My mother has gone home to The Lord

Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle tells us that it is our duty to always rejoice in the Lord. For the Lord provides all we need and His Holy Spirit comforts us and reassures us that we may rejoice even in times of difficulties. God is always near and present ready to take on our anxiety. Jesus said to us, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Through prayer we fellowship with God and can share our pains and sorrows. God hears our requests and guards our hearts and minds, providing us with peace that goes beyond understanding.

Less than two weeks ago we learned my mother had terminal stage four stomach cancer. Upon hearing the news my mom asked, “Am I going to die?” and the doctor replied we all die sometime we just don’t know when. I asked my mother if she was scared and she said yes, but she said she would be ok. We prayed with her and she seemed to find comfort and contentment in our prayers. I have been asking for people to pray for my mom that even though she had cancer she might be allowed to pass away peacefully and with as little pain as possible.

Sunday morning those prayers were answered and my mom went home to be with The Lord. She passed away in her sleep never really complaining about any pain. Since the news of her cancer she mostly had been sleeping and it was in her sleep she passed away peacefully.

While there is grief in my heart and in the hearts of my family for the loss of my mom there is also great peace and comfort. The Lord heard our prayers, gave my mom peace and comfort and also gave peace and comfort to our family. As my wife said, cancer may take away the body, but it can never take away the soul that The Lord firmly holds. For that I can rejoice and give praise to The Lord.

I have a busy week ahead and will not be able send out devotions for the remainder of the week. I do want to thank all those who prayed for my mother. I also want to thank The Lord for His grace and mercy and hearing the prayers of those who called out to Him. There is no greater peace that passes understanding than to be held in comfort of The Lord.

Be strong in the Lord

Ephesians 6:10-11
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

The reader of the apostle’s message would have understood the armor of the Roman soldier and hence a comparison was being made about the protection that could be achieved. Listed was a belt of truth that wrapped and surrounded you; a breastplate of righteousness to protect the heart; feet fitted with sandals ready to move forward with the gospel of Jesus Christ; a shield of faith in God and Christ to defend against the attacks of Satan; a helmet of salvation which protected the head to keep out doubting thoughts; and finally a sword of the spirit which is God’s word that cuts quickly to reveal the truth. These elements of faith were there to keep a person strong in the Lord.

 

 

Many of you have probably watched shows on animals in the wild. Often they will show the slow persistent hunt of lions as they stalk their prey. They will follow a herd waiting for one, just one, of the animals to make the mistake of wandering away from the group. Then slowly and methodically the lions will zero in on the one who is alone and attack.

There is a lesson here for all of us. The Bible tells us Satan walks around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. All that is needed is to separate one person from the church, God and loving friends by creating a reason that often results in anger. Once the person is away from God and those who love God the armor falls off and they are they are open to an attack from Satan. Suddenly they find themselves devoured in anger and sin. They become Satan’s victim looking to harm themselves or others through sin.

 

So put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes and be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Trust in the Lord for your hope

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NIV)

7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah tells us our duty is to trust in the Lord. We are to place our confidence in the Lord that no matter what comes along the Lord will be there with us. For our comfort, confidence and hope comes from the Lord.  Strong faith in the Lord resembles a tree planted by the water. We know our roots are firm in our faith and we are able to draw upon the Lord no matter what the circumstances. Even in hard times and difficult situations we are able to bear the fruit of our faith that others may see our hope.

Nancy Ortberg writes -- I worked as a registered nurse for about ten years before my life took a different direction. One of my earliest patients was a young girl of about 14 who had been in a dirt bike accident. I met this young girl down in the physical therapy department. She was in a whirlpool bath. I had read her chart before I went down to work with her and had learned that as a result of the accident, her leg had been amputated below the knee. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to be a 14-year-old girl with part of your leg missing. I introduced myself, and we made some small talk. Through the course of our time together, I learned that she was a follower of Christ, although she really didn’t say much about that. I was not prepared for her spirit, however, especially when she lifted her freshly amputated leg up above the bubbling water for me to see and said, “Look at how much I have left!” She excitedly told me that since the doctors were able to amputate below the knee, it was much easier to fit a prosthesis. She wondered how long it would take to heal so that she could get started with that. I heard most of what she was saying, but I wasn’t really paying much attention. My mind was fixed back on the “look how much I have left!” Her gratitude seemed really genuine. It wasn’t denial or a Pollyanna mentality. She knew she was missing a good part of her leg, and she wouldn’t have chosen that. But she was so very thankful for this bit of good news. Her spirit made my spirit soar that day. And I had two good legs. [Nancy Ortberg, Looking for God (Tyndale, 2008) pp. 14-15]

When we trust in the Lord we can be blessed with the hope He provides. This young girl could have focused on the part of the leg she was missing, but instead she had hope of walking again with the part of the leg she did have. In Psalm 119:153 it says, “Look upon my suffering and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instructions.” Those who remember God find His hand always reaching out to rescue them. This girl had lost a part of her leg, but she trusted the Lord and had a great hope for a useful life. Look to the Lord for your hope and look for the blessings you have been given despite the circumstance.

Press on

1 Peter 2:2-3 (NLT)
2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Taking from the Commentary of Matthew Henry, As new-born babes -- He puts them in mind of their regeneration. A new life requires suitable food. They, being newly born, must desire the milk of the word. Infants desire common milk, and their desires towards it are fervent and frequent, arising from an impatient sense of hunger, and accompanied with the best endeavours of which the infant is capable. Such must Christians’ desires be for the word of God: and that for this end, that they may grow thereby, that we may improve in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. Learn, 1. Strong desires and affections to the word of God are a sure evidence of a person’s being born again. If they be such desires as the babe has for the milk, they prove that the person is new-born. They are the lowest evidence, but yet they are certain. 2. Growth and improvement in wisdom and grace are the design and desire of every Christian; all spiritual means are for edification and improvement. The word of God, rightly used, does not leave a man as it finds him, but improves and makes him better.

 

 

 

John Claypool once said “I heard once of an Italian peasant woman who happened to bump into a monk who lived in a monastery high on a hill above her village. Since she bumped into him in the middle of the road, she said "Father, I've always wanted to ask somebody what you men of God do up there on the top of the mountain that looks to me to be so close to heaven. I've always wondered about the life of holiness that you lead up there. “And this old man, a wise and honest interpreter, said, "What do we men of God do up there on the holy mountain? I'll tell you, my dear. We fall down; we get up. We fall down; we get up. We fall down; we get up."

Even as Christians we fall down often in life. There are two choices once we fall down, we can just lay there and do nothing, or we can get up and learn from the experience. As long as we are in this earthly body we will have those time we fall down, but we need to remember our spiritual duty is to rise up and to press onward for the greater good.

Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.

The life we were meant to have

Romans 5:18-19 (NLT)
18 Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. 19 Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

In these verses we find the contract between Adam and Jesus. Adam disobeyed God and brought the condemnation of sin upon all future generations. Christ obeyed God, even unto death, and because of His obedience many will be made righteous.

 

 

Dan Meyer, in a sermon said: Years ago I traveled to Ecuador and spent a couple of weeks traveling in the mountains. The Quechua Indian people I met there lived amidst the most mind-numbing squalor. The disease and disfigured bodies were heartbreaking. The bugs and stench were everywhere. People were living in a hole in the ground and calling it a house. They were feeding on rotten food and prizing garbage as possessions. But they didn't know it. Why? Because everyone lived that way. They had never been given a picture of what it means to be a genuinely healthy human being. They did not know what an abundant life truly looked like.

It is sad to think there are many people who have lived lives they think are normal, but they are actually living only what they know. God had a beautiful and wonderful life planned for man. However, man’s disobedience corrupted what should have been a normal world for us and turned it into something disfigured and warped. Through Christ we have been given a hope of what it means to be a genuinely healthy human being. It is through Christ’s act of righteousness that we are brought into a right relationship with God and given a hope for new life. Our new hope in Christ grants us an eternal life to be lived in heaven where joy abounds and no tears are shed – that is the normal we were meant to have.

It is Well With My Soul

Romans 15:13 (NIV)
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.

God is the God of hope and the foundation of which hope is built. God is both the object of hope and the creator of hope. As we place our hope in God and lean not upon our own understanding, we trust God that we will find joy and peace. The more hope we find the more abundant the joy and peace. We should look for this hope through the Holy Spirit; the same one that works grace, calls out on our behalf, and gives us strength. We must give the Holy Spirit glory for securing our hope for it is something we cannot obtain through our own power.

 

 

In the autumn of 1873, Horatio Spafford, a wealthy Chicago businessman, placed his wife, Anna, and their four children on the Ville du Havre sailing from New York to France. He was forced to stay in the United States for several more weeks to settle some business matters before he could journey to join the family in Europe.

The evening of November 21 found the Ville du Havre prow-east toward France on a calm Atlantic. The journey was progressing beautifully. A few hours later, about two o’clock in the morning on November 22, the Ville du Havre was carrying its sleeping passengers over a quiet sea when two terrific claps like thunder were followed by frightening screams. The engine stopped, the ship stood still. Passageways were filled with terrified, half-dressed people shouting questions that no one could answer. The Ville du Havre had been rammed by the English vessel, the Lochearn.

Mrs. Spafford saw three of her children swept away by the sea while she stood clutching the youngest child. Suddenly, she felt her baby torn violently from her arms. She reached out through the water and caught little Tanetta’s gown. For a minute she held her again. Then the cloth wrenched from her hand. She reached out again and touched a man’s leg in corduroy trousers. She became unconscious. She awoke later, finding that she had been rescued by sailors from the Lochearn. But her four children were gone.

In the meantime, Horatio Spafford was back in the United States, desperate to receive news of his family. Finally, the blow fell. A cable arrived from Wales stating that the four daughters were lost at sea, but his wife was still alive. He was crushed with what had happened. All night he walked the floor in anguish. Toward the morning he turned to his friend, Major Whittle, and said, “I am glad to trust the Lord when it will cost me something.”

On the way across the Atlantic to join his wife, the captain announced that they were now passing the place where the Ville du Havre was wrecked. For Horatio Spafford, this was passing through the valley of the shadow of death. He sat down in his cabin on the high seas, near the place where his children perished, and wrote the hymn that would give comfort to so many, titled “It Is Well with My Soul.” [John Huffman, “The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace,” PreachingToday.com]

We all pass through those burdensome moments of life, but God can still bring peace and joy back into our life. Through the power of the Holy Spirit Horatio Spafford was able to take a tragic moment and turn it into a song of comfort and hope for others.  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.

Faith of my mother

2 Corinthians 5:8-7 (NLT)
6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.

These are comforting words from The Apostle that while we live here on earth -- we are not at home with The Lord. We long to be with The Lord, but have a purpose here on earth to fulfill. But through faith, through believing we can be fully confident there will be a day when we abandon our earthly body and rest in peace, joy and comfort with The Lord.

 

Yesterday our family found out my mother has terminal cancer. It is somewhat of a shock when you hear those words. The doctor then goes on to say they can’t provide any timeline, but death could occur anywhere from two weeks to six months. They go on to say they are calling hospice to ensure her comfort for the final days. You know then this is real and just a matter of time.

My mother is a Christian and as hard as those words were to hear she said, “I really don’t want to leave my family, but I will do what is best.” The doctor reassured her in this case she could be selfish and do what is best for her. My mother’s attitude was a lot better than I would expect most people to be. I’m sure she still has to process it a bit, but she knows to be absent from her body her on earth is to be present with the Lord. She was even a little excited to think about seeing her mother, father, and grandparents who passed away years ago.

You see Christians have the hope of being reunited with other Christian friends and family. They know this earth is a temporary place where they are to live out their purpose for God. They know their faith in Jesus Christ who died for their sins assures them a place in heaven. My mother is living proof of that faith knowing there is a better world waiting for her. She doesn’t really want to leave behind those who are here, but she knows one day all of us will be with her.

There is true comfort to be found in the Lord. I pray for all people that they can find the comfort, faith and trust my mother has in the Lord. If you would like to pray my mother her name is Phyllis. I am sure she would love and covet your prayers.

Seek an honorable life

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

The Apostle encourages us not to become weary of doing what is right and good. The farmer plants seed and then at the right time reaps a harvest. In the same way those who preserve in doing good will reap a harvest of blessing in their lives.

 

 

Victoria Ruvolo, 45, of Lake Ronkonkoma, New York, was selected as the "Most Inspiring Person of 2005" by Beliefnet, and for good reason. Victoria was driving to her niece's voice recital when she passed another car driven by 19-year-old Ryan Cushing. Cushing was riding with five other teens, and had just used a stolen credit card to go on a spending spree. One of their purchases was a frozen turkey, which Cushing decided to toss into oncoming traffic. The 20-pound projectile smashed through Ruvolo's windshield, crushing her face.

Amazingly, Ruvolo survived, although she spent 10 hours in an operating room while doctors repaired her face. When she finally went home, she brought a tracheotomy tube and endured months of painful rehabilitation.

On October 17, 2005, Ruvolo attended Cushing's sentencing and asked his judge for leniency. Part of her statement read:

"Despite all the fear and the pain, I have learned from this horrific experience, and I have much to be thankful for…. Each day when I wake up, I thank God simply because I'm alive. I sincerely hope you have also learned from this awful experience, Ryan. There is no room for vengeance in my life, and I do not believe a long, hard prison term would do you, me, or society any good." Cushing, who wept and expressed remorse for his action, was sentenced to six months in jail. He could have gotten a 25-year prison sentence if Ruvolo, his victim, had not intervened.

Ruvolo added: "I truly hope that by demonstrating compassion and leniency I have encouraged you to seek an honorable life. If my generosity will help you mature into a responsible, honest man whose graciousness is a source of pride to your loved ones and your community, then I will be truly gratified, and my suffering will not have been in vain…. Ryan, prove me right."  [Leah Ingram, "Compassionate victim," www.beliefnet.com (December 2005)]

 

Let us all pray that acts of mercy such as shown by Victoria Ruvolo will change the lives of others so they may do what is good. For our Father has shown us mercy and grace through His Son Jesus Christ that we too can seek a honorable life to live.

Praise for the good and the bad

Romans 8:28 (NLT)
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

From Matthew Henry’s Commentary - The privilege of the saints, that all things work together for good to them, that is, all the providences of God that concern them. All that God performs he performs for them. Their sins are not of his performing, therefore not intended here, though his permitting sin is made to work for their good. But all the providences of God are theirs—merciful providences, afflicting providences, personal, public. They are all for good; perhaps for temporal good, as Joseph’s troubles; at least, for spiritual and eternal good. That is good for them which does their souls good. Either directly or indirectly, every providence has a tendency to the spiritual good of those that love God, breaking them off from sin, bringing them nearer to God, weaning them from the world, fitting them for heaven.

 

 

I'm sitting in yet another hospital waiting room. Ever since my husband, Barry, first underwent open heart and quadruple bypass surgery 15 months ago, I've been in this waiting room—or one just like it—more times than I can count on one hand, waiting for him to come out of the operating room. In little more than a year's time, my vocabulary has increased to include words and phrases such as aneurysm, atrial fib, and EP study with ablation. They all mean I have to put on a cheery face, kiss Barry good-bye, and promise I won't worry about him or forget to eat lunch and lock the garage door at night while he's in the hospital again. With all Barry's surgeries and procedures, we've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—one of the worst in our 32 years together. Yet, ironically, it's also turned out to be the best. I learned just how deeply Barry loves me. As he was all prepped and waiting to go into surgery to repair his aortic aneurysm, Barry looked at my friend Tara, who was waiting with us, and said, "Make sure Nancy takes care of herself. Promise me, or else I'll worry." He wasn't worried about being sliced open again—he was worried about me. I came to faith in Christ three years after Barry and I married, and for almost 30 years I prayed about my husband's relationship with the Lord. Then the day of Barry's open-heart surgery, he told me if he died, I'd see him again, because he knew Jesus was his Savior. He prayed with me, he prayed with a friend, and he prayed with his surgeon. Barry hasn't stopped praying—he prays with me every day. What I'd asked God for all these years—to heal the spiritual rift in my marriage, to bring my husband and me close—God had given. He'd performed heart surgery on us both, ripping us apart and knitting us back together. Barry and I talk often about this past year, how it's been awful—and awfully good. We wouldn't wish this kind of year on anyone and wouldn't want to go through it again, but we're glad it happened. We thank God for the good days and the bad, because in all our days God's held us both securely in his grip. We've known God's incredible kindness to us. Our hearts are in his hands. We've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—and I praise God for it.

[Condensed from an article by Nancy Kennedy, "Walk with Me," a Today's Christian Woman blog , (12/02/07)]

 

We don’t always understand the difficulties we are going through in life. We face problems, turmoil and hardships. But as I have noticed over the years there is often something good that comes out of those problems. Just as Nancy and Barry had trying moments of life it brought them closer. As Nancy said, “We've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year—and I praise God for it.” Let’s always give God praise for both the difficult and good times in our life knowing God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.

Supplement your faith

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NLT)
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

Peter’s own words are best for the opening of this chapter, “This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.” In building our relationship with The Lord we are to take heed of God’s promises and allow our faith to grow. The Apostle gives us those areas for growth in verses 5-7 above.

 

 

It has been called the greatest rescue mission of World War II. Late in that war, American bombers were sent on dangerous missions over southern Europe to cripple the Nazis' oil supplies. Hundreds of crews in flying tin cans soared through storms of anti-aircraft shells. Many American pilots were forced to bail from their shot-up planes. The injured airmen drifted by parachute into occupied Yugoslavia, expecting to be captured or killed. Instead, on the ground remarkable rescue teams were already in place. Serbian peasants tracked the path of the floating flight crews. Their sole mission was to grab the flyboys and bring them to safety—before the Nazis arrived. Risking their own lives, the peasants fed and sheltered the downed solders. These rescued men were in friendly hands but on enemy soil. They still needed to escape. The story of what became known as Operation Haylard builds toward a daring mission, a secret landing strip, and a clandestine evacuation plan. Amazingly, those Serbian peasants rescued every single American airman—over 500 in all.” (Dave Harvey, Rescuing Ambition (Crossway, 2010), pp. 63-64)

When we walk alone we are more vulnerable to attacks. When we come together to serve a common cause that is when we are strong. There were those who were injured and weak, but they were carried by those who could support their burdens. Even though the enemy was present these soldiers stood among friends who cared for them.

Remember these words, because in our journey with Christ He is there to carry our burdens even when we are surrounded by the enemy. With Christ we are less vulnerable to the attacks the enemy brings towards us. In understanding Christ’s love for us we can give back to others in the same way He gives to us. Follow Peter’s words to supplement your faith with morality, knowledge, self-control, godliness, brotherly affection, and a love for everyone that we may assist them as they may one day assist us.

Speak up when it is right

John 7:10-13 (NLT)
10 But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. 11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. 12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.

The event above happens during the Jewish Festival of Shelters. Jesus had sent the disciples ahead to the festival. Jesus went later, but remained out of public view for a portion of the festival. The Jewish leaders were always trying to challenge Jesus so they were seeking Him out for a confrontation. The people witnessed this. Some commented Jesus was a good man while others called Him a fraud. Yet due to fear no one had the courage to speak favorably about Jesus in public.

 

 

Abraham Lincoln once said, “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men.”  There are times when we must push aside the fear of what others will think and stand up and do what is right. We cannot let fear control us for even God’s word says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Two key parts in speaking up is to insure we have the self-discipline in that our actions show us true to our words. Secondly our motives should be out of love; for if we speak up with any other motive someone will see through those motives. It is with these principles we can find the power and courage to speak up for what is right.

The Jewish leaders attacked Jesus because they saw how the crowds were drawn to Him. They feared their leadership would be taken. Sadly those who saw the true love, compassion and mercy of Jesus often kept quiet because they feared what might happen to them. And I would venture to say there are many who might do the same today.

Fear comes from the enemy who would wish us to keep silent when an injustice is made. Let us not be found cowards, but people of conviction who would stand up for those things that are right and true.

Compassion

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

In these verses The Apostle gives praise to God the Father and Son for their compassion and comfort. The Apostle acknowledges when we are confronted with troubles of various types it is God himself who comforts us. The purpose of God’s comfort is to learn from God Himself how to give comfort to others facing the same difficulties we also have received.

 

 

In the story “A Simple Gesture”, an inspirational tale written by John W. Schlatter that appears in the 1993 bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Schlatter writes -- Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.

They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.

Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life."

 

 

Jesus frequently modeled compassion so we might understand how to show compassion to others. The story above illustrates how an act of compassion had a great impact on the life of one young man. Compassion and comfort changed his life forever. Many of you have faced difficult experiences in life and managed to endure through them. When you see someone else going through something similar, not only can you have compassion, but you can also empathize with the person and be a great blessing to them. Reach out to others in compassion so they may understand God’s compassion and love for them.

Search us God

Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)
23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

The psalmist asks God to examine him for anything that might offend God. The psalmist desires to be right with God even to the point of being tested by God. The psalmist is anxious for he has seen what his adversaries are trying to do and his greatest desire is for God to lead him in the right direction.

 

 

Imagine you’re out for a hike on a beautiful spring day and you come to a creek. But there’s something wrong with this picture. You notice that someone has dumped trash into the stream—an ugly sight. Judging by some of the empty soda cans, the trash has been there awhile. And there is an ugly film on top of the water. You can’t just leave the scene as you found it, because it would bother your conscience. So you stoop down and begin gathering the trash.

It actually takes several hours before you can begin to see a difference; it’s amazing how much junk is there. You sit back, rest for a moment, and realize you’ll have to keep returning each day until the site is truly clean. But when you come back the next day, it’s as if your work has been undone.

In fact there’s more trash than before. Somehow the garbage bred overnight. You think about the unlikelihood of someone coming to this very spot to dump their garbage in the few hours while you were away, and you realize that something smells fishy—so to speak. So you begin to follow the creek upstream.

Sure enough, you come to a garbage dump that has been there for years. It’s emptying into the passing creek. Your cleaning job only opened up a gap for more stuff to settle. You could go and clean every day …. If you want your creek to be clean, that means going directly to the source and dealing with what’s there. [Condensed from Kyle Idleman, Gods at War (Zondervan, 2013)]

The psalmist above asked God to examine him and to pinpoint the offense things in his life. He asked God to go right to the source, his heart, and examine it. Then if there was something there that needed to change he asked God to lead him towards that change. I believe we all need to ask God to search us for what can change in our lives for the good and live out the response God gives us.

Read and enjoy The Bible

Proverbs 6:1-5 (NIV)
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2 you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go—to the point of exhaustion— and give your neighbor no rest! 4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. 5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

In these verses Solomon warns his son about having a lack of good sense and foresight. He give warning about helping another secure their debt; for by pledging to do so holds one captive to a debt they had no part in. Solomon indicates it is so important to remove the pledge one should do everything possible, including disregarding sleep, in order to break free of that promise.

 

 

 

There is a story I have heard many times in our family. Employees at a company where a family member worked could participate in the company credit union. The credit union allowed unsecured loans if a person obtained signatures of other credit union members who would guarantee payment. One employee was replacing the carpet in their home and needed a loan. So she asked the family member and several other people to sign the guarantee for her loan, which they did. Back then most people trusted the other employees they worked with. Well once this person had their home newly carpeted they quit their job, put their house up for sale and moved – never paying their debt. You can probably guess what happened next. The people who signed the guarantee had to split the payments among them and pay her debt.  

What I love about The Bible is the wisdom it provides us. Thousands of years before this family member signed for this other person’s debt the words of The Bible had already warned them against doing so. If only they had taken to heart the wisdom Solomon gave they would have avoided paying another’s debt.

This is why it is so important to read The Bible and understand its words. For in The Bible we are given life lessons of others to follow or avoid. We are taught how to enrich our lives and avoid pain and misery. We are taught that God loves us and provides forgiveness, mercy and grace for sin. And we are given a plan for salvation that we can know for certain how to have eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Read and enjoy The Bible so you might have the wisdom you need for life in this world.

Commandments for life

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

In these verses Moses prescribes the people to keep the commands of the Lord near and dear to their hearts. They are to be learned, memorized, and dwelled upon. They should be the root basis of living and impressive enough our children see our actions and learn from them. They are to be talked about, discussed with family, friends and spouse. They are rules for living that should be a part of each and every day.

 

 

Bill White of Paramount, California once shared: “It was one of those evenings when everything goes wrong. The kids were cranky while I was making dinner, so I gave them some hot chocolate to tide them over. Timothy, who is five, decided to throw his marshmallows at his little sister, knocking her hot chocolate all over her. As she began screaming, the phone rang (and I foolishly answered it) and the doorbell rang (and I foolishly answered it—with the phone on my ear and a screaming kid in the background). I then returned to the kitchen and hollered at Timothy, and promptly had two crying kids.

As dinner began to burn and I deposited my daughter in the bath, I loudly announced that I was so angry I might do anything, so I declared I was putting myself in timeout. I closed the door, none too gently, and tried to get dinner to be the only thing simmering in the kitchen.

Everything changed about ten minutes later when I caught sight of a yellow piece of construction paper sliding under the door. In the unsteady hand of a kindergartener was scrawled a message of grace that pierced my heart and turned me around:

"From Timothy. To Dad. I still love you even when you're angry."”

Children observe and reflect the actions of their parents. Fortunately we have a Father in heaven that loves us, allows us grace and mercy, and shows us forgiveness. If we could only stop and reflect upon the Father and imitate him instead of allowing outside influences to control our lives. When we find ourselves out of control it’s time to step back and let The Lord take control. It’s much easier to do this when we know God intimately, understand His commandments for our life, and have a genuine relationship with Him. Let God’s commandments be on your heart so you know how to respond when times are stressful.

Hidden faults

Psalm 19:12 (NLT)
12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

As David understood, one might know God’s law but to apply it to self and understand your faults is very difficult indeed. We are often right in own eyes, but not in the eyes of God. We all need divine grace to show us these faults, provide us mercy and grace to overcome these faults, and free us from the power of sin that holds us to these faults.

 

 

I once heard a man say, “I think I communicate really well with my wife. We sit down and have conversations and talk about the events of the day.” Then someone asked, “How does she feel about the things you talk about.” The man who thought he communicated well said, “You know, I’m usually so caught up in the facts of the day I didn’t think about what she felt.” He went on to say, “I guess I’m not such a great communicator after all.”

King David understood that while we may think we know ourselves, we really don’t. We can only see ourselves from our point of view and often miss what God and others see. And if you can’t see your fault it sure makes it difficult to correct. We all have had that experience where someone notices something externally about us, such as having a spot on our clothes we can’t see. Just as we have spots externally, we have spots on the inside we can’t see that need correcting.

Make your prayer as David’s that God would cleanse you from the hidden faults in your life. Allow yourself grace and mercy as God brings good friends to you who share their hearts in love to show you faults in your life. Know that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from our hidden faults.