Ripples
It is difficult to focus this morning, Father. Learning of the death of a close friend is shocking to say the least. I pray that Your children will reach out to his family and friends during this difficult time. Continue to use his life to touch many other lives even in his death He was truly a faithful servant of Yours and will be missed.
2 Timothy 2:22b (<<click here)
“Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.”
Lord, I really need to share a little more in regards to Scott’s passing. This passage of scripture says a lot about our relationship. I have never claimed to be perfect – I stumble and fall and struggle. I am a real person. I feel Scott was the same way. He loved You with all of who he was. He was no more perfect than I but he called on You with a pure heart. In his service as an Army chaplain he touched innumerable lives. I’m sure he impacted many who may have never heard of You but because of Your call on Scott’s life, blemishes and all, they were shown what a true man of God looked like.
I continue to be amazed, Lord, how You can take the little that we have to offer – imperfect though it may be – and can use it the way you do Though many still resist the truth of who You are, You still touch and move us. Your love will forever motivate us.
Lord, I pray that Scott’s impact will carry on like ripples in the water. That the lives he touched, mine included, will continue to be reminded of what You meant to him and that we in turn will pass Your love along. May the ripples continue.
Nov 16th, Mon, 5:13 am
Grasping Smoke
My heart is heavy this morning, Father, as I think on where our world sits right now – the awful events in Paris yesterday and the many lives lost and many others whose lives have changed forever – the racial unrest in our own country – so much pain and heartache. You are the only answer to our misery. But many refuse to even acknowledge Your existence and those who do so often ignore Your power. Use me to accomplish Your will – touch the world through me.
2 Timothy 2:22 (<<click here)
Lord, many of us when young can’t wait to “grow up.” Our greatest desire is to make our own decisions – to control our destinies. But quite often we strive for the unrealistic – the ideals for which we reach are elusive. We reach some goals and they don’t satisfy. Unfortunately the reason we are not fulfilled is that we are reaching for empty things and though we may on occasion grasp them for a moment, they elude as much as if we tried to embrace smoke – we can see it, we can maybe even smell it but we cannot hold on to it.
Lord, help me and those I love “pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace.” These instead are not elusive. They are tangible, abundant and free. They will not pass away, but are eternal. Help me to develop relationships with those of like mind and heat. May I enjoy the “companionship of those who call on” You. I pray that You would enable me to invest in these things and in these kind of people. Amen.
Nov 14th, Sat, 8:11 am
God with Us
“Emmanuel” – God with us (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23)
“For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:13-14
Lord, when you came to earth You gave us a wonderful gift – You gave us the gift of Yourself. And that statement is not trivial or trite or shallow. It is deep with meaning. Giving Yourself to us means You held absolutely nothing back. You are not distant or unapproachable. You are loving and compassionate. You want to be a big part of our lives. You want to be with us through the joy and the sorrow.
We can experience snippets of this kind of relationship with spouses, close friends and family…possibly. And we are so benefited by those connections. But our relationship with You takes it to a whole other level! You are not inhibited by weakness or selfishness…or death. You are there for us every moment of our lives!
Your gift of Yourself also made it possible for us to have a relationship with You. Sin separated us but because of Your sacrifice sin is eradicated and we can now approach a hold God without fear or being eradicated ourselves – sin and holiness cannot mix!
Emmanuel…what a wonderful gift with such wonderful benefits! For as Paul stated in Romans 10:13, “For ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” But as we continue reading in verse 14 we see that there is a problem.
“how can they call on him…unless they believe…and how can they believe… if they have never heard…and how can they hear…unless someone tells them?”
We cannot share the gift of Emmanuel until we give the gift of ourselves to others as well. Only when we invest ourselves in others will we be able to impact them.in many instances, only when they see Your love lived out through us will be convinced of its reality.
Lord, how many people do I see every day who are hurting, who are lonely, whose life has no meaning and they wander aimlessly with no direction whatsoever. Just this week I looked into the eye of a small child. I don’t really know his mother but I know of her and as far as I know dad is not in the picture. He said, “Hi,” as little ones will and even in that short amount of contact I could feel him reaching out to me. I may be reading a lot in to it but with that little phrase and those piercing eyes, he seemed to be asking, “Do you like me? Will you love me? Would you have time for me?”
How many people, Lord…how many do I see who long to ask those questions? But they hold back. They have been so shoved down for so long that they don’t even think to ask any more.
And, Lord, we both know that I cannot meet those needs…at least not for long. Life moves on…death is inevitable. But Lord, You are more than able to do so! Lord, give me the wisdom as how to “tell them” about You…to give them real hope in someone who is not inhibited but one who is all powerful…in someone who will always be with them…in someone who knows all about them but loves them anyway! Lord, help me to proclaim, “Emmanuel!”
Dec 24th, Thurs, 8:42 am
Merry Christmas to All!
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Swept Under the Rug
Father, I am so sorry that I allow little things to build up to the point that I am spiritually off balance and fall. I know You are there for me. Early on I listen closely and swat down even the slightest thought that would lure me from You. Then over time my swat time lags, they I don’t swat at all – my indiscretions are small and seemingly insignificant…but over time they multiply and begin to pile up. Why I don’t just stop and call for Your help to sweep them all out, I don’t know. That would make sense. I continue to sweep my random thoughts under the rug. But over time there are more and more of them and some are bigger than others. I try to ignore them but that rug starts to get lumpy – so much so that I stumble on occasion – I don’t fall mind You, I just stumble. And I continue on in my self-imposed “ignorance.” Again, why don’t I just stop and ask for Your help? It’s not difficult. I know You want me to. But I convince myself that I can handle it. I’m good. I’ve got it under control…but I don’t. And You watch as more and more gets thrown under the rug, calling for me to allow You to help me but I’m distracted – focused on all kinds of things and not the matters that really matter. And then it happens, it’s just too much, I stumble…I try to keep my balance but I fall. Maybe I don’t fall as hard as I have in the past but I still fall – flat on my face. And why? It makes no sense! It is all my fault… I have no one else to blame…
But You are still there. You have not forsaken me. You have not given up on me. I yield once again (for the gazillionth time?) to Your loving hand. You reach down and help me up. I consent to pulling back the rug and am swept clear once more.
Thank You, Lord, for Your patience. Thank You for Your unfathomable love. Where would I be without Your mercy. I fall into Your mighty arms. I pray that You will help me. I am stronger than I once was but I willingly acknowledge that I am utterly incapable of anything close to success on my own. I am dependent upon You. Help me to respond to Your guidance. Help me to yield to You. Help me to sweep things out of my life and not under the rug.
It’s not easy writing these things down, knowing someone else is going to read them. But I know that we all have things that we sweep under our own rugs – things we battle against but sometimes they pile up. Maybe its gossip, or laziness, or food or sex or backbiting or selfishness or self-loathing… the list goes on but Christ is there – more than willing and more than able to help us. All we must do is to call out and He is there. He is for me… and he is for you, too.
Nov 12th, Fri, 5:00 am