learned to be content in whatever circumstances he found himself in and we can find that contentment, too. No, that doesn’t mean we’re going to enjoy those pesky ants and the different storms of life, but in the middle of those times, we can be satisfied that God is in control and up to something good in the midst of our troubles. And that’s when we realize what verse 13 tells us. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Here’s to always making sure that we invite God to our picnics!
Lord, please help me learn to be content in whatever situation arises. With You by my side, I can do anything. Amen.
15…SEND ME
Good morning! My mind keeps going back to something my pastor said on Sunday. A survey that he saw on Google indicated that two-thirds of all the people on earth are not Christians. That means that Heaven is not their forever home and they have not received forgiveness of their sins by the Lord. Those numbers are just so hard to comprehend. What can we, as Believers, do about that incredible number?
The answer to that question can be found in the last two verses in the book of Matthew. God gives us these instructions. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The Lord tells us that we are responsible for sharing the Good News of the Gospel. What we are not responsible for is their response. Salvation is an individual decision but those of us that have received this gift know that it is too great of a gift not to share with others. In the verses I referred to above, the baptism isn’t what saves you. Only Jesus can save you. But the water baptism is an outward sign of our repentance and forgiveness of sins through the gift of Jesus Christ. Matthew 10:33-34 sums it up this way. “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in Heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before man, I will also deny him before My Father who is in Heaven.”
Let’s go back to that staggering two-thirds number. During the Christmas season, more people are thinking about Jesus because it’s His birthday that we celebrate on December 25. This is a prime time for Christians to share the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. My prayer is that we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to those who need to hear about the best gift of our lives … Jesus.
Lord, to those around me who don’t know You, help me eagerly say, “Here I am Lord, send me!” Amen.
16…THE NORM
Good morning! As I looked at the weather forecast for the rest of the week, it was clear that we are now starting to experience some winter weather. It’s predicted that the low temperatures will be in the 20’s and the high temperatures only in the 30’s and 40’s. There’s even a chance for some snow flurries. What cracks me up about that forecast is listening to people talk about it. We are in the month of December, after all, and these temperatures are what we are supposed to have this time of year in our part of the country. We’ve just been blessed with unusually warmer weather in the past weeks, so those warmer temperatures were the anomalies, not the temperatures forecasted for the rest of this week. Sometimes we just forget what the “normal” should be. This also happens in our Christian walk. Staying conscious of the Lord’s presence should be our normal, but all too often we are like Jacob in Genesis 28:16 where he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”
Let me give you an example. I requested prayer for a couple of friends of mine. My friend had taken her husband to the ER the day before and they admitted him for observation. As she stayed with him in the hospital, she started feeling really bad. She was having a lot of pain in her right side and spiked a fever of 102.9. So, they sent her to the ER and the next morning she had her appendix removed. Should we be astonished that she was in the right place to get the care she needed at the right time? That was not an anomaly. The Lord is always with us and He orchestrates our life according to His plan, so there was no coincidence about my friend being at the hospital when her appendix decided it needed to come out. That was all God. That’s just what He does. My prayer for us is that we strive to always be aware of the Lord’s presence in our lives and to be thankful that He chooses being with us as the norm!
Jesus, thank You for always working things out for our best and for Your glory. And thank You for wanting to always be with us. Amen.
17…SUPERMOON
Good morning! Several days ago, we experienced what was known as a “supermoon.” It is called a supermoon because it’s substantially brighter than what a normal full moon would be. On the news, they said that this was the only supermoon that we will experience in the year 2017. Hope you had the chance to witness its beauty.
That moon got me thinking about the true Light of the World … Jesus. Until we asked Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, we were living in darkness. But once we accept the gift of salvation, we begin living in the Light, just like Colossians 1:13-14 tells us. “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Once we’ve been brought into the Light upon salvation, Ephesians 5:8-10 tells us that we are to walk as children of light and learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Others around us should be able to notice a change in our lives once we accept Jesus. We will still sin, but as we learn what pleases God, we should sin less, and others will notice that change. When people ask, “What’s up with you?” since you are not doing or saying the things from the darkness you had been living in, you can tell them about the Savior that has brought you into the Light.
My prayer is that our lives will shine brighter than any supermoon and that others can see the Light of the Lord shine through us on a daily basis. Living in the Light of the Lord will help draw others to Him. Unlike the Supermoon, God’s Light can be found every day of the year.
Lord, You truly are the Light of the world. Please guide my days so that Your light will shine bright through me. When darkness tries to close in, remind me that darkness and Light can’t live together, and help me always choose You, the Light. Amen.
18…GOD’S AMAZING LOVE
Good morning! As I was reading in 1 John 4, I came across the title of verses 11-21 … The Glories of Love. Many accurately call the Christmas season, the season of love because Love came down to earth through the birth of Jesus Christ on that first Christmas morning. 1 John 4:15-16 tells us that, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”
Have you noticed how freely love flows this time of year? It flows to those we love and to total strangers. It flows to those who are experiencing tragedies and for those who are fighting illnesses. People also give more generously to charities this time of the year. I think we can answer the question of why love flows so freely around the holiday season quite simply … people are focusing on God, regardless if they believe in Him or not. Have you ever noticed how people who say that they don’t believe in God still celebrate Christmas? Since God is love, as they celebrate LOVE, they are also celebrating God, whether they understand that or not.
Since I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t believe in love, there’s no better time than this season to help an unbeliever understand that God is love and He wants more than anything to share His love with them. So, during this Christmas season, pass on the gift that keeps on giving, for all eternity … God’s amazing love!
Lord, You are the reason why we can love. We look to You for the perfect example of love. Help us learn to pass on Your love to others every day of the year, not just during the Christmas season. You are the best gift we can
