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December 3, 2014

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God's Grace & Love, Knowing Him, Salvation: A New You

THE VALUE OF ONE SOUL

For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. [1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NLT)]

These questions were posed in my grandson’s math book: “When is $1,000 too much? When is $1,000 not enough?” That made for an interesting discussion considering we had just seen an article about a gold-infused cupcake in Dubai that sells for over $1,000. While we readily agreed that $1,000 was too much for a cupcake, at least seven others who had already purchased this treat clearly disagreed. It seems that worth, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

Some suffer from low self-esteem and think they have little value. Others suffer from misplaced self-esteem and may over-estimate their worth based on such transitory things as looks, wealth, education or position. We’re all valuable, but not for any of those reasons.

We’re valuable not because of who we are, but because of whose we are: God’s. We’re valuable not because of what we know, but because of who we know: Jesus. We’re valuable not because of what we have, but because of what has hold of us: the Holy Spirit. We’re far more valuable than a $1,000 gold-infused cupcake or even a $4.5 million Lamborghini Roadster. Moreover, we were purchased at a far higher price: the sacrifice of God’s only son.

Thank you, Father Almighty, for seeing the value in our lives and purchasing us with your Son’s life. Help us see our worth through your eyes and not the eyes of men. May we daily grow more like Christ and become worthy of the high price you paid!

So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. [Ephesians 1:6-8 (NLT)]

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December 2, 2014

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God's Plan, Joy, Miracles, Today: Make it Count

A FATAL REMINDER

I sank beneath the waves, and death was very near. The waters closed above me; the seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains that rise from the ocean floor. I was locked out of life and imprisoned in the land of death. But, O Lord my God, you have snatched me from the yawning jaws of death! When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the Lord. And my earnest prayer went to you in your holy Temple. [Jonah 2:5-7 (TLB)]

Several days ago, a fatal accident occurred at the entrance to my subdivision. A car ran a red light and was hit by a dump truck. The car’s driver, a resident of our community, had made that left turn hundreds of time, but this time she made a fatal mistake and died because of it. Two people crossed paths and one is dead.

That same day, a few hundred miles north of here, a very different story unfolded. A young man, Jason Derfuss, narrowly escaped death. When he was leaving the university library, he passed another young man, one intent on death and destruction. Hearing gunshots, Jason immediately sped away. He didn’t realize how fortunate he was until hours later when he started to dig out the library books from his backpack. Jason saw a small rip in the pack’s fabric and then the mangled books in it. In the middle of a 304-page book was the slug that could have taken his life. Three other people, however, were shot before the gunman, a mentally disturbed man, was killed. Two people crossed paths and one is dead.

God has blessed us all with the gift of life and a divine purpose. If we’ve woken up today, our purpose has not been fulfilled and our job is not yet complete. Will his narrow brush with death change this twenty-one year old man? From his words, I think it will. As for me: I see the skid marks and ruts in the grass from that fatal crash every time I enter or exit my subdivision. Those marks are a sober reminder of how precarious and priceless life is and how much more needs to be done. Let’s not waste a single moment of this precious, irreplaceable, commodity: life.

You can literally die at any moment and never see it coming.… I’m twenty-one – I thought I was invincible.… The truth is I was almost killed tonight and God intervened. I know conceptually He can do all things, but to physically witness the impossible and to be surrounded by such grace is indescribable. To God be the glory, forever and ever, Amen. [Jason Derfuss, survivor of FSU shooting]

How do you know what is going to happen tomorrow? For the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog—now you see it; soon it is gone. [James 4:14 (TLB)]

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December 1, 2014

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, God's Plan, Patience & Perseverance, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

ON A MISSION FROM GOD

Then Moses went back to the Lord and protested, “Why have you brought all this trouble on your own people, Lord? Why did you send me? Ever since I came to Pharaoh as your spokesman, he has been even more brutal to your people. And you have done nothing to rescue them!” [Exodus 5:22-23 (NLT)]

Sunday mornings, I take photographs for our church’s website. Last week, due to a cranky computer, only a handful of over 100 photos got edited, the day’s pics temporarily went AWOL, and my three editing programs eventually stopped working. In frustration, after hours of unsuccessful work, I gave up and tried to upload the few photos I’d managed to edit. That’s when I discovered my computer was on strike; there would be no uploading of anything from it! Panic set in and I resorted to what I usually do in such a situation: cry and complain.

Like Moses, I complained to God. If He wanted me to do this job, why was it so difficult? I then did what I should have done at first: asked for God’s blessing and guidance. “Lord, bless my work. If it’s your work as well, show me what I need to do to accomplish it.” After praying, it occurred to me that I didn’t have the only computer in the house! Duh! In fact, not only was my husband’s computer available, but I’d also installed a photo editing program on it several years ago. Using his laptop and my flash drive, I finished the editing in record time and uploaded all of the photos.

Moses was given a mission from God: get Pharaoh to free the Israelites and lead them to the Promised Land. Things weren’t going well; in fact, the situation had only gotten worse and Moses complained to God. After all, if we’re on a mission from God, shouldn’t it be trouble-free? Reading his complaint, I imagined what God was thinking. “Moses, you think this is tough? Just wait until you have Pharaoh’s army chase you into the sea, or you’ve had to provide food and water for over 600,000 men and their families, or listened to forty years of complaints before your task is done! Toughen up, big guy; you’ll encounter greater problems down the road. Trust me; I’ll never let you down. Don’t give up; you’re learning some valuable lessons that will help you in the future!”

Although God gives us tasks, He doesn’t promise they’ll be easy. It’s difficult to reconcile our problems with God’s assignments. As we struggle to achieve His work, however, we learn to depend on God and not ourselves. There’s nothing like a few obstacles to humble a prideful attitude. As He guides us through our difficulties and challenges, we become smarter, stronger and more determined. Moses’s early challenges prepared him for the trials of leading over half a million people as they walked forty years in the wilderness. Mine taught me about prayer, trust, perseverance, and backing up valuable computer files.

By the way, the next morning, my computer woke up in a far better mood. I had to do some minor clean up, delete some old files and back up others, but it is running smoothly again! Coincidence? I think not: more like a lesson from above.

“They’re not gonna catch us. We’re on a mission from God.” [Elwood to Jake in “The Blues Brothers”]

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. [James 1:2-4 (NLT)]

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November 28, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Grace & Love, Holidays & Holy Days, Peace of God

IN NEED OF A REST?

11-28-14 RESTWEBThe apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. [Mark 6:30-31 (HCSB)]

The holidays have just started and yet, chances are, some of us are already feeling like we’re on a fast treadmill or a speeding merry-go-round, going nowhere fast and certainly not feeling very merry. If we’re racing around in circles, remember we have no one but ourselves to blame. Slow it down. Better yet, get off the gerbil wheel of busyness and take a break. Yes, we have responsibilities to our family, our church and our community but we also have a responsibility to take care of ourselves. We must listen to our own needs as well as the needs of others. Remember, Jesus offered us His yoke, not to make us carry His burden, but so that He could help to carry ours!

Lord, make me pause and take a break from doing for you and others and allow me to spend some quiet time with you. Open my eyes to see your truth, open my mind to understand your plan, and open my heart to feel your peace. Help me to know the difference between being busy and truly accomplishing something. I willingly take your yoke and accept your offer to share my burdens with you.

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. [Matthew 11:28-30 (HCSB)]

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. [Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)]

 

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November 25, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Plan, Holy Spirit, Salvation: A New You

HE WANTS CHANGE

If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation. The old things have gone; everything is made new! [2 Corinthians 5:17 (NCV)]

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a musical comedy about love and romance. As the title suggests, it’s about how love (or lust) blinds us to someone’s faults. Once a relationship is established, however, people’s eyes open and they see their loved one’s defects and weaknesses. An attempt is then made to re-make him or her into someone who is neater, more stylish, richer, smarter, more successful or better looking and, therefore, easier to love! Those of us married for any length of time know that doesn’t work. We can’t remake our spouse; what we saw is what we got!

If we were going to write a musical about God’s relationship with us, however, it could be called I Love You, You’re Imperfect, Now Change. God loves us, imperfect creatures that we are; His eyes are wide open to our every fault yet He loves us anyway! Because He loves us so much, however, He wants us to become better people and reach our full potential. When we allow the Holy Spirit to run our lives, that change is possible. We’ll no longer be who were; we’ll become who God wants us to be. God won’t love the improved model any more than he already does, but the upgraded version will be able to love more and will be more like Christ.

But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person. That new person is made to be like God—made to be truly good and holy. [Ephesians 4:23-24 (NCV)]

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November 24, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Family, Friends & Fellowship, God's Plan, Prayer, Trusting God, Wisdom & Guidance

LET THEM SOAR

For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. [Psalm 78:5-7 (NLT)]P1060145-cropWEB

A friend recently confided her mixed feelings about her son’s future plans. The good news: not only has he been accepted at the graduate school of his choice, but he also has secured the necessary funding. The bad news: it’s in New Zealand, far away from Florida and the safety of home. Her words reminded me of nearly twenty years ago when my daughter finished her schooling and completed her dietetic internship. She’d been offered two jobs: one in New Mexico, where she knew no one and had never been, and one less than an hour from our suburban Illinois home. With only twenty-four hours to deliberate before she had to make her decision, there were several frantic phone calls that night. As I spoke with my daughter, my mama’s heart was breaking. I didn’t want my baby to leave the nest, but God strengthened my heart and put wise words in my mouth. We spoke of my daughter’s internship experiences; I reminded her of the comments she’d made after her stint in the outpatient clinic: “This is what I want to do!” The New Mexico offer was in their outpatient clinic; the Illinois offer was vague and less promising. It was clear that the better job was in New Mexico, but that meant moving, leaving the comfort of friends and family, and the great unknown! When my daughter expressed concerns about the ability to move and be in New Mexico less than a week after graduation, I reassured her that her father and I could make it happen. I told her to pray about her decision, reminding her that this choice shouldn’t be determined by convenience, but by her calling and God’s guidance. We hung up and, I’m ashamed to say, I didn’t want her to make what I believed to be the right choice. I wanted her to stay near family and friends; I wanted her safe in our circle. It was with a reluctant heart that I prayed: “God, let her make the right choice, not the choice I want. Give me a happy heart no matter what her decision.”

Within three weeks’ time, my daughter had moved to Albuquerque and was busy in her new job. Was it the right choice? Because of government cutbacks, the Illinois job position was eliminated within six months. Her move to Albuquerque led her to a wonderful man, a deeper faith, a beautiful daughter, new friends, several sisters in Christ, and an even better and more rewarding career. Thank you, God, for taking her under your wings!

No matter how old our children, we never want to let them go; but let them go we must. If we have taught them well, our part is done. Parenthood is a job that is supposed to become obsolete. Once we’ve taught our children to fly, we should praise God when we see them spread their wings and soar. There are many children who, because of disabilities, will never be able to fly away; we should be thankful when ours can! Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t continue to love and even on occasion, worry about them. We call them, probably more than we should, and pray about them, probably less than we should.

Father in heaven, give us happy hearts when our children leave our homes. Teach them, guard them, lead them and lift them so they may soar!

The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. [Isaiah 40:28b-31 (NLT)]