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.
I have my burial all planned, with instructions sent to my daughter and her husband. But what I don’t have written is my obituary or my epitaph. The obituary is for the grieving family to write, as they ponder the life of the loved one and decide what to include. The epitaph may also be theirs to write, but you may consider some of these examples as fitting for you.
I like this one because it carries the truth that everyone dies. After all, the Bible says, “It is appointed to man once to die…” (Hebrews 9:27)We all suffer in life, so this is another one with truth and hope for a better life to come. I would like to see a cross on it or something that signifies Jesus’s Resurrection.This is a quotation from Psalm 63:7. I like using scripture for the epitaph, especially one that is meaningful to the person who died.Another epitaph with a warning that everyone dies. How do you prepare for death? By believing in the Son, receiving the free gift of salvation and living your life for Him. This is my favorite. Notice that it is not on a tombstone, but is a scripture verse from Paul as he prepares to die. Would that all of us could have this verse written on our tombstone and that it would bear the truth. I would like for others to be able to say of me: She fought the good fight, She has finished her race, She has kept the faith.
I am not planning on dying imminently, but the curious part of me would like to know what the most fitting epitaph for me would be. What do you think would be the most fitting words for your life?
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1. Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before! Christ, the royal Master, Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See His banner go! (Refrain)
2. At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, On to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver At the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise! (Refrain)
3. Like a mighty army Moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod. We are not divided; All one body we, One in hope and doctrine, One in charity. (Refrain)
4. Onward then, ye people, Join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor Unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages Men and angels sing. (Refrain)
Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before!
This image goes along with my post yesterday about preparing for each new day with the armor of God. Today, God reminded me of a hymn to spur us on as we go into battle, so I thought a visual of the armor would be appropriate here.
Would a doctor begin an operation without surgical gear? Would a firefighter run into a burning building without a protective suit? Would a soldier head into a battle without armor?
With the exclusion of extreme situations, of course they wouldn’t.
In fact, not only do they spend years preparing for such moments, but they also learn to protect themselves from harm. If they aren’t prepared, they cannot do their job.
Writing to the believers in Ephesus from a Roman prison, the apostle Paul said:
“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”
Ephesians 6:11 NLT
Every day, we face battles that we can’t fully see. And if we’re not prepared, we cannot do our job of loving God and people well.
God’s armor is readily available, but we must make the intentional decision to dress ourselves for battle.
When we intentionally dress ourselves in the armor of God, we can be ready for the attacks that will inevitably come our way.
My Thoughts
One of my favorite things about being retired is that I can wear my pajamas every day when I don’t have an appointment to go to. The comfort and coziness of being in my favorite attire makes me content and able to move around more freely without the restriction of sometimes uncomfortable and weighty clothing.
But whether I stay at home in pj’s or venture out in my regular clothes, I always prepare myself for each new day by putting on my armor of God. I always start each day with a devotional and Bible reading, my quiet time to talk to the Lord and to listen to what He has to say to me. He is the One preparing me for whatever circumstances I will face that day, so spending time with Him is not an extra thing I do, it’s a must that I feel lost without doing it. Satan is always ready to attack, especially when we least expect it. So, isn’t it best to be prepared? I don’t fight fires as my fire chief brother does, so I don’t need to don his gear. But I do face the enemy of my soul daily who tries to tempt me to do things that are not pleasing to God and that might hurt other people. With my armor on, I can recognize the attack for what it is, fight back with God’s Word and continue on with my day. The attack may only last a minute, but it is important that I win the small battles so that I will be ready for the larger ones that Satan will use to try to defeat me.
Each of us who calls ourselves a Christian is a friend of God. That fact makes us automatically an enemy of Satan. God has given us exactly what we need to defeat him each time he shows up to thwart us in our daily journey with the Lord. But we have a part to play that is vital. We have to prepare ourselves daily, knowing that the lion roams about and that we don’t want to be his next snack. Thus we get ready with God’s armor, every day. And we don’t go to battle until God’s presence is clearly with us. He will show us what to do and tell us what to say, if we just listen and have our armor on, ready to take on the enemy and be victorious. The battle belongs to the Lord, He is and will be victorious, but we cannot sit around in loungewear and wait for God to do everything for us. He could, but He told us to put on the armor. So, let’s obey and get ready for the day!
I have such a wonderful testimony of God’s grace and power to share today! I went to see my orthopedist on Tuesday, the doctor who told me that in all likelihood, my foot fracture would never heal because of various other health conditions. He came jubilantly into the room yesterday after viewing my new x-rays and told me and my husband that my foot is healing…on its own, without surgery. It is growing new bone!
That, my friends, I will count as a miracle and an answer to prayer! He said it will take about a year to heal completely, but I can transition out of the boot and start wearing my regular shoes all the time in about a month. Just so everyone knows, I give all the glory to God and thank all of you who prayed for me. God is good…all the time!
The word “believe” is an action verb that means (according the the New Oxford American Dictionary) to accept something as true. I believe that the sky is blue and look up and can see that it is, at least when it isn’t raining. It is easier to believe in things we see, touch, and can hear. But what about the spiritual things? How do we get to the place where we can believe without doubting?
When Jairus came to Jesus for healing for his daughter, others came and told Jairus not to keep bothering Jesus since she had already died. Jesus’s reply was to “just have faith.”
An important part of believing in the Lord and His promises is to have faith. In the world where everything is instantly provided, or so it seems, we don’t like to wait. And faith is a hard thing sometimes when we persistently ask God for an answer and we haven’t seen one yet after weeks, months, even years. So, what do we do when we don’t get the answer we want when we want it? We continue to believe.
How do we do that? I don’t know what works in your life, but for me, I reflect on all that God has already done and keep repeating his promises. I remind myself that God doesn’t lie and if He said it, He will do it. It’s hard sometimes to stop whining and start praising, but that is exactly what we need to do. It builds our own faith and helps others to see Jesus in us. Instead of talking to God about what you don’t have yet, thank Him for what He has already done for you. Remember the song “Count Your Blessings” and do that!
We haven’t seen death yet and don’t know what happens when we die. Yet we who are Christians believe in life after death. Why do we believe in what we cannot see? Because God said it, He promised it and He fulfills His promises. In our lifetime, we see many changes, some good and some bad. Life is like a roller coaster ride of curves, twists and hills to climb. But God is right there with us, knowing that we can make it to the end of our race because He and the heavenly host are cheering us on. They believe in us…so we should also believe in the Father to do exactly as He has said. Again, how do we believe? And again, I say, count the promises that God has made to you in your life and already brought to pass. Build your faith on the firm foundation of His Word and His actions for you in the past. Jesus said “I am the resurrection and the life.” He didn’t say that He was the resurrection for former believers, the heroes of the faith only and then stopped reaching out to people. No, He uses the present tense. Every day, we are saved from our sins. We were saved (when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior), we are being saved (as we walk with Him daily and believe His promises) and one day we will be saved to a new life, to live with Him eternally. Promises made, promises kept! (Politicians use this slogan to point out how good they are to the people, but the only One good who has kept all of His promises is God.)
Do you let God speak to you daily from His word? That’s where His promises are and that’s what helps you to believe. You can feed your faith by centering yourself on God’s word or you can feed your doubt by looking around at your world and all that is not right with it. Notice that the person in this scripture says he believes. What does he do just after his proclamation of belief? He worships. We need to spend time just adoring God for who He is, not just thanking Him for all He has done for us. He is the Creator of the Universe, yet He considered each of us important enough to send His Son to die for us. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, powerful and holy. Spend some time thinking about who God is…and believe that He wants what is best for you.
Little children believe in Santa and are sad to find out that he isn’t real. Some believe in false gods and one day will face the real God who will judge them for their folly. We have the greatest gift of all…God’s love, His gift of salvation and all of His promises. So, let’s believe together that God will do what He says. He may not answer our prayer with a “yes” but He will answer with what is best for us because He is our Father who loves us. Only believe!
Have you ever done something significant, but someone else stole your praise? You served behind the scenes, voiced an important idea, or crafted something wonderful—but somebody else swept in and demanded full credit?
It’s not exactly the same (because we’re not nearly as awesome as Him), but we must be cautious not to steal credit from God.
The apostle Paul, writing from a Roman prison, said:
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
On a foundational level, we wouldn’t even be here without our Creator and Sustainer.
We wouldn’t exist without the universe and body in which we live—a universe and body that we did not make ourselves. We wouldn’t be able to breathe without the oxygen in our lungs or the oxygen that hovers right above our planet. We wouldn’t think or see or hear or talk without the minds, eyes, ears, and mouths He’s given us.
But on top of creating us, God is the only One who can save us.
The story of God and the story of us is that He pursued us when we didn’t deserve it—He saved us when we were lost and hopeless. We are not capable of saving ourselves. We are not capable of being the solution. We are not capable of being our own saviors…
…and that’s good news! The best news, actually.
God saved us by His grace, and that’s a gift. Salvation isn’t something that can be earned, but a mercy that is given.
We can’t think we’re better than anyone else. We don’t get to decide who’s deserving of His love and who isn’t—because none of us are.
Yet, in His great mercy, God has chosen to reveal Himself to us at this particular time in history—because He loves us. He initiated salvation when we couldn’t save ourselves. And He has invited us to join Him in the greatest story on earth.
Are you in? Will you accept and share this great gift?
My Thoughts
We all like to receive gifts-birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, all kinds of occasions. God gave us a special gift that is always there for us to claim, the salvation that is ours in Christ Jesus. We accept gladly and are so happy to have the knowledge that we are saved.
But the gift doesn’t stop there. I know you have all heard of “the gift that keeps on giving.” Jesus is that gift, but He keeps on giving because we keep on sharing. We don’t hide the gift of His love and salvation and hope that no one finds out about it. God wants us to share. The more people in His family, the better! I like what this devotional says about no one deserves it. Sometimes it is hard to pray for certain people to be saved. But, I was once that person, and so were you. I was the one who liked getting the praise and the attention and all of the kudos. In the case of salvation’s free gift, it is for everyone and God deserves all the credit. He created us and carried out His plan of salvation. Now He calls on each of us to spread the good news to others who are just as needy of His love as we are. Accepting is the first step. Sharing is next. With whom will you share God’s grace today?
Let’s be honest with each other. There are some days when we feel as though we are on the front lines of a great battle and we are all alone. Now let me tell you why that is a lie from the pits of hell.
Satan wants to isolate us, to make us feel that we are alone in the battle against sin (in ourselves and in the world). If we think we are alone, then we give up, walk away, let sin win. We give in to Satan’s plan without even consulting God or leaning into His Word.
But we are never alone. God is always fighting for us. He sent His advocate, the Holy Spirit, to remind us of everything He has taught us in His Word and one of the most important things we can remember is that the victory belongs to the Lord. We are foot soldiers, a whole army of them, and we are never alone. We have His Word and all of the armor of God if we just take time to put it on before we march out into the daily grind of our life.
Finally, for me, songs of worship and praise direct my attention to where it should be. I just discovered a song by Hillsong that could be a theme song for each of us as we face the daily challenges of life. We battle but we are not alone, nor are we the losing side. We are on the winning side of God’s army, and He is always fighting for us!
Do you communicate with anyone in your life? Of course, you do? Your spouse, your children, siblings, people you meet at the store and others, just to name a few. How do you communicate with them? Do you duck your head, avert your eyes, cross the street and keep on going? Of course not! That is not the definition of communication in any society that I know of. You communicate by thinking of words and then saying them. (Hopefully, you think before you speak.)
When we pray, we are communicating with God. Some people think that in order to pray, they have to be in a certain posture, like prostrate or kneeling. I used to kneel frequently to pray, but my current age and the condition of my knees won’t allow that. So, I don’t worry about the position of my body. I am more concerned about talking with God, with reverence, awe and love.
Many years ago one of my Sunday school students asked why we pray when God already knows everything. I had to tell her that I would get back to her with an answer. The short answer to her was that we pray in order to just talk to God. We aren’t doing it for Him, but in order to establish communication with our Creator. To use today’s lingo, we cannot “ghost” God and then expect Him to follow us around begging us to communicate with Him. Think about it. He created everyone in the world and if you are the one remaining silent before Him, He doesn’t like it but He won’t force you to talk to Him.
Some of my best times of reflection about myself happen when I am taking with God. Prayer helps me to be honest with God and with myself, even when I think that I am hiding things well.
I have learned through decades of knowing God as my Father that when I start my day with prayer, I don’t just stop there with a hearty “amen” and move on. I open the door to communicate all day. I talk to God as we travel down the road to another medical appointment, as I work on making dinner or even when I am in the shower. He is always right there with me, ready and willing to listen if I will just speak to Him.
I like what Nicky and Pippa Gumbel had in their One Year Bible devotional today about prayer. Here is the quotation:
Prayer is the most important activity of your life. It is the main way in which you develop a relationship with your Father in heaven. If you love someone, naturally you will want to spend time in their presence communicating with them. Like any relationship, communication can take many different forms. Lancelot Andrewes (1555–1626), was one of the great theologians and preachers of his day. After he died, his private notebook on prayer was discovered and published. In it he had written two lists: First, he wrote a list of *times* of prayer in the Bible: ‘Always… Without ceasing… At all times… Three times a day… Evening, and morning, and at noon… Seven times a day… In the morning, a great while before day… At daybreak… The third hour of the day… About the sixth hour… The hour of prayer, the ninth… The evening… By night… At midnight…’ Next, he wrote a list of *places* of prayer in the Bible: ‘In the assembly… and in the congregation… Your closet… An upper room… A housetop… The temple… On the shore… A garden… On their beds… A desert place… In every place…’ There is no limit to the times, places and different ways in which you can pray.
Read that last sentence again. There is NO LIMIT to the times, places and ways you can pray. Don’t limit yourself to a certain time, a certain place or a certain way you have to pray. Just talk to your Heavenly Father.
I use ACTS when I pray, which means I start with Adoration for who God is, not what He has done for me. Then I confess my sins to Him. He already knows them, but I need to tell Him what I have done and ask for forgiveness. I know that if I omit anything or forget something, He forgives regardless, but confession is good for me and releases me to get closer to the Father. Then, I thank God for all He has done in my life and the lives of those I love or have been praying for. Finally, I lay my requests before God. The “s” is for supplication. I tell God honestly what I need and ask that His will be done in the situation(s). You don’t have to use this formula but it is helpful to me to make sure that I don’t jump right in and start with a list of demands that I want God to meet. I have found that if I do things in this order, by the time I get to my supplications, I am calm and at peace with whatever God wants to do, so my list is not a “wish list” that I want Him to fulfill but rather a heartfelt cry for His help in various challenges I am facing.
So, that’s it. Prayer is communication with God, just talking to Him as if He is seated next to you on a bench or a sofa or wherever you find yourself. It is a necessary part of our relationship with God, not because He needs it, but because we do. When you pray, don’t forget to listen. Don’t spend so much time rushing through your talk with God that you don’t give Him time to talk to you. Communication is always a two-way street. You don’t monopolize the conversation. It’s not all about you! It’s all about a relationship with God, so stop and be quiet and listen. That’s the hardest part for me, but I have to take the time to listen in order to let my heart know that God is right there with me throughout the day.
I am going to ask you a question, but I don’t expect you to answer me. I just want to know: Do you pray daily? Reflect on the answer to that as you read this blog post again. And think seriously about how important prayer is to your relationship with God.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 