Repeat the Sounding Joy of Life in Christ!

How many books and movies have begun with these words: “It all started with…”  As I was reading these words this morning, “It all started with a young man named Brother Andrew saying yes to God in 1955” the Lord began to speak to my heart.  The story unfolds of the man who started smuggling Bibles into countries so that someone could read God’s Word.  He did not set out to set the world on fire, but God lit His heart with the fire of the Gospel and the rest is history. (you can read more about his life at http://www.inspirationalchristians.org/brother-andrew/ )

As I think of Christmas I hear those words, “it all started with” God Incarnate appearing in the form of a baby. He went on to satisfy the regulations against us and free us from the law of sin and death.  But more, He set us free from ourselves. He set us free to be more than we ever could on our own. No education, no bank account, no accolades can give us a new life. Only God can do that.

As I think of you this morning, beloved, I think how “it all started out with” Jesus calling you unto Himself. 

You didn’t wake up one morning and say I think I’ll give God a try. No, He wooed you and beckoned you and called you. Until one day you heard Him. Your heart responded and the rest is history. And the never ending saga of the Gospel is continuing for you. You are not done. You are not finished. You are just beginning. You are standing on the cliff of glory. You are stepping out into what seems a chasm of trials, disappointments and errors. But no, look again. It all starts with Jesus, who has touched your heart and taken it for His own.

Oh beloved, your story is so incredible! It is full of the Christmas message, full of the Gospel song, and full of the music of the glory of God, for He is in resident in your heart and you are His. He is carefully watching over your life and all the events that involve you. Even those things that seem so out of control are cared for.  And since “it all started with” Him, beloved, it will all “finish”.  No short term trip this life in Christ. For you are His beloved and His banner over you is love.

Relax in this holy season. Rejoice in His love. Remain in His service. Relinquish the hurt and pain and concern and enter into the joy of His never ending, magnificent care! He loves you and He’s for you and that’s why you can repeat the sounding joy with the carolers of old and rest in the light of His Word.

Psalm 43:4 There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!

John 15:11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

2 Peter 1:4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

Psalm 146:6 He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.

Romans 12:8 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts He has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be His own special treasure.

Living on a Hamster Wheel? Meet With Jesus First.

Yesterday I found myself thinking I was meeting myself coming and going. It’s just so important to me to have time to sit and ponder without feeling that I must be doing something. Yet often doing things takes over. I have plenty to do, don’t you? There’s rarely an end to laundry, dishes, cleanup, work, driving, shopping, talking, etc. Every single one of these things is important to a successful productive life. But if they take over, or if we find ourselves getting our worth from activity, we may find that we’re in the hamster’s wheel and about to lose our footing! Then you and I dear heart, may find ourselves flopping at the bottom or getting stick beneath the wheel!

The hamster wheel for a believer can be comprised of many things. “If I do more, I’m more valuable”. “If more people see me being busy, more people will think I’m worth more”. “Taking time to rest is wasteful, so my worth is lowered”. So we huff and puff and wear ourselves out. Many times we allow others to control our wheel and as long as they push, urge, cajole and banter, we try to do more, more, more.

Lord, help us! Help us to remember to take time to meet with You at the start of every day so that we don’t continually meet ourselves coming and going! Not only that, when we meet with You Lord, we find that our energy is renewed for all the things we must accomplish! And Lord, you give us the urgings of Your Holy Spirit so that we don’t try to fulfill others’ wishes for us at our own hurt. Help us to remember to go to you when we find ourselves flagging in strength and becoming agitated with ourselves.

Oh beloved, God loves your faithfulness and hard work. He knows your needs and your hopes and desires. He also knows that you and He need time together. Won’t you take a moment this morning and just rest in His arms? You’ll never hear Him snapping orders at you or telling you to hurry up! He just wants to speak His Truth into your heart and the only way to do that is to spend time with Him. The Creator of the Universe desires time with His creation and you are one of His favorites! Hear that still small voice above the clatter of the wheel? It’s the Prince of your Peace and He’s calling you to rest in His never ending love and His unimaginable care!

Luke 10:40-42 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Isaiah 33:2 O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited [expectantly] for You. Be the arm [of Your servants—their strength and defense] every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. (AMP)

Psalm 91:1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Reflect His Glory by Abiding in Him

When Danny brought our live tree into the house it was wrapped up tight so that the limbs wouldn’t get broken during travel from the tree farm to the store.  That made it easy to manage from the store to the house as well. But once inside that tree needed to have its bindings removed.  By the time I got home, the tree was looking quite full.

Danny had cut the binding loose, sat the tree in a reservoir stand and positioned it just right.  Throughout the day he had poured water into the reservoir – several gallons by that evening. The tree was not only bound up, it was thirsty. As it took in water it also began to branch out, and display its true splendor.  We thought it looked like a good tree with a straight strong trunk, but you never know how it will look once you get it home.  This tree was beautiful. The care we are giving it, fresh water daily and vacuuming up any needles around, decking it out with all our finest decorations, has given it a truly regal look.

We’re a lot like a store bought Christmas tree. For many, days are spent going from one destination to another. There are ballgames, piano lessons, homework, office management, car repair, vacuuming, dusting, washing, and more. There are issues and problems everywhere. Misunderstandings, misgivings, misappropriations, mistakes and more. More bills, more broken things needing fixed. We find ourselves being tossed around as we go from one problem to another, one appointment to another, one destination to another. Before you know it, we can be bound up as tightly as that Christmas tree. 

But when we come into the house of the Lord, into the presence of Jesus, we begin to unwind. He takes our bound up lives and begins to remove those things that have us so bound up. Just as He laid aside the grave clothes, we too are able to lay aside those things that bind us.  He also gives us living water so that we never have to thirst again, even in the dry days of disappointment or discouragement.  He sets us securely in His Word so that our reservoir of living water never goes dry.

Oh beloved, let God take you into His presence! Let Him lovingly apply the Word to your life so that you can move freely and show all the splendor a child of God can show! You were meant to be lovingly displayed as His precious possession. You were meant to live a full and beautiful life.  All you have to do is let God take the bindings from your heart and life. Let Him love you as you were meant to be loved. Let Him feed you and care for you as only He can. What wondrous love is this that the Lord of Heaven and Earth has picked you and set you securely in His Presence to show His glory all the days of your life! What absolute care is yours as He is your Caretaker. He will never grow tired of you, you will never dry up and be thrown away! For His care is Eternal! You are His beloved and His love and care is your path to true beauty and true rest. Rejoice!

Deuteronomy 14:2 You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.

Psalm 94:18 I cried out, "I am slipping!" but Your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.

2 Corinthians 3:18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image.

Isaiah 41:9 I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, 'You are my servant.' For I have chosen you and will not throw you away.

Psalm 92:12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.

Psalm 73: 23-25, 28 Yet I still belong to You; You hold my right hand.  You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but You? But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.

He says to you and me "I AM your Rest and Peace"

I find that I am losing ground daily. Once I had a huge realm. All that my eye could see was mine, mine, mine. My husband was mine. My family was mine. My home was mine. My land was mine. My job, my hobbies, my habits, my future and more. All mine. I was a very influential woman as the scope of my realm was huge! Slowly but slowly I’ve been losing ground. First I lost my rights. Then I lost my desires. I found, through a series of events, better known as life, that even my family no longer belonged to me.  Now I have very little to call mine. Some of it I lost the hard way – by hanging on too tightly. Other personal effects I lost by realization.  The more I tried to keep things under control, the more bound I was to it. Like owning the cell of the prison you’re captive of.  

Now that I own nothing I find that there is complete freedom. Now that I have lost myself I find that I am a rich woman indeed. I have found and am still finding out that loss of everything means gain of the best. I have no realm, not even myself. It all belongs to another.  It is his to do whatever he wants to with. I cannot control one person, one thing or one idea. But as I relinquish my realm more and more to the One Who is worthy I find that peace, love, joy and overcoming victory are totally mine. I have exchanged my crown for the olive wreath and it fits so much better. I have exchanged my pack of possessions for a yoke and it is soothing and reassuring.

Perhaps you have tried to control problems, personalities, and things. Maybe you just want peace in your home and joy in your entire family. You’ve tried and tried. You’ve prayed, begged, insisted and soothed, but still the other subjects of the land are determined to do their own thing. Maybe you were charged by lions and you saw no helper near you to come to your aid. You must find rest from the toil and a soft pillow for your weary head.

Oh beloved, run to the Lord! Bury your face in all that He is! He calls out in loving, soothing words – “Everything, I mean everything in all creation is Mine, including you, all of your loved ones and all of your heart’s desires. In all the expanse of heaven and earth there is nothing I cannot take care of. I AM the Lord and there is no other. I AM your rest and your peace. Relax your hold on other things and take hold of Me and My Promises which follow after all who trust Me. I have all your hurts and hopes and desires in My hand. I AM going to take you with Me all the days of your life. Keep seeking Me and My favor, keep relinquishing your control of both the hard things and the good and rest, just rest in Me.  I love you and I’m for you. Is there anything else you really need?”

Daniel 4:34 After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the One who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and His kingdom is eternal.

John 18:36  Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep Me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

Isaiah 30:15  This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to Me and resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength…”

Lamentations 3:24  I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!”

Matthew 11:29  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalm 56:9  My enemies will retreat when I call to You for help. This I know: God is on my side!

Deuteronomy 3:24  ‘O Sovereign LORD, You have only begun to show Your greatness and the strength of Your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as You do?

You Can Trust God When You're "Done"

Children’s Hospital was the location for two year old Caleb’s procedure last week.  They were not looking forward to him being put to sleep. It also concerned them because he has separation anxiety – he never wants to be away from his mother.  Diona said that after she told the nurses that, they brought Caleb a little pink medicine and sure enough it did the trick! He began to relax and no longer care what was going on. They wheeled him away on the gurney without incident and put him to sleep.

The procedure was done quickly and when he began waking up Diona and Eddie were able to go back to the recovery room.  They found Caleb trying to wake up. It took a few minutes but sure enough he got wide awake.  Then he began to attempt pulling out his iv and taking off the oxygen from his nose. Then he wanted loose from the oxygen monitor on his toe! He kept saying “socks” and “shoes”.  He repeatedly said “Done!” He was done with it and he was ready to leave.  “Done.”

Oh beloved, are you done? Are you tired of the situation and ready to just throw your hands up and say “Done”?  You’ve prayed, you’ve hoped, you’ve relaxed, you’ve recited Scripture and yet things are a tangled mess.  You’re tied up in knots and you’re ready to just walk away.  You feel you’ve given it enough time and now it’s just time to go. You’re disappointed, concerned and worn out. 

Run to the Word and drink freely of His Truth! It will calm your nerves, cure your fears and keep you hanging in there until the situation is over.  God says to you this morning that He can untie those knots and release you from the tangles if you’ll just give it all to Him. He says, I Know what you’re going through and I AM with you! While circumstances seem hopeless, with Me nothing is ever hopeless. 

Trust in the Lord and let Him love you to victory. He will go before you and lead you where you need to go. He will also keep you while you’re on the gurney of life! No separation anxiety with the Lord for He loves you and He’s always with you and that’s all that matters!

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 91:14  The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love Me. I will protect those who trust in My Name.

Psalm 59:9  You are my strength; I wait for you to rescue me, for you, O God, are my fortress.

Isaiah 30:18 So the LORD must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.

Jeremiah 14:22  Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, You are the one, O LORD our God! Only You can do such things. So we will wait for You to help us.