NEIGHBORS

Having lived in four houses within the past 15 years, we have been given an opportunity to see how neighbors differ. We would always try to take our cues from our neighbors as to the degree of friendliness they wanted. Some were too busy and preoccupied to even notice our presence. Others wanted only a nodding acquaintance with us. Some were friendly with a cheery wave every time they saw us. Sometimes neighbors would open their hearts and homes, wanting a deeper relationship to be established. What a pleasurable surprise that was!

People are like neighbors in their relationship to God. Some are so busy that they don’t even notice He exists. Others want only a nodding acquaintance with Him - they don’t want Him to get too close. Some wave cheerily to Him every day, but otherwise, ignore Him. Then there are the special ones - those who open their hearts and homes to Him, longing for a deeper relationship to be established. Since God is the ultimate good neighbor, He waits for an invitation into lives. Those who welcome Him . . . what pleasure they bring to His yearning heart.

Draw close to God and God will draw close to you. James 4:8

Heavenly Father, please show me how to be one of those special ones in Your eyes - one who opens my heart and home to Your presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

GOOD WORDS

In the news, we hear words detailing violence, hatred and strife. Every day we are bombarded with words about job layoffs, global warming, school violence, suicide bombers, floods, homelessness and murder. The news never seems to get better, only worse.

Recently, while reading Romans 5, it was amazing to see such positive, life-giving words throughout. Words seemed to jump off the page - words such as peace, grace, hope, endurance, character, God’s love, reconciled, free gift, justification, abundance, reign, righteous, eternal life.

What a contrast between the words the world has to offer and those words which God has for us. And that’s only in one chapter. Imagine all of the other good words God has for us in the rest of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Let’s discover them for ourselves !

They feast on the abundance of Thy house, and Thou givest them drink from the river of Thy delights. Psalm 36:8

Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your written words available to me in Scripture. Please open my eyes and heart to see the abundance of Thy house and the river of Thy delight which You mention in Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

AN AGING TENNIS STAR

It was sad to watch. The tennis player who, for years, had been the best player in the world crumbled during the biggest match of the season. He had been so strong for so long, yet at the young age of 30, his body gave out. With his loss, he sat on the sidelines, his head hanging down in utter dejection.

For us who follow the Lord, we need never experience that sort of dejection at our loss of physical strength. Yes, our bodies may weaken as we grow older, but we know that the growth and strength which the Lord gives to us in our inner person - in our spirit - will only increase with each passing day. Even into our 80s and 90s, if we are on the earth for that length of time, our spiritual strength will increase as we obey the Lord. Bearing fruit into old age is to be expected as the norm for us who love the Lord. Can’t you just feel the sap flowing?

the righteous . . . still bring forth fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green; to show that the Lord is upright; He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:14-15

Heavenly Father, as the days, months and years are added to my life, please continually reveal Your righteousness through me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

HAVE COURAGE

Our friends’ high school-age son was chosen to go to a leadership conference in Kansas City. Another son seems to be outstanding in chemistry. Their daughter traveled to Japan for a portion of her college credits. Our son’s resume listed capabilities in the graphic design field. Our daughter decided to take up training an ox. Each loved God, desiring to do His will. How we, as adults, marvel at how God has worked in our children’s lives. Looking around at other believing young people’s lives, we notice the same courage to step out and try new things.

When we were young, it seemed the only way to Kansas City was by cyclone, hurricane or tornado. We probably would never have even thought of going to Japan, not to mention studying there. We probably never considered training an ox, having trouble even training a puppy.

Our children’s lives have certainly been enriched by God. In turn, their lives have enriched our own. Perhaps, as we look at our children’s courage to venture out into untried areas, we should consider prayerfully asking the Lord in what areas we should next venture - with His courage.

So I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and of good courage. Joshua 1:5

Heavenly Father, please send the courage I need as You prompt me to try new adventures. In Jesus’ name. Amen

FIRST THINGS FIRST

We’ve all heard of the shoemaker whose children had no shoes. We’ve probably also heard of the woman so busy writing a cookbook that she had no time to cook meals for her family. We sigh and cluck our tongues in disapproval. Yet, are we doing the same things, but in a different way?

Are we so busy fussing at our children to pick up their toys that we neglect to sit down and play with our little ones? Are we dynamite at organizing our office at work? At home, however, it is another scene with papers and files overflowing the dining room table?

Of course, we could go on and on with scenes like these but let’s take a minute and survey what is happening in our lives. In what areas do we need to improve? God, in His strength, is more than willing to help us where we need improvement. He doesn’t expect perfection but He does expect us to become more and more like Him every day of our lives.

You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

Heavenly Father, please open my eyes to see areas in my life which need to be improved. Then show me how to go about improving them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

IMMEDIATE PRAYERS

Finding myself in a difficult situation, I walked over to my friend, Marcie, who had been blind since birth and asked her to pray. She immediately clasped her hands and began talking with our heavenly Father, requesting help. As I stood beside her, I was awestruck by her immediate response on my behalf.

As the difficult situation was remedied before our eyes, I marveled at how a friend’s immediate prayer resulted in all of heaven’s help being made available to me at that moment.

May we be found faithful to pray for those who ask. Immediately.

The prayer of a righteous man (or woman) has great power in its effects. James 5:16

Heavenly Father, thank You for those who have prayed for me down through the years. Help me to be a faithful pray-er. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

WEAVING A LIFE

Learning to weave is a complex task.

First, the weaver must chose the thread, strips of fabric or yarn which are to be used.

Second, the loom must be prepared with the warp threads.

Third, the proper sequence of pedals must be used for the desired pattern to emerge.

One step is built upon another until the finished piece emerges.

Weaving is much like life. As in weaving, each step in life is built upon the previous steps. Slipshod work at one stage will surely show up later. If, however, we live our lives prayerfully and carefully, God will show us step by step how to build a beautifully finished piece - us!

For it is precept upon precept. . . line upon line here a little, there a little. Isaiah 28:10

Heavenly Father, please show me how to carefully weave together a life which is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

ANGRY WORDS

Have you ever been the brunt of someone’s anger? Their words were like hot lava, pouring over you, hurting you to the very depths of your being.

You tried to get away but their scorching words kept flowing. Later, shaken, you prayerfully looked back, asking the Lord what you could have done differently to prevent their anger.

Gradually you realize that the problem wasn’t caused by your actions at all. Peace returns to you. The person who attacked you was the one with deep seated anger, so overwhelming that, like dry tinder, it didn’t take much to set it off.

How are you to interact with such an angry person in the future? God’s Word has some helpful directions for interacting with angry people.

Make no friendship with a man (or woman) given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man (or woman) . . . . Proverbs 22:24

Heavenly Father, please give me Your wisdom when I am near angry people. Show me clearly when to draw near in Your Love and when to draw back in Your Love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A ROTTEN CORE

A woman was known by others as a real prayer warrior. If someone had a prayer request, they knew who to call for prayer. One day, however, it was learned that this same woman abandoned her husband and child. How could this have happened, we asked ourselves?

The answer came in a the form of a huge white pine which stood in front of our house. It was a magnificent tree, so green and healthy looking as it towered above all of the other trees. Then one day half of the tree crashed to the ground. We found ourselves asking how such a healthy looking tree could fall.

As we looked more closely, we noticed that the center of the tree’s trunk was diseased. All looked good on the outside but the inside had been rotting for years.

Just like in the woman’s life - all looked good on the outside but she had allowed the disease of sin to eat away at her soul until she crashed. She had been living for years pretending to be someone she wasn’t. She hadn’t been honest with herself, with others . . . or with God. May we use this woman’s example as a warning to us - to deal with each sin as it appears, to keep a heart pure and steadfast to God, to be the same person inside and out.

. . . that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. Ephesians 3:16

Heavenly Father, please have mercy on me. Please give me the courage to deal with any sin in my life, continually. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

DISCIPLINE

At her son’s request, a woman took him to hockey practice each morning before school. They had to leave the house at 4 a.m.

After attending school all day, the boy would then go to basketball practice or football practice, depending on the season.

Of course, there was homework interspersed with scout meetings, soccer practice and sleep-overs with friends on the weekends. His parents could see that he was becoming exhausted but hated to step in to limit his activities in any way. They wanted him to be “happy”.

Why have we, as a society, become so child-centered? We approve of anything and everything our children want to do whether it is good for them or not - all for the sake of giving our children a “happy childhood”. Haven’t we gone a little too far?

Disciplining our children means not only correcting them for wrong behavior. Disciplining them also means giving clear direction to them as they try to move in too many directions at once. Discipline means helping them maintain a schedule which allows their growing bodies to rest and to get sufficient nutrition to ensure proper physical and emotional well-being.

Discipline your son (daughter) and he (she) will give you rest; he (she) will give delight to your heart. Proverbs 29:17

Heavenly Father, please provide the wisdom I need in guiding my children in wise living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

FOR YOURSELF

A woman who was often sad and troubled about life, appeared one evening at a meeting. Her face was shining. Giggles of delight bubbled over and out of her with every word she spoke. We wondered what had changed.

Then she told us: She had begun praying for herself that week. Not just general prayers of “make me feel better” but very specific prayers for herself.

She admitted that she had always prayed for her family members and extended family, for her co-workers and those she saw who passed through her grocery check-out aisle. But never had she presented specific requests to God for herself . . . until this week. What a different person she was now becoming . . . because she asked and God heard her requests.

May I encourage you, too, to take the time to discover your most heart-felt needs. Then talk with God about them.

Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Heavenly Father....

MOM'S GARDEN

My mother died unexpectedly in the spring of the year. Not having had the opportunity to say goodbye, my daughter and I decided to plant a special circular garden in her memory.

From my collection of seeds, we chose a wildflower mix, sprinkling them liberally over the newly dug soil. We waited. By the end of summer, it was apparent that the only seeds which would grow in our soil were the ones which produced poppies.

Poppies of pastel pink, pure white and fiery red nodded on tall stalks. We noticed, though, that each flower was so delicate that it only lasted a day or two. It’s life span was shortened by a gentle breeze or a slight rainfall. How like my mother’s life - our lives. We bloom for but a moment, then are gone.

Yet the next spring we noticed that we had poppies sprouting everywhere. Although they had a short life span, they had reproduced themselves beautifully.

No matter how short or long our life span, may God use us to shed the glory of Himself everywhere we go.

The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:7

Heavenly Father, thank You that what is eternal abides forever. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

PROTECTED!

Last winter, if we can bear to talk about it, as I was driving down the country road, the wind was whipping the snow across into the next field. Snow drifts were piling up, the windchill was minus one. It was bitterly cold and dangerous out there. How thankful I was to be within my vehicle, protected from the elements - above, below and all around. Protected!

How similar that is to experiencing God’s protection. Amidst the swirl of difficulties and heartache we may experience in this world, God wants to be our Protector. He wants us to go to Him, have Him wrap His loving arms around us - to protect and nurture us - until He sends us back out there - ready to face any kind of storm - warmed by His unfailing Love.

Have you gone to Him for His protection lately?

The eternal God is our dwelling place and underneath are the everlasting arms.
Deuteronomy 33:27
Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Psalm 2:12
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Let’s say with the Psalmist: “For in Thee my soul takes refuge, in the shadow of Thy wings I will take refuge, until the storms of destruction pass by.” Psalm 57:1

Let’s go to Him who loves us beyond measure - for protection and for all else we need.

A NEW PHASE

Friends of ours are entering a new phase of their lives. Their children are grown and living on their own, their business is thriving. Now, all of a sudden, both sets of our friend’s parents are in need of time and attention as the retirement years have given way to health problems.

Our friends are being called upon to help, not only with the grocery shopping and errands, but with the actual physical care of their loved ones. Their already full schedule is now bursting at the seams.

We notice, though, that our friends are more than glad to give all that is needed at this time. They have a real desire to honor their parents in this way. They realize that their parent’s time on this earth is probably drawing to a close and know that the time for serving their parents is almost over. So with loving hands and hearts, they honor them. We applaud their every loving effort!

Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you. Exodus 20:12

Heavenly Father, please open my eyes to areas of service for my parents or, if they are no longer on this earth, to others you may want me to serve. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

REST !

Have you ever reached the end of a stress-filled week, longing and looking forward to a day off? A day to rest and regroup? To putter around the house? To spend some time with your family and/or friends?

Then something happens. Your boss asks you to fill in for a co-worker on your day off. All of a sudden your stress level shoots even higher. You dread telling the boss “no”. Yet you know that if you turn your back on the sabbath rest you had declared for yourself, that you will pay the price. That’s how much you know you need rest.

After praying about what to do, it is clear that the Lord is encouraging “Rest!” not more work. With a clear conscience you kindly tell your boss “no, I cannot that day”, offering no details or explanations. Just a simple, kindly “no”.

Because you were obedient to the Lord, you will be refreshed and restored to tackle the next week of work.

Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 5:13-14

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision of a day of rest. Please help me to use it wisely so that I may be refreshed and ready. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

BUSY WORK

Have you ever been asked by a friend to be involved in something with which you don’t agree? What do you do in a case such as that? Do you just go along with the plans, not really wanting to be involved yet, somehow, feeling obligated?

Time and energy, two of our most precious resources given us by God, need to be wisely used because neither is limitless. Going to our heavenly Father for His wisdom and then prayerfully choosing which obligations we take on seem to be the key to wise living.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Heavenly Father, please give me the courage to act out of conviction, not out of obligation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

ROOTS

Staying with friends in Boulder, Colorado and enjoying their hospitality also meant being willing to pitch in and help in any way needed. Along with doing dishes and helping prepare meals, dandelion-like weeds needed to be dug out.

Normal dandelions have roots which go quite deep and have leaves which are soft and edible in early springtime. However, these weren’t your normal, friendly dandelions. These spreading leaves were full of prickers that hurt when touched. As the trowel was used to dig them out, it could be noticed that they had an extremely shallow root system. Shallow and prickly . . . a deadly combination.

We, as people, can become quite prickly too. How? When we neglect to stay rooted in our Lord Jesus Christ. How can we stay rooted in Him? By spending time with God, reading God’s Word, praying, worshipping and fellowshipping with others. Oh, how we should long to have strong roots which grow deep down into Jesus.

As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in Him, rooted and built
up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6

Heavenly Father, please show me how to let my roots go down deep into Jesus so that I can be the lovely, usable creation you intended. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

STRENGTH

Do you picture yourself as a strong person in God’s sight? How you view yourself will determine how you react in a given situation.

Picture this: Your children are out of sorts. One is coming down with the stomach flu. Another is cranky from lack of sleep. Your husband is stressed and is feeling the pressure of a busy work week. Your mother needs your attention. Your boss at work keeps piling on the work. Friends are calling attention to your lack of availability. You feel pulled in too many directions at once. The breaking point is near.

If you consider yourself with the strength of the Proverbs 31 woman, the word strength will help define your every act. You will consistently rely on God’s strength during your busy seasons of life.

May we picture ourselves as God does - strong and competent in Him. Then our actions will follow.

. . . clothed with strength and dignity.... Proverbs 31:25

Heavenly Father, please help me picture myself as You see me - clothed in strength because of Your work in me. Yet please also give me the wisdom to know when there is too much to do, some of it not from Your hand at all. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

SACRIFICE OR OBEDIENCE

Do you ever find yourself bailing everyone out of their jams, leaving your own tasks undone? A phone call comes in from a volunteer project in which you are involved. They need last minute help if the project is to succeed. Your boss at work asks you to fill in for a co-worker he forgot was going on vacation. The food committee at your child’s school needs 12 dozen homemade cookies for Thursday.

You run around trying to stop the leaks in the dike with your thumbs. Until you run out of thumbs . . . and energy . . . and time. Your own tasks are left undone - the house needs a good cleaning, laundry is stacking up and meals are skimpy and eaten on the run.

You stop to take a breath. Realization of what is happening strikes you. Then you remember that God says he desires our obedience to Him, not sacrifice. In this case, sacrificing to meet the emergency needs of others is conflicting with your obedience to the King.

You smile. The decision is simple - obedience is what is needed and what is best. You prayerfully decide which tasks to do in obedience to God and leave the rest behind.

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. I Samuel 15:22

Heavenly Father, please give me clear sight to see when obedience to You is in conflict with the demands of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

LOST IN BUSYNESS

A co-worker expressed her desire to go home from work early. She was bone weary . . . tired . . . exhausted. She had risen early that morning to go to her day time job, went home to prepare a quick dinner for her family and then headed off for a few hours at her night time job. All of that after helping her child with his homework.

After expressing her desire to go home, she began to feel guilty.

Why do we feel guilty when we are already doing superhuman work at a superhuman pace? Don’t we see that we can become lost in a world of busyness? Don’t we realize that we only have so much energy and that we must use it prayerfully and carefully? Don’t we realize that we don’t have to “do it all” but we are only expected to do those tasks which the Lord gives?

God is kind, expecting from us only what he gives us the strength to do.

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Jeremiah 10:23

Heavenly Father, please direct my steps. I cannot. In Jesus’ name. Amen

APPRECIATION

Have you ever been busy about your regular duties at home or at work and someone expressed appreciation to you for your accomplishments? Perhaps it was an unusually nice dinner you spent time preparing. Or your carefully tended garden was ablaze in flowers. Or a project at work was completed ahead of time.

No matter how large or small, your efforts were appreciated. As you heard the words of appreciation expressed, your heart swelled in joy at the recognition, didn’t it?

Can you imagine how you will feel when, at the end of time Jesus says to you:

“Well done, good and faithful servant...." Matthew 25:23

Heavenly Father, I long to hear those words from You not only at the end of time but day by day. Please help me to be Your faithful servant. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

DIVINE DIRECTIVES

Have you ever agreed to do a job and then regretted it when you were in the middle of it? Perhaps the job was tedious. Or it was taking longer than you expected. Or it was not at all what you expected it to be. Or more stamina was needed than you’d bargained for. For whatever the reason, you find yourself longing for freedom.

Then you remember that you prayerfully asked the Lord for His divine wisdom whether to do the job or not. When He said “yes”, you moved ahead in obedience.

Now you are in the middle of the job and you want out . . . until you remember God’s divine directive to you. Now you remember it is His strength, His patience and His love which are empowering you.

You breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that all is well because you heeded the divine directive.

. . . and as your days, so shall your strength be. Deuteronomy 33:25

Heavenly Father, thank You not only for Your clear directives but for Your strength to carry them out. In Jesus’ name. Amen

BUG CARE

A two hour ride home from Detroit through a rain storm faced my husband and me. About an hour into our journey, the rain was coming down so heavily that it was difficult to see. We noticed that a piece of a highway sign had blown into our lane of traffic. Unable to move out of that lane, we had no choice but to run over the sign. The bolts, which should have held the sign in place, pointed upward - into our tires.

We held our breaths. Then we heard it - the dreaded sound of a tire going flat. We pulled as far as we could to the right side of the road and surveyed the damage. Thankfully, only one tire was affected, not all four as we had feared.

Although the sun was now shining, the road was still wet. Cars and trucks were speeding by us, trying to make up for the time they had lost due to the storm. It was a dangerous situation!

We found ourselves kneeling down in the mud and wet grass, my husband changing the tire, me steadying the jack, I was asking God to protect us. I felt so vulnerable to the danger. Then I looked down. Where the grass met the road, there were families of June bugs scurrying back and forth. They, too, were within feet of the cars and trucks flying by. They lived there, unafraid!

How thankful I was to witness God’s little creatures there in that perilous place. Surely if He cared for them, He would care for us!

In the day of my trouble I call on Thee, for Thou dost answer me. Psalm 86:7

Heavenly Father, thank You for promising to be with me in the midst of life when it is swirling about me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

RESOURCE PERSON

Do you remember how you felt whenever you started a new job? You were usually assigned one person who would help you get your bearings. Simple questions kept popping up with which you needed help. How did a particular telephone system work? Where were pens and pencils kept? How was this and that particular procedure carried out? Where were you to hang your coat? Where was there a nearby place to eat? How grateful you were to have that person nearby, ready to help.

How grateful we are, too, to be able to go to our heavenly Father at any time to ask, discuss, question, and ponder. He delights in being our resource Person. He is more than qualified since He created us and He created any place in which we find ourselves.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

Heavenly Father, please remind me that You delight in my coming to You with any detail, large or small. In Jesus‘ name. Amen.

NEEDS MET

Do you have a friend who is so needy you don’t know how to help...or even where to begin? Your friend’s problems are too big. The amount of help needed would lead to unending commitments of time and energy on your part. What should you do?

First, it is of utmost importance to take the problem to the Lord. The problem, after all, is His to work out in your friend’s life. It is not your problem to solve using your limited human abilities.

Second, ask the Lord if there is a specific need which you are to meet in your friend’s life. If there is, go forward under God’s direction.

Third, continue to pray for your friend. Ask God to give her growth in those areas which are lacking. Then ask Him for her to be strengthened in those qualities upon which He can build.

Have you noticed that each of these areas involves prayer? That, after all, is the best course of action any of us could possibly take for a friend in need.

. . . pray constantly. . . I Thessalonians 5:17

Heavenly Father, in areas where I can serve my friend, please give me the wisdom and energy to serve. Above all, please show me how to pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

OUR FATHER

At the library recently, a dad could be observed sitting at one of the round library tables with his four year old daughter. They were engrossed in their reading. The dad would read a book to the daughter and then the daughter would “read” an easy book to her dad. There was no hurry. The dad seemed to have all the time in the world to be doing the most important thing in all the world right then - spending time with his child, enjoying her presence.

Our heavenly Father enjoys spending time with us, too. Do we take the time to sit with Him, enjoying His presence?

...behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them.
Revelation 21:3

Heavenly Father, even though I can’t physically see You, I still want to spend time with You! In Jesus name. Amen.

YES AND NO

Years ago I ran a home-based business creating veils and hats for brides. Sometimes, due to poor planning on their part, a bride would call at the last minute, needing a veil . . . ”yesterday”. I wanted to say “no” yet found myself saying “yes”.

Half way into the project, I would see the foolishness of saying “yes” to these emergency demands. My family was being neglected, meals were rushed and I felt stressed. Finding myself beginning to grumble, I needed to reign in my emotions and prayerfully decide how to stand firm in the future.

The Lord, in His kindness, showed me how to meet any future emergency by establishing guidelines ahead of time and then sticking to them. He didn’t want me to vacillate by sometimes saying yes and sometimes saying no. He knew what would be needed in each situation. All I had to do was to fit in with His plans.

You may be asking why I changed my plan. Hadn’t I made up my mind yet? Or am I like people of the world who say yes when they really mean no? As surely as God is true, I am not that sort of person. My yes is yes. II Corinthians 1:17

Heavenly Father, please teach me when to say “yes” and when to say “no”. When I do say “yes”, help me to work with a willing, glad heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

HEART TROUBLE

Recent research has shown that in spite of all of the healthy diets, special tests, special surgical procedures and excellent care, people are still having heart attacks at the same rate as they did in the past.

How could that be?

Perhaps it is because we are not obeying God’s instructions to “Let not our heart be troubled....” A troubled heart can turn into many illness and diseases. It’s been proven!

For our own good, let’s guard our hearts and realize that the King of the Universe does not expect us to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders or in our hearts. He has already done that in the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. John 14:1

Heavenly Father, please show me how to guard my heart in order to please You and to keep balance and health in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen

TREASURES

Due to a change in my family’s diet, our 30 year old recipe box was cleaned out. The old recipes were bundled up with a rubber band and stored away. Subsequently, with time and research, new and acceptable recipe cards were written out and added. All was well . . . until we were invited to a pot luck dinner. As the new recipes were reviewed, something was lacking - a delicious, home-style dish we would want to share with our friends.

Getting out the old recipe box was like looking through a treasure chest. There was the cake recipe my mother always fixed for my birthday. There was a friend’s recipe shared with us 30 years ago in her homey kitchen. Another was from Mary who cooked for senior citizens. As the recipes were reviewed, it became apparent each was a treasure embodying warm memories of valued friendships.

If simple recipe cards can invoke such treasured memories of events and people, what else has God surrounded us with which we should treasure?

In the house of the righteous there is much treasure. Proverbs 15:6

Heavenly Father, please open my eyes to see the treasures, earthly and eternal, which You have bestowed upon me for the purpose of blessing others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

WHEN GOD SAYS STOP

Have you ever held a job or been involved in volunteer work which, you felt, the Lord was drawing to a close for you? Yet you hated to leave
. . . people were relying on you, the work was enjoyable, the hours were perfect. Yet God’s still, small voice kept urging you to withdraw.

We are usually great at putting ourselves into action when we think we have a go-ahead from the Lord. Some of us, however, are a little slow at listening to God when He says “Stop!”

What a familiar scene it is, though. As we continue to ignore God’s “Stop,” our days become busier and busier. Our stress level continues to increase. Only then do we realize that something is amiss. Finally we decide to listen to God’s insistent voice.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today when you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . . . Hebrews 3:7-8

Heavenly Father, please open my heart to listen more closely to You, especially when you say “Stop!” In Jesus’ name. Amen.

FOGGY VIEW

My family and I were thinking about and praying about a move. We had some business ideas which we wanted to pursue. The house where we lived, however, didn’t seem practical for our new ventures.

We began to ask the Lord for direction, keeping our eyes and ears open. While waiting, we began to de-clutter and box any excess belongings. Our eyes and hearts were open . . . yet we couldn’t see where to go.

One morning I awoke to fog outside and all around our house. I couldn’t see past the yard into the soy bean fields. There was only haze after that. I felt like I was looking into a foggy mirror, seeing only a blurred image of myself, nothing beyond.

How wise of God, I thought, not to show us the future until He is ready to open the way. I knew that as we took step by step in obedience to the Lord, the fog would gradually lift and we would know . . . what next. Even if it meant remaining where we were.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part and then I shall understand fully even as I have been fully understood. I Corinthians 13:12

Heavenly Father, please help me to understand the wisdom of seeing only today. As You want me to step out, please lift the fog and help me step ahead confidently. In Jesus’ name. Amen.