Shed Abroad in Our Hearts

The flowering trees in our neighborhood are just beautiful. The azaleas in our flower bed have the most prolific blooms I’ve seen in years. I noticed some petals in my driveway that didn’t come from any of our trees. They were still full of color and as I looked around I spotted the source of the petals down the street. Evidently the winds of recent days had blown flowers beyond their normal dropping place beneath the trees. 

Just as the petals of flowers are shed and then cast farther than we can realize, so the love of God is for us. If we could sit and sip a cup of coffee or have a coke and open the Book of Love, I would want to tell you how loved you really are. It’s beyond comprehension I assure you. There are times when I still scarcely believe He loves me. Me. You know, the one who has flaws and faults and doubts and worries and fears. The one who makes mistakes, regrets the past and has real concerns about the future. 

I would bet you can relate. Have you ever said to yourself, “Surely if God knew all about me He wouldn’t love me, not really.” But oh beloved! He does know all about you. He knows more about you than you know yourself. And He does love you! This is a passionate, all encompassing, enduring, faithful, no-matter-what love! And, because you have put your trust in Christ for the Salvation of your very soul, God has put His magnificent love in your heart. It’s there whether you realize it or not, whether you appropriate the goodness of that incredible love or not, it’s there. But beloved, if you will appropriate that love, let those petals loose in your spirit, trust the casting of it across your heart and mind, God will explode in your heart and burst forth from your soul. 

God wants you to know that His love for you is the real deal. He never goes back on His love for you. Because of His Agape love, He will never renege on His commitment to you. He won’t look at you one day and say forget you. He won’t walk away or shut you out. Your name is written on the palm of His hand precious, precious one. Engraved, not just written, not tattooed – for writing can be erased and tattoos fade with time – but engraved! Eternal, permanent, forever. Engraved with His own precious blood, Christ says “you are Mine”. God says, “You are loved”. The Holy Spirit wants to pluck the lies of the enemy out of your heart and instead shower you with love and favor and gently bring you into a growing faith in God. Gently, not crudely, God’s love is ever so gentle. Hold some rose petals in your hand and feel their velvety delicateness – that’s how God feels about you in His hand. 

Why do you need to know this beloved? Why is God saying His love is shed abroad in your heart by Christ Jesus? For until you know this great love intimately, there will always be thorns coming from the enemy to keep you preoccupied with your troubles, your mistakes, your sins, your issues, your relationships. The enemy says you’re done for, but God always says we can work this out. Agape Love keeps on where everything else fails. God’s love is your point of surrender and your source of strength. No adversary can kill it for it is born of God Himself. The enemy wants you to believe you have to do something to be loved. He wants you to believe that God’s love is conditional. But God wants you to know that His love came first! You can let Him love you because He first loved you! Then you can love others, your life and ministry will be motivated by love and you can respond in love no matter what.

“Lord, we need Your love in our lives – Agape Perfect Love. We need to know this love, so we must get to know You better. Bring us into Your presence. Woo us with Your Love. Thank You for Your patience in letting us learn. But Lord don’t let us keep looking for the love we need in any other way or place or person. Don’t let us settle for cheap short-lasting substitutes. But give us your Love, shed it wide and long and deep into our hearts and minds so we can live it out and share it with others.”

Oh beloved, God loves you and He’s for you and that’s the beginning of the greatest love story ever told – your love story in Christ. 

Romans 5:5 …and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. KJV

Psalm 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

Jeremiah 31:3 … “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”

Romans 8:39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 36:5 Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

You are Priceless Treasure to the Lord

My mother was a trash to treasure kind of woman. She could spot something sitting on the side of the road, take it home and remake it. It would sit in its new place of honor and no one could tell it had ever been a castoff. I find myself doing the same thing. A rickety rocker or a bent frame can have a new life by a simple touch of a delicate hand.

God speaks to my heart: I’ve been a castoff. You may have too. Someone made a personal private decision that you were no longer worthy of their time, their presence or their attendance. So to the curb you went.  You tried to make yourself believe you were going to be okay, but the wind and the rain and the scorching heat as you sat in despair drenched you with sorrow. You wished, you hoped, you dreamed.

But before the trash truck can thoroughly destroy you, there comes One on the scene who has fallen in love with you. He has a place just for you; to display you in His home of grace, surrounded by His fields of blessings. This honored spot in His home is protected by goodness and mercy and unwavering devotion.

He picks you up, me up, all up and gracefully bundles us to Himself, holding us very closely and tenderly right near His heart. Although others are laughing and making fun – for you see they only see with their natural eye. They see tatters and rips, rusty edges and broken glass. They think the One who is carrying you is foolish for even bothering. Some are even mad that the thing they threw away in derision is now loved passionately by Another.

The simple touch of the delicate hand of the Master, the hands that were nail pierced along with the side wounded for you, has taken you in! You are no longer trash, you have become treasure! You have been Redeemed, Renewed, Restored! You are fragile indeed as He sits you in His Kingdom for His admiration and use. Everything about you is beautiful, perfect and useful.

Oh beloved, who told you that you were trash? Who cast you off? Who decided you weren’t worth knowing, loving or friending? Who spoke deceitful things about you? Who left you wounded on the edge of the street?

What is the truth about you? Is it the truth that you were dumped like so much junk? Or is it the truth that you, although considered worthless by others, have been bought with a price above all rubies?  Which truth you decide to live in is the truth you will become. And it is the truth you will share with others.

Run to the One Who picked you up out of the gutter and only sees you as priceless! He is your King and your God. But He is also your worth and your value. Others may spend their whole life on worthless things, but God gave His whole life because you are of extreme value to Him. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth is what God says about you. And He spreads the sweet fragrance of your worth around the world for others to be encouraged and set free from their own dumpster of lies.

Rejoice that God loves you extravagantly and watches over you continuously. He said you were worth it, and therefore you must walk in the light of His Truth every day of your life!

 

Psalm 72:14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to Him.

Isaiah 43:4 Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, I will give other men in your place and other peoples in exchange for your life. (NAS)

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? (NAS)

Psalm 139:17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (NAS)

Do You Know Him as Your Beloved Lord?

Danny and I are pretty busy. Many times we are going in different directions to get everything done. After all these years I know what he thinks and how he feels about things so I can anticipate his needs to a great extent. If we’re going on a trip I know what he likes to carry so I pack things for him. He knows me as well. He knows I like to carry too much stuff so he anticipates needing more room.

We didn’t know each other so well in the beginning. But we loved each other so we studied one another to find out how to please each other not just ourselves. I assumed I knew how to cook but you know I had to really learn how to make a meal taste good. I had to find out that we didn’t always like the same food. Although I knew Danny, I found out so much more about him when we got married and we shared everything together. We surprised each other about some things, we adjusted other things and together we learned to know another better. We found that dating was great, but being married was wonderful. I found that to know Danny was to love him and I’ve always been blessed with the trust in his faithfulness, loyalty and truth.

People think they know God. You hear all kinds of things about Him. I grew up seeing Him as a benevolent old man who could get you if you crossed Him. My father called Him the “old man upstairs” so I had that picture of Him as well. But I kept thinking He was with me and watched over me. I called on Him often for help and for security. Others think of God as a distant aloof being. Yes, God created the world or something, but He pretty much leaves us alone to do our own thing. Some people fear God, others disdain Him. Some live with incredible guilt regarding Him and others blame Him for everything. He seemed nice to me, but I just didn’t know much about Him.

When we are born again, we begin a covenant relationship with the Lord. Kind of like a marriage. We begin to live with the Lord – He comes to make His home in our hearts. Unlike human marriage, which can have a rocky start as people don’t know much about one another, this union is perfect because God Himself laid it all out for us. The Bible is our marriage manual. Through it we can learn everything we need to know about the Lord God, about Jesus and about the Holy Spirit.

There is an enemy to this marriage and his name is Satan. He doesn’t want you and I to know about God. He will do everything He can to keep us from reading the Word, learning about God and living in the light of all that’s contained within those most beautiful pages. 

 

God’s desire is full disclosure – He shows us everything we need for life and godliness. Satan’s desire is to keep us in the dark, so that we don’t trust the Lord. And if we don’t trust Him we’ll find the relationship of our faith weak and distant.

The One who placed the stars and planets in orbit, the One who gave the earth its axis and set it securely in the heavens is the same One who loves you deeply and provides all your needs. He wants you to know everything about Himself, including His never ending love! God knows that if you get to know Him you will love him more. The more you read about Him the more you will learn to trust Him. The more you trust Him the more you will let Him be your leader, your guide and your friend. Every single word of love and care was written with you in mind.

Oh beloved, run to the Book of Love this morning and read about your relationship with the Lord Himself. This amazing love relationship He desires for you is beyond belief! He loves to bless you with every spiritual blessing as you reach out to know Him better. He loves you eternally – the great I AM – and He is for you always to save you, to keep you, to deliver you and to take you home with Him. Now that’s worth loving Him, knowing Him and trusting Him forever.

Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (God’s) Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Deuteronomy 33:3 Indeed, He loves the people; All Your holy ones are in Your hand, And they followed in Your steps; Everyone receives of Your words.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

Psalm 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 31:14 But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD, I say, “You are my God.”

What's That Written on Your Heart?

In the 1969 film, The Illustrated Man, is about a man who is tattooed over His entire body. Each set of tattoos tells a different story and the movie unfolds one character after another with one story after another. One of the tales in the movie is The Highway which centers on a husband and wife living by a highway in rural Mexico. Their normal, idyllic lives don’t change even as the highway fills with people fleeing a nuclear war. The story ends with some young travelers they help telling them about the nuclear war, and how the world is ending. After the travelers leave, the residents briefly wonder what "the world" is, and then continue on with their lives.

 

Although I watched that movie as a teen, I don’t remember ever knowing exactly what it was about. To think that vignettes of stories were written in the character’s tattoos is pretty amazing. His body carried the evidence. The movie protrayed the tattoos.

 

While Jesus had no tattoos there was evidence of the Greatest Story ever told written on His body. Two ragged horrendous nail holes through the palms of His hands and the bones of His feet along with the sword wound in His side tell an amazing tale of love, intrigue and death.  Although His story on earth was a mere 33 years, it does not end with death. His story is ongoing because of the resurrection and the life. It is a never ending tale that began before the foundation of the world and continues to this day and will go on throughout eternity. What a wonderful story to tell, what a wonderful message to hear, what a magnificent gift to receive.

 

As a believer you have a wonderful story to tell as well. Your story begins before you were ever born. God says He knew you before you were even formed in your mother’s womb.  God says that He has plans for your life to give you a future and a hope. God says that you were predestined to give your heart to Jesus – that it was His plan that you belong to Him and that you be sealed by the Holy Spirit and kept in the love of God forever.

While we don’t get tattoos to prove we belong to Christ or to tell our story, we do have something more wonderful for the movie of our lives. The Word tells us that we are Christ’s letter and that the proof is written on our hearts. He goes on to tell us to write His Word on the tablet of our hearts. These words are not mere tattoos but rather the hand of God writing on our hearts, right in the center of all that we are, so that we will remember who we are in Christ and what He did for us always.

Oh beloved, God sees your heart. He sees where man wrote castoff, diseased, unworthy, worthless, imperfect, done for and more. For many, the finger of man points to every mistake, every problem, every trial and every storm. The finger of man may have written you off, but behold beloved! God Himself has written your name on the Palm of His hand! No mere pencil print this is –you are engraved on His hand! You may have been erased from someone else’s heart, but you will never be erased from God’s heart. He says you are My beloved and I will never leave you or forsake you. Others may taunt you, dismay you, reject you and walk away, but I AM your sure foundation. I AM your rock of ages. I AM the One who will always stay with you . My Word is my bond and your bond as well. I have written on your heart: redeemed, renewed, regenerated, reborn, reconciled. There are other words as well. As you pick up My love story, the Word of God, and learn of Me you will find that you are beloved, beautiful, destined, cared for, watched over and more.

Your life and mine, as believers in Christ, are beautiful illustrations of the One Who gave it all for us! Rejoice beloved, as the King is calling you and writing the most amazing story of your life all on your heart and for the world to see! He loves you and He’s for you and that’s the most beautiful story of your life!

2 Corinthians 3:3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (NAS)

Psalm 139:16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.

Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands…

Psalm 40:8 I take joy in doing Your will, my God, for Your instructions are written on my heart.

Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD. I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.

All Hope is Not Gone!

Saturday mornings when our kids were little were full of preparation for fun. We rarely ever had a bad Saturday. We were either all outside working and playing in the yard or headed to see family or taking a leisure ride to the lake or to hike. Sometimes it would be rainy or bad weather and we’d have to stay inside but even then we played and watched old movies and cartoons. Saturdays were pretty much just great leisure days.

For the followers of Christ, this particular Saturday in History was not so much fun.  The believers who had followed Jesus into Jerusalem just the week before were now disconsolate.  The ones who had spoken of undying devotion were nowhere to be found. Everyone who had believed was faced with the Lord’s absence. Those who had been healed, delivered and set free were wondering if they would have to return to life as it was before. I’m sure they were thinking that if Jesus, the Perfect One, could be arrested, tortured and killed - it might happen to them as well.

He told them it would happen and He told them not to fear. He told them He would come again to get them and that He would send them a Comforter to help until He returned. But He was gone now. As far as they could see with their eyes, it was indeed finished. Their hope was gone.

Oh beloved, God knows your situation. He understands that you may be having a bad day or a bad month or a bad year. He had a very bad day one Friday, as He was made to take the place of the guilty prisoner. He was mocked for His belief, He was denied His rights, He was pronounced guilty even as He was forgiving the world.

Run to the Lord this morning and let Him give you an awesome Saturday! No matter what you are facing, it’s all been taken care of through the Blood of the Lamb! Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to go alone. Rejected? Fearful? Mourning? He’s with you! Discouraged? Downhearted? Lonely? He’s there for you! He promises that if you put your trust in Him, He will make good out of bad, triumph out of failure and joy out of sorrow.

Let Him give you all His love for His Name is Love and your name is Beloved! Let Him care for you for He is your Comforter always, even unto the ends of the age!

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.  He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed.

Matthew 28:20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—

Isaiah 61:3 To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.  In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for His own glory.

How's Your Story Going?

We were reading a book, Caleb and I, the other night, and he picked the book from my hands and began reading it by himself.  He’d say a little something about a story for each page. Finally he closed the book and said The End.   Most fairy tales and homespun stories are told with the same lines at the end -  “And they lived happily ever after. The End.”

Life’s story has many twists and turns. There are dark days full of terror. There is love found and love lost. There is espionage and intrigue. There are happy days and joyful moments. There is much laughter as well as blinding tears. The plot will thicken and every story contains a nemesis and things to overcome.

The Gospel Story is wonderful news for everyone. No matter what your background, who you know, where you’ve been or your past regrets- the Gospel fits. It is the only thing that spans the gap between us and heaven. No matter who you are or what you look like, it’s tailor made for you – it fits perfectly for everyone.   The Gospel is the incredible bridge between life and death which promises to take us home to be with our Savior forever. It is our happily ever after where the end is just the beginning.

But we have a story to live between the front and back covers of our lives.  For those who know the Lord, we have the Happy Ending sewn up. It’s a done deal – heaven is real and we are waiting for the moment we can step onto the soil of it’s magnificent realm. We will see our Jesus face to face. Whatever else we do, however else we are, we are going to love it! In the meantime, we’ve got to build our story and live our life.  Who is going to get us through and how are we going to survive? It’s a rough world and the twists and turns sometimes get harder and harder.

The Gospel is not just The End, it’s the prologue, it’s the highlights, it’s the plot, it’s the main character and it’s the way we get through! The Gospel is our ticket to heaven but it’s also our reason to live! If God had only given us hope for heaven, it would be enough, but He’s done more for us than many of us realize. He has given us a ticket for the train ride of life as well. 

Oh beloved, God wants you to know this morning that He understands your story. He knows when it’s been hard to resist temptation, He knows when you’ve heard His voice but followed another. He knows  when your weaknesses outweighed His plan for you. He knows the twists and turns and hopes and dreams that you hold in the deepest recesses of your heart. But there’s nothing to fear, for each day the story unfolds of your life with a fresh start! Yesterday doesn’t matter, but Today is a new chapter! Today you can live a higher plane, resist the lower life and become a daring hero or heroine for Him.

Run to His Word this morning, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and read – His Word is your guide, His Gospel is your plot, and The entire Bible is your guideline.  Everything you need for your life, your troubles, your story is found there. Let the Lord write your story and let Him fill your pages with His blessings and glory and honor. For He loves you so much that He made a way for your story to turn out oh so very good because He will be with you until the very End where you and He live happily ever after!

Psalm 48:14 For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death. (NAS)

Psalm 73:24 You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.  

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.

Psalm 32:8 The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

Psalm 143:8 Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You.

Have you Struggled with Your Value Lately?

When Danny and I met, he often wore a suede jacket with leather fringe. I really liked that jacket, but Danny loved it. He had bought it on a trip to Mexico. After a while he hardly ever wore it, so it was relegated to the back of the closet.  We’d been married probably 10 years when I decided to put that old coat in a yard sale. Someone scooped it up right away. 

After Danny got home that evening I shared with him what all I had sold.  When I mentioned the leather jacket he was unhappy.  I guess because he hadn’t worn it in a long time I just didn’t think it meant anything to him.  I was frantic that I had gotten rid of it. I remembered that guys in commercials got hot under the collar when the old fraternity jacket or bowling shirt was thrown away.  Fortunately for both of us I was friends with the purchaser.  I called her and asked if she would mind selling me back the jacket, which she did.  That old coat is long gone now, but that day I was able to restore something of value to my husband.

We are quick to check out the value of things. We watch antiques shows on television, hoping to spy something that we too might have hidden away in a closet. Sometimes we cringe as we hear the value man has placed on an old piece of history. Who does the deciding anyway? What makes one picture so valuable and another totally valueless? 

Ever look at yourself and feel that you are worthless? Maybe you were told that one time and it has stuck with you all these years.  Someone may have told you that you were priceless and yet in the end, they dropped you like so much junk. You still feel it, you may still believe it, as you hear the words casually said at the time. Feelings have a way of creating our world. Instead of rising above it, we often bend beneath it. After all, you may think,  if they think I’m no good, of no value or rubbish, then it must be true.  We live with a lie because we allowed someone else to devalue us. 

Oh beloved, God says to you this morning, you are of incredible value! You are a one of a kind, priceless jewel to the Lord! When God looks at you He sees something special that no one else may see. He calls you by name! You are His! There may be labels on you that try to put you down but God’s labels cover it all – Redeemed, Precious, Beloved.  Rejoice with Him this morning that your worth is determined by God and not by man. Those who count will know this and those who don’t know it don’t count. Run to His Word and find all the magnificent things God thinks about you.  Even if you are struggling with labels you want to remove, give those things to God and let Him remove them for you! He is able to make all things new, including you! Oh how He loves you, beyond your wildest imagination! And oh how He is with you, making you more than you were and all that you can be in Him! Now that’s worth praising His Name!

Romans 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 43:4 … you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake He made Christ to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become endued with the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

Psalm 107:2  Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary.

Romans 9:25 As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"

Let God Remind You Who You Are!

There are lots of rumors that get circulated over the internet and through social media. Often the same story gets reinvented every few years and pops up again and again.  The rumors usually revolve around things we consider important.  Children, politics and health are three of the major rumor mills.  It is very important to keep informed of current events, but not everything we read on the internet is true.  One of the best ways to check out rumors is to go to snopes.com With a simple check, you can know instantly if a story circulating is true or not. It shows on their page a huge green TRUE or a huge red FALSE.  Lots of rumors presented as true turn out to be false.  Sometimes there is just a little bit of truth mixed in with the false. It’s still false. 

Don’t you wish a huge TRUE or FALSE could just pop up every time you hear something? Wouldn’t that be great? How simple would it be to know instantly what is right and wrong or true and false? It would solve a lot of problems and keep hurtful things from being believed.

What are you believing this morning?  Do you know how to handle the truth and how to put away the false? Maybe you’ve heard that you’re worthless or useless.  Perhaps you’ve been rejected, mistreated or misled. You’ve tried to do better, get over it and move on. But you secretly believe what someone else has told you. You may have been labeled as a problem, a reject, or worse.  You may have been told that your past is your Truth but God says differently. Your past has been overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and you can be sure that God is changing you and redeeming every area of your life.

Oh beloved, run to the Word of God and check it out! When you read God’s Word you are seeing His Truth and are able to reject the False.  God knows your heart and He has wonderful plans for you. He calls you beloved, even when you don’t feel loved.  He calls you cared for, even when you feel oh so lonely.   I pray this morning that as you take in His Word, open it up and read it – you will be reminded of who  you are in Christ.  God loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters!

 

Romans 9:25 As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'" (NAS)

I Peter 2:10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

 

God's Love is Your Perfect Christmas Gift!

A Charlie Brown Christmas came to mind last night as I read a friend’s post.

In A Charlie Brown Christmas, everyone who’s ever seen the little 30 minute kid’s movie knows that Charlie Brown’s tree was absolutely pitiful! It was almost completely bare of needles and the top looked broken and bent. Now this tree was once a much better specimen. It started out like most trees. Growing in a tree farm, it was cared for lovingly. Fertilizer in the spring so the needs would be deep green and the limbs remain healthy. Mowing underneath all year long so that weeds and vines wouldn’t encroach. Trimming ever so carefully by the skillful hands of the tree farmer, just so. Not too much removed, but just enough to make the little tree and all the other trees in the farm stand perfectly and become full and robust.

Once the tree was cut and removed from the farm it was destined for someone’s home. But there are many variables in the life of a Christmas tree – from the farm to the store to the home. The little tree of Charlie Brown’s evidently had it pretty rough. First, with lack of natural water the needles got dry and ginger. The liveliness of the tree began to wane. Then the winds came and the trunk became bent underneath the trauma. Finally, after being thrown from truck to yard it had all the effects of mistreatment. After all, once at the store, trees are just mean to be a cash crop. No real care given to any of them.

Charlie Brown’s tree was not met with enthusiasm. In fact it was a cause for derision and great laughter. But somehow Charlie Brown saw something important in that little wisp of a tree. And, when he got at his lowest point, his friend Linus came to his rescue. Linus did not offer him more money to get a better tree. He didn’t offer to discard the tree for him. He didn’t try to make the tree better by adding to it. He didn’t even try to convince Charlie Brown that he was okay, did the right thing or any such advice or help.

Instead, Linus did the only thing that would truly help. The only thing that a true friend could do. He pointed Charlie Brown to the real meaning of Christmas.   

Linus states he can tell him, and recites the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 8 through 14: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.'" Linus finished by saying, "...And that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

Which takes me back to my friend’s post, reminding me that when we point one another to the real meaning of not only Christmas, but life itself, we have done well. When we share the TRUTH about God and His wonderful, magnificent, astounding, unending, eternal, everlasting, perfect love for each and every one of us, we have done our part to take that friend out of the elements of life and into the warmth and caring of Almighty God. As we give out the living water and they take it in, things change. Attitudes change. Hearts change. Lives change.

Oh beloved, are you absolutely sure that you understand that God loves you? That you are truly indeed His beloved? And, because you are His beloved, you can look past the forlorn elements of your life to the Living Gospel and see! Rest beneath the promises of God! Rest under the shade of the Mighty Living Lord! Hear Him calling you? Yes, you. He always says Beloved, and if you ever hear words that don’t speak love and tenderness, you are not hearing from the Lord!

Run to His Word this morning and ask Him to make it real to you. The enemy of your soul wants you to believe his lies and he has been formulating them for a very long time. However, the Savior and Lover of your soul formulated His love songs to you before the foundation of the World! He is Loyal, Faithful and True! And His love was created just for you! Let His living water revive you. Let His constant care and tender pruning make you what you could never hope to be on your own. Rejoice as He speaks His love song into your heart singing “I love you, I’m for you, I will deliver you and heal you and keep you forever with me!” What wondrous love is this, oh my soul, oh my soul!

Psalm 31:7  I will be glad and rejoice in Your unfailing love, for You have seen my troubles, and You care about the anguish of my soul.

Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil—for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep. (AMP)

John 15:9 I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love.

Ephesians 6:11  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

John 8:44 b  …(satan) was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Romans 8:37-38 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

 

 

 

 

God's Definition of You is Out of This World!

One of the books my parents owned that I loved the most was an unabridged dictionary. It’s a dictionary that has not been reduced in size by omission of terms or definitions. It truly was like an encyclopedia of words. It was huge. The spine was at least 6 inches deep. It was full of wonderful words and the middle section contained voluminous full color art of animals, plants and insects. I spent hours and hours poring over that book. 

Pretty much everyone is an open book.  All it requires is a little time and the ability to listen.   Within a short amount of time you can find out what a person’s passion is, what their hurts are and how they grew up.  Often people find themselves defined by the circumstances of their childhood or their teen years.  If they’re not careful they will never see themselves in any other way – they’ll see themselves as incomplete, inadequate or damaged. Or they will constantly try to measure up to others.  

Oh beloved, why not start this morning and let God re-write your definition? Why not run to His unabridged view of you? His Word holds the greatest description of a believer. If you belong to Christ, then you can believe what He says about you. Regardless of your family life, your past regrets or your biggest mistakes, they do not define you! You are loved! You are cherished! You are important and you have a purpose! Give Him everything you aren’t and let Him write the Truth on your heart! And don’t forget to thank Him this morning for His wondrous love, His tender mercy and His infinite care!

 1 Peter 2:9 But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

I Corinthians 1:30-31 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

Colossians 2:10 KJV And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power

Ephesians 1:4 Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.

Romans 8:17 a And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.

1 Thessalonians 1:4  We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be His own people.

Let God's Home be In Your Heart!

Some friends added a bedroom onto their house.  It’s coming together nicely.  But the wife wanted her husband to finish the interior first. He kept concentrating on the exterior and got it completely done before he began work inside.  It looked great on the outside as though it was perfect, but inside was still just a shell.  It was unlivable and held no real charm or beauty. 

Often we are like that.  We work so hard to make the outside look presentable. We want everyone to see that we have it all together.  We may even find ourselves talking more about the makeup, the hair, the clothes, the weight, the body, etc.  All along we may be totally neglecting what really matters – what’s inside.  That’s what really counts.  I’ve discovered that when the heart condition is right before God, the exterior is even more beautiful.  It all falls into place.

Oh beloved! You are beautiful  to the Lord! He calls you beloved and He has called you out of darkness into His light! He says to you this morning, do not weap for the outer person who may not be perfect, but rejoice for the inner person who is being perfected daily! My love for you is the inner love that abides no matter what.  Let Me help you work on the inside so that My Home in your heart may be more accessible to Me.  Don’t fear the work on the inside – it’s the best place to start!

God loves you just the way you are! God is for you and He’s working out everything for your good and His Glory! Let Him do whatever He wants to do with your life for that’s where True Beauty lies!

 

Ephesians 3:16 I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day.

1 Peter 3:4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.1 Peter 3:4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.