Monthly Archives: December 2013

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 31, 2013

Posted under

Holidays & Holy Days, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets, Thanks & Praise

New Year’s Eve – What Do You see in Your Rearview Mirror?

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. … Those who are wise will take all this to heart; they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord. [Psalm 107:1,43 (NLT)]

New Year’s Eve is a time we often contemplate the past year, frequently with regrets and sorrow. We ponder the many “would have’s”, “should have’s” and “could have’s” in our lives. We may have lost a loved one, suffered ill health or financial difficulty, or struggled with personal challenges.

As we enter this new year, let’s look back on the joys of 2013. Reflect on the many ways you saw the hand of God at work, the times you heard his voice or felt his embrace, the moments you knew He was guiding or even supporting you. Today, let us look at the past year with grateful hearts for the many blessings and joy God sent to us. May the rear view mirror of our minds only reflect God’s kindness and love.

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. [Psalm 103:1-2 (NLT)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 30, 2013

Posted under

Attitudes & Behavior, Bible Stories, Obedience

Who’s the Boss?

Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, instructed the Hebrew midwives … to kill all Hebrew boys as soon as they were born, but to let the girls live. But the midwives feared God and didn’t obey the king—they let the boys live too. … And God blessed the midwives because they were God-fearing women. … And because the midwives revered God, he gave them children of their own. [Exodus 1:15-17,20-21 (TLB)]

Do we, like the midwives, ever have to make difficult decisions? Do we ever have to choose between what we’ve been told to do and what we know God wants us to do? Lord, guide us when we have to decide who the real boss of our lives is and let us never forget that it is you. While the joy that comes from doing the right thing is reward enough, thank you for the reassurance our lives will be blessed when we honor you.

And so the Lord has paid me with his blessings, for I have done what is right, and I am pure of heart. This he knows, for he watches my every step. [Psalm 18:24 (TLB)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 29, 2013

Posted under

Love & Works, Obedience

Love Isn’t a Request; It is a Command

This is my command: love each other. [John 15:17 (NLT)]

Almighty God, let your love enable me to love others as generously as you love me. Forgive me when I fail to follow this clear and simple command. Please keep sending me opportunities to get it right. May I always share your love in everything I do and say.

In the last analysis, the commandment of love means this: no one is a stranger to you; every man’s welfare is your concern. [Albert Schweitzer]

 

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 28, 2013

Posted under

Family, Friends & Fellowship, Forgiveness, God's Grace & Love, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets

Remember When?

Wash away all my guilt and make me clean again. I know about my wrongs, and I can’t forget my sin. [Psalm 51:2-3 (NCV)]

As we gather with friends and family over the holidays, we may spend time reminiscing and sharing memories. “Remember when…?” we ask. Sometimes this recollecting causes us to pause and shudder. A memory of a wrong we committed rears its ugly head and we begin to feel shame and guilt. We remember the things we should have done and failed to do and the things we did that we shouldn’t have done but did. We remember harsh words, short tempers, deceitfulness, and other failings. We may remember, but, thank God, He doesn’t! Once forgiven, our sins are also forgotten.

Thank you, Lord, for your loving gifts of forgiveness and forgetfulness. Thank you, Lord, for this coming new year and another opportunity for us to get it right!

I will forgive them for the wicked things they did, and I will not remember their sins anymore.” [Jeremiah 31:34b (NCV)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 27, 2013

Posted under

God's Grace & Love, God's Promises, Obedience

Look to the Lord

But even there you can look for the Lord your God, and you will find him if you look for him with your whole being. It will be hard when all these things happen to you. But after that you will come back to the Lord your God and obey him, because the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you. [Deuteronomy 4:29-31a (NCV)]

Because of their disobedience, the Lord told the Hebrews that difficult times and suffering lay ahead for them. God, however, also promised that He would neither leave nor destroy them. That promise holds true today. There are times that we, too, will suffer because of our failings, but God will neither abandon nor crush us. Although He will never turn his back on us, we can turn our backs on him just as the ancient Hebrews did. When that happens, we may end up destroying ourselves. Which way will we turn today?

Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will search for me. And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me! I will let you find me,” says the Lord. [Jeremiah 29:12-14a (NCV)]

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

December 26, 2013

Posted under

Forgiveness, God's Plan, Sorrow, Grief & Regrets

Let Go of the Past if You’re Going to Reach the Goal

I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. [Philippians 3:12 (NCV)]

It is wise to remember that, no matter how old we may be, we continue to be a work in progress. Our past, no matter how checkered it may be, should never keep us from a future of service and blessings. God doesn’t care about our past. His concern is not where and how we started our lives; his concern is where and how we finish those lives.

The apostle Paul certainly had a troubled history; he had zealously persecuted the early Christians and was even present when Stephen was martyred. Paul, however, never let his past keep him from moving forward to become the man God wanted him to be. He became the greatest Christian evangelist that ever lived. Let’s not forget, God is never finished with us. What plans does He have for you this upcoming year?

Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above. [Philippians 3:13-14 (NCV)]