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.

The Love of Christ Controls Us

The Love of Christ Controls Us…

When planning our getaway, both Danny and I looked at maps and studied where the best bluebonnet blooms happen and which roads were good riding but non interstate. He had plans and I had plans. We also had friends going with us and they had plans as well. Between all of us we finally came to an agreement and the plan was good. But what would have happened had someone taken all the control of the event? Someone has to lead but the road captain doesn’t have to make all the decisions. He just has to get us there safely. 

In faith and in life we like to have control, take control and be in control.  Many times we like to call all the shots and then put a cross on them. It makes it look good. But that doesn’t give us God’s seal of approval does it? Sometimes we let others control our lives and we call it love. We succumb to their demands in the flesh and try to respond in the spirit. But if we’re not careful we’ll be under their thumb and not realize that we are now in control but it’s fleshly control.

God wants you to know that He has a plan to remove your control issues. His love is meant to be our sole controlling factor. He understands all the decisions you have to make, all the people you want to please and all the voices calling out your name – for help, assistance, relief, blame and more. But He says this morning, let My Love be your control. Let My choices be your choices. Let Me handle the things you aren’t meant to handle. Give your problems, your ministry, your family, your friends, your work, your church and your hobbies over to me. You are not called to be a juggler or a people pleaser. You are called to be a    Christ died for you, so that you no longer have to live for yourself or to please man, but for Him who died and rose again on your behalf.

He also wants you to know if you will quit trying to control things, you will see a light at the end of your tunnel. You will find sweet release in letting Christ control everything. You will still make decisions but they will be based on the Word of God carried out in Agape love. You’ll no longer have to worry about what people will think. And when you get condemnation from wherever it may come, you can speak to it and tell it to leave. You don’t have to be in control anymore. In fact it is only in your emptied state that God can take over. He’s the One who set the stars in orbit. He can work it all out for you. He wants to take care of your business and the business of those you love and pray for daily.  Your responsibility may be great, but must be carried out in love and intercession. There you feel no heaviness and you don’t feel like you’re being pulled in two directions. God will take care of your family and your walk with Him. He promises and what He promises He will perform.

Oh beloved, it’s time to let God lead and get out of the way. Move over and let the Love of your life into the driver’s seat. He’s got awesome plans for you. He calls you beloved and He wants to take you where you cannot get on your own. You’ll have to drop the things that want to control you as well.  You might get dropped but you will see it as a promotion not a rejection. Where you are going it is all God and no flesh. But it will be all good because surrounded by His love, captured into His will and living out His blessings is what you were always meant to do.

God loves you and He’s for you so relax and let His love be your controlling force all the days of your life.

2 Corinthians 5:14 Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.

Micah 4:5 Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.

Deuteronomy 13:4 You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.

Isaiah 48:17 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go.

All Things Work Together for Our Good

All Things Work Together for Our Good

I was thinking about my mother’s quilts yesterday morning as I was headed back to work. She managed to get three more quilts made before she passed away – one for each of my kiddos. My youngest daughter’s quilt wasn’t quite finished when she had to quit working on them. I finished hemming the binding after my mother was gone. Quilts were originally born out of need and frugality. No cloth was ever wasted. The string quilts amaze me the most because they use every little snippet of cloth, sown together with other snippets. On their own the pieces are too small to do a thing with. But sown together and then bound in the backing, filled with batting – they are incredibly warm and just right. Each quilt is made to fit the bed it belongs on. 

Life is a lot like a string quilt. Pieces of things here and there – pain, sorrow, betrayal, rejection, shame – seem so useless and wasted. Left in a pile they look like tiny rags and we revisit them. Turning them over in our hands we feel fresh the pain of every agony we’ve ever experienced. Stripped of our dignity, the enemy wants us to remember each event that has brought us any kind of pain. If we remain at that stage, we are destined to live in a heap, bedraggled and falling to pieces again and again.

God wants you to know that not one single thing in your life is ever wasted. He uses it all for His glory and your good – every single thing. Every bitter piece, every torn situation, every hurt, and every cry. He wastes nothing. He uses it all. Piece by piece it may look like a mess, but through God’s mercy and grace there will be a beautiful masterpiece of your life. You can rest in His promises, live in His love and move on. Even rejection is not wasted, for you cannot go where He sends you if you are not free of anything that is binding you to the past. He has something much, much, much more wonderful ahead.

Oh beloved, move on. Quit handling the messes of your past over and over. They unravel more and more. Quit trying to make human sense out of it – they are messes that are divinely meant to be given to God. And as you hand each piece to God you are lightened of your load and God is able to make it all beautiful. He cannot stitch it all together if you do not hand it to Him. Bitterness will continue to break down the very fibers of your being. But forgiveness heals the rips. God has something better in mind than what you’ve been through. His plans can never be thwarted by man’s interference or the devil’s instigation. No weapon formed against you will prosper. 

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth giving the pieces to Him and moving on every single time. One day you will see it all as God sees it – a perfect tapestry of His love, mercy and grace.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.

Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. NIV

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.

Lamentations 3:21-23 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

You Are Being Built Into Christ's Dwelling Place

Watching a lot of home remodel shows, I get excited to accomplish another remodel in my own house. Notice how I say I and my? The truth is, regardless of the ideas I get I need Danny to complete the tasks for me. I am a good helper, but only he knows the ins and outs of building, remodeling and restoring. He has experience and he is talented in that area. I am talented to look at something and want it done. LOL

As I was pondering the remodeling of my life and my home (both are ongoing) I heard God speak. Our problem comes when we believe four things that are incorrect: We can do it ourselves, It’s easy, It will be cheaper and It doesn’t take much time.

This life of faith is an ongoing remodel. I can tell you for a fact that just when I think my life is at the pinnacle of success in faith God comes in and begins to interfere with things. He looks behind a wall and says the wiring needs redoing. He looks beneath the sink and wants to fix the plumbing. He looks into my heart and says what say we kick it up a notch? He speaks so sweetly that at first I don’t know what He’s doing. Sure I want more love. But that means knocking out the cold love that has tried to settle in the cracks where hurts and indignation have come through. Sure I want more blessings. So He comes in and shakes up the good in order to make way for the godly.

The life of faith is not something we can do ourselves. We did not save ourselves, we cannot keep ourselves and we cannot make ourselves Christlike. The life of faith is not easy – we got saved, piece of cake. But the truth is dying to self is hard and resistant to change. It will be cheaper if we take matters into our own hands and ultimately God will knock that down too – for He wants us never to rely on a house of cards that looks pleasing but in reality has little or no connection to Him.

Mostly this life of faith takes time. It takes a whole lifetime. And if we are serious about it, we will be one step away from a mess on a daily basis. He will interfere, He will knock down, He will build up, He will shatter lies, He will rebuild truth, He will check our foundation, He will woo us to get closer and closer and closer to Him. But eventually, if we persevere in faith, we will one day be just like Him.

Oh beloved, do you feel like things are being torn down, torn away and torn up? Are you wondering what has happened to the happy life you were content with? You can rely on the truth that God will take the mess of your life and make it even more beautiful. He is working behind the scenes to get you closer to Him and to cause you to become more like Him. While the work seems daunting and the task looks formidable, the outcome will be grand! Trust Him in the working – for everything that gets taken away will be replaced with Him! His goal in the process is not to make you look better, but that you will live a stronger, courageous, valiant life for Jesus. Everything in His hands is beautiful workmanship including you!

He loves you and He’s for you and that’s why you can trust Him to remove and replace everything for your good and His glory. Life spent closer and closer to Him is always better and better and better.

James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Isaiah 54:11 O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli.

Romans 8:27-28 And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will. We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. Amplified

Ephesians 2:22 …in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Go Ahead! Pick Every Ornament from the Lord's Tree!

Our littlest granddaughter loves to pick ornaments from our tree. She will stand and look and fidget and talk and then plop one has been taken in her sweet little hands. Of course this gets a rash of no no’s and don’t do that’s! To which she responds in her baby talk “but I want that!” Sometimes we miss the picking and find an ornament in the kitchen floor or behind a chair later when she’s gone. Just like all children, she loves the shiny baubles and unusual delights hanging. We have lots of lights on our tree as well so all the ornaments shine.

While we like our trees to be merry and bright representations of Christmas in our hearts, we really like the tree to stay full of the things we put on its boughs. Imagine people coming into our homes and going to the tree to pick an ornament and take it with them. Why we’d have nothing left. Our tree would be bare. The things we cherish the most would be gone.

Jesus is the Light and Savior of the world. He came and filled the tree of our lives full of wonderful things. Priceless treasures we can’t hope to have in our own meager means. Each facet of His life holds wonder and awe. From the cross to the grave to heaven – He made the choice to give Himself away so that we could have it all. And now He daily presents those things to us as ornaments hang on the tree.

But the difference is, He says go ahead pick. Choose each ornament. Take it home with you. Live with it. Display it. Shine it. Wear it. But not just on your sweater, wear it in y our heart. Everything God has for us is an object of the heart, for our good and for His glory. It shines, oh how it shines – each and every gifted ornament that’s supposed to be worn by a believer.

What do we see on the tree of life that Jesus has decorated so beautifully? We see Salvation – choose it first, for unless you have that, the other ornaments won’t even budge from the limbs. Choose reconciliation. That’s one of the most beautiful ornaments of the Christian – for it reconciles us to God and it reconciles us with others. Sanctification is another lovely jewel – we must pick it for that’s our key to becoming heavenly minded. Then there are the other wonders of the life in Christ: love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and more. There is mercy and forgiveness and righteousness as well! There is purpose – and oh how we all long to live a life of purpose.

No child of God ever has to live in want of any of the beautiful things God has. Even when life around you seems sorrowful, weary or lackluster, the ornaments of the Christian life will warm your heart and keep your mind on Him no matter what.

Oh beloved, go ahead! Run and pick every ornament God has from His tree of life! It’s all yours for the taking. No holding back. No waiting in line. No wondering if you’ll be scolded. Everything is freely given and never runs out.   Open up God’s book of love and see what all He has waiting for you, just for the taking to the heart that belongs fully to Him. While sorrow, sadness and pain can be a huge part of the holiday season, Christ is the reason for Christmas and Christmas can be enjoyed fully with awe and wonder as we look to the One Who loves us unconditionally and watches over us with uninterrupted care.

Jesus desires that your arms and heart are full of His wonder and His joy as you live in the light of His Word.

Romans 6:23b …the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption…

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

You Are Created to do what only You Can Do

As Danny left early one morning for work I noticed a small brown smudge on the storm door.  As we prayed for one another at the door and he walked out he turned and bent down to inspect the smudge.  Turns out it was a little snail! An amazing little creature of God’s earth climbing on the clear glass. He was not afraid nor was he stopping.  He was a living animal, created by God’s pleasure to do what only a snail can do.

We are a lot like that little snail. At times other people we encounter seem only like a smudge. We give little thought to them or their lives. They seem so small to us, so insignificant, so useless. At times we appear as only a smudge. I mean really, we feel useless don’t we? We see ourselves as little slugs with a shell we can recoil into when life gets rough and we tend to recoil a lot. Sometimes people pronounce us as slugs. We are useless to them. We have become just a smudge on their horizon and in their view we are in the way. We may be flicked away like so much dirt.  We may have flicked others away like such a nuisance.

God speaks to my heart:  Things will happen. Little dots of trouble, trials, nuisances will show up in your view along the way. It is only upon closer inspection that you will find My purpose in that smudge.  While you just want to flick your trials away, I want to use them to further My glory in you.  While you too may feel like a snail on glass, you are actually a beautiful creation meant for My purpose alone and I have you steady in My hand as you travel My plan for your life. And even if you are flicked away by people or circumstances, I will not let you be crushed! You will not lose your strength or your covering for I AM your all in all.  Every single time you feel humiliated, harassed or rejected, I AM growing you to be more like Me, so that I can use you in even greater capacity.

Oh beloved, Trust God! Rejoice in what He says about you! Rest in His promises!  And thank Him that you are more than because He is a More Than God!  All things are in His hands, including you and your life and your calling. Don’t despair but look into the Lord’s wonderful face, where the things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!

God loves you, and He’s for you and that’s enough to give you purpose and peace.

Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, I will honor and praise Your name, for You are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now You have accomplished them.

Psalm 57:2  I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill His purpose for me.

Psalm 70:4 But may all who search for You be filled with joy and gladness in You. May those who love Your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!”

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will work out His plans for my life— for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.

Surprise! God's Gifts are Yours!

I have been given a bag of fall blooming bulbs. I am so excited to plant them. We got them in the ground quickly so they might bloom in a few weeks.  With this change in the weather they might just make it. If not, they will definitely bloom next fall.

They’re known as surprise lilies.  I think because they just multiply and come up anywhere in the grass. You don’t see a thing, no leaves first. Suddenly they’re blooming on a long stem. Old home places can be found by seeing them suddenly appear in deserted property. Even if the old house itself is gone, the surprises still bloom each and every year.  They multiply and multiply and what a showy sight.

The person who gifted these to me had no idea that they are my absolute most favorite ever flowers! I had no idea that someone was going to gift me with such a prized gift! And yet there, right in the middle of an ordinary day, comes the gift! I relish the idea of planting each and every one. I relish the thought that next fall for sure they’ll surprise me with their beautiful show.

God speaks to my heart: God’s precious gifts are all for me, all for you, all for us. Many times though we don’t even know that they are available. We catch a glimpse here and there and we’re surprised!

Surprised at the grace God bestows on us. For we surely would wipe ourselves off the face of the earth and yet God speaks softly and says come back beloved. Surely we know our misbehavior, our failings, our sins. We know our imperfections and we concentrate on each and every one. Yet He speaks love songs into our hearts.

Surprised at the mercy from the Throne Room. We were destined to die, to shrivel up like a bulb left out of the ground and yet Mercy comes dancing into our presence and says oh beloved, I AM granting you clemency, your debt has been canceled, your sorrow is covered by My sympathy.

Surprised by His love! I am, aren’t you? We are a works oriented people. We are demanding and we think God is too. We believe that the only way He could love us is if we perform! But we can’t – performance breeds pride. And we could never perform enough. Just as the bulb pops out of the ground grandly showing its beauty – God’s love pops out of the soil of our disappointment, discontentment and our failures to blow us away with His love for He IS love!

We don’t always like surprises do we? Sometimes we have lived with the depression, the condemnation, the rejection, the religious activity so long that we blink our eyes in disbelief? What is God doing we ask? He’s messing with my life! He’s changing the order of things – my order of things. I was comfortable and now God has gone and surprised me!  It might not have been good but at least it was normal.

Oh beloved, surprise! God loves you! God has given you grace, mercy and peace! They’re growing just beneath the soil of your heart right now and if you will let Him they’ll pop up and surprise you with joy! Take the entire gift of God’s wonderfulness and enjoy the view from His love. Look into His Word of Surprising Wonderful presents – and see what’s there. And then take it in, plant it in the soil of your heart and watch as God blooms and blooms and blooms. Rejoice as God surprises you with His abundance in your lack.  He’ll keep surprising you that even in hardships, God has a plan. He always seeks to love us and make us more like Him in all we encounter.

Bloom beloved, bloom, in the light of His love and in the light of His constant care. Let Him keep surprising you with all He is and all you are in Christ.  No matter what, God loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters.

Psalm 111:2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them.

Psalm 126:3 Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!

Psalm 40:5 O Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all Your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

Psalm 84:6 When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.

Open the Gifts of God - Straight from the Father's Heart

At our grandson Blake’s birthday party Sunday, we all had a great time. There was a big crowd of family to friends.  Everyone had so much fun. Everything Blake got was something he really liked. As he was putting some of his toys on the kitchen cabinet before they went out to play he looked at me and asked if we had gotten him a certain gift. I replied yes that’s what Popaw and I got him.  He was tickled because as he said “I’ve always wanted one of those”.  

Later that afternoon he was over at our house with another gift, washable markers and an Iron Man spiral notebook to write and draw in. He looked at me and asked if that was from us too. I told him it was. He responded, “This too? I like it.”

Although he got many different gifts, he was appreciative of each one.  Not only that, he was amazed that his grandparents had gotten him more than one gift that he really liked!  

God speaks to my heart. Aren’t we like that?  We accept the gift of salvation and we’re so appreciative to God for His mercy and grace. It’s just the gift we all are asking for. We all want to be forgiven and have a new start. But there’s more! He doesn’t just give us the security of heaven. He gives us the security of every single day of our lives! Not one thing happens that God is unaware of or unprepared for. No matter how things look in the natural, in the spiritual realm you have the gift of full security in Him.

And there’s even more. He gives us grace to help in time of need. He tore the veil and gave us an open door to contact Him 24/7 in prayer. There’s the gift of strength for the weary, rest for the worried, peace for the storm tossed and hope for the hopeless. He gives each of us various gifts for the body of Christ, all of which are very important. Your gift is outstanding and just for you!  He gives us all a basket full, running over and over of fruit, so that our lives will be healthy in Kingdom living as we share His fruit with others. 

He even gives the right friends at the right time for the right help just when we need them. Each friend is also a gift from God.  He gives us a sound mind! So that we can rightly know what God is saying in His Word, every single one of us! He gives us peace - not the kind the world gives, which is false peace – but the kind that will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

There are so many gifts that belong to the child of God that it’s like your birthday every day! You are His most favored child and as such He desires you to know Truth in the inner recesses of your heart so that you can call upon that Truth when things look bad, times turn rough or life hands you significant turmoil, trouble or pain.  

There’s more and more and more and each time you open another gift, you are blessed and surprised! This too, Lord? This surprise of blessings gives you a thankful heart and a mouth full of praise. And the gifts flow on from the Father to the Son to you His child and then on to others.

Oh beloved, reach into the Birthday bag of blessings, the Word of God! It’s all yours by reason of being Born Again! The promises to set you free, the promises to help you bless others and the promises to get you to heaven – are all there! Keep reaching in and pulling those gifts out. Keep showing them to others and sharing His bountiful ways with everyone you meet. 

Praise the Lord and thank Him this morning for He is Your Exceedingly Abundant God! He’s the Father of Lights who gives no shadows or mystery or doubt. His Faithfulness to you is Great! His Mercies are new to you each and every day!  Why? Because He loves you and He’s for you and that’s the greatest gift you’ll ever receive!

John 14:27 I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:11 It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

2 Corinthians 5:18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him.

1 Peter 4:10 God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

2 Peter 1:2-3 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Life is a Gift! Thank Him for It!

When I was a teenager, an older cousin bought a horse. Since we had a couple of fenced acres, the horse was kept at our house. I rode her often. I had always loved horses so I was very happy to have to care for “Freckles”. I brushed her and fed her.

I learned how to saddle her, lead her and care for her. One of my best friends had horses too, so I rode with them through the woods and in the pastures near their house. Although she was a tall horse I was never afraid when riding. She kept a good steady pace and behaved well. We had fun together. Not everything about rider and steed was perfect. She could be obstinate and stubborn. She could kick and nip. She liked to mash me up against the stable wall. She didn't always like being saddled. But we kept riding and I kept enjoying her.

Eventually my cousin traded her off and I got married. I still have many fond memories of riding that horse. But that’s not the end of the story.

Recently while visiting with family, I talked about the horse that my cousin had bought. That same cousin was there and he said, “Yeah, I knew Rebekah loved horses so I thought she ought to have one”. I was shocked. Although I said nothing, I had never known the reason why he got that horse. The reason was me. I just thought it was a fluke and an accidental blessing. I enjoyed the blessing of that time with a horse not knowing it was a gift of love. It made me love my time with that horse more and it made me love the giver of the gift even more.

Did you know that your life is a gift of love? Every single day has been purchased by the Blood of the Lamb, because God loves you. You were planned for, prepared for and delivered into this world by earthly parents. But God Himself gave you the breath of life. Before you were even discussed on earth as a possibility, God knew you. He has established every single day for you. You have been given a gift bought with love, paid for at the cross and redeemed at His resurrection.

Oh beloved, you may have been enjoying your life, not giving the Giver of the Gift a second thought. Today is the day to thank Him for this unspeakable gift! Enjoy it. Quit crying over things you cannot change. Quit wishing for something else, when you have the best. Quit hoping for a better day and enjoy today! God knows your struggles, your trials, and the tight places you are in. The One Who ordained your first breath has also ordained every single day for you. He’s even ordained the last breath you will ever take.

Run to Him this morning and ask Him to give you a new appreciation for what He has done. Enjoy today, love the Lord, love your spouse, love your family, love your friends, thank God for every single gift He’s given you and rejoice that you are planned for, prepared for and cared for beyond your wildest imagination. God loves you and He’s for you and that’s a gift no one can take from you.

Ecclesiastes 3:13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God NAS

James 1:7 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Psalm 139:14-16 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 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. NAS

Psalm 79:13 So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever; To all generations we will tell of Your praise. NAS

You and I have a Heart Condition

I am a movie buff. There are certain movies I can watch over and over. They’re the “feel good” kind. I like to feel better after watching a movie. Uplifted, encouraged. I watched one of my favorite movies last night. The male character was a heart attack victim who got help from a friend’s mother. The mother ended up in love with him and he loved her too.  She had no problem expressing her feelings, but he did. It cost him. His inability to submit to the love he felt caused him health symptoms – heart problems. 

In the end of the movie, love wins out. I like that. I believe that. But heart trouble can cause love to be disjointed or disavowed. True love covers a multitude of sins. It thinks of the object of affection first and foremost. It protects, defends and remains. I like that too. Real love is long, and wide and huge and worth it.

Heart trouble is such a personal thing. Often it can be hidden. Often it can be ignored. Often it can be replaced with other things so that hopefully no one will notice. I’ve met all kinds of people who have heart trouble. Pastors, preachers, husbands, wives, teachers, speakers, me.  The problem with heart trouble is that left untreated, sure death will occur. For some it’s physical death and eternal separation. For others it will be the death of their ministry, their marriage, their careers. For unless a person really loves, the heart is not in it. Unless you and I get up in the morning and find the focus of our love and live it for all its worth, we will fail, we will fade, we will lose our strength and our joy.

For the believer, we have wonderful news! God is love! We can find true love, receive it fully and bask in its glory. When we have this Love, Agape love, we can love ourselves, love others and love where God sends us, who God sends us to and what He wants us to do.  We love HIM because He first loved us. But there’s more, oh so much more.  We love each other because He first loved us. We love our calling because He first loved us. We love our fellow believers, ministry partners and spouses – because He first loved us.

Are you experiencing heart trouble? You either gave up on love altogether or you got left at the altar, stood up at the restaurant or put out in the cold in the church, the meeting house, the ministry. You feel great pain, your heart is wounded and your breath is short. It’s hard to go to bed; it’s harder to get up. As the song goes, “You’ve lost that lovin feelin”. You had it, you enjoyed it, you were betrayed and you gave it up.  You could be thinking it’s never going to return for you. You can’t find the spark to get it going anymore.  You’re going through the motions, reading all the lines, practicing the part, but love is not there. You may look good, talk right and seem fine. But your heart is broken or your heart is untouched by the Master’s hand. Either way, it’s a slow death and a sure curse.

If you’re having heart trouble, if you’re having trouble expressing and receiving love, then run to the Great Physician, the Lord Himself! He will either repair your heart or He will give you a complete transplant! He will fix what’s wrong and make it all new! He will restore the love, restore the joy, restore the ministry and more. His love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on you. You can count on His surgery working every single time. You can count on Him giving you a transfusion of love, forgiveness, peace and joy. No other doctor can fix you. No other person can change you. But God can!

Oh beloved! God loves you and He’s for you. So much so that He’s unwilling to leave you on the gurney of pain, in the intensive care of injury or the morgue of lifelessness. Let Him give you His infusion of love, His heart of ministry and His blessing of grace. To live in the light of His love is glory! Oh how marvelous, oh how wonderful is the Savior’s love for you!

I Corinthians 13 (entire chapter)

John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.

Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

Proverbs 17:3 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

Proverbs 27:19 As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.

Colossians 3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.

Your Story - God's Glory!

A lady I know shared that when a mutual friend went to their office to apply for a position a couple of years ago, she took one look at him and thought, “Oh my, he’s an old hippie! What have I gotten myself into?”  But over the years, he’s proven to be one of the best employees ever.  As we were discussing the story I thought to myself you can’t judge a book by its cover.

You can’t.  But you can judge that book by what’s inside. At least you find out the truth about it once you’ve opened it up and looked inside. Read a few pages, get to know the character and the plot and you will know what’s really going on.

Books come in all shapes, sizes, colors and some are hard bound, others are paperback. The oldest books may seem a little tattered and torn but inside is an awesome story worth picking that book up.  Other books look very sophisticated and fresh, yet when you look inside its pages there’s nothing there but pulp fiction. 

We’re a lot like books. Some of us have been through a lot – left out in the rain, dropped in the dirt, leaves dog eared and pages soiled.  Some of us were passed around, thrown in the trash and left untended and uncared for. It shows.  Others are simply different – no special gold foil, no elegant cover, no exciting draw for the crowd to pick up. 

Get to know either type and once they share their story, it’s pretty much the same:  Started out great, cared for greatly. Then someone got tired of them and put them away.  Story after story abounds with joy, tragedy, being discarded or misread.

No matter what the real story, no matter the background, there is One Who wants to rewrite your story. He wants to give you incredible edits and magnificent rewrites so that you will shine with the glory of His love on each page. It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you’re from, who you know or don’t know – He’s ready and willing to give you another shot at life.  Although your story may have started with a tragedy, it will certainly end in triumph when the Lord is the writer.  Every single chapter will be given His once over so that there’s courage and victory no matter what. The plot will be changed as well, so it’s not about you but about the Lord and His incredible love and care for you.

If you’ve never given your life to the Lord, it’s so easy – just give Him the entire novel, cover to cover and let Him do what only He can do. He will change everything and that’s all good because His ways are best. He is the greatest Writer of people’s lives ever. 

If you’ve grown tired of going your own way, even if you gave Him your heart, then let Him start doing the editing right away. It’s not too late to let Him change the design, edit the pages and redo the ending. His plans for you are a best seller yet you have to pay nothing for His amazing touch.  He doesn’t look at what you’ve been through; He only looks at your life through the eyes of His love, the touch of His grace and the knowledge of His glory.

Oh beloved, your Editor, the Lord Himself, bids you to step into His sanctuary and give it all to Him. Each page of your life is working into the finest novel ever known. You are His beloved and His magnificence will be revealed on the last page and it will be truly glorious! He loves you and He’s for you and that’s worth letting Him write your story all the way to heaven.

Psalm 40:3 He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 139:16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!

Psalm 25:1 O Lord, I give my life to you.

Psalm 138:8 The Lord will work out His plans for my life— for Your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.

Everything God Does is Done for Love

Our Stella is so funny. She has the cutest mannerisms. I love watching her watch videos on her mother’s phone. She lays it down and then wiggles and turns and puts her face right up to the screen. She watches so intently. Her eyes are wide with excitement and she moves her face so to take it all in. You can tell she loves Peppa Pig especially and she doesn’t want to take her eyes off the cartoon characters.

We all have things we enjoy. Some of those things are especially wonderful. Like entertaining grandkids of course. Watching a volleyball game or a football game’s halftime show when someone you love is playing in the band. Watching the crowd to catch a glimpse of that special someone. Watching the clock waiting for a date (yes, I remember that far back).

The things we love are the things we keep a close watch on. The people we care the most about are under our watchful eye at all times. Those we love we care for. They are fed, clothed, kept clean and healthy. They are also given first place over our own cravings, desires and hopes.

Those things we cherish we keep clean and dusted and whatever else is needed. The best, most memorable items are on top shelves, behind beveled glass and in cabinets. No one leaves their jewels and loved ones out on the lawn in the dark. We never walk away from those we truly treasure, no matter what.

God loves us. He has kept His watchful eye on us throughout our entire lives. In fact, He watched over us before we were even formed into a baby. He cherishes us. He cares for us. He delights in us. We are on the top shelf. We don’t deserve it and we didn’t earn it, but there we are anyway. He keeps us cared for and never walks away. He won’t quit us, He won’t sell us, He won’t give us away and He won’t throw us away. We are cherished and loved.

You may be going through a time in your life where you aren’t sure if anyone really loves you. You’re talked over, walked over and pushed over. You’re ignored and reviled. You feel like you’ve been thrown out in the dark and someone locked the door in your face. Others may have quit you – even those you yourself cherished. Someone you thought really cared may have sold you out. You’ve tried to be a good person, be loveable, be kind and generous and yet it’s all been thrown back in your face. You’re about to walk away and lick your wounds and live as an outcast the rest of your life.

Oh beloved, run to the Book of Love this morning and read! You are valuable, you are valued, you are adored and precious. He says to you this morning, don’t believe the lie. Rather, look into My Word and read what I say and believe! And when you believe Me, when you live in the light of My Word, you will bloom where you’re planted, blossom more beautifully than the lilies of the field and rejoice, live and be blessed in My Love. You have nothing to worry about even when others walk away. I AM the one you can call on even if you’re all alone. I AM the one who gave you life and that more abundantly.

Everything God does for you He does for love. He will watch over you, guide you, protect you all the days of your life because He loves you and He’s for you and on that you can rely.

Psalm 16:8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (NIV)

Psalm 109:31 For He stands beside the needy, ready to save them from those who condemn them.

Matthew 6:27-29 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

Psalm 121:5-6 The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.

Jude 1:1 am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.

God's Packages of Love Come Signed, Sealed and Delivered to Your Heart!

There are two couriers that deliver packages into our office complex. They come pretty much on a daily basis. They bring equipment, office supplies and even things that someone bought online.  Occasionally a package will come that we’re not expecting.  Sometimes I have to sign for other offices when they’re at lunch or running errands.

We sign for the things they bring, so that the couriers will be able to give proof that the package was indeed delivered to the right person. These guys are busy running all over town, all over their route and around the state to get the goods delivered quickly and to the rightful recipient.

For some of us, there have been packages delivered to us that we never asked for. Rejection. Condemnation.  Judgment. Revenge. These four packages come because someone else ordered them for us. While we can’t change how others feel, we don’t have to accept the package. It isn’t a gift worth giving and it isn’t a gift worth having. Inside of these four items comes a time bomb. It will blow without warning and we’ll be left to pick up the pieces.

If you’ve gotten one of these packages, always remember: you don’t have to sign for them, you never want to open them and you aren’t the rightful recipient.  No matter what you’ve done, no matter where you’ve been – not one of these packages comes from the Lord.

The Lord is your only courier. What He brings will astound you, bless you, protect you and cause you to grow in His knowledge and favor.  The Lord Himself is a courier of grace – God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense. He is a courier of Blessings – divine favor from God Himself.  His greatest delivery comes daily and it is perfect love – He first loved us.  There are other packages God sends that we can freely partake of as well. No fear in opening, unpacking and it is guaranteed to fit every time.  Salvation, Sanctification, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Wisdom.  The Holy Spirit Himself will deliver to you His magnificent fruit: always fresh and enjoyable, free of charge and without limits: love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

Sign for, open joyfully and use and share without concern every good and perfect gift that comes from God’s own hands. For His packages are always available, His supply never runs low and everything He sends you is sent with love. 

Oh beloved, if you’ve taken ownership of things that weren’t meant for you, throw them out! Give that package to the Lord for He knows what to do with it. He promises you daily that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, so you can refuse delivery.   The Lord Himself will never send you fear, worry, turmoil, or any of those other packages. His gifts are sealed with love, delivered with love and remain with love. God says to you this morning I AM your source of life. I AM your courier of all blessings in the heavenly places. I AM your deliverer, your redeemer and your guide. Trust Me more as you learn to discern the difference between old packages that need refusal and blessed gifts that need to be opened and enjoyed. 

God loves you and He’s for you and He wants you to accept His gifts freely and fully!

 

Numbers 6:24-26 May the Lord bless you and protect you.  May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.

James 1:17 Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

Ephesians 2:8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

I John 3:1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!

1 Corinthians 2:12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

Mother's Day is the Lord's Day!

My mother was born in an age when most folks still had a horse and buggy for transportation. When she was about 2, her parents left her and her older brother on the farm to fend for themselves while they traveled with the baby brother to town for supplies.  Her older brother was maybe 4. She shared how they would gather buffalo chips to burn in the fireplace to keep warm.  She recalled her mother asking her father to please take all the children with them. That was the beginning of a lifetime of hardship and hard places to be in.

But they survived. My mother survived. She went on to survive many many things in her lifetime. From peritonitis to cancer to miscarriages to tuberculosis and more. She survived abandonment, horrible work conditions and bad marriages.

My mother more than survived. She thrived. While most folks would knuckle under any one of the many tales she had of adversities to live a life of anger, fear and turmoil in return, not my mother.  She just got stronger with each thing that came along.  She laughed often, forgave a lot and lived free. She worked hard, had fun and helped others. People drew from her strength – from her siblings to her children to her friends.

One time I asked the Lord to have the spirit and strength of my mother. He spoke to my heart. It seems my mother’s strength of character came from adversity.   Now everyone wants to have strength, but who wants to develop that strength?  Dough gets tougher the more you knead it. Polished rocks come out of a tumbler after days in the machine. Tarnished silver requires cleaning compound and rubbing, rubbing, rubbing.   Get the picture?

I know that Mother’s Day is not a huge blessing for everyone. Some of you are living under the rejection of a beloved child. Some of you have been dumped by a husband, forgotten about by a parent and you’ve been through the mill. The heartache of life in general, has left you dreading the day, wanting to forget all about it.  The Hallmark version of this holiday just doesn’t fit you and you may wonder how to ignore it altogether.

Others of you want to have that inner strength, but going through hard things just isn’t what anybody asks for. Yet, God in His incredible, redemptive mercy can make every single hard time, every mountain, every valley, every heartache, every mistake you’ve made or others made against you, and the hurt and pain work together for YOUR good.  

Oh, beloved, it’s time to drop the baggage of poor parenting, poor raising and poor outcomes at the door of worship and enter in to the Lord’s presence. This day can be a magnificent day to give Him every burden you ever carried, to lift every load that someone put on you, to decrease your pain and increase your joy. He says to you this morning that He loves you, He loves you, He loves you. And while you may not understand why you are going through hard things, you can trust Him to get you through, make you stronger in the process and increase your faith in Him. Because He loves you, He will celebrate with you, even if no one else does. He not only hears your cries for mercy and answered prayers, He is the reliever, redeemer and restorer of your life!

God is real and He’s speaking to your heart, no matter how you were raised, how you’ve been treated or what you’ve done wrong.  Let Him love you and let Him take your life and let it be consecrated to Him. For He’s with you forever and that’s all that really matters, as He makes your life a shining example of His love, mercy and strength!

Isaiah 54:5 For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven's Armies is His name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth.

Psalm 119:107 I have suffered much, O Lord; restore my life again as you promised.

Colossians 3:10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him.

Psalm 59: 17 O my Strength, to you I sing praises, for you, O God, are my refuge, the God who shows me unfailing love.

Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.