Overcomers
At least from a human perspective, today has turned into a day of tragedy. I know our loved one is now in your arms, but it is still hard to bear. I know too that You grieve with us, Father, help our faith in You to stand firm. Amen.
John 16:33 (<<click here to read the passage)
We have looked at the peace that we find in Jesus, but we need to take a closer look at the end of that last verse.
Our family lost a wonderful man today. He fought valiantly against the ravages of COVID but despite his determined battling, he succumbed to the many-fronted attacks on his body. He was a dedicated husband and father, as well, as a devout follower of Yours in all he said and did. But now Lord, as he is in Your presence, his family is in Your more than capable hands.
He battled but so did his family. They all went through tribulation…and distress…and suffering. They have gone through it all but in many aspects, their journey has just begun. His passing will continue to impact his wife and three boys for the rest of their lives.
It would be easy for them to succumb to the many-fronted attacks on their lives…but I don’t see any of them doing that. Lord Jesus, their faith is placed firmly in You. It will be difficult, and I am sure overwhelming to the point of despair. But as You have commanded us in this passage, despite it all we are called to be courageous.
That is not a trite statement! Because of Your victory, we can be confident! We can be undaunted! And yes, though the loss will never pass this side of eternity, we can find joy in You!
The world is all about taking swings at us. Time and time again we are struck. We are stunned. We are knocked down. We are knocked out. But because we place our faith in You, we are overcomers…because You were one first!
You proclaimed, “I have overcome the world” and we lay claim to that for ourselves as well!
Lord Jesus, this all sounds well and good, but when the rubber meets the road – when we come face to face with the hardest of tribulations – we will surely be tested. May we stand strong. May we be overcomers as we find our strength in You. May we cling to You, for only there do we find our hope! Amen.
Oct 13th, 2021, Wed, 7:59 pm
Little Ones to Him Belong
A single day in your courts
….is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God
….than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. Psalm 84:10 NLT
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We’ve all heard of Warner Brothers, but have you ever heard of the Warner sisters? Susan and Anna were born in the early 1800s in the New York City area. Due to some dire financial circumstances, with their father, they relocated to a ramshackle Revolutionary War-era home Constitution Island on the Hudson, right across from the Military Academy at West Point.
To help their family monetarily they both began writing.
One of their most successful joint projects was a novel titled Say and Seal in which a little boy named Johnny Fox is dying. His Sunday school teacher, John Linden, comforts him by taking him in his arms, rocking him, and making up a little song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so…”
Sound familiar? I’m pretty sure we all know that one! In actuality, the first stanza is the only one to be included in the hymn – word for word.
Before we move on from the Warner sisters, there is one more thing of a noteworthy nature.
For forty years, Susan and Anna conducted Bible classes for cadets at West Point, and both were buried with full military honors. They are the only civilians buried in the military cemetery at West Point. To this day, their home on Constitution Island is maintained by West Point as a museum to their memory.*
But moving on, the song Jesus Loves Me, a well-known tune writer from the era, William Bradbury read John Linden’s words (the poem itself was written by Anna) and wrote a very simple tune that quickly became known the world over.
Bradbury author of many fine hymn tunes, some of which include– He Leadeth Me, Just As I Am, The Solid Rock, Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us, and Sweet Hour of Prayer – has literally impacted thousands over the years. But one we will always remember is the tune to accompany,
Jesus loves me—this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to him belong,—
They are weak, but he is strong.
…a truth, so simple, yet so profound!
*Excerpts from Then Sings My Soul, © Robert J. Morgan, 2010,
published by W Publishing an imprint of Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee
Oct 12th, 2021, Tues, 7:32 pm
A Place of Perfect Peace
I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
….for you have ransomed me.
I will tell about your righteous deeds
….all day long, Psalm 71:23-24a NLT
John 16:29-33 (<<click here to read the passage)
Just a few moments ago I finished reading Alex Trebek’s memoir, The Answer Is…Reflections on My Life. A very dear friend shared it with me some months back. It contains short pithy chapters. He speaks of his childhood, his family – both from youth and his wife and children. Of course, he shares the many points of his career, and believe it or not, he was not always hosting Jeopardy!, though he did so for 37 seasons.
In the final chapter, entitled The Answer Is…Life, he shares that in his final days he would be perfectly content with sitting on the swing out in his yard. From that vantage point, he can take in a large portion of his property. He paints a picture of peace, nothing extravagant, just simple peace.
He died on November 8, 2020, at age 80, after a 20-month battle with stage IV pancreatic cancer.
We could all probably describe what we would say is our perfect place of peace. I have a friend whose one place of peace is on her deck on a cool morning with a cup of coffee clasped in her hands. Maybe yours is curled up with a book by a crackling fire, book in hand. Or it could be sitting in your favorite spot by the open water of a beautiful pond with a bright blue sky overhead.
No matter how good all those things may be, there is only one place of perfect peace, and that is in Christ.
He said in verse 33,
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.” [My conquest is accomplished, My victory abiding.] – emphasis mine
We all need peace and far too frequently, those times are way too far and between. We don’t always have the opportunity to sit in our swing or on our deck or by the fire or pond, but no matter where we may find ourselves, no matter what tribulation or distress or suffering we may be engulfed by, if we are in Christ, we can find that perfect peace. Then, and only then, can we be courageous, confident, undaunted, and filled with joy. Christ has “overcome the world” and that is where we find our peace.
Oct 11th, 2021, Mon, 7:08 pm
A Leaf Falling in the Early Morning Fog
It’s been a busy weekend, Father, and I am weary. Speak to my heart and mind, keep me on the right track, may it all align with where You would have me be. Amen.
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Oh, I have been yearning for something in nature to catch my eye! I love writing about things I see and what our loving Creator God can teach me.
This last week we had several foggy mornings (the fog was so bad one morning we had a 2-hour delay because of it!) On one of the latter mornings, the fog wasn’t as widespread, but my middle/high school route tends to be a bit foggy a lot of mornings anyway. Sitting behind the wheel of my big yellow bus, I glanced to my left and in the semi-darkness, I witnessed a solitary leaf falling to the ground in the fog.
What are the chances? That leaf at that moment, what with watching for deer, and traffic, and kids to pick up, and kids already on my bus – a lot of things are continuously clamoring for my attention. And that I would just happen to see that single leaf falling in the fog to the ground is pretty amazing! At least to me…
How many leaves fell that day throughout our region – thousands, maybe millions!
How many did I see? How many did anybody see? Much less in the twilight of that foggy morning.
Now maybe others saw leaves fall but they did not catch their attention.
But I will tell you this, there was Someone who noticed every single leaf fall that exact second, no matter where it fell…our loving Creator God.
At 6:55 this evening, according to www.worldometers.info, there were 7,898,942,269 people on this planet. And I – and you as well – are one single person among those billions. And no matter where you are, or who you are God knows you. He knows every single thing about you. He knows what you’re thinking. He knows how you’re feeling. Everything.
You may feel like that leaf I saw…alone…unnoticed…insignificant. But to God, you are important. You are loved by Him who created you!
In Luke 12:6-7 Jesus spoke of sparrows,
Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? Yet not one of them has [ever] been forgotten in the presence of God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are far more valuable than many sparrows. AMP
But honestly, leaves would fit here just as well. Bear with me if you will.
…not one leaf has [ever] been forgotten in the presence of God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are far more valuable than many leaves.
So, take heart today! You – a single person amongst the billions – you are known. You are loved…by the Creator of all that is!
Oct 10th, 2021, Sun, 6:32 pm
God Is Great, God Is Good
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
….You have done such wonderful things.
….Who can compare with you, O God? Psalm 71:19 NLT
John 16:23-28 (<<click here to read the passage)
There are so many simple things that we learn as children which drive home many important points of truth.
The prayer I and my sister repeated as children at mealtime was,
God is great
God is good
Let us thank Him
For our food
By his hands
we all are fed
Thank you for
Our daily bread
Anybody with any church connection as a child at all probably committed this song to memory,
Jesus loves me—this I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to him belong,
They are weak, but he is strong.
Yet there are other things that early on became a habit, and for many, we continue to do those things even today. For example, how many of us conclude our times of prayer with the phrase, In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
I couldn’t find where the God is Great prayer came from and Jesus Loves Me has a very interesting story of origin that I might delve into at a later time. Maybe you’ve never realized it but the closing of our prayers in Jesus’ name came from the mouth of Jesus Himself! In today’s passage, Jesus said,
In that day you will not [need to] ask Me about anything. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name [as My representative], He will give you. Until now you have not asked [the Father] for anything in My name; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy may be full and complete. vs23-24
Whatever we ask the Father in Jesus’ name, He will give us!
We learned this at an early age from others praying the same thing because it is the core mindset of the family of believers. It is not a magic incantation. It is not attempting to get the genie out of the lamp. It is requesting the Father’s action because of our relationship with His Son. Because we are reconciled with Jesus, we can go straight to the Father – no middleman required!
But we must keep in mind that it is far more than flipping out our wish list with the expectation that our every request will be fulfilled. It is all done in the encompassing love of God’s will.
Verse 27 further expounds upon why the Father will respond to our prayers, for He surely has in the past and surely will in the future!
For the Father Himself [tenderly] loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from the Father.
Once again, we circle around and find ourselves in the loving arms of our Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Oct 7th, 2021, Thurs, 5:45 pm