I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
It is quite easy to be caught up in the busyness that is part of this season. There is cooking, planning, shopping, wrapping and then the get-togethers. It boggles my mind how every year it all seems to get done and then there is the end of the Christmas season and all goes back to “normal.” What if the normal thing was to dedicate the season to the Lord, just remembering all that He has done for each of us? What if the gifts, big meals and all of the other trappings of the holiday took second place to the King of Kings, the real reason that we celebrate?
Every day should begin with a praise to the Lord and a reason why you are thankful that day. I have to be purposeful in my thanks because I have a tendency to jump right into what I need instead of praising Him for what He has already done and is still doing. That is particularly true during this busy season. I have to slow down and take time to just be grateful for all He is doing in my life.
This has been a hard season for me, with only a short time at home, enjoying the quiet and the solitude that I crave before I jump back in my duties in another state. But, in this, too, I am thankful that I have my health and strength and can provide help when it is needed. The circumstances may not be my first choice, but I believe that they are God’s first choice for me, to show me how I can be useful even at my advanced years.
The second part of this verse truly speaks to my heart. God is absolutely trustworthy and has always been faithful and kept His promises. I am so thankful that I know Him as He is, the God who came down to mankind and reached out. And He is still reaching out to me and to you and to all who recognize His sacrificial love.
Have the best blessed day ever, remembering all of God’s promises and faithfulness to you. He is worthy to never forget!
At our house, we give gifts at Christmastime, remembering that the greatest gift that we have ever received was God’s gift of His Son Jesus. We bake a birthday cake for Jesus and sing “Happy Birthday” to Him on Christmas Day. Reflecting on how much God has given puts a spirit of generosity into my heart and it seems to be present in others, too.
I recall seasons when we didn’t have much money to give gifts, but we still celebrated, with small tokens of love and a lot of laughter and fun with family. It has never been about the gifts, but it is always about the giver and the thought that the person put into the gift, the effort they made to get something that they were sure I would enjoy.
But Christmas is not the only season when people need to be remembered and receive gifts. This is a habit that should continue all year long, as God brings someone to our minds and whispers a need that they may have. Then, we meet that need and we end up receiving a blessing because we were obedient. Some people use the phrase, “what goes around comes around” and others say it’s something called Karma. I prefer to think that it’s a circle with God. We give; others receive; they, in turn, give, and eventually, when we least expect it, we receive a blessing. And the end result is being thankful and giving glory to God!
Let me give an example of what happened to us when we were attending Youth With A Mission in New Jersey. This was back in the 70’s and our daughter was still in diapers when God spoke to us about attending this school. I must confess that is was not what I thought it would be because the organization itself was geared more towards young singles, not young families and they really were not ready or equipped to deal with the needs of those of us who had children. There were seven families there with little ones and after a few weeks of struggling with the demanding schedule and lack of nutritious food for our children, we met together to pray. I’m not joking about the food; it was enough to fill the belly but I’m not convinced it was nutritious for any of us. We had muesli for breakfast, which was really baked oatmeal immersed in water. Filling, yes, so we were thankful, but I must say that it was not at all tasty. We usually had PBJ sandwiches for lunch and sometimes for dinner, we had what we jokingly called “chicken fly” soup. We said the chicken flew over the soup but there was no real chicken in it. Anyway, there was no milk on the menu for our little ones. Hope had recently been weaned and needed milk for her young bones to develop well, as did the the other little ones with us. So, in our prayers, we specifically asked God for milk for our children. I don’t remember how faith-filled I felt that night as I went to bed, but I knew somehow God would provide milk for our children; I just had no idea how. After all, each couple had come to the school with only the personal possessions we had not sold to be able to attend the school, so we had no money to go out and purchase it. At the time, none of us was employed, so there was no income to depend on. We had not told anyone else in the school about our concerns and our prayer for milk, so it absolutely had to be a God thing that the next morning, each couple awoke to find a cold gallon of milk outside our doors. Seven gallons for seven couples! We were amazed at God’s provision, testified in the group meeting and waited expectantly for someone to admit that they had been prodded to buy milk for us. No one admitted the purchase, but what was even more miraculous was that each time one of us was running low on milk, a new gallon appeared outside of our door. We thankfully received and gave the milk to our little ones, nourishing their bodies and our souls. That gift has been a testimony for years of God’s provision. He loves little children so much that He takes the time to provide for the nourishment of their physical bodies. I have no doubt that He used someone at that school to do so, but no one came forward to admit their generosity, so I give all of the glory to God who is the provider of all things. In receiving that milk, I was encouraged to complete the training at the school and learned a lot about the Bible, its history and its Author from some really great teachers. I received so much more than the milk for Hope. I got a testimony of God’s provision that has remained a constant reminder of just how much He cares about the little details of our lives. I have shared the testimony numerous times and each time, someone receives a blessing from hearing about it. Not from my words, but from God’s work and the surprises that He has in store for us when we believe and step out in faith.
Generous giving leads to thanksgiving to God which in turn leads to more generous giving and overflowing thanks to God. It’s a circle of giving and receiving and thanking and then doing it all over again. I am always amazed at how God knows and meets our needs, and the story that I told above is a true one that I have shared with my grandchildren who need to know how much God loves them. He truly, truly, watches over each of us and meets our needs. Sometimes, He may use me to meet a need of someone else. Sometimes, if you’re listening, He may use you. Be ready and willing to give and enter the circle of thanksgiving and giving glory to God!
Have a blessed day in the Lord, listening for His voice at all times, because today may be the day that He needs you to be a giver.
I know that my husband loves me even though he gets irritated with me sometimes. We are very different people. I am the one who wants everything in its place and calm, quiet times at home. He likes piles of things everywhere and to go and see new things. Nevertheless, we have managed to stay married for almost five decades, putting up with each other’s strange ways and loving each other in spite of it. Or maybe because of our differences? I have never been sure of that, but I am sure of his love for me.
I am equally convinced that God loves me and oftentimes, He does so in spite of me, my actions and my behavior. He loves me because He made me and knows exactly who I am and loves me anyway. That is something I can count on. I cannot see God, but I can feel His love for me each time He sends the Comforter to be with me and whisper the words from the Scripture that I need to hear at the right moment that I need it. I know that He loves me when I feel His protection all around me in scary situations. I feel His love surrounding me when I am feeling weak or tired, what I tell others is just “bone weary.” Yes, God loves me, but He also loves each of you and wants you to know it. He wants you to hold His love for you deep in your soul where it will always be with you, no matter the challenges you face in life. God is not a respecter of persons (no favoritism with Him), so His love is never-ending and unchanging for each of us. Good news! God loves me and you, sometimes in spite of us, but always because He is love!
May the Lord bless you and keep you and may His eternal love shine in your life, reaching to others who need to know that they, too, are loved!
The Bible is filled with Scriptures about how we should treat one another. The question is how do we treat each other at all if we don’t ever spend time with others, in fellowship with other believers to start with and then reaching out to the world? I have found myself wanted to insulate and isolate during my two weeks at home. I love going to church and seeing friends there, communicating with them and hearing what their lives are like. But the last two weeks, I have had to get my body moving forcibly to get up early and make the effort to attend. It’s a good thing that my husband doesn’t put up with slackers!
It’s hard to love one another if you never see one another, isn’t it? A phone call or a card just doesn’t make up for the personal touch that you and others need. That listening ear that you offer so freely also goes along with an expressive face and others need to see it to know that you truly care.
Just as loving is almost impossible without contact, so is serving one another. In fact, how do you know what the needs are if you don’t see them and hear about them from the person in need? Furthermore, you have needs too that can only be met by others in the Body of Christ who reach out to you with the love of the Lord.
Christ forgave each person in a personal and real way. Can we do any less? And how do others know that we have forgiven them if we never go around them? Forgiveness is a foundation of our faith; we offer it to others because it was first given as a free gift to us. I think we need to be in the community of believers to practice this skill called forgiveness. It is not something that is easy to do, but it is easier if you are among others who believe that it is necessary to move forward in your walk with the Lord.
Devotion and honor starts with giving yourself to God and spreads to giving of yourself to others.
Confession to one another holds us accountable and makes us want to be better and to do better the next time that same temptation comes around. We pray for each other and face temptation fully girded and ready, but also knowing that our fellow believers are fighting the good fight with us.
Finally, we must encourage each other. The world is a dark and lonely place, filled with sin and all kinds of horrible things. But we are not alone in the world and God never meant for us to be alone. In fact, when He created woman, he said that it was not good for man to be alone. It still is not good to be alone. We need each other for encouragement and for building each other up. Together, we build the house of the Lord which resides inside us.
I have heard many say that it is not good to go to churches because they are so hypocritical and filled with sin. Actually, what they are is a building in which we worship God and the building is filled with imperfect people who are there to encourage, forgive, confess, honor serve and love. One another! Because that is how God planned it. We are stronger together.
May the Lord bless you and keep you as you minister to one another, first in the Body of Christ, and then to the world to which He has called you to serve.
God first separated the light from the darkness, noting that the light was good.
Jesus is the light of the world who shed His loving light on all mankind.
As Christians, we are called to shine our lights, reflecting the light of Jesus to a dark and dying world. The end result is to give glory to the Father who created the light to begin with.
Darkness cannot conquer light but is dispelled by it. That is why it is so important for us to continue to shine in a world that is becoming increasingly dark.
Jesus came as a man and displayed God’s glory to all. Can we do any less if we say that we are but reflections of Him?
Hallelujah! I am a child of the light and so are all who know Jesus as Lord!
Praise God for the fourth Sunday of Advent because being a light gives each of us a purpose and a mission. Have a blessed day!
As I spent time reading God’s Word and my devotionals this morning, several verses spoke to my heart, so I will share each of them with you and pray that they will also touch you wherever you are and whatever circumstance you are facing.
Hoping in the Lord is not some “pie in the sky, by and by” promise. It is real because God is real and we can be strong because we do hope in Him. Our hope is not in leaders of the world or even in ourselves. Our hope is in the One who made us and all that we can see around us. During this season of joy, it’s easy to forget that some are mourning and struggling through the days. I pray that they can find hope in a relationship with the One who loves them most.
I always thought of this verse in terms of material or physical things, but today the Lord showed me that the hope that has been fulfilled is Jesus Christ coming to earth and planting the tree of eternal life in our souls. We don’t have to wait; he is right there beckoning us to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Good news!
Many times, I get ahead of the Lord and move at my pace instead of His. The best thing I can do is to wait quietly for Him to show me the next step, for it is in the waiting that I find the right path that leads ultimately to salvation.
We don’t shine because of who we are. We shine because we reflect the glory of the Son, the One who came as a child and grew to be a man who died for us. It is a wise person who recognizes Jesus for who He is and allows Him to be King of your heart, soul and mind.
I hope that at least one of these verses spoke to your heart today and ministered to you. Let me know in the comments if that is so or another verse that is calling out to you today. We are all in this together, rowing the boat towards Heaven, and encouraging each other daily with His Word.
May the Lord bless you and you bless others. Have a wonderful day of peace and worship in the Lord!
I haven’t written a lot about what has been going on in my life recently because I didn’t want to share how hard things suddenly became for me. We went to our son’s house on Thanksgiving and I ended up staying for two additional weeks to do childcare, similar to what I did last year. The difference this year is twofold: one, I had not prepared to stay, so I did not have a lot of my warm things with me; and two, the infant is now a very active toddler and my seven decades have difficulty keeping up with him. I have been home this week as my son and his family celebrate at Disney. I am so blessed to be home for almost two weeks, spending time with my beloved kitty and my even more loved spouse, taking care of errands and just settling comfortably into my chair with a warm blanket tucked around me. Next week I return to Maryland and my duties there. Yes, the work is harder for me than I want it to be, but God is allowing me to be a witness for a season, so I am trying to approach the situation with joy. My husband will be with me for Christmas and then he will come back to Virginia for the month of January while I remain behind.
One of the offshoots of my stay there has been higher blood pressure, a condition that my nephrologist wants me to get under control because of the effect on my single kidney. So one of the first things I did when I returned home was schedule an appointment to see my cardiologist. I saw the physician’s assistant instead and received a prescription for a new medicine to add to my Beta blocker. Unfortunately, I reacted badly to the medicine with some rough side effects, so now I am awaiting word from the doctor’s office about what, if anything, I should do next. Meanwhile, I am praying and hoping that the high blood pressure will pass and I will level out again. As my husband said, I am anxious about my numbers as I take the reading each day, so it is not a surprise when they are higher. I am trying to control my thoughts and thus my hypertension, but I’m not too good at it.
I read in Dr. Denison’s Forum today about joy and was happy to discover a quotation from Henry Nouwen. I hope that it speaks to you as it spoke to me. I encourage you to follow the link to Dr. Denison’s post and to sign up for his Forum. He gives a refreshingly Biblical insight into current events! Dr. Denison’s Forum
Henri Nouwen observed: “Joy does not come from positive predictions about the state of the world. It does not depend on the ups and downs of the circumstances of our lives. Joy is based on the spiritual knowledge that, while the world in which we live is shrouded in darkness, God has overcome the world. Jesus says it loudly and clearly: ‘In the world you will have troubles, but rejoice, I have overcome the world.’
“The surprise is not that, unexpectedly, things turn out better than expected. No, the real surprise is that God’s light is more real than all the darkness, that God’s truth is more powerful than all human lies, that God’s love is stronger than death.
Joy is not based on circumstances, but on the unwavering truth of God’s Word. And that is a fact that I can live with!
Have a blessed day and may you find joy and peace in your life, no matter the circumstances.
Wherever we walk, there is someone looking at us and perhaps following in our footsteps. Jesus followed His Father in Heaven and His guidance in the steps He took on earth, leading Him ultimately to the cross. It’s hard to fathom, but Jesus was born to die for us. His destiny was established from the beginning of the world because God always had a plan to save mankind. Thus, His steps were ordered. So should ours be and we should always be fully cognizant of the fact that others are watching. Some scoffers watch and are gleeful when we fall. Some of the faithful are watching, praying for us to make it to the end and giving them the hope that they, too, can end this life in victory. Whatever steps we take should lead us closer to our Heavenly Father and should leave no doubt in the minds of others about our dedication to the Lord. Thus, we leave a good witness in the path behind us and forge a witness of faith for others to follow.
Note that the author of this verse is Job. The same Job who lost everything and sat in a pile of ashes afterwards, but he never lost sight of the One in whom he had complete faith. He can say that he never turned aside. It’s like setting your compass for a particular destination and following it to the end. Our one true compass who always leads in the right way is God and when we are following Him, we don’t have to worry about getting lost along the way during all of the hazards that life throws at us.
Have a blessed day and may your feet tread steadfastly in the path that God has established for you, without hesitation or wavering, but with full confidence that God goes before you.
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Mary, Did You Know?” I think that is because I am a mother and I can only imagine how hard it must have been to be pregnant as a teen, giving birth to God’s Son and knowing that His mission on earth would be a short one since His destiny was to be the Messiah for all mankind. I recall when I was pregnant with my children, all the imaginings and hopes and wishes I had for each child. I cherished the moments with them when they were growing up, watching carefully to see the choices each would make and allowing them more freedom as they matured. What must it have been like for Mary, the woman who knew she was giving birth to the One who would sacrifice His life for all of us?
This verse gives us insight into Mary’s character as a mom. She, like many of us, treasure our children’s childhood, knowing that one day they will grow up, leave home and establish a life for themselves apart from us. Mary was a human mother who had all of the love of a regular mother for her beloved son, and like most mothers, she treasured the preciousness of her time with her child.
Unlike most mothers, though, Mary received a prophecy from Simeon when she and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to be consecrated to the Lord. The prophecy included the fact that she would one day suffer tremendous sorrow because her firstborn son would die. It is not the “natural way” of things that a child should predecease a parent, but that was part of Jesus’s destiny and God’s plan of salvation. How much did Mary know? Enough. But she still was willing to be obedient and give birth to the Messiah. She didn’t cower and say, “No, not me. Choose someone else to do this hard thing.” Knowing that the road ahead would be hard, she chose to be the mother to the Man who was also God, the One who would one day die on a cross with her watching beneath it. I admire Mary’s sacrifice and fortitude, but I don’t worship her because she is not God. She was a human whom God chose to use to fulfill His plan for all of mankind and her willingness is to be remembered by us all as the ultimate sacrifice of a loving mother and obedient servant of the Most High God.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 