes from the One who loves so fully. I have known people who walked away from the Lord in the times of hardship. Life is hard enough, how could I do it without His presence? How could I walk away from the One who will never walk away from me? The last year has been on of the most physically challenging years of my life. I’m not sure how much longer my frail flesh could have held on without a diagnosis, and finally treatment. But treatment itself has stretched my threshold for pain and discomfort. When I didn’t know there could be more pain, there it was surprising me with more. Catching up with a close friend on the brokenness and sorrows contained within the year, we spoke of the faithfulness of God throughout it. We connected over a verse that has ministered to both of our hearts over the years. After the people around Jesus got upset with him for sharing some hard truths, some of them decided they weren’t going to follow Jesus anymore. “Jesus turned to his disciples and asked them, “Do you want to leave me too?” Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life.”” John 6:67-68 My friend expressed that this has been his anchor verse for all these years. It has been the same for me. When times have been tough, as Jesus said that they would be, I have held firm to the Anchor of my soul. Not the anchor of a boat that may or may not hold firm, but to Jesus. And to my Daddy. My Abba. For he has not given us a spirit to be slave again to fear, but his Spirit, by which I may cry Abba (Daddy), Father. (Romans 8:15) He is a Heavenly Father who is perfect beyond even the best that our earthly fathers could provide. He wants to be in our presence, or more importantly, He wants us to be in His. This may be a stretch for some of us who have fathers who are less than perfect or even absent. But imagine the most perfect father in the world. Perhaps he is a composite of all the tv dads that you’ve seen and thought, that’s what a good dad looks like. Our heavenly Father is better. He is abounding in love. He is patient. He is slow to anger. He is long suffering. And He quiets us with his singing. Sometimes I ponder this verse and I say, “Lord, I want to hear you.” I want to have my heart so inclined to my Father’s love that I can hear him singing. Even as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I have pressed deeper into my relationship with the Lord. My reliance on God has increased my trust. Every time I choose to trust Him, he continues to show his faithfulness. “Lord of Hosts, you’re with us, with us in the fire, with us as a shelter, with us in the storm, You will lead us through the fiercest battle. Oh, where else would we go but with the Lord of hosts?” (Shane and Shane, Lord of Hosts) Lord, where else would I go? You alone have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God. Mountaintop or valley low, He is with us. And He is good. by Judy Merchant
I have heard the simple metaphor that makes the distinction between sympathy and empathy. Where sympathy is standing on the shore and throwing a life ring out to the person who is struggling in the water. Every decent human being would do that ( at least I would hope). It’s automatic, almost flowing out of our adrenaline. Empathy however is much more of a risk. Empathy is diving into the water and thrashing around in the cold choppy waves with that person to bring them to safety. Not everyone does that. It’s rare enough that the people who do jump in are called heroes. Hero is a term that I’ve heard our family described as. Honestly it never sits well with me when it is spoken. Though spoken with best intentions I find myself immediately deflecting the statement and praying for humility for myself and my family. God uses our family, our community to reach those in the water who need someone to come alongside them and help them to find solid ground again. I truly believe this is the calling on our lives, on our family unit. Reflecting upon our sermon series of LoVermont I am able to draw on many connections between reaching our neighbors and caring for those directly around us. James 1:27 states “Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Children and families in foster care are in distress. Their entire worlds are flipped upside down and suddenly everything they knew is turned on end. I truly can’t imagine the feelings that engulf these families. Here is where our family comes in. We become the hands and feet of Jesus caring for these children and parents; sowing seeds along the way. Sometimes there are success stories, sometimes those seeds land on fertile ground. Sometimes they do not. God is in control. 2 Corinthians 5:7 states ``For we live by faith, not by sight.`` We try to live everyday showing these families unconditional love. To shower them with the love of Christ. To be quite honest with you, most days it truly is a thankless job. We pray everyday that God will equip us for what's ahead. Most of the time although we play an intricate part in helping these families find solid footing again they often retreat away from us. Leaving us with only memories and hope that someday we may see them again. Hope that we have pointed them toward the love and acceptance of Jesus. Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” My thoughts are all over the place while writing this. I apologize. My desire to share is rooted in the connections our family has personally had with this particular sermon series. We truly believe that God has called us to help in this way. That for while these children are here in our home we are to love them and cherish them as the blessings from God that they truly are. Some hurt more than others when they leave but all occupy spaces not only in the hearts of our family but the hearts of those around us who walk together with us to help raise these children and support their families in the name of Jesus. My prayer is that these children will feel the love and acceptance of Jesus while they are with us and that somewhere in their hearts they will store up those treasured moments and lean into them as they travel their paths and know that they were and are loved unconditionally by the most high. Amen by Mary Spence
Isaiah-9-6 NIV[6] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. As I sit here basking in the glow of my Christmas tree sipping coffee with my purring cat warming my lap I find myself reflecting on how different Christmas is for me now. I have two grown children who no longer live at home. They have blessed us with four beautiful grandchildren. We celebrate Christmas on a different day than the actual day so my grandkids can enjoy the day at home. When mine were growing up we spent too many years racing here and there trying to please everyone and see each of our parents. I don't want that for them. However its different at my house on Christmas now. If you are feeling this too let me assure you that different isn't bad. I've had time to reflect on the reason for the season. I've been able to enjoy relaxed time with my church family, my child who is still at home and my husband. I've reflected on the new year approaching. I've decided to approach this new year as a fresh start. I have a new perspective this year. As I've aged I have found God becoming more and more the center of my life. I think first of Him when I wake up and last of Him before sleep. I've learned that I am His favored one. That His love for me has a depth and width that I will never understand. And as I walk through hard stuff today I know that I am not alone. God is with me in every single minute. I've been blessed in so many ways. This is a year of renewal for me. So if you are also experiencing different this year, I encourage you to look around. Spend time with your Father. Read the word. Embrace a chancevto move closer to God. Look for the reason for the season. He is all around you. Thank you father, For loving me deeply and unconditionally. I am so grateful for the opportunity every day to try again. That no matter what you will never stop loving me. I am thankful that you are teaching me each day to rely upon you alone, for my safety, my joy and my peace. If it comes from you nothing can shake it; not disappointment or loss or pain. Nothing. I love you Lord, with all that is within me and I am grateful. Amen By Mary Spence
Advent is the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas in December. During this time, we celebrate the anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Each week a candle is lit to remind us of the arrival of Christ here on earth to walk among us. Hope, Joy, Peace and Love are the 4 weeks leading up to the final candle, the Christ candle. As I have been thinking about Advent this year, I am finding that Mary comes to mind frequently. God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, [27] to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. [28] The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” A young woman just on the verge of beginning her life as an adult, Mary was engaged to Joseph, soon to be married. And suddenly an angel appeared to her and revealed she would give birth to the Messiah. [29] Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. [30] But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. [31] You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. [32] He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, [33] and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” [34] My first thought, I'm embarrassed to say would have been, "what will everyone think?" Her parents, her fiancée... her neighbors and friends. But Mary's response was [38] “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. I Imagine the next few months for Mary are quite difficult. Reading about Joseph's response to the news of this miracle, I again think about Mary. Watching her betrothed decide how he will respond... Will he cast her aside in shame? Refuse to marry her based on this claim she makes to be carrying the Savior? In it all she relies on the word she has from God and depends on Him to make a way. She is not struggling and striving or defending her honor, but leaning on God and letting his will be done through it all. I am sure Mary needed no confirmation, however when she travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth, she is greeted by Elizabeth and her baby John. [41] When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. [42] In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! This is one of my favorite parts of the story! That John recognized Jesus in the womb, its just amazing! From the rest of the story that plays out in Luke she gives birth to the Messiah in a stable. What more humble beginning could there be? Surrounded by the sounds and smells of the animals, she laid Him in the manger. It had not been an easy journey, yet here He was, the Savior of the world, a tiny little baby. Do you see hope.. the ability of Mary to be in these circumstances yet fulfilled God's plan for her to carry and birth this little one who would save us all from sin. Can you see the joy, the joy she must have experienced after so many months of struggle to finally hold that tiny baby with her husband who demonstrated great faith and courage in marrying and caring for her against what common sense must have told him.. Peace.. Imagine the muffled sounds of the stable, animals shifting, chewing. The warmth of the bodies, gathered together. The knowledge that this tiny one was going to save the world. Love.. . Can you see the love weaved throughout this story from the moment that angel appeared to the special delivery that quiet night? My prayer today for us: Heavenly Father, Thank you for that gift. The greatest gift of all. A Savior who was delivered in a stable that would walk among us, live as one of us and eventually die, crucified, to free us from our sin and draw us into relationship with you. May we have the strength and faith that Mary had as she walked through the miracle of delivering a Savior. Let us know that you have a plan. That we can rest in the knowledge that we don't have to know or understand it all. That faith in you is enough to carry us through dark days. That you will deliver us and through it all we are never alone. In Jesus holy name. Amen by Jennifer Hoyt
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is kept on You, because he trusts in You. Do you feel like you're swimming in a holiday ocean of overwhelm without a life vest? Everything from navigating tricky familial relationships and perhaps juggling those triggering feelings of loss or seasonal sadness? Maybe sprinkle in the financial worries doing a merry dance in your head, and the marathon of food prep that could make Gordon Ramsay sweat. Oh, and let's not forget the extra work hours to afford all those gifts that keep the family smiling. Welcome to the end-of-year chaos! It's the season of juggling a gazillion things while trying to remember to keep yourself focused on the reason for the season. I mean, who thought November and December could turn into a real-life action movie where you're the lead character just trying to survive the holiday hustle? So, where do you even start when it comes to finding and resting in God’s peace in the midst of the overwhelm of real life? Sometimes peace feels elusive, like trying to figure out which strand of Christmas lights is causing the whole string to go wonky. The three words I'm about to mention might initially sound like a hard pass. They tend to raise eyebrows and go against our natural instincts. But, surprise, they're actually the secret code to discovering peace. You might want to brace yourself: Surrender, perspective, and trust. Hang in here with me. Take a deep breath and remember what is says in Romans 8:31 if God is before us who or what can be against us? The initial baby step in surrender involves releasing our death grip on control. Proverbs 16:3-4 reminds us, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end.” Surrender can often feel daunting and challenging. How do we release our grasp on the illusion of control? It's primarily a mental shift. The simple truth is, we aren't in control, though we may believe we are. Moreover, we have a powerful enemy who is influencing us with false ideologies, compelling us to shoulder it alone. Yet by embracing a renewed perspective, (be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind), we can welcome God's plans, trusting they'll always surpass our own. An executive friend of mine once shared an inspiring holiday testimony. Faced with an overwhelming to-do list—over six hours of work, household chores, meal preparation for her family and expected guests, gift wrapping, and an upcoming church prayer session—she felt the pressure mounting. Anticipating a late-night work session and possibly missing her prayer time, she paused in the overwhelm to pray herself. In an instant, a plan unfolded in her mind, gifted by the Holy Spirit. She swiftly attended to household tasks, fed her family, and headed for prayer. Returning home, she began her work, bracing herself for a long night. To her shock and immense relief, what would have usually consumed six hours barely took forty-five minutes. It was nothing short of a miracle—a testament to God’s grace, not just His unmerited favor, but His enabling power allowing her to achieve what He called her to."Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). My friend’s example taught me so much. When she felt overwhelmed, her first step was to shift her focus from the natural to the supernatural by praying. It’s seems easy, but often, getting out of our own head is the hardest thing to do. She didn't attempt to navigate it alone; instead, surrendering control and seeking God's guidance, she transformed her perspective. Trusting in Jesus, she relinquished her burdens and found peace and confidence through the Holy Spirit's guidance on what to accomplish and how to proceed. As she set aside her own efforts and embraced God's, she experienced His grace—His divine empowerment—in every task. In Isaiah 26:3, God pledges perfect peace to those who anchor their minds in Him, placing their trust steadfastly. Amidst the holiday bustle, grief and stress, you're not navigating the chaos alone. The pressures, and apprehensions of this festive whirlwind are things we all face. Yet, amidst it all, here's the assurance: God's got this—and God's got you! The question is - will you let Him? Remember: Hebrews 4:11 urges us to earnestly seek God's rest, achieved through surrender, perspective, and trust. Genuine rest emerges when we lay down our burdens and embrace His. Matthew 11:30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” If you’re struggling, start by seeking Him. Take a moment and commit your way to the Lord, so that He can direct your path. We can do all things through His strength - even holiday chaos. By Rebecca Vickery
When Adam and Eve were created, he formed them out of the dust. When Ezekiel saw the valley of dry bones, God had Ezekiel cry out to the dry bones, “I will make breath enter you, and you will come alive.” And God did as He had said, and breathed life into the valley of dry bones awakening a mighty army. Ephesians says that God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or even imagine. I know these things. I believe God can provide, transform, and bring dead things to life. Yet, I can lose perspective and look at situations or relationships as being hopeless. I have stored up a wealth of anxiety in a pit in my stomach. The pit of despair so to speak (for you Princess Bride fans). I have known first hand the physical effects of worry. Recently I have asked the Lord to help me know what it means to give him my worries. I have identified some of the big ones and given them to His care. This is a thing that is worrying me. Please take care of this and I want to leave it with you. For the things that persist, relationships that continue to challenge, I might need to surrender again and again. This is troubling my heart again. Please take care of it. Please release its hold on my heart. In doing this, something has become evident. My circumstances haven’t become less stressful, but I’m snapping and snipping at those closest to me much less. When I start snipping, becoming prickly, I recognize it and take it to the Lord. “Why am I feeling so anxious?” Or like David says, “why are downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?” After which, He will sometimes show me what’s bothering me, and I’ll surrender that to Him. The next step after processing this with God is so important. When I have been prickly with those around me because of my own stress, or fear, or worry, I need to apologize and make amends for my behavior. Sooner rather than later. My children are a typical spill zone for my anxiety, so I frequently have to apologize to them. I’m working on being present with them instead of fixing my mind on an agenda that is seldom going to go to plan. My life is chaotic, even in the best of times, but walking and TALKING with God in the midst of it, I can have peace in spite of my circumstances. One week while intentionally giving my worries to God, I noticed some interruptions to my normal routines. My brain has been less stuck in the ruts that have been carved by past worries. Jesse recently spoke about how our worries can block us from bearing witness to the extravagant love of God. How frequently have I allowed my prickly bits to be held onto so tight that I have been less loving. Less patient. Less gracious. Less Him. More me. Yet. As I have surrendered, I have seen Him demonstrate His extravagant love to me. And I’ve been allowed to be used to demonstrate a part of that love to others. The Lord loves me. He loves me with an everlasting love. I can settle into this rut. This is a carving out that I can stay in. If instead of worry, the Lord can carve out channels of love in my brain and alter the way I think about the world, he can change the way that I view others. If I stay in the channel of that love, it can change the way I view myself. What could happen if I truly learned how to see me the way that God sees me? Lord, make me a channel for your love. Help me give up the things that I hold onto so tightly. Allow me to believe that you love me unconditionally. Help me to be rooted and established in your love. Give me power with all the Lord’s people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Help me to be love to a people who so desperately need it. From those closest to me, to those I run into in my daily life. Help me not to be a stumbling block for others in my weakness, but to surrender my worries to you so that I don’t end up pushing people away from you in my own distress. Dig Deeper: Hang out in Ephesians 3:14-21. Meditate on what it means to be loved by God. |
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