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.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/3
A favorite saying of my father used to be that he worked hard for every penny he had and he had earned it. To be united with Christ, though, we have to leave that mindset behind and realize that we cannot earn salvation or our identity in Him. It is a free gift, an outpouring of God’s sacrificial love for us. All we can do is accept it and live for Him instead of ourselves.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/2
Since Christ and His Word never changes, when our identity is rooted deeply in Him, then it does not change. We know who we are in Him because He doesn’t move or change. Circumstances change, the people around us shift, attitudes change, but Jesus doesn’t. His love for us never changes, the gift of salvation never goes away and God never moves away from us. Our identity is built on the firm foundation of the rock who created us to be just who He needs us to be in order to fulfill His purpose for our lives.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/39304/day/1
Sometimes I feel as though I have multiple personalities living inside me…no, not some mental disease, but different faces for different people. To my grandchildren, I am the fun and upbeat Nanna who brings gifts and plays and reads stories, never telling them how tired or anxious I may be. To the shopkeeper, I am distantly polite, seeing and appreciating their labor but not really knowing their needs. To my husband, I am more myself…moody, irritable at times, angry about being sick a lot and introverted. All of these different personas make up who I really am…and God knows all of me and loves me anyway. My real identity is in Christ. I am a Child of the King, usually in spite of myself and my own actions and choices. I would like to say that I will one day succeed in being the same person to all of my friends and family, regardless of who they are to me. But I know that is an unrealistic expectation and not at all helpful to others. I need to be the best me that represents God to each person, even to my careworn and patient husband who listens to my rants and prays with me for healing and peace. Who are you? I have heard it said that you are really the person that you become when no one is looking or hearing. So, who are you really? God is always looking, always hearing and always knows exactly who you are and who He created you to be.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11261/day/7
It is a sad but true fact that most people do not make God a priority until their lives are so messed up that they see God as the last resort. I want to make God such a priority in my life that He is the first One I turn to when things are going badly in my life. Call the doctor when I am sick? Yes. But pray first. Call and talk things out when I am having a relationship issue? Yes. But pray first. In this era of instant gratification, it is easy to try to rush headlong into a situation without pausing to pray. I have found, through experience unfortunately, that when I don’t stop to pray, then I am more likely to regret whatever I have done in haste. Whenever we are feeling some kind of testing or opposition, our first resource should be to go to God. He has all of the answers. He may give the doctors wisdom or prepare the road for a smoother relationship with another person. Whatever, we don’t know what God can and will do until we ask Him…regularly and first.
Stop and think a minute about God’s plan of salvation. God, who can do anything in any way, chose to send His Son to die for us and that sacrifice is at the center of our faith. This was not a spur of the moment idea that God came up with. He set it in motion from the time in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve opened the world to sin. In Genesis 3:15, we already see God making His plan. God’s plans will not be thwarted. What He means for good for us, He brings about and our ultimate good is our salvation, restoration to a right relationship with our Father and eternity with Him. Pray, repent, accept, believe.
The Center of Salvation
Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus lays a foundation for the power of salvation that is achieved through Jesus’ death and resurrection. The core of the Christian faith is found in this event.
The forgiveness of sins that we experience as Christians came through the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross. Jesus lived a perfect life, and became a perfect sacrifice for the brokenness of all mankind. Without the shedding of blood, there would be no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). And without the forgiveness of sins, we would not be able to approach our holy and perfect God. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection made a way for us to have a relationship with Him.
Jesus gave His life once and for all, which means that He doesn’t have to die again. All of your sins—past, present, and future—are forgiven through Jesus. In fact, nothing can separate you from the love God has for you.
Paul says that all of this is in line with God’s grace and His promises. All throughout Scripture God promises to redeem His people. He promises to rescue them and free them from their bondage to sin and brokenness. God accomplishes this through Jesus.
Think about God’s great love and grace for you. Do you feel forgiven and set free? Or are you weighed down by your mistakes? Spend some time talking to God, thanking Him for what He has done for you. Remind yourself of God’s promises. Ask Him to fill you with the knowledge of His love and grace.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11261/day/5
As His creation, you are special to God. Stop and ponder that for a few minutes. You are so special to Him and a real part of His plan that He never gives up on you. In fact, He pursues us with an everlasting love that just won’t quit. Life hurts, but God’s love is always there for you and always real.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11261/day/4
My big takeaway from this message is that it’s okay to love myself. After all, God loves me enough to send His Son to die for me, so who am I to say that I am not worthy? Accept His grace and all that comes with it.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/11261/day/2
What is the glue that holds a family together? Love! I have been the only sibling in our family for almost ten years now who is speaking to all four of my siblings. It has been hard being in the middle of a lot of bitterness and confusion, but I was called to love, so I do. Whatever the hard situation is, love is the answer. And every hardship is an opportunity to point people to God.
I am not saying that I am perfect. In fact, my own big hardship lately has been my health. After being sick basically since November with various lung ailments, I finally saw my allergist a couple of weeks ago. She started me on a new medication that unfortunately I reacted to with an asthma flare. I am now on steroids again, my nebulizer again, my rescue inhaler again and with strict instructions not to talk unless I have to because the medication affected my vocal cords and they are “whistling” when I cough. I am getting about 2-3 hours of sleep each night due to coughing. I went to see the head of the allergy clinic yesterday and basically, he told me to keep doing what I am doing and let him know if the steroids have not started working by Tuesday. All of it is very discouraging because I keep making plans to see my sister in NC and grandchildren in PA and MD but I can’t travel when I am so sick. Thus, I am stuck in a rut of a pity party and I don’t want to be here. I am determined to look for the good in this situation and to see God’s love in it. For example, He has doctors who want what is best for me and who are doing their best to provide good care. My husband understands that I can’t speak to him so he tells me to gesture or write it down. That’s love. My brother sends me a funny story that makes me laugh. That’s love. My other brother sends me encouraging words. That’s love. Actually, love has been all around me and I just have to look for it. Today is a new day. I am up super early to do a neb treatment since I woke up coughing. Having a nebulizer at home is God’s provision and that is love. My husband stopped at my favorite place to get me a chai latte that I really enjoy and I am having some this morning. That’s love. When things get tough, we need to love. Life isn’t easy, but God hasn’t moved or changed. He is love! Have a great day, and remember to love and look for love everywhere you go.
www.bible.com/reading-plans/9115/day/7
We are who God says we are, not the words the world uses to label us. After I left home and got married to a man in the military, everywhere I went, I was labeled as a “military wife.” I wasn’t sure at first what that meant, but I quickly found out that I would be alone a lot, learn to be independent in new places and basically a single mother for much of the childrearing years. I learned that that label carries with it sacrifice and a lot of tears. But I also learned that it led me to lean closer to God. He was my husband when my spouse was deployed, sometimes a year at a time. God was the One I clung to when the children were in the ER. And He always sent a friend to stand beside me, taking me to the ER or even to the maternity ward when I was having a baby while my husband was thousands of miles away. So, when the world said I was “only a military wife”, I knew that meant I was honored to be a part of the mission that my husband was on, keeping the things at home stable for the children and for him when he got home again. We do what God has set before us to do, knowing that God gives us the label of His precious child and that He will look over us in spite of life’s challenges. The label of “military wife” did not define me; rather, it challenged me to be the best military wife I could be as I threw myself into volunteer work, caring for our three children, packing and unpacking twenty five times and all while doing my best to nurture the children in loving the Lord and seeing His hand in our moves and their opportunity to meet new friends. Whatever label the world puts on you, don’t let it define you but rather let it be the impetus to be exactly what God created you to be, a Christian with a vision and a mission.
I prefer to be a hummingbird, positively looking around for the good and sweet things in life. It’s a sad fact that there are vultures around, too, just as it’s sad that there is darkness and light. In a world filled with criticism, be the encourager. In a world filled with evil, be kind and generous. Be the one who makes a difference so that others want to know the reason for the hope within you.
Fight Fear and Hold Fast
It seems there’s always something to worry about: natural disasters, current (and potential) wars, shaky finances, relational brokenness, unmet expectations, political, cultural, or racial divisions, senseless violence, our kids, our jobs, our health, and more—much more. But many of the things we fear are largely out of our control.
We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can choose our response.
You can constantly be worried, negative, anxious, fearful, critical, and bitter. Or, you can be known for seeing the good in people, choosing joy, offering encouragement, looking for God’s fingerprints, and always finding something to be grateful for. In either case, the cycle feeds itself.
Like hummingbirds are attracted to sweet things while vultures scour the earth for dead things, we will always find what we are looking for. Why? Because darkness and light both exist. Good and evil are everyday realities. And we must decide who we’ll trust, and how we’ll spend our lives.
There are plenty of scary things happening in the world, but—because of Jesus—there is always good.
Even on our darkest days, Jesus is the light of the world. He’s already carrying the weight of the world on His shoulders, which means we don’t have to. He has already made a way where there was no way, which means we can follow the path He has blazed. The Holy Spirit is already compelling us and leading us and teaching us and comforting us, which means we’re not alone.
The hope we have in Christ isn’t just wishful thinking or positive vibes. It’s hope that’s based on truth—on facts and faith.
So what can we do? The Bible says:
“Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”
Proverbs 12:25 NIVWe can fight anxiousness with hope.
We can ward off worry with truth-filled encouragement.
We can resist fear by offering life-giving words.
We can refuse to settle for living scared.
We can expose the darkness to light.So the next time you feel anxiety and fear weighing down your heart, ask God for help and encouragement. Remember, He is with you always.
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 