The illustration of Christmas

Luke 2:36-38 (NIV)

36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Those to whom Christ is made known have reason enough to give thanks to the Lord for so great a favour; and we should be excited to that duty by the praises and thanksgivings of others; why should not we give thanks likewise, as well as they? Anna concurred with Simeon, and helped to make up the harmony. She confessed unto the Lord (so it may be read); she made an open profession of her faith concerning this child. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

When the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci went to China in the sixteenth century, he brought along samples of religious art to illustrate the Christian story for people who had never heard it. The Chinese readily adopted portraits of the Virgin Mary holding her child, but when he produced paintings of the crucifixion and tried to explain that the God-child had grown up only to be executed, the audience reacted with revulsion and horror. They much preferred the Virgin and insisted on worshiping her rather than the crucified God.

As I thumb…through my stack of Christmas cards, I realize that we in Christian countries do much the same thing. We observe a mellow, domesticated holiday purged of any hint of scandal. Above all, we purge from it any reminder of how the story that began in Bethlehem turned out at Calvary.

[Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew (Zondervan, 2002), p. 25]

Let us all give thanks to The Lord for what He has done. Let us not remember Christmas as just the birth of Jesus, but also the coming of a savior who suffered for our sake that we might have eternal life with Him in heaven.

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends. May God bless each one of you! May pains and sorrows be wiped away! May joy fill your hearts are you celebrate with family and friends! May God’s love cover all the hardships of life and bring joy into your world.

The next few weeks I will be taking a break from writing while I reflect on the holidays and enjoy this time with family and friends in the celebration of The Lord Jesus Christ. I may not know each and every one of you personally, but my love is extended to you just a Jesus extended His love to all of us.

The leak in the dam

Proverbs 17:14 (NIV)

14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

When a dam is breached the water may first trickle out slowly; but as the water presses forward the hole becomes larger, and larger, and larger until finally the dam breaks. So it is with a quarrel. The quarrel may start small, but as time continues and the conflict persists the quarrel can grow and destroy relationships.

In October, 2011, The New York Times ran an article about two musical giants whose longtime relationship unraveled over a tiny piece of music. Helene Grimaud, a brilliant and magnetic pianist, and Claudio Abbado, a revered conductor, have performed together at least a dozen times since 1995. They were supposed to perform in Switzerland and London, but organizers cancelled their concerts due to "artistic differences."

There was only one issue at the heart of their conflict—a 1 minute and 20 second cadenza from Mozart's concerto No. 23 in A. (The article defines a cadenza as "unaccompanied flights in a concerto that play on its themes and show off a virtuoso's mettle.") The conductor Abbado prefers Mozart's original cadenza, but the pianist Grimaud feels that Mozart's original work is "not the most inspired." Instead, she prefers another cadenza for No. 23 based on the later work of an Italian pianist named Busoni.

Ms. Grimaud said it was her prerogative to choose the cadenza. Anything else would have been "a sellout." But Mr. Addabo contends that it's his "territory." According to another colleague, Mr. Addabo "is very strong and probably, like most conductors, used to dominating the artistic process." Neither side was willing to compromise. An official for one of the cancelled concerts said, "[Their musical relationship] was just somehow sort of dead. I guess they didn't relate to one another." [Daniel J. Wakin, "Titans Clash Over a Mere Cadenza," The New York Times (10-31-11)]

Only a small piece of a larger piece of music caused the breakup of two artists. It makes one wonder how many times a small quarrel has grown and grown until a relationship finally fell apart. Once the dam has broken it takes a long time to mend it.

Commit to The Lord

Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

It is a very desirable thing to have our thoughts established, and not tossed, and put into a hurry, by disquieting cares and fears,-to go on in an even steady course of honesty and piety, not disturbed, or put out of frame, by any event or change,-to be satisfied that all shall work for good and issue well at last, and therefore to be always easy and sedate. [Matthew Henry]

In a 2015 commencement speech at Dillard University, Denzell Washington urged graduates to put God first and thank him constantly:

Put God first in everything you do … Everything that I have is by the grace of God, understand that. It's a gift … I didn't always stick with him, but He stuck with me … While you're [on your knees], say thank you. Thank you for grace, thank you for mercy, thank you for understanding, thank you for wisdom, thank you for parents, thank you for love, thank you for kindness, thank you for humility, thank you for peace, thank you for prosperity. Say thank you in advance for what is already yours … True desire in the heart for anything good is God's proof to you sent beforehand that it's already yours … When you get it, reach back, pull someone else up.  [Michael W. Chapman, Denzel Washington to College Grads: 'Put God First,' CSNNEWS.Com (5-11-15)]

If you are making plans, commit them to The Lord; for The Lord knows the desirable things for your life.

Be patient and calm a quarrel

Proverbs 15:18 (NIV)

18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.

Anger strikes the fire which sets cities and churches into a flame: A wrathful man, with his peevish passionate reflections, stirs up strife, and sets people together by the ears; he gives occasion to others to quarrel, and takes the occasion that others give, though ever so trifling. When men carry their resentments too far, one quarrel still produces another. Meekness the great peace-maker: He that is slow to anger not only prevents strife, that it be not kindled, but appeases it if it be already kindled, brings water to the flame, unites those again that have fallen out, and by gentle methods brings them to mutual concessions for peace-sake. [Matthew Henry]

A young rabbi found a serious problem in his new congregation. During the Friday service, half the congregation stood for the prayers and half remained seated, and each side shouted at the other, insisting that theirs was the true tradition. Nothing the rabbi said or did helped solve the impasse. Finally, in desperation, the young rabbi sought out the synagogue's 99-year-old founder.

He met the old rabbi in the nursing home and poured out his troubles. "So tell me," he pleaded, "was it the tradition for the congregation to stand during the prayers?"

"No," answered the old rabbi.

"Ah," responded the younger man, "then it was the tradition to sit during the prayers."

"No," answered the old rabbi.

"Well," the young rabbi responded, "what we have is complete chaos! Half the people stand and shout and the other half sit and scream."

"Ah," said the old rabbi, "that was the tradition."  [As retold by P. J. Alindogan, The Potter's Jar blog, "Communicate and Relate" (9-4-11)]

Habits become ingrained in our lives. Some are good for us, while others are hurtful. Some habits should learn to be tolerated for they don’t make much difference one way or another. Learn to examine the habits and choices in your life to ensure you are not one that stirs up conflict, but instead brings calm in the middle of a quarrel.

Let God draw close

Ecclesiastes 5:1 (NLT)

1 As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God.

This is a warning to those who belong to God. When you enter into His sanctuary you are to listen carefully and keep your mouth quiet so that you will hear God as He speaks to you. God doesn’t want mindless offerings, but instead wants a clean and righteous heart.

Jill Severson (with Lane Severson), "Love to Last a Lifetime," writes in The Guilty Conscience blog  dated (2-5-13); My mom struggles with Alzheimer's. Something about the evening makes her even more confused. Medical professionals have a term for this: Sundowners. It's a common experience for folks with Alzheimer's. For mom, when evening comes, she gets disoriented and demands to be taken "home." My mom and dad live in an apartment facility for the elderly, so we're never sure what mom means by "home."

One night I was watching TV with my mom and dad in their apartment and mom started pleading, "I'm tired. Can someone help get my coat and take me home?" At first her questions are addressed generally to the room and then to me and my husband. She gets frustrated and cries "ACK" with full German disgust. But she focuses on her husband: Why won't he take her home?

Two years ago my dad had his voice box removed so it's difficult for him to talk. He can't comfort his frightened, sick wife. But my mother can't remember the surgery so she demands, "Why won't you talk to me?" He shakes his head back and forth. This makes her angrier. "He just shakes his head and never talks to me," she shouts to the room. She calls him selfish, uncaring, and a host of hurtful words and names. My Dad's eyes are misting. He's a tough man. Strong language is not foreign to this old Norwegian painting contractor. But he understands what she is really saying: "I'm scared and confused." That's what really breaks his heart.

Finally my mom decides that she could spend the night "here" (her apartment). She turns as sweet as she had been horrid. "You poor man," she tells my Dad. "Swede, you are a good man, we can stay here can't we? We'll be fine for tonight." She goes to her room and gets ready for bed. Coming to my Dad one last time before retiring she puts her hands on each arm of his chair, gets her face about a foot from his, and with the most endearing look asks, "Do you have something to say to me?"

"I love you," he mouths.

"I love you too," she replies. And then goes to bed.

They have a love that lasts a lifetime—so ingrained that even the loss of memory and voice cannot touch it.

God also loves us for a lifetime and God never forgets and always speaks to us, we just need to remember to be quiet and listen and let God draw close to us.

Lessons in wisdom

Proverbs 9:9 (NKJV)

9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

The words of the teacher tell us that those who are wise will increase in wisdom. Teach a just person and their learning will increase. These things are difficult for the foolish and evil ones.

On February 22, 1911, Gaston Hervieu climbed the Eiffel Tower to test a new parachute for pilots. He checked the wind, took a nervous breath, and began the test. His silk parachute filled with air, then sailed safely to the ground. Hervieu did not make the jump himself; he used a 160-pound test dummy. To one man this was an outrage. Franz Reichelt was an Austrian tailor who was developing a parachute of his own. He denounced Hervieu's use of a dummy as a "sham" and, one year later, on the morning of Sunday, February 4, 1912, arrived at the Eiffel Tower to conduct his own experiment.

As Reichelt posed for pictures he announced, "I am so convinced my device will work properly that I will jump myself." Gaston Hervieu pulled him aside and tried to stop him. Hervieu claimed there were technical reasons why Reichelt's parachute would not work. The two men had a heated discussion until, finally, Reichelt walked away.

Modern parachutes use 700 square feet of fabric and should be deployed only above 250 feet; Reichelt's parachute used less than 350 square feet of fabric, and he deployed it at 187 feet. He had neither the surface area nor the altitude needed to make a successful jump. Hervieu was not the only one who had told Reichelt that his parachute suit would not work. It had also been rejected by a team of experts who told him, "The surface of your device is too small. You will break your neck."

He not only ignored experts, he also ignored his own data. He tested his parachute using dummies, and they crashed. He tested his parachute by jumping thirty feet into a haystack, and he crashed. He tested his parachute by jumping twenty feet without a haystack, and he crashed and broke his leg. Instead of changing his invention, he clung to his bad idea in the face of all evidence and advice.

Reichelt fell for four seconds, accelerating constantly, until he hit the ground at sixty miles an hour, making a cloud of frost and dust and a dent six inches deep. He was killed on impact. [Adapted from Kevin Ashton, How to Fly a Horse (Doubleday, 2015), pp. 88-89]

May we never be as blind and foolish as to disregard the teachings and advice of others! Envy blinded Reichelt and he would not listen to others or take note of his own observations of failure.

Let us always be willing to listen and see the foolishness of our own ways.

The resurrection and the life

John 11:25 (NIV)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

Those who place their faith in Christ as The Savior will have eternal life after death in this world.

A friend of mine used to work as a denominational official in Minnesota. One of his jobs was to travel to little rural communities where they didn't have churches to do funerals. He would go out with an undertaker, and they would drive together in the undertaker's hearse. One time, they were on their way back from a funeral, and my friend, John, was feeling quite tired. He decided he would take a nap. Since they were in a hearse, he thought, Well, I'll just lie down in the back of the hearse.

Sounds like kind of a creepy thing to do, but this is a true story. The guy who was driving the hearse pulled into a service station, because he was running low on gas. The service station attendant was filling up the tank and he was kind of freaked out, because there was a body stretched out in the back. While he was filling the tank, John woke up, opened his eyes, knocked on the window and waved at the attendant. John said he never saw anybody run so fast in his whole life.  [John Ortberg, "The Empty Tomb: How Will You Respond?" Menlo Park Presbyterian Church]

We don’t expect the dead to come back to life, but that is exactly what happens upon death in this mortal world. The question is will you place your faith in Jesus Christ to be with Him when that moment happens for you.

Light of the world

John 8:12 (NLT)

Jesus, the Light of the World

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Jesus Christ is the light of the world. One of the rabbies saith, Light is the name of the Messiah, as it is written, Dan. 2:22, And light dwelleth with him. God is light, and Christ is the image of the invisible God; God of gods, Light of lights. He was expected to be a light to enlighten the Gentiles (Lu. 2:32), and so the light of the world, and not of the Jewish church only. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

One weekend, author Paul Tripp gave his teenage son permission to spend the weekend at a friend's house. But during the weekend Paul received a call from the friend's mother, informing him that Paul's son was not at her home. (Her son had felt guilty about covering for Paul's son and confessed to his mom.) After Paul told his wife about their son's deception, Paul said, "Luella could feel my anger, and she said, 'I think you need to pray.' I said, 'I don't think I can pray for him right now.' She said, 'I didn't mean for you to pray for him; I think you need to pray for you.'"

Paul writes:

I went to my bedroom to pray for God's help, and it hit me that, because of his love, God had already begun a work of rescue in my son's life. God was the one who pressed in on the conscience of my son's friend, causing him to confess to his mom. God was the one who gave her the courage to make that difficult call to me. And God was the one giving me time to get a hold of myself before my son came home. Now, rather than wanting to rip into my son, I wanted to be part of what this God of grace was doing in this moment of rebellion, deception, hurt, and disappointment.

After giving his son a couple of hours to relax upon his return, Paul asked him if they could talk.

"Do you ever think about how much God loves you?" Paul asked his son.

"Sometimes," he answered.

"Do you ever think how much God's grace operates in your life every day?"

His son looked up but didn't speak.

"Do you know how much God's grace was working in your life even this weekend?"

"Who told you?" his son asked.

Paul said:

"You have lived your life in the light. You've made good choices. You've been an easy son to parent, but this weekend you took a step toward the darkness. You can live in the darkness if you want. You can learn to lie and deceive. You can use your friends as your cover … You can step over God's boundaries. Or you can determine to live in God's light. I'm pleading with you: don't live in the darkness; live in the light."

"As I turned to walk away," Paul wrote, "I heard his voice from behind me saying, 'Dad, don't go.' As I turned around, with tears in his eyes, he said, 'Dad, I want to live in the light, but it's so hard. Will you help me?'" [Paul David Tripp, Forever: Why You Can't Live Without It (Zondervan, 2011), pp. 151-153]

Peace for the family

Genesis 21:11-17 (NIV)

11 The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. 12 But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. 13 I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”14 Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes. 16 Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob. 17 God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. 18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.

This is the promise of Ishmael becoming a great nation, as he fathered the nomadic Arab nations.

In the Old Testament Abraham cannot have a child with his wife, Sarah. So, she gives him her handmaiden Hagar. With Hagar Abraham has a child, a son, Ishmael.

Eventually, though, in her old age Sarah conceives of a child with divine help. That child is Isaac. After the birth of her son, Sarah forces Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away from their home. Although, in the Qur’an, it is Allah who tells Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael into the desert.

While some Jews and Christians believe they are descendents of Isaac, Muslims believe they are the inheritors of Ishmael’s legacy – that they, along with Jews and Christians, are the “children of Abraham”.

And they believe it was Ishmael, not Isaac, Abraham almost sacrificed to God. The sparing of Ishmael’s life is celebrated with the festival Eid ul-Adha. When God spared Ishmael, the boy was replaced with a ram – it is because of this Muslims make animal sacrifices during the festival.

Ishmael is highly regarded in Islam for his goodness and wisdom. After wandering in the desert with his mother – Hagar’s search for water is reenacted during the Hajj each year – they settled in Mecca. There it is believed Ishmael built the Ka’aba with Abraham. [http://muslimvoices.org/ishmael-islam/; Muslim Voices; Ishmael and Islam; by Rosemary Pennington; December 10, 2008]

Abraham had two sons. Ishmael was born by his slave Hagar. The second son Issac was later born to the wife of Abraham. While Ishmael did not found Islam, those who were descendants of Ishmael followed the teachings of Muhammad. Today there are struggles of two great nations, Christians and Muslims, which began long ago due to Abraham and Sarah not listening closely to God. A generation of family problems has lasted for thousands of years..

Pray that healing for the family of Abraham can take place so there may be peace across the world. We are the “children of Abraham”, may God bring peace back into the family.

The actions in your life

1 Samuel 1:23 (NKJV)

23 Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.

Here is a warning that we would not boast with pride or arrogance about the things we have done; for The Lord God is the God of knowledge and known to Him are all deeds of man, both good and evil.

There is an axiom that says, “Actions speak louder than words.” Jesus said in Matthew 7, “17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” So people are known by the fruit or the actions they produce in their lives.

Let’s use the letters from ACTION to show how a person can demonstrate good fruit in their life.

A – Accountability. We must hold ourselves accountable for the actions we take in our lives.

C – Consistent. Our actions must be consistent. We do not want to be hot one day and cold the next.

T – Thought. We must put though into our actions so as not to be careless or hurtful.

I – Integrity. Our lives should be filled with integrity so others know our actions are honest and fair.

O – Opinions. Fact must out weight opinions. There are many opinions, but facts hold truth.  

N – Negotiate. At times we must negotiate to ensure fairness is provided to all parties.

Be careful with the actions of your life for the Lord God will weight them and see whether they bear good or bad fruit. 

How should we live

2 Peter 3:10-11 (NIV)

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.

There is a certainty that one day The Lord will come and perform as He has proclaimed. Therefore how should we be living if He were to come in the midst of our lives?

Researcher Carol Dweck did a series of studies on how people handle adversity, particularly when they face limitations, obstacles, failure, and change. In one study, she took a group of ten-year-olds and gave them increasingly difficult math problems to see how they would handle failure. Most students got discouraged and depressed, but a few had a totally different response. One kid—in the face of failure—rubbed his hands together, smacked his lips, and said, "I love a challenge!" Another kid, failing one math problem after another, said, "You know, I was hoping this would be informative."

"What's wrong with them?" she wondered. "I always thought you coped with failure or you didn't cope with failure. I never thought anyone loved failure. Were these alien children or were they on to something?"

She realized that not only were these kids not discouraged by failure, they didn't think they were failing. They thought they were learning. She came to the conclusion that human beings have two different, almost opposite mind-sets about life. One of them I'm going to call a "closed mind-set." Those with a closed mind-set believe that life is full of a fixed amount of gifts and talents, and their worth depends on how talented they are. Therefore, their job is to convince others that they've got "it," whatever "it" is.

Dweck said there's another way to go through life—the open mind-set. These people believe that growth is always possible. A commitment to growth means that they embrace challenge. … Therefore, failure is indispensable and something to learn from. [John Ortberg, All the Places You'll Go. Except When You Don't (Tyndale, 2015), pp. 22-23]

We can either live with failure or we can love failure and find that it teaches and shows us how to live. Which shall you choose to do?

Praise to God

Psalm 95:1-2  (NLT)

1 Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.

The psalmist here, as often elsewhere, stirs up himself and others to praise God; for it is a duty which ought to be performed with the most lively affections, and which we have great need to be excited to, being very often backward to it and cold in it

In a 2015 interview, the Hungarian composer György Kurtág made a remarkable confession about his struggle to reconcile his atheism with the beauty of Bach's music:

Consciously, I am certainly an atheist, but I do not say it out loud, because if I look at Bach, I cannot be an atheist. Then I have to accept the way he believed. His music never stops praying. And how can I get closer if I look at him from the outside? I do not believe in the Gospels in a literal fashion, but a Bach fugue has the Crucifixion in it—as the nails are being driven in. In music, I am always looking for the hammering of the nails … That is a dual vision. My brain rejects it all. But my brain isn't worth much. [Mark Meynell, A Wilderness of Mirrors (Zondervan, 2015), page 191]

The Creator created a magnificent and marvelous world. There are many thing of beauty and remarkable things to look upon. Even a proclaimed Atheist has a hard time denying God because of the presence of His creation. Let us give thanks and psalms of praise to God for the great things He placed in our lives.

Connections to teach truth

John 17:17 (NLT)

17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.

We have been given the truth of The Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are to be ambassadors for Christ and share the truth we know with others. We are to teach them the truth we know and build them up.

Over the last 50 years, while society has been growing more and more prosperous and individualistic, our social connections have been dissolving. Emily Esfahni Smith from The Atlantic describes the price for our social disconnection:

We volunteer less. We entertain guests at our homes less often. We are getting married less. We are having fewer children. And we have fewer and fewer close friends with whom we'd share the intimate details of our lives. We are denying our social nature, and paying a price for it. Over the same period of time that social isolation has increased, our levels of happiness have gone down, while rates of suicide and depression have multiplied.

We need to build connections in life so we can befriend others and be able to share the truth about God. Without those connections there is no one to talk to. We isolate and even cause problems for ourselves. So build good relationships with people that turn into something special.

God's Lamp

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

The nature of the word of God, and the great intention of giving it to the world; it is a lamp and a light. It discovers to us, concerning God and ourselves, that which otherwise we could not have known; it shows us what is amiss, and will be dangerous; it directs us in our work and way, and a dark place indeed the world would be without it. It is a lamp which we may set up by us, and take into our hands for our own particular use, Prov. 6:23. The commandment is a lamp kept burning with the oil of the Spirit; it is like the lamps in the sanctuary, and the pillar of fire to Israel. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

I started writing these devotions to a friend many years ago and since then they have spread to others. Most days I allow another Bible webpage to pick out The Bible verses for me. Unless it’s something I really can’t relate to that day I may pick something out of Proverbs, but otherwise I use the verse I’m given.

I’ll always try to explain The Bible verse. Most often I will refer to the Matthew Henry Commentary because he tends to expound on the verse and give insight into it. Sometimes I know the verse well enough so I write my own explanation. I never know what I’ll be writing on a given day, but God does.

I’ll find a short story to illustrate the verse and sometimes I will even write from life experiences as I am doing today.  There are times I may even pick a short story and add to it as a commentary. It just all depends on how God is leading me that day. I know when the story is not right because I draw a total blank. It’s just not what God wants me to share that day.

Over the years of writing, people will sometimes comment back to me: “How did you know what I was going through?”; “Those words were what I needed to cheer me up.”; “I was looking for God’s guidance and I found it in the message.”; “or it may just be a simple thank you.”

Sometimes people have even written back almost identical messages to me about the devotion. Let me assure you, usually the stories I pick are not about you. They are a story that is just pleasant and meaningful to me. However, GOD USES THE POWER OF HIS WORD LIKE A LAMP UNTO YOUR SOUL to speak to you. His word finds something in your heart and opens the door to it.

I pray God will takes His word and shine a lamp brightly into your heart to help you see what God wants you to do. You may be struggling with a problem. You may have an illness. You may be looking for work. Just know God is walking right there with you, ready to speak to you and encourage you. God finds you precious and loves you very must. Let His word fill your hearts so you know what to do at the proper times.

Open Our Eyes

Psalm 119:18 (NIV)

18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

That there are wondrous things in God's law, which we are all concerned, and should covet, to behold, not only strange things, which are very surprising and unexpected, but excellent things, which are to be highly esteemed and valued, and things which were long hidden from the wise and prudent, but are now revealed unto babes. If there were wonders in the law, much more in the gospel, where Christ is all in all, whose name is Wonderful. Well may we, who are so nearly interested, desire to behold these wondrous things, when the angels themselves reach to look into them, 1 Pt. 1:12. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

In her book Mystery on the Desert, Maria Reiche describes a series of strange lines made by the Nazea in the plains of Peru, some of them covering many square miles. For years people assumed these lines were the remnants of ancient irrigation ditches.

Then in 1939 Dr. Paul Kosok of Long Island University discovered their true meaning could only be seen from high in the air. When viewed from an airplane, these seemingly random lines form enormous drawings of birds, insects, and animals.

In a similar way, people often think of the Bible as a series of individual, unconnected stories. But if we survey the Scriptures as a whole, we discover that they form one great story of redemption—from the opening scenes of Genesis to the final chapter of Revelation. Weaving through all the diverse strands of the Bible is a divine storyline, the overarching story of what God has been up to in the rescue and restoration of fallen human beings, from the first nanosecond of creation through the final cry of victory at the end of time. [Timothy George, "Big Picture Faith," Christianity Today (10-23-00)]

Lord open our eyes that we may see the wonderful things you have in store for us!

Pray for understanding

Colossians 1:9 (NLT)

9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Here we find the apostle stating his prayers for the Colossians that they may understand God’s will and the knowledge they have received.

In an interview shortly before his death, Dallas Willard, a philosophy professor who wrote widely on spiritual formation in the church, was asked about the challenges facing the church. Dr. Willard spent much of his life addressing the problem of why the church isn't raising up more people who look and act like Jesus. At the end of that two hour interview, Willard was asked this pointed question: "When you look at how off track the church is, do you ever just throw up your hands in despair?"

Willard smiled and said, "Never."

"But how can you not?" the interviewer asked.

"Because," he said, "I know Christ is the head of his church and he knows what he's doing. [Skye Jethani, "Vampire Christianity," PreachingToday.com]

Such is the case for prayer. We don’t always understand or have complete knowledge of what we are to do, but we can be certain Christ knows. Therefore pray for one another and for your own concerns that Christ may give you and others understanding.

Our love should be for Christ, not the World

1 John 2:15-16 (NLT)

15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

Be crucified to the world, be mortified to the things, to the affairs and enticements, of it.' The several degrees of Christians should unite in this, in being dead to the world. Were they thus united, they would soon unite upon other accounts: their love should be reserved for God; throw it not away upon the world. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

Sgt. Dennis Weichel, (pronounced WY-KLE) 29, died in Afghanistan last week as he lifted an Afghan girl who was in the path of a large military vehicle barreling down a road. Weichel, a Rhode Island National Guardsman, was riding along in a convoy in eastern Afghanistan when some children were spotted on the road ahead.

The children were picking up shell casings lying on the road. The casings are recycled for money in Afghanistan. Weichel and other soldiers got out of their vehicles to get them out of the way of the heavy trucks in the convoy. The children were moved out of the way, but an Afghan girl darted back onto the road to pick up some more casings right in the path of a speeding 16 ton armored truck.

Weichel spotted the girl and quickly moved toward her to get her out of the way. He succeeded, but not before he was run over by the heavily armored truck. The girl was safe, but Weichel died of his injuries. Dennis was 29 years old and had arrived in Afghanistan only a few weeks before.

Staff Sgt. Ronald Corbett, who deployed with Weichel to Iraq in 2005, said, "He would have done it for anybody," adding, "That was the way he was. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was that type of guy." [Luis Martinz, "Hero U.S Soldier Gives Life to Save Afghan Girl," ABC News (3-29-12)]

1 Corinthians 15:3 (NLT) says. “I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.”

Satan and Temptation

1 Peter 5:8 (NIV)

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Here the apostle does three things:-

He shows them their danger from an enemy more cruel and restless than even the worst of men, whom he describes, 1. By his characters and names. (1.) He is an adversary: "That adversary of yours; not a common adversary, but an enemy that impleads you, and litigates against you in your grand depending cause, and aims at your very souls.' (2.) The devil, the grand accuser of all the brethren; this title is derived from a word which signifies to strike through, or to stab. He would strike malignity into our natures and poison into our souls. If he could have struck these people with passion and murmuring in their sufferings, perhaps he might have drawn them to apostasy and ruin. (3.) He is a roaring lion, hungry, fierce, strong, and cruel, the fierce and greedy pursuer of souls. 2. By his business: He walks about, seeking whom he may devour; his whole design is to devour and destroy souls. To this end he is unwearied and restless in his malicious endeavours; for he always, night and day, goes about studying and contriving whom he may ensnare to their eternal ruin.

Rich Mullins, a Christian musician and songwriter who died in 1997 at the age of 41, once confessed in a concert that he struggled with watching pornography while traveling alone. One of his spiritual mentors told him, "It's not that you're so bad, it's just that you're not supposed to go out by yourself." So Mullins took a friend along with him on a trip to Amsterdam near its famous red-light district. Mullins said he was hoping his friend would fall fast asleep and start snoring so, as Mullins put it, "I thought, 'Maybe it would be fun to just take a walk and be tempted.'" He waited until 5:00 in the morning for his friend to start snoring, but he never did. Meanwhile, in the midst of his temptation, Mullins picked up a notebook and wrote the words to one of his more popular songs, 'Hold Me, Jesus'":

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark

 It's so hot inside my soul

 I swear there must be blisters on my heart

 So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf

 You have been King of my glory

 Won't You be my Prince of Peace"

With this back story, some people call this Mullins' "Prayer for Porn Addicts" song, but it could also be a called a "Prayer for Anyone Who Is Tempted" Song.

[Luke Gilkerson, "'Hold Me Jesus': A Prayer for Porn Addiction," Covenant Eyes, June 17, 2010.]

Satan tempts us with things our nature desires and then accuses us in front of God of our failures.

Self Correcting

Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Religion has reason on its side; there is all the reason in the world why we should do as God would have us do. The God of heaven condescends to reason the case with those that contradict him and find fault with his proceedings; for he will be justified when he speaks. [Matthew Henry]

Back in the days when everyone used typewriters there was a little thing called Wite-Out. Wite-Out dates to 1966 when an insurance-company clerk named George Kloosterhouse teamed with a guy who waterproofed basements to develop their own correction fluid. They originally called it "Wite-Out WO-1 Erasing Liquid."

You can still buy the product. Wite-Out isn't perfect. If you made a mistake on the typewriter, you'd have to take the paper out or get it raised up a little bit and then dab it with the Wite-Out, paint over the mistake, and then blow on it and let it dry. Then you could type right over it as if the mistake had never been made.

When electric typewriters came along, some genius invented something even better than Wite-Out—the self-correcting typewriter. Now wouldn't it be great if someday down the road somebody invented self-correcting people? Wouldn't it be cool if there could be a self-correcting husband or wife who would say the wrong thing and then just back up and say it over again right? "You know, you're just like your mother. Oops! Let's just erase that and start over." Wouldn't it be great if every spouse or friend or parent or child came with self-correcting technology?

But the human race isn't self-correcting. In fact, we're self-destructing. But in his grace God gave us one of his most amazing inventions—the gift of forgiveness. In a way, it is more powerful than Wite-Out. At the cross Jesus not only covered sin, he also absolves it, pays the penalty for it, and removes it as far from the east is to the west. [John Ortbreg, "Unchanging God in a Changing World," Menlo Park Presbyterian Church]

Instead of starting over or self-correcting, let us see if we can catch our problems before we commit them. Let us stop and reason with ourselves to see if our words will be right. But even if we can’t, we can learn to correct our mistakes through apologies, acceptance, forgiveness and whatever else it takes to make things right.

GRACE!

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Grace is unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification. The Bible tells us it is by God’s grace we are saved through faith in The Gospel of Jesus Christ and not from our own works. It is a true gift so that we cannot boast about anything we have done.

Enjoy the lyrics from Matthew West’s Song – Grace Wins

In my weakest moment I see you

Shaking your head in disgrace

I can read the disapointment

Written all over your face

Here comes those whispers in my ear

Saying who do you think you are

Looks like you're on your own from here

Cause grace could never reach that far

But, in the shadow of that shame

Beat down by all the blame

I hear you call my name sayin it's not over

And my heart starts to beat

So loud now, drowning out the doubt

I'm down but I'm not out

There's a war between guilt and grace

And they're fighting for a sacred space

But I'm living proof

Grace wins every time

No more lying down in death's defeat

Now I'm rising up in victory

Singing hallelujah

Grace wins every time

Words can't describe the way it feels

When mercy floods a thirsty soul

A broken side begins to heal

And grace returns what guilt has stole

And, in the shadow of that shame

Beat down by all the blame

I hear you call my name sayin it's not over

And my heart starts to beat

So loud now, drowning out the doubt

I'm down but I'm not out

There's a war between guilt and grace

And they're fighting for a sacred space

But I'm living proof

Grace wins every time

No more lying down in death's defeat

Now I'm rising up in victory

Singing hallelujah

Grace wins every time

For the prodigal son, grace wins

For the woman at the well, grace wins

For the blind man and the beggar, grace wins

For always and forever, grace wins

For the lost out on the street, grace wins

For the worst part of you and me, grace wins

For the theif on the cross, grace wins

For a world that it lost

There's a war between guilt and grace

And they're fighting for a sacred space

But I'm living proof

Grace wins every time

No more lying down in death's defeat

Now I'm rising up in victory

Singing hallelujah

Grace wins every time

Every time

I'm living proof grace wins every time

GOD’S GRACE IS GREATER THAN ALL OUR SIN!

Everlasting Life

2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

As able ministers of the New Testament, they were ministers not merely of the letter, to read the written word, or to preach the letter of the gospel only, but they were ministers of the Spirit also; the Spirit of God did accompany their ministrations. The letter killeth; this the letter of the law does, for that is the ministration of death; and if we rest only in the letter of the gospel we shall be never the better for so doing, for even that will be a savour of death unto death; but the Spirit of the gospel, going along with the ministry of the gospel, giveth life spiritual and life eternal. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

Everything about baseball is predicated on precision and predictability. A .260 hitter might have a good or bad year, but eventually he will revert to his norm. He will hit .260. It's the same with pitching. Conventional hurlers deliberately try to spin the ball in a certain way. Depending on that spin, the ball will sink or curve, break left or right.

But there's one notable exception to baseball's predictability—the knuckleball. A good knuckleball hardly spins at all. Because a knuckler doesn't spin, it's entirely unpredictable. Charlie Hough, one of the greatest knuckleball pitchers of all time once said, "The wind currents make the ball bob around like a Whiffle ball and it might break two or three different times on the way to the plate." As a result, the pitcher and the catcher—let alone the hitter—have no idea where the ball is going.

The knuckleball throws a hitter's hitting instincts off-kilter, especially for big sluggers with big swings who have less time to react. Yankee outfielder Bobby Murcer once said the challenge of hitting a knuckleball was like "trying to eat Jell-O with chopsticks." Another Yankee, Mickey Mantle, said bluntly: "Knuckleballers. I hate 'em all." And as for catching a knuckleball pitcher? Good luck. Joe Torre once said, "[Catchers need to] use a big glove and a pair of rosary beads." [Adapted from Steven V. Roberts, "The history of the knuckleball, baseball's most difficult pitch," The Washington Post (4-3-15)]

Sometimes trying to determine God’s will is like trying to hit a knuckle ball; we just don’t know which direction things will go. Fortunately we have God who has given us His word to lead and remind us. In the verse above we know we are preachers of The Gospel. We are not to destroy one another, but instead give hope to a peaceful and everlasting life.

Governing Authorities

Romans 13:1 (NIV)

1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

There is no power but of God. God as the ruler and governor of the world hath appointed the ordinance of magistracy, so that all civil power is derived from him as from its original, and he hath by his providence put the administration into those hands, whatever they are that have it. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

The latest Gallup poll (2015) shows that Americans' trust in our top judges has fallen to an all-time low. Trust in the judicial branch of government dropped eight points just in the last year, which saw major decisions that many Americans deemed controversial or just plain wrong.

Gallup calls this a "significant" loss of trust, with only 53 percent of Americans responding that they have "a great deal" or even just "a fair amount" of trust in the third branch of government. Trust in the Executive (45 percent) and Legislative (32 percent) branches are also quite low, but both were slightly up from last year.

In 2009, Americans' trust in the Judiciary was 76 percent. In just the six years since then, mistrust has risen in nearly a third of Americans.

It could be said Americans have lost confidence in the ultimate judge – God. Other polls show that Protestant Christianity has dropped in American. If we are pushing God out of our lives and out of our country then we should think God will lift His hands from the government He has given us.

Look at what is happening with the police around our nation. The people do not give the police the respect they deserve so even the police are withdrawing from problems they might normally attend to.

Saved by Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Our faith, our conversion, and our eternal salvation, are not the mere product of any natural abilities, nor of any merit of our own: Not of works, lest any man should boast, v. 9. These things are not brought to pass by any thing done by us, and therefore all boasting is excluded; he who glories must not glory in himself, but in the Lord. There is no room for any man's boasting of his own abilities and power; or as though he had done any thing that might deserve such immense favours from God. [Matthew Henry Commentary]



There are many reasons God saves you: to bring glory to himself, to appease his justice, to demonstrate his sovereignty. But one of the sweetest reasons God saved you is because he is fond of you. He likes having you around. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while…. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose your heart. And the Christmas gift he sent you in Bethlehem? Face it, friend. He's crazy about you! [Max Lucado, A Gentle Thunder (Word, 1995]


God’s salvation to man is a gift, a gift born out of love, out of grace, out of mercy, and out of a tenderness for us. How can we boast of the things we have done, when God has done the greatest thing possible for us.

Like the flowers that wither and fade

1 Peter 1:24-25 (NLT)

24 As the Scriptures say, “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. 25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

The apostle having given an account of the excellency of the renewed spiritual man as born again, not of corruptible but incorruptible seed, he now sets before us the vanity of the natural man, taking him with all his ornaments and advantages about him: For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass; and nothing can make him a solid substantial being, but the being born again of the incorruptible seed, the word of God, which will transform him into a most excellent creature, whose glory will not fade like a flower, but shine like an angel; and this word is daily set before you in the preaching of the gospel. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

In 2001, just as his first child was about to be born, actor Mark Ruffalo (known for his portrayal of Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the movie The Avengers) discovered he had a brain tumor. It turned out to be benign, but half of his face was paralyzed for a long, uncertain year. The paralysis went away in time, but his left ear's hearing vanished forever.

"You start making deals," said Ruffalo, "OK, whoever, whatever—take my hearing, but don't take me away from my kid. That's a heavy moment to happen at three-year-old. But it was a blessing in disguise. I got a lesson in fallibility and mortality, you know, 10 years, 15 years ahead of my peers." [Brian Hiatt, "The Last Angry Man," Rolling Stone (5-7-15)]

Like the grass and the flowers of the field our bodies will eventually wither and fade away. But the Lord has given us a gift of eternal life, the Good News that is free to anyone who desires it. When we receive the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ we are given hope, a life worth living, and eternity with God. 

Let God's word fill us up!

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

By the word of God we may understand either the essential or the written word: the essential Word, that in the beginning was with God, and was God (Jn. 1:1), the Lord Jesus Christ, and indeed what is said in this verse is true concerning him; but most understand it of the written word, the holy scriptures, which are the word of God.

On a recent bike trip it wasn't until I finally arrived home that I noticed something wrong. My tires were low. They needed air. The funny thing about bike tires is I don't remember taking air out of them. It just went. Somewhere. Somehow. Air leaks.

My tires weren't crazy low, but low enough to know that my efforts in peddling were not producing maximum return. Each rotation was just a little bit harder than it would be had the tires been filled properly.

It got me thinking. Life is like a bike tire. We don't intentionally take air out … it just leaves. And just as it's harder to peddle with flat tires, it's not as fun to live when the air has leaked out of our lives. We don't know where it goes or how. Life just has a way of deflating us. Difficult conversations … hisssssss (that's the sound of air leaving your tires!). Tough day at work … hisssssss. Overwhelmed by circumstance … hisssssss. It happens to all of us.

So where in my life am I being re-inflated? Where am I pausing long enough to "fill my tires"? I know for me it happens when I drive by myself, worship music cranked. Re-filling. It happens when I take my Bible and a journal to the beach and let God speak to me. Re-filling. It happens to me when the stories of God at work fill my spirit. Having a coffee with a wise and trusted friend.

What about you? Are you going through life with flat tires? How fun is that? How much effort are you putting out in relation to the return? What if you made a decision to pause and re-fill? Do you know your re-filling stations? How does God fill your tires and push you onward? [Mike Penninga, "Flat Tires?" Kelowna Gospel Fellowship blog (5-6-15)]

Lord fill our souls with Your word that we would not be empty, but instead have a full and useful life.

Wisdom from God's Word

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

It is a divine revelation, which we may depend upon as infallibly true. The same Spirit that breathed reason into us breathes revelation among us: For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men spoke as they were moved or carried forth by the Holy Ghost, 2 Pt. 1:21. The prophets and apostles did not speak from themselves, but what they received of the Lord that they delivered unto us.

It is profitable to us for all the purposes of the Christian life, for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. It answers all the ends of divine revelation. It instructs us in that which is true, reproves us for that which is amiss, directs us in that which is good. It is of use to all, for we all need to be instructed, corrected, and reproved: it is of special use to ministers, who are to give instruction, correction, and reproof; and whence can they fetch it better than from the scripture? [Matthew Henry Commentary]

Ever hear about the dihydrogen monoxide hoax? It's been around for a while, but it got a lot of media attention in 1997 when a 14-year-old student named Nathan Zohner circulated a petition to ban the substance as part of a high school science fair. According to Zohner, dihydrogen monoxide "may cause severe burns, accelerates the corrosion and rusting of many metals, and has been found in the excised tumors of terminal cancer patients." Despite these risks, he further noted, the nefarious chemical is often used "as an industrial solvent and coolant, in the production of Styrofoam, and as a fire retardant."

By now some of you have figured out that dihydrogen monoxide is the technical name for H2O, also known as water.

Nathan Zohner's story is a humorous one, but it illustrates an important truth: it's possible for us as human beings to develop a lot of misconceptions—even a dangerous familiarity—about something with which we are intimately connected. [Sam O'Neal, "What the Bible Says About God," in the introduction to the Building Small Groups newsletter.]

God grants us wisdom through His word that we would know what is true and help us realize what is wrong in our lives. God word corrects us and teaches us what is right so He can equip us to do every good work. It is through wise that we understand the details of life around us.

Cautious words

Proverbs 15:23 (NLT)

23 Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!

We speak wisely when we speak in a timely fashion with a word of wisdom. For those who hear they are delighted and therefore it is a wonderful thing to say the right thing at the right time.

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of Words That Hurt, Words That Heal, has lectured throughout this country on the powerful, often negative impact of words. He often asks audiences if they can go 24 hours without saying any unkind words about, or to, another person. Invariably, a small number of listeners raise their hands, signifying "Yes." Others laugh, and quite a few call out, "No!"

Telushkin responds: "Those who can't answer 'yes' must recognize that you have a serious problem. If you can't go 24 hours without drinking liquor, you're addicted to alcohol. If you can't go 24 hours without smoking, you're addicted to nicotine. So if you can't go 24 hours without saying unkind words about others, then you've lost control over your tongue."

Mark Mitchell, "The Life-Giving Tongue," Qoheleth blog (11-15-13)

The Bible says, “And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong.” The mouth being a small part of our body can say things that can change the course and nature of people. We should always be cautious as to the things we say; always speaking wisely

.

A Need for Revival

Psalm 51:12 (NLT)

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

Though David penned this psalm upon a very particular occasion, yet, it is of as general use as any of David's psalms; it is the most eminent of the penitential psalms, and most expressive of the cares and desires of a repenting sinner. It is a pity indeed that in our devout addresses to God we should have any thing else to do than to praise God, for that is the work of heaven; but we make other work for ourselves by our own sins and follies: we must come to the throne of grace in the posture of penitents, to confess our sins and sue for the grace of God; and, if therein we would take with us words, we can nowhere find any more apposite than in this psalm, which is the record of David's repentance for his sin in the matter of Uriah, which was the greatest blemish upon his character: all the rest of his faults were nothing to this; it is said of him (1 Ki. 15:5), That "he turned not aside from the commandment of the Lord all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.' [Matthew Henry Commentary]

"I was years and years upon the brink of hell--I mean in my own feeling. I was unhappy, I was desponding, I was despairing. I dreamed of hell. My life was full of sorrow and wretchedness, believing that I was lost."

Charles Spurgeon used these strong words to describe his adolescent years. Despite his Christian upbringing (he was christened as an infant, and raised in the Congregational church), and his own efforts (he read the Bible and prayed daily), Spurgeon woke one January Sunday in 1850 with a deep sense of his need for deliverance.

Because of a snowstorm, the 15-year-old's path to church was diverted down a side street. For shelter, he ducked into the Primitive Methodist Chapel on Artillery Street. An unknown substitute lay preacher stepped into the pulpit and read his text--(Isaiah 45:22) "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else."

[Mary Ann Jeffreys. "Charles Haddon Spurgeon," Christian History, no. 29.]

Charles Spurgeon realized the need for God and change in his life. I pray we all understand our need for God and the changes that need to be brought about in our lives. We need a revival, a restoration of the joy of God's salvation in our lives.

Delight in The Lord

Psalm 37:4 (NLT)

4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.

We must not only depend upon God, but solace ourselves in him. We must be well pleased that there is a God, that he is such a one as he has revealed himself to be, and that he is our God in covenant. We must delight ourselves in his beauty, bounty, and benignity; our souls must return to him, and repose in him, as their rest, and their portion for ever. Being satisfied of his loving-kindness, we must be satisfied with it, and make that our exceeding joy, Ps. 43:4. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

One Sunday I was visiting one of Africa's largest slums, the massive Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. The conditions were simply inhumane. People lived in shacks constructed out of cardboard boxes. Foul smells gushed out of open ditches carrying human and animal excrement …. I thought to myself, This place is completely God-forsaken.

Then to my amazement, right there among the dung, I heard the sound of a familiar hymn …. Every Sunday, thirty slum dwellers crammed into this ten-by-twenty foot "sanctuary" to worship [God]. The church was made out of cardboard boxes that had been opened up and stapled to studs. It wasn't pretty, but it was a church made up of some of the poorest people on earth.

I was immediately asked to preach the sermon. I quickly jotted down some notes and was looking forward to teaching this congregation [about the sovereignty of God]. But before the sermon began, I listened as some of the poorest people on the planet cried out to God: "Jehovah Jireh, please heal my son, as he is going blind." "Merciful Lord, please protect me when I go home today, for my husband always beats me." "Sovereign King, please provide my children with enough food today, as they are hungry."

As I listened to their heartfelt prayers, I thought about my ample salary, my life insurance policy, my health insurance policy, my two cars, my house, etc. I realized that I do not really trust in God's sovereignty on a daily basis. I have buffers in place to shield me from most economic shocks. I realized that when these folks pray "Give us this day our daily bread" their minds don't wander as mine so often does. I realized that these slum dwellers were trusting in God's sovereignty just to get them through the day, and they had a far deeper intimacy with God than I probably will ever have in my entire life.

[Adapted from Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts (Moody Press, 2012), pp. 64-65]

Let out hearts turn to God in such a way that we are delighted to be with God and share our hurts, our pains and our wounds. And as we cry out to God, He will listen to the desires of our heart and give according to His will.

Words of my mouth

Psalm 19:14 (NLT)

14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

He prays to God to keep him from sin, and then begs he would accept his performances; for, if we favour our sins, we cannot expect God should favour us or our services.

The website Business Insider ran an article titled "7 Brutally Honest Job Rejection Letters." Here are two examples of how not to confront someone.

Sub Pop, an independent record label in Seattle, sent the following rejection letter:

Dear Loser, Thank you for sending your demo materials to Sun Pop for consideration. Presently, your demo package is one of a massive quantity of material we receive everyday at Sub Pop World Headquarters. [Your material] is on its way through the great lower intestines that is the talent acquisitions process. We appreciate your interest and wish the best in your pursuit. Kind regards. P.S. This letter is known as a "rejection letter."

New Delta Review, a literary magazine in Baton Rouge, sent the following rejection letter:

Thank you for submitting. Unfortunately, the work you sent is quite terrible. Please forgive the form rejection, but it would take too much of my time to tell you exactly how terrible it was. So again, sorry for the form letter.  [Vivian Giang, "7 Brutally Honest Job Rejection Letters," Business Insider (6-24-13)]

In prayer we ask that our words may be pleasing to God so we learn to also be pleasing to others. For the words we say have great impacts upon people. Imagine receiving one of the letters above, how would feel?

God's Transformation of Lives

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind, a change not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul. It is the same with making a new heart and a new spirit-new dispositions and inclinations, new sympathies and antipathies; the understanding enlightened, the conscience softened, the thoughts rectified; the will bowed to the will of God, and the affections made spiritual and heavenly: so that the man is not what he was-old things are passed away, all things are become new; he acts from new principles, by new rules, with new designs. [Matthew Henry Commentary]

Based on the book by Nicholas Sparks, the movie A Walk to Remember illustrates how one person's life and death positively impacts an entire community. Jamie Sullivan (played by Mandy Moore) is the high school daughter of a widowed minister in the small town of Beaufort, North Carolina. Though she is ridiculed by the "in crowd" for her conservative appearance and values, Jamie resolves to be her own person. The high school yearbook calls attention to her primary ambition in life: "To witness a miracle."

Jamie is dying of leukemia. When Jamie befriends Landon Carter, one of those who mock her, her father and Landon's friends are concerned. But Jamie pours her life into Landon, helping him study, rallying him to memorize his lines for a school play, and introducing him to the wonder of astronomy. During this period, Landon falls in love with Jamie.

Eventually they marry. After a mere three months, Jamie dies. In honor of Jamie, Landon decides to attend college, where he distinguishes himself as a capable student. After graduation, he returns home to Beaufort. The first person he wants to see is Jamie's father.

As the two sit down, Landon announces he's been accepted into medical school.

Landon reaches into his backpack and pulls out a book of poetry and quotes that had originally belonged to Jamie's mom, but which Jamie had given to Landon when she had been sick.

"I want you to have it," Landon says to Reverend Sullivan, handing him the dog-eared volume.

Landon says, "I'm sorry she never got her miracle."

The minister looks straight at Landon. "She did. It was you." [A Walk to Remember (Warner Brothers, 2002), rated PG, written by Nicholas Sparks and Karen Janszen, directed by Adam Shankman]

God's Works

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Known unto God are all his works, for known unto him are all his thoughts (Acts 15:18) and his works agree exactly with his thoughts; he does all according to the counsel of his will. We often do not know our own thoughts, nor know our own mind, but God is never at any uncertainty within himself. We are sometimes ready to fear that God's designs concerning us are all against us; but he knows the contrary concerning his own people, that they are thoughts of good and not of evil; even that which seems evil is designed for good. His thoughts are all working towards the expected end, which he will give in due time. The end they expect will come, though perhaps not when they expect it. Let them have patience till the fruit is ripe, and then they shall have it [Matthew Henry Commentary]

John Beukema, from Chambersburg, Pennsylvania wrote:  I attended a community prayer breakfast and sat at a table with a group of men I didn't know. In the course of our conversation, the subject of retirement came up. The man sitting next to me, who appeared to be in his early fifties, was quite excited by the prospect. He said how much he was looking forward to the end of his career and related a conversation he had with his wife that morning.

"My wife asked, 'What are you going to do when you retire?' I told her, 'I'm going to sit on the couch and watch TV all day every day.'"

The table was silent, but I couldn't keep quiet for long. "If you do that," I said, "you'll be dead in a year."

He looked at me, wide-eyed, and asked why.

I told him, "If the lack of purpose in your life doesn't kill you first, your wife will."

Throughout our lives God has a purpose designed for us. It’s a plan to prosper us in ways that give hope to the future and the future of others. We are God’s tools and God can use us for many things in life. Even those who have died for good causes have been inspirations to others to do things they may have never done before. Praise God for His mighty works.

Wisdom with grace

Proverbs 1:8-9 (NLT)

8 My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. 9 What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck.

This is the plea from a father to his child to seek and find wisdom that come from correct, instruction and learning. Then the wisdom that has been received will become a crown of grace and a chain of honor.

Research studies indicate that up to 45 percent of adult siblings have relationships marked by rivalry or distance. A story from the Wall Street Journal featured Al Golden, 85, who still chokes up when he talks about his twin brother, Elliott, who died three years ago. The brothers shared a room growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., graduated from the same college and then married within a month of each other in 1947.

Yet Mr. Golden still remembers how their father often compared their grades, asking one or the other, "How come you got a B and your brother got an A?" Elliott Golden became a lawyer and eventually a state Supreme Court judge. Al Golden went into the mirror business then sold life insurance. He says he always envied his brother's status and secretly took pleasure in knowing he was a better fisherman and owned a big boat. Once, Elliott asked him, "I am a lawyer. How come you make more money than me?" Mr. Golden says. "He meant: 'How come you are making more than me when you are not as successful?' But it made me feel good."

One day, Elliott accused him of not doing enough to take care of their ailing mother. After the conversation, Al didn't speak to his brother for more than a year. "It might have been the built-up of jealousies over the years," he says. His brother repeatedly reached out to him, as did his nieces and nephews, but Mr. Golden ignored them.

Then one day Al received an email from his brother telling a story about two men who had a stream dividing their properties. One man hired a carpenter to build a fence along the stream, but the carpenter built a bridge by mistake. Mr. Golden thought about the email then wrote back, "I'd like to walk over the bridge." "I missed him," Mr. Golden says now. "I never had the chance to miss him before." [Elizabeth Bernstein, "Sibling Rivalry Grows Up," Wall Street Journal (3-20-12);]

When you carefully seek out wisdom you will find it is more than knowledge, it is also learning how to build bridges that create relationships. It is wisdom to understand one another and to be able to reach out on love with grace.