Sweet Lord,
you do such an amazing work in the seasons in Nature, our physical lives, and our Spiritual lives. In nature, you could have just given us Summer and then Winter right away; but You, in your loving lkindness and to show us your creative artistry, gave us Spring and Fall too.I know in the tropics, the natives will know nothing of what I speak, and that is sad indeed.
We are now in the Fall of the year here. The humidity of Summer is replaced by drier air except when it rains, and You start to pain the leaves on the trees and bushes a different color. Some, like the Oak and Tulip Poplar don muted browns and yellow, while the Maples, Dogwood, Sumac, and Aspen are arrayed in the brightest reds, yellows and oranges. Together with the evergreens, the scenes in the forests and yards are exquisite! The mountains and hills are especially wonderful with the full carpet of rare beauty of color that covers their bases. Then the leaves fall to the ground and cover it with their beauty too. The leaves serve as mulch and as they decay provide compost for the ground soil making it more rich than it was. To the uneducated the trees look as though they are dead...but then, after winter, comes the Spring and they burst forth with the life hidden inside.
So it is with us, Lord. We are born like the Spring- new infants with a lot of growing and learning to do, but we normally bring joy to others. (See what happens when a small baby is brought into a group). Everyone wants to see them, talk with, and hold them. They do not produce fruit yet. They start to mature and the blossoms start to form in Adolescence and the Teen years.
Then comes Summer and the fruit producing young adult years...some bear more fruit and beauty than others, but they grow and mature to true adulthood during this time.
Then comes the Fall and harvest time. These are our mid-life years. Like the leaves, You start to change the color of our hair, and the "leaves" begin to fall. We are productive, and become the leaders. pouring into our children that are now old enough to start to blossom themselves. Prayerfully, this is the time that we really mature and start to share our life lessons with the younger generation.
As the Senior years begin, so does the winter. The hair turns grey or white as snow, it is harder to get around than it used to be, but as grandparents, the maturity and wisdom stored up in us may be harder to see with the naked eye, but is definitely there for those who choose to partake of it.
As the winter approaches, the plants and trees look very lifeless and cold. When we leave this earthly body, we do too. However; what people cannot see is that in fact, if we have truly trusted Christ as Savior and Lord, we are truly evergreen! Like the trees, our life did not end at all! We are just starting the Spring in Heaven.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Sunday, July 12, 2015
No Condemnation
[Rom 8:1-5 NLT] 1 "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. 5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit."
Lord, today at church a dear brother told me of his attempt to do a speech for college regarding abortion. In our conversation, I was encouraged again to write about my story hoping it will be an encouragement for some.
Before I was saved by Your amazing grace in 1975, I had believed the lie that if a pregnancy was not convenient at the time, it was a perfectly legal and moral choice to terminate the pregnancy because the fetus was just a bunch of cells, not a person yet. I actually had two: one before I was married and one after. However; like most things the Devil does, he lies about the consequences, and then haunts you with regret and horror that you could do such a thing, and heaps on shame and incredible guilt that breaks hearts and destroys lives.
Today I told my friend that if I could do anything to help women and men who have fallen prey to that lie, it would be to help them understand that ALL sin is ugly in Your sight, there is not one that is worse than another, and ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God, there is none righteous not one. HOWEVER: Only because of Your amazing grace one can come to You, confess and repent, and be TOTALLY FORGIVEN!
[Eph 2:8-9 NLT]"God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
When we come to You, we are forgiven and You refuse to remember our sin ever again.
I also believe with all my heart that the two sweet children I never got the chance to meet, will meet me in Heaven as they have gotten the chance to live with You, Jesus, their whole lives and there will be no condemnation from them in Heaven either!
thank You, Lord!
If you are reading this and have never come to Jesus in true humility and with a contrite heart, acknowledging Him as the perfect spotless Son of the Living God- God incarnate, and asked Him to forgive you for your sins and to cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), I implore you not to delay as the time here on earth is short. Our Savior bore the wages of ALL of man's sins, past, present, and future, that day at Calvary; not because He had to, but because He wanted to out of incredible selfless love for us.
Please, I beg of you, do not live under the yoke of sin's bondage in your life another second. And if you are a true Christ Follower, and are still living with the guilt of past sins because our enemy keeps reminding you of that sin- remind Him of Your blood-bought salvation and that even God refuses to remember your sin any longer. [James 4:7 NIV] "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Lord, today at church a dear brother told me of his attempt to do a speech for college regarding abortion. In our conversation, I was encouraged again to write about my story hoping it will be an encouragement for some.
Before I was saved by Your amazing grace in 1975, I had believed the lie that if a pregnancy was not convenient at the time, it was a perfectly legal and moral choice to terminate the pregnancy because the fetus was just a bunch of cells, not a person yet. I actually had two: one before I was married and one after. However; like most things the Devil does, he lies about the consequences, and then haunts you with regret and horror that you could do such a thing, and heaps on shame and incredible guilt that breaks hearts and destroys lives.
Today I told my friend that if I could do anything to help women and men who have fallen prey to that lie, it would be to help them understand that ALL sin is ugly in Your sight, there is not one that is worse than another, and ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God, there is none righteous not one. HOWEVER: Only because of Your amazing grace one can come to You, confess and repent, and be TOTALLY FORGIVEN!
[Eph 2:8-9 NLT]"God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
When we come to You, we are forgiven and You refuse to remember our sin ever again.
I also believe with all my heart that the two sweet children I never got the chance to meet, will meet me in Heaven as they have gotten the chance to live with You, Jesus, their whole lives and there will be no condemnation from them in Heaven either!
thank You, Lord!
If you are reading this and have never come to Jesus in true humility and with a contrite heart, acknowledging Him as the perfect spotless Son of the Living God- God incarnate, and asked Him to forgive you for your sins and to cleanse you from ALL unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), I implore you not to delay as the time here on earth is short. Our Savior bore the wages of ALL of man's sins, past, present, and future, that day at Calvary; not because He had to, but because He wanted to out of incredible selfless love for us.
Please, I beg of you, do not live under the yoke of sin's bondage in your life another second. And if you are a true Christ Follower, and are still living with the guilt of past sins because our enemy keeps reminding you of that sin- remind Him of Your blood-bought salvation and that even God refuses to remember your sin any longer. [James 4:7 NIV] "Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Inordinate Competition-Indignation
Matthew 20:23-24 "Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers."
Matthew 21:15 "But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant."
Matthew 26:3-4 "Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him."
Matthew 26:7-9 " a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. "When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked."This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
Lord, in my reading today about your last week here on earth, I was alerted as to how many times the phrase, "they were indignant" occurs and why. In each case above it seems there was inordinate competition- among the disciples and then with the chief priests. I was reminded again how You hate this in us. Pride, arrogance, envy, and greed play into this and are all very gross sins indeed. We can see it in our families (_____ are the favorite you know), on the job (I should have gotten that raise or promotion , I did all the work), in school, and worst of all in the church. The saddest thing is that it happens among believers, not just unbelievers who do not know better!
Sweet Lord, please keep me from this ugly sin. Help me to rejoice with those who rejoice and never get the grumbles because it didn't happen for me. You enthrone and dethrone kings and control History! How dare I try to tell You what should or should not happen to me? Help me to be submissive to Your perfect will in my life with whatever it holds for me, and I will praise and thank You still for it all.
Matthew 21:15 "But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant."
Matthew 26:3-4 "Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him."
Matthew 26:7-9 " a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. "When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked."This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
Lord, in my reading today about your last week here on earth, I was alerted as to how many times the phrase, "they were indignant" occurs and why. In each case above it seems there was inordinate competition- among the disciples and then with the chief priests. I was reminded again how You hate this in us. Pride, arrogance, envy, and greed play into this and are all very gross sins indeed. We can see it in our families (_____ are the favorite you know), on the job (I should have gotten that raise or promotion , I did all the work), in school, and worst of all in the church. The saddest thing is that it happens among believers, not just unbelievers who do not know better!
Sweet Lord, please keep me from this ugly sin. Help me to rejoice with those who rejoice and never get the grumbles because it didn't happen for me. You enthrone and dethrone kings and control History! How dare I try to tell You what should or should not happen to me? Help me to be submissive to Your perfect will in my life with whatever it holds for me, and I will praise and thank You still for it all.
If You Have Faith
Matthew 17:20
"He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 21:21
"Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."
Luke 17:6
"He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."
Sweet Lord,
You know I give each student or parent that I meet with at Liberty a mustard seed and Matt 17:20 reference on it an tell them the story behind it. But today, You led me to do a bit more research in Your word about the other times You said, "If you have faith".
I find it fascinating that you didn't say, "Now that you have faith", to the disciples, of the "If you have faith" to unbelievers. Each time You spoke of this You were speaking to Your closest followers! This tells me that having faith for salvation does not mean we have all the faith we ever need. They believed who You were because they were following you, but You were encouraging to use the faith they already had.
You also refer to how a tiny bit of faith without doubt can move great obstacles...mountains and Mulberry trees! Lord, I have that tiny bit of faith, and try not to doubt, but find myself not doubting You, but doubting myself. Today You encouraged me that even if my faith is tiny at anytime, You can move the great things in my life too.
Lord, help me today to keep these verses ever before me in my walk and to help others to be encouraged to have that faith without doubt too.
"He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 21:21
"Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."
Luke 17:6
"He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."
Sweet Lord,
You know I give each student or parent that I meet with at Liberty a mustard seed and Matt 17:20 reference on it an tell them the story behind it. But today, You led me to do a bit more research in Your word about the other times You said, "If you have faith".
I find it fascinating that you didn't say, "Now that you have faith", to the disciples, of the "If you have faith" to unbelievers. Each time You spoke of this You were speaking to Your closest followers! This tells me that having faith for salvation does not mean we have all the faith we ever need. They believed who You were because they were following you, but You were encouraging to use the faith they already had.
You also refer to how a tiny bit of faith without doubt can move great obstacles...mountains and Mulberry trees! Lord, I have that tiny bit of faith, and try not to doubt, but find myself not doubting You, but doubting myself. Today You encouraged me that even if my faith is tiny at anytime, You can move the great things in my life too.
Lord, help me today to keep these verses ever before me in my walk and to help others to be encouraged to have that faith without doubt too.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Sin-UGLY!!!
Colossians 3:5-9 NLT "So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don't be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. "
Lord, in reading this devotional by Charles Spurgeon, I was convicted again.
"Sin . . . exceeding sinful." — Romans 7:13
Beware of light thoughts of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they should offend against God. But alas! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life, too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but soon we say, "Is it not a little one?" Then there comes another, larger, and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a little ill; and then follows an unholy presumption: "We have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood upright in the main. We may have uttered one unholy word, but as for the most of our conversation, it has been consistent." So we palliate sin; we throw a cloak over it; we call it by dainty names. Christian, beware how thou thinkest lightly of sin. Take heed lest thou fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Doth not the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer's head with thorns, and pierced His heart! It made Him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Saviour, and you will see it to be "exceeding sinful."
How exceedingly ugly are my sins of a day. Lord I humbly ask forgiveness and that Your Holy Spirit will convict me quickly of even the slightest of sins that I may confess and repent!
Lord, in reading this devotional by Charles Spurgeon, I was convicted again.
"Sin . . . exceeding sinful." — Romans 7:13
Beware of light thoughts of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they should offend against God. But alas! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life, too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds. At first a little sin startles us; but soon we say, "Is it not a little one?" Then there comes another, larger, and then another, until by degrees we begin to regard sin as but a little ill; and then follows an unholy presumption: "We have not fallen into open sin. True, we tripped a little, but we stood upright in the main. We may have uttered one unholy word, but as for the most of our conversation, it has been consistent." So we palliate sin; we throw a cloak over it; we call it by dainty names. Christian, beware how thou thinkest lightly of sin. Take heed lest thou fall by little and little. Sin, a little thing? Is it not a poison? Who knows its deadliness? Sin, a little thing? Do not the little foxes spoil the grapes? Doth not the tiny coral insect build a rock which wrecks a navy? Do not little strokes fell lofty oaks? Will not continual droppings wear away stones? Sin, a little thing? It girded the Redeemer's head with thorns, and pierced His heart! It made Him suffer anguish, bitterness, and woe. Could you weigh the least sin in the scales of eternity, you would fly from it as from a serpent, and abhor the least appearance of evil. Look upon all sin as that which crucified the Saviour, and you will see it to be "exceeding sinful."
How exceedingly ugly are my sins of a day. Lord I humbly ask forgiveness and that Your Holy Spirit will convict me quickly of even the slightest of sins that I may confess and repent!
Saturday, March 7, 2015
True Jesus Followers are Holy and Blameless
Colossians 1:19-23 NLT "For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don't drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News."
Oh, Lord! I am so very quick to forget this! The "Accuser of the Brethren" seeks to bring up old sins that have already been placed under Your precious blood for complete forgiveness or falsely accuse me of things in the present hoping to draw me away from the peace You have given me. I must confess that it is hard for me to see myself, (knowing my heart in the flesh) as holy, blameless and without a single fault.
Thank You, Lord that it does not depend on me as it is by Your mercy You saved me!
Rom 8:1 NLT "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."
There is a difference between Satan and Your precious Holy Spirit that lovingly convicts of sin drawing me to confession and repentance. You do this out of love and for my best good. He accuses to fill me with false guilt and to draw me away from You with the lie that You cannot love or forgive me because I am still a wretched sinner.
Lord Jesus, from this day forward may I be so very aware of Your love for me and of my standing before You. May I continually be like You when Satan tempted You in the wilderness and be able to quote Your promises and Your Word to him so he has to flee from me too. Only in that may I continue in the peace You have given to me.
Oh, Lord! I am so very quick to forget this! The "Accuser of the Brethren" seeks to bring up old sins that have already been placed under Your precious blood for complete forgiveness or falsely accuse me of things in the present hoping to draw me away from the peace You have given me. I must confess that it is hard for me to see myself, (knowing my heart in the flesh) as holy, blameless and without a single fault.
Thank You, Lord that it does not depend on me as it is by Your mercy You saved me!
Rom 8:1 NLT "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus."
There is a difference between Satan and Your precious Holy Spirit that lovingly convicts of sin drawing me to confession and repentance. You do this out of love and for my best good. He accuses to fill me with false guilt and to draw me away from You with the lie that You cannot love or forgive me because I am still a wretched sinner.
Lord Jesus, from this day forward may I be so very aware of Your love for me and of my standing before You. May I continually be like You when Satan tempted You in the wilderness and be able to quote Your promises and Your Word to him so he has to flee from me too. Only in that may I continue in the peace You have given to me.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Peace-a Command?
John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." (Jesus)
Colossians 3:12-17 "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." NLT (Emphasis is mine)
Sweet Lord,
Over the past few days You have been impressing on me something I should have seen years ago, but evidently was still too much of a babe in the Word for you to show me. I have read the commands You give me in this passage of Colossians, and have even taught the "Put off- Put On" lesson to children. I have seen those commands and have tried to live up to them. However; I have missed the other commands that follow.
In John, You tell me that You are giving me the peace that passes all understanding. In this world of turmoil, that is precious gift that cannot be taken away. However; it is obvious in my life and in the passage in Colossians, that I am commanded the LET that peace that comes from You rule in my heart and to LET the message about You in all its richness, fill my life. This tells me that moment by moment I have a choice to make: get anxious about what is going on in my life and in the world around me, or let Your peace rule.
So, just how am I supposed to let peace rule? You tell me three times here...THANKFULNESS! Lord, it can be so very easy to get to the edge of the "Pit of Self-pity" that the enemy can just blow a tiny breath at me and I fall in. It is very hard to get out of that slippery pit once I fall in and it is very deep. The ladder of safety comes from a heart of gratitude!
I remember a time when there was a lot of illness and huge medical issues going on in our family. I really had not been anxious or anything about it because I had chosen not to get bogged down. I went to church one Sunday and a very well meaning person came up to me and asked how I was. I told them I was doing fine...and that was not a lie. They said, "You don't look fine. You look tired...tired of having to take care of everyone else."
WOW! That one sentence sent me into that pit with a slam dunk! Only when I realized that it was the enemy talking to me through that person was I able to see my way out...GRATITUDE! I started listing in my heart all the positive things You were doing in my life and in the lives of the very loved ones I to which I was mi ministering!
Lord, in ministering the way I do at my job, I see a lot of Christians that are oppressed by anxiety to the point of having to take medications to help them. If they would only see that if they are truly a Christ Follower, they have that perfect peace within their spirit already...a gift from You. They simply need to LET it rule their hearts and be grateful.
You say we are "called to peace". We talk a lot about God's "calling" on our lives as to our vocation. However; here You tell us we are already called to live in peace and to always be thankful.
Precious Lord,
Today I humbly ask forgiveness for my anxious thoughts that creep into my head. Help me to banish them with thankfulness so I might let the message about You, in all its richness, fill my life so I might be able to teach and counsel others with all the wisdom You give, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with a thankful heart. And whatever I do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through You to God the Father!
Colossians 3:12-17 "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." NLT (Emphasis is mine)
Sweet Lord,
Over the past few days You have been impressing on me something I should have seen years ago, but evidently was still too much of a babe in the Word for you to show me. I have read the commands You give me in this passage of Colossians, and have even taught the "Put off- Put On" lesson to children. I have seen those commands and have tried to live up to them. However; I have missed the other commands that follow.
In John, You tell me that You are giving me the peace that passes all understanding. In this world of turmoil, that is precious gift that cannot be taken away. However; it is obvious in my life and in the passage in Colossians, that I am commanded the LET that peace that comes from You rule in my heart and to LET the message about You in all its richness, fill my life. This tells me that moment by moment I have a choice to make: get anxious about what is going on in my life and in the world around me, or let Your peace rule.
So, just how am I supposed to let peace rule? You tell me three times here...THANKFULNESS! Lord, it can be so very easy to get to the edge of the "Pit of Self-pity" that the enemy can just blow a tiny breath at me and I fall in. It is very hard to get out of that slippery pit once I fall in and it is very deep. The ladder of safety comes from a heart of gratitude!
I remember a time when there was a lot of illness and huge medical issues going on in our family. I really had not been anxious or anything about it because I had chosen not to get bogged down. I went to church one Sunday and a very well meaning person came up to me and asked how I was. I told them I was doing fine...and that was not a lie. They said, "You don't look fine. You look tired...tired of having to take care of everyone else."
WOW! That one sentence sent me into that pit with a slam dunk! Only when I realized that it was the enemy talking to me through that person was I able to see my way out...GRATITUDE! I started listing in my heart all the positive things You were doing in my life and in the lives of the very loved ones I to which I was mi ministering!
Lord, in ministering the way I do at my job, I see a lot of Christians that are oppressed by anxiety to the point of having to take medications to help them. If they would only see that if they are truly a Christ Follower, they have that perfect peace within their spirit already...a gift from You. They simply need to LET it rule their hearts and be grateful.
You say we are "called to peace". We talk a lot about God's "calling" on our lives as to our vocation. However; here You tell us we are already called to live in peace and to always be thankful.
Precious Lord,
Today I humbly ask forgiveness for my anxious thoughts that creep into my head. Help me to banish them with thankfulness so I might let the message about You, in all its richness, fill my life so I might be able to teach and counsel others with all the wisdom You give, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with a thankful heart. And whatever I do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through You to God the Father!
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