Maci
Father, I am grateful to be where I am. So many others are struggling so – dealing with death, going through life-threatening health issues, and all from multiple angles. Father, give us strength and wisdom as we place our trust in You. Amen.
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Very early this morning, Maci a 5-year-old little girl took her final earthly breath. Before she was even born, her parents knew that she would not live very long. Upon her birth, because she only had half a heart, she was sent home to live out her few days, for her condition, coupled with other equally complicated conditions, was beyond the expertise of the pediatric surgeons close to home.
But God held up a finger and said, “Uh, not so fast! I have more in store for her!” And her family’s pediatrician reached out to colleagues at another facility far from home. And their expertise gave her parents hope! God was at work, for the Great Physician had plans for Maci. And she lived!
It was not a life without trial, but God had placed her in a home with a father of strong character, a mother who was an exceptional nurse, and a brother, who despite his young age, would love her without condition. For he and his new sister were loved in the same way. And this small family of faith pushed forward into the unknown, living each day to the fullest, taking advantage of each day given, never truly knowing which one would be her last.
That first surgery was quickly followed by another…and God’s hand was upon Maci. His hand was upon her mother, her father, her brother, and, over time, her little sister. There were many ups and downs but there was always faith and hope that the Great Physician would have his way and the miracle would continue.
Two years later, another surgery was needed. I would say it was extremely risky but her first surgeries had been, as well. The family knew that she may not live through them but again, God held her up…he sustained her throughout it all. And she thrived!
She was beautiful! She was cherished – and not just by her family! Her mom, as a means of expressing herself, as she made this difficult journey, went to social media to share where they were and her thoughts along the way. And word spread…and the love spread. As of this evening, her followers add up to over 122,000 people!
Maci’s life impacted – not just her own family, not just a few friends…but literally 1,000s of people! Praying, encouraging, loving – all of it directed toward one small child none of us had met.
And though her life was short – for after a time her life had radiated enough love that the Father felt it was time to call her home. Time and time again, He had intervened on her behalf, His life radiating through hers. But the time had come for her struggles to be over. His love was so great that it far exceeded His gift of loving family overflowing with unconditional love. It even exceeded the love of 1,000s who loved her from afar. He had prepared a place for this littlest of warriors to be…with Him, for all eternity. No more pain. No more “pokes”. Just wholeness and unconditional love for all of eternity.
Won’t you take a moment to pray with me this day for Maci’s mom…and her dad…and her brother and sister…and the rest of her family? They mourn but there is joy, as well, for they will see her again!
“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
|How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27 NKJV
Sept 19th, 2021, Sun, 5:54 pm
Mug Handles
Well, Father, I am grateful that everything is in Your mighty hands! There were some surprising developments today, but I place my trust in You! Lead and I will follow!
John 14:27-31 (<<click here to read the passage)
Mugs are definitely convenient and handy devices. A couple of days ago, two moms and their four elementary kids all ended up in one driveway! They are “neighbors” but in our area, our lots are multiple acres in size! Regardless, as I pulled up, there they stood chatting, each with a mug of what I assumed to be their morning coffee.
I’ve seen many pictures of people holding that warm mug of coffee or hot cocoa, their fingers firmly grasping the handle. They are obviously enjoying their beverage and the warmth of it in their hands brings a look of satisfaction on their face.
The handles on those mugs are definitely an asset of which the drinkers take full advantage. They provide a secure way to grasp the mug and it also offers a way to hold on to it without getting burned by the hot contents.
As I read through my study Bible* notes on the latter portion of today’s passage, it said, “Although Satan, the ruler of this world, was unable to overpower Jesus (Matthew 4), he still had the arrogance to try.”
It goes on to say, “…because Jesus is sinless, Satan has no power over him. If we obey Jesus and align ourselves closely with God’s purposes, Satan can have no power over us.”
So, here’s what came to mind. Think of the sin in our lives as the handle on a mug. Because Jesus is sinless, Satan had nothing to grab ahold of. Though he tempted Jesus in the wilderness following his baptism (that’s the Matthew 4 passage by the way), Jesus gave Satan nothing by which to overpower Him.
Now here is a tall order, by loving Jesus and obeying His commandments, we eliminate the “handles” of sin in our lives. The less sin the less power Satan has over us. God’s power is insurmountable, and Satan is defeated!
Lord Jesus, may we strive to show our love through obedience. May we give that great deceiver, the devil, nothing to grab hold of!
*Life Application Study Bible New Living Translation
Sept 16th, 2021, Thurs, 6:50 pm
Put Down Fear, Pick Up a Gift!
We have been through the wringer but have come out the other side. Thank You, Father, for Your mighty and guiding hand. We would not be where we are if it were not for You!
John 14:27-31 (<<click here to read the passage)
What is one aspect of life that sinks its claws into pretty much every one of us? Rich or poor…male or female…in good or poor health…old or young…and on…and on…and on. I would dare say that we all struggle with…fear. And unfortunately fear knows no bounds. Wherever we find ourselves in life, fear can hound us. Fear can conquer us. Ofttimes we are so entangled by fear that we struggle to break free from its clutches.
So, what’s the answer? A gift, of all things!
Jesus said in verse 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.” v27
It’s a wonderful gift! But have you ever seen a small child opening presents at Christmas or a birthday? Often they get distracted by a gift they have already opened and sit down to play. Often there are more gifts to open (especially in our culture) and it is often necessary to get them to put down an opened gift to open another. If their hands are full of other things, they can’t accept what is being offered.
How much do we hang onto? Many of the things that bring us fear, we are afraid to put down. We are so consumed with the outcome of things that we wouldn’t dare to put it down. But that’s crazy! Hard parts of life, troubles in our families, burdens as work – they consume us! We fear letting them go thinking they will get even more out of control!
But what did Jesus say? “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.”
Hmmm…set down your fear – giving it to Him – and pick up, instead, the gift of peace of mind and heart!
Give everything to the Creator of everything (Who better to handle it?!) in exchange for peace. And keep in mind, as my study Bible* puts it,
Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance; with Christ’s peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future. Sin, fear, uncertainty, doubt, and numerous other forces are at war within us. The peace of God now moves into our hearts and lives to restrain these hostile forces and offer comfort in place of conflict. Jesus says he will give us to that peace if we are willing to accept it from him.
Lord Jesus, help us to set down our fear and to pick up Your gift of peace. It is a gift the world cannot give!
Sept 15th, 2021, Wed, 12:25 pm
Tests of Life
It’s just one of those times in life, Father, where I am bone-weary. It is a trying time, but I have to keep reminding myself that I don’t need to carry it all alone. You are there and You will never leave me. May I find comfort in You. Amen.
John 14:22-26 (<<click here to read the passage)
I would think that there would be very few who would enjoy taking a test. I was a passable student but by no means a stellar one. One thing though, I am a better student in my adulthood than in my youth!
Some topics come easy for us; some are much more challenging. Some people have the kind of mind that can hang on to details of their studies and recall them with little stress or anxiety when they sit to take a test over it all. Others can work at it but are unable to bring very many specifics to mind as they sit before their blank exam sheet.
Open book tests were not a whole lot better. Yeah, you could use your books, but you still had to be familiar enough with it all to find the needed information in a timely manner.
Then, of course, some are tempted to shortcut the system by copying another person’s work or by some nefarious means to bring all the answers with them in an attempt to gain a passing grade.
Living life as a genuine follower of Jesus Christ in a lot of ways is a daily test. Sometimes things come pretty easily, while other aspects of our lives find us running down a trail of thought only to realize that it’s all wrong. Much to our dismay, we realize that Jesus would never do this or think that! And then we backpedal in an attempt to clear ourselves of the wreckage in which we find ourselves.
Jesus wants us to be victorious but realizes too that we are far from perfect. We fail. We fumble. We fall. And ofttimes it’s not just a small stumble but is a full faceplant onto the rocky courses of life! Some of the tests of life we can pass, no problem but others, it’s like we don’t even know where to begin!
But Jesus has provided all we need to ace the tests of life! Verse 26 of today’s passage says,
But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. NLT
What better way to go through a test than to have the Author of the Book right beside you, the whole way along! Too often we are determined to do it all on our own. But we need to understand that we can’t! Only in a partnership with Jesus Christ can we succeed. He brings the victory where we so often fail!
Lord Jesus, may we call out to You! You listen for our call. You provide the answers to our questions and when we don’t understand or don’t get the answers we want, may we trust You. Amen.
Sept 14th, 2021, Tues, 12:44 pm
Love and Obey
I am trusting in You this day, Father. Many things are clamoring for me to fret over them, but I cling to You. Fretting accomplishes nothing. In You I find rest.
John 14:15-21 (<<click here to read the passage)
More often than not, love and obedience go hand in hand. If you love someone, you’ll do what they say. You will not go against their desires; you will be eager to fulfill them. There are many instances as well when we obey out of fear but if you truly love someone you will do whatever it takes to do what they want to be done. That’s how we show our love.
In parent/child relationships, children will obey their parents on many different fronts. It’s not always just to stay out of trouble. Many times, we obey because we love our parents, so much so, that we don’t want to hurt them by disobeying them. We love our parents by obedience. The same goes for our relationships with significant others in our lives – boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives.
So, when Jesus says in verse 15,
“If you love me, obey my commandments.” NLT
…and then again in the first part of verse 21,
“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.” NLT
…what should we do? What should we do if we truly love Him, because we have to understand without the slightest doubt that He first loved us? If we love Him, we need to obey His commandments – no excuses, no beating around the bush, no rationalizations. We. Need. To. Obey.
We know what we should do…but it is a challenge for 99.9% of us! It doesn’t make sense, but we struggle so. He died for us. He paid the price for our sin with his own life’s blood! And again and again, we falter…we fail…we disobey, over and over and over again…
Some never think twice about it…others weep over it all… How could I do that to Him? How could I hurt Him so? He loves me more than I can even begin to comprehend, and I disobey his commandments – love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself…the absolute core of all the commandments – and I choose to disobey time and time and time again.
Lord Jesus, forgive us! We know You will. Maybe that is part of our problem is that we know You will, but, O Savior, help us we pray! Give us the burning desire within our hearts to not yield to selfish desires. Help us to seek what pleases Your heart not our own. We are weak…but You are strong! May we fall into Your arms of grace and mercy! May we seek with all that we are to love You by obeying Your commandments! Amen! So be it!
Sept 13th, 2021, Mon, 12:34 pm