Work of the Faithful
Father, thank you for a good night’s sleep. As I humbly come into Your presence I am acutely aware of my shortcomings. The Great Deceiver popped off a few rounds and I was hit. My “shield of faith”(Ephesians 6:16) dropped. I come before You asking for Your forgiveness and for the fortitude in standing strong against future assaults. Even when I stumble You are there to lift me up and set me on the narrow way once more. Praise Your holy Name – thank You for Your mercy and grace!
1 Thessalonians 1:1-7 (<<click here)
Lord, I am extremely grateful for the churches I have the privilege of serving. Verses 2 & 3 of this passage, communicate a lot of how I feel being a pastor. I have wonderful people with which to walk this journey and I am thankful for them and their companionship. Living on this old earth we all need lots of prayer to keep us strong and get us through each day. I pray for them and I know many pray for me. When I pray, I “think of [their] faithful work.” Over the years we have consistently supported local ministries to help the needy, we’ve gotten behind impacting faith-based films in our local community (FIREPROOF and COURAGEOUS) and been there for evangelistic events in our surrounding area (Will Graham Celebration). We pray for many people, both those close to our hearts and those we may not know – lifting up those ravaged by disease, those struggling with relationships and those struggling with the many spiritual issues in their lives. Their “loving deeds” include meals for the bereaved, letters of encouragement to those who are sick or recovering from procedures, “cheer” plates of goodies encouraging those unable to get out to church any longer, as well as, weekly contact with bulletins and CD recording of our services Lord, thank You for such loving caring people with which to serve!
And Lord we thank You for the “enduring love” You have given us. No matter what trial we may have to endure, no matter what losses we may suffer – You are there to sustain us through it all. Thank You for Your love and care!
July 6th, 2015, Mon, 5:33 am
Love Multiplies, It Doesn’t Divide
Father, I plead of You, help me to never grow weary of our time together! May it always be refreshing, fulfilling, encouraging and inspirational. As the years go by may I collect many journals and when I look back please let me see that I have matured and changed for the better because You have continued to work in my life. May my passion and desire for relationship with You only broaden, deepen as the days and months roll by! As the old hymn goes…
Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
Daily let me go;
Higher, higher in the school of wisdom
More of grace to know
O deeper yet, I pray
And higher every day
And wiser, blessed Lord,
In thy precious, holy Word.
– Charles P Jones, 1900
AMEN!
Colossians 4:7-18 (<<click here)
Paul’s closing of his letter to Colosse is full of encouragement. Even though he was imprisoned he was surrounded by many faithful friends who mutually supported each other and lifted up the Church. Lord, help me to continue to surround myself with those who would lift up Your kingdom, as well as, myself. And help me do the same for Your kingdom and them. Love, and sometimes tough love, should permeate it all. With You infilling us all, we are to encourage one another to keep the faith. We are to fervently persevere in prayer for one another. Being a hermit may work for a few but we are called a body for a reason – to work together, weak and strong, to build Your kingdom. Please give us wisdom and strength and patience and courage. And Your love must saturate it all – too much damage can be done without it. The love with which You infill us is a multiplier – without it division is inevitable. Help me, Lord, help us, Lord, to be filled with You and to be about Your business.
July 5th, 2015, Sun, 6:09 am
Tooting My Own Horn
Good morning, Father. It is good to have this time, in the quiet of the early morning hours – just me and You. Help me to listen and learn, for there is no better teacher than You.
Matthew 6:1-4 (<<click the green)
Sometimes it’s hard to do something nice for someone and keep it a secret. Now sometimes the recipient will know but sometimes we are just so proud of ourselves we want to toot our own horn, as the saying goes.
In this passage, Lord, You admonish us to “Watch out!” when it comes to doing our “good deeds publicly, to be admired by others”. When we do so that is our reward and we forfeit the reward You would give us. Now, I truly have no idea what that reward would be but is there anything this world has to offer us that can hold a candle to what You have to offer us, Lord?
It’s interesting knowing a little of the background of this passage – it’s a bit of knowledge I picked up from a wonderful man of God that I had the privilege of serving under several years ago. The “trumpets in the synagogues” were receptacles for offerings and for some of those able to give generously it was probably a great temptation to throw in a handful of coins letting anyone in the vicinity know that they had made a sizeable donation.
Lord, what is my motivation for doing and giving? Is my goal to receive praise for myself? Or am I striving to point others to You? May I be diligent in doing all I can do but help me be equally as diligent in not doing it for my glory. I don’t want to be guilty of tooting my own horn! Your rewards are worth waiting for!
Nov 28th, Tues, 6:32 am
New Every Morning
(A beautiful shot of a sunrise at Dolly Sods Wilderness Area,
near where I graduated from high school.)
As I look out the window this morning, Father, the sun is barely tinting the sky. It brings to mind a passage from Lamentations 3:22-23. It reminds me that regardless of where we stand before You, Father, whether we are close or have distanced ourselves, “Because of [Your] great love…[Your] compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”
I am so, so grateful that You love me – You love all of us. And not just those who are loveable. And not just those who love You back. You love every single person whom You have brought into existence. Your compassions for us never fail. Not because we deserve them or have earned them but because You are love. (1 John 4:8)
Matthew 5:43-48 gives us quite the challenge. Lord, we are not adherents to the law propitiated by the religious leaders of Your day but we might as well be. The whole idea of loving our neighbors (those that are loveable) and hating our enemies is an idea that we easily gravitate to. And WAY too many people flesh that out every day!
Here’s You response to that mindset, “But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
See those exclamation points? Your words are not just idle suggestions – You mean business! From my own vantage point I would think that if anyone would possibly have reason to hate, it is You, Lord. You literally give us everything and are we grateful? …some of us yes but a majority of Your creation, not in the least. We are so arrogant and full of ourselves that we go so far as to deny Your very existence!
But what do you do? You give Your “sunlight to both the evil and the good” and You send Your “rain on the just and the unjust alike.”
And that’s the kicker, God calls us, his “true children”, to act as He would act, “to be perfect, even as [our] Father in heaven is perfect.”
Lord Jesus, that word “perfect” is daunting, to say the least, but it is a calling to be all we were made to be. You know our limitations and You know how far we can be stretched. I would pray that I would be Your “true” child. Your love is long-suffering and You will never give up on me. “Because of Your great love…[Your]compassions never fail. They are new every morning.” Amen –so be it!
Nov 27th, Mon, 6:59 am
REVENGE!
As I think over the last several days, Father, I realize with the utmost of certainty that You have been by our side all along the journey. It is always an extremely busy time of year in the retail world but adding hours of sitting with family needing our comfort and support added to the load. You are our sustainer and provider, Father. You have used us in so many ways – all praise to You!
Matthew 5:38-42 (<<click the green)
Revenge…there really isn’t a nice way to even say the word. But even the nicest amongst us have had the thought traipse through our minds on occasion.
We have all been hurt…stepped on…belittled…disrespected. And we have all, at some point and time, plotted to get even. Many follow through on their plotting and some just think about it but as we’ve already learned, Lord, thinking about it is the same as acting upon it.
The Old Testament concept of “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21) is still one that permeates our minds. Even those who may have never stepped inside a place of worship have this as a part of their mindset.
We get into trouble right from the get-go in that this quote, which is from the Law You gave to Moses to give to Your people, was absolutely never meant to give us a license for revenge. My Life Application Study Bible states, “These laws were given to limit vengeance and help the court administer punishment that was neither too strict nor too lenient.”
So once again, Lord, You set us right side up in an upside-down world. The Amplified Bible Translation clearly states verse 39 communicating a full understanding,
“But I say to you, do not resist an evil person [who insults you or violates your rights]; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other toward him also [simply ignore insignificant insults or trivial losses and do not bother to retaliate—maintain your dignity, your self-respect, your poise].”
It goes on to say in reference to the word slap: “In this context the ‘slap’ is not an act of violence, but more likely an insult or violation of one’s rights.”
Lord, as I look over my life I am not one to act out my thoughts of revenge but I must admit I think of it more often than I should. May I live out my life as You do – help me to “turn the other cheek.” Help me to love as You do. Amen.
Nov 26th, Sun, 6:27 am