I stood at the front door, waving bye to my husband…
He was flying to a different state to be at his father’s bedside (keep him in your prayers).
Frankly, I didn’t know when he’d get home and this was okay. Not too long after he left, I sat down and started scrolling on Facebook.
I remembered Mother’s Day was Sunday. I figured I’d be home alone, in quarantine, with two kids, no church, and some potato chips to quell my feelings. The more I sat there, the more I wished some friends would drop by to wave hi, call, drop off something or give me a bag of chocolate. My mind was fantasizing about being loved. But, I knew it wouldn’t happen.
No one is coming. No one knows me, here, really…
Being hard on myself, I berated my actions over the past six months: I’ve been busy. I’ve had too many things to do. I’ve been focused on other issues. I haven’t been a good enough friend.
No one will care for me, because I haven’t cared enough for them.
As I sat there, I determined post-social distancing that I would be the friend I want.
I would do this through: – Availability: I would make time and space to meet with key people. I wouldn’t wait to be invited, but I would become an — inviter.
– Intentionality: I would go deeper with these people. I would seek to encourage, love, and help others, recognizing their times of need.
– Transparency: I would seek to be honest with others, about where I am at — allowing them to encourage me, offer hope, and help. It’s okay to cry, with the right people. I can share my story and listen to theirs.
To have a friend, I must be a friend. I tucked that lesson in my pocket and went on with my day. But, it wasn’t a short time later that I got a text. A woman I loved knew I was home alone. She invited me to her house for dinner.
God touched my heart: He does see me. He knows exactly where I am.
“The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man.” (Ps. 33:13)
I guess I haven’t been a horrible friend, after all…
The next day, I didn’t get one, but a ton of loving messages. I am loved! It is funny how our mind tricks us and tells us that we’re down and out, left behind and unwanted.
Lies.
God’s love tells us a different story: He knows our story. He sees us. He always takes care of us. He always provides. He always helps us out of our pits. He has gone the Calvary Road distance to save us. His love never quits. While we may have times alone or things may not feel right, His love will always be there for us.
“God’s love never fails.” (Ps. 136:1)
Subscribe for all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.
My friend Catherine and I set out for a lazy summer stroll through the neighborhood just before the fireflies emerged to start their party. We chatted about raising boys, working husbands, and decorating dilemmas. When we arrived back at her house, she invited me to come in and look at some fabric swatches for a new sofa. Before I knew it, a few minutes had turned into a few hours.
“Oh, my!” I exclaimed. “It’s ten o’clock. I’ve been gone for over two hours! I bet Steve’s worried sick. He doesn’t even know where I am. I’d better give him a call before I start back home.”
When I dialed our number, the answering machine picked up…which made me just a little mad.
“Steve, I was calling to let you know I’m at Catherine’s. I thought you’d be worried, but apparently you don’t even care because you won’t even pick up the phone!” Click. I said my goodbyes to Catherine and left feeling dejected. “I’m wandering around in the dark all alone and he doesn’t even care,” I mumbled to no one in particular. “I could be lying in a ditch injured, or dead for that matter! I don’t think he even loves me.”
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed Steve coming toward me on his bicycle.
“Where have you been?” Steve desperately asked. “I’ve been riding all over the neighborhood looking for you! Do you know what time it is?”
When we arrived home, I quickly erased that angry voicemail. Whew, I thought. That was close.
A few days later, Steve called me from work. “Sharon, have you listened to the voice mail lately? There’s something you need to hear.”
So, I used my cell phone to call my landline.
The message went something like this: (The voice of sweet Southerness) “Hello, you’ve reached the Jaynes’ residence. We’re unable to answer the phone right now… (enter the voice of Cruella De Vil) “I was calling to let you know I’m at Catherine’s. I thought you’d be worried, but apparently you don’t even care because you won’t even pick up the phone!” (Return of sweet Southerness) “At the sound of the beep, leave a message, and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible.”
“Oh, my goodness!” I screamed. “How did this happen! How many people have heard this over the past three days?”
I called the phone company, and they explained that most likely during the thunderstorm we had a few days earlier, a lightning strike must have merged and scrambled the message.
I was mortified. I think God was too.
The Bible says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” (James 3:9-10). That all went down in one single voice mail.
As women, I am amazed how quickly we can flit back and forth between blessing and belittling, praising and putting down, cheering and critiquing—all in a matter of seconds. God has given us incredible power in our sphere of influence, and it begins with the words we speak.
In Genesis 1, we read that God created everything we see with but a word. He said, “Let there be,” and then there was. Then on the sixth day, when He created man and woman in His own image, He did something amazing, astonishing really—He gave us the gift of words.
Few forces have greater impact then the utterances that pass our lips. Our words can embolden a child to accomplish great feats, encourage a husband to conquer the world, reignite the dying embers of a friend’s broken dreams, cheer on a fellow believer to run the race of life, and draw a lost soul to Christ. Words start wars and bring peace—globally, and right in our own homes.
Sharon Jaynes is an international conference speaker and author of 24 books, with close to a million sold. For ten years, she served as vice-president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and co-host for their daily radio program. Sharon is the co-founder of Girlfriends in God, Inc., a ministry that touches nearly 500,000 women daily through internet devotions. Sharon is also a popular guest on radio and television programs such as Focus on the Family and Family Life.
Last Thursday, as the blog post I wrote about “patience” hit your inbox, let me tell you — my patience was running thin. Here I was telling you why you should be patient, yet, I was snapping at my kids…
What I thought I had it figured out when I wrote the post on Tuesday, was an issue again on Thursday!
The fact of the matter is — we don’t get it right, all the time.
Some of us need to hear this loud and clear today: you won’t get it right all the time. You’ll yell when you meant to be sweet. You’ll sweat when you should have stayed cool. You’ll be anxious when you determined to have peace. You’ll doubt when you determined to believe.
You’ll say to yourself, “Why can’t I do better? Be better? Act better?”
You may put your head down, in defeat. Yet, I imagine, God lifts it up again, whispering in your ear, “Child, I still love you. Even though… Always…”
Let that relief sink in… You see, where we are human; God is grace. Where we feel “fed up and ready to head out”; God still wants us. Where we are moody; God is constant.
Oh, how I celebrate this! He wants me, He wants me, He wants me. Even during all my — there I go again… why can’t I… I only wish…moments. He wants you too. It is His love that changes us. His love lifts us out of our pit of condemnation and sets us on a path of transformation, so we don’t do that thing we hate that we do.
Rest under His ever-flowing grace.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
It is not by your work that you change — lest you boast.
Little-by-little, step-by-step, it is God who carries us up and out of our old pit to new actions and reactions. He gets the credit. He owns the work. We meet Him as he prompts our new steps, sure, but he ultimately transforms and conforms us to His image, not to a pattern of repeat-wrongs.
Acceleration comes, in this process, by receiving grace. Otherwise, you strive and then seek to take credit for His glory. Or, you start comparing your self-righteousness against the next girls.
No. Grace is a gift and, through it, all glory belongs to the Lord.
Do you see the beauty here?
There is rest available to you. Accept His grace. Open your hands. Allow God to change you, renew you, free you, form you and fashion you. Obey Him as He leads. You are His masterpiece and His possession. He cares for you.
The Master is at work. Rather than putting your eyes on what you do wrong, confess, and put your eyes back again on Him. He will shape you. Entrust yourself into His hands. And, He will do it.
Subscribe for all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.
We honked. Actually, we didn’t honk, but I really wanted to… The woman ahead of us was — the. slowest. drive-thru. orderer. ever!!!
Add this to the fact that we had hungry kids in the back of the car, and a near brush with a police officer who was still behind us, and people in gloves and masks all around us…and I felt nervous. C’mon lady. Move it.
Is she ever going to go? What is wrong with this person?!
I looked in the rearview mirror and then looked straight ahead trying to see what the issue was. I leaned forward looking for an escape. Tension rose in my chest.
When we finally reached the Chick-Fil-A attendant, she said, “I am going to switch to the passenger side of your car for your order. The woman ahead of you was deaf so I got closer so I could hear her.”
She was — what?! Deaf.
In my impatience, I cursed a woman most in need of — patience. I felt horrible. She was doing a great job “getting out” and here I was critiquing her.
You know, we never know what it is to walk in another’s shoes. We never know the history of someone else’s hurt. We never know all their physical limitations. The details of their day. Why they delay or act wishy-washy or make us wait.
But, God knows… He knows their quirks as much as He knows ours.
In retrospect, I wish I extended patience, instead of getting — pushy. I wish I would have been patient.
Patience is never wrong. Even if it takes time. Even if it slows us down. Even if we listen longer. Even if we have to talk more. Even if we have to get out of our own mind and into someone else’s. Even we delay our mouth or our progress…
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Eph. 4:2)
Patience is love. It quiets discontent. It softens its response. It lets go of its own personal agenda. It loves by the Spirit. It discerns how to go. It makes space for others’ needs. It waits with a smile on its face. It pauses with the goal of lifting the other person up. It dismisses gripes.
It is kinds to oneself. It extends grace. It remembers how patient and kind God has been — to us — so it can really love others.4
Subscribe for all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.
I was pretty sure: Iknew my husband’s problem. I knew what was causing him issues — the thing he couldn’t quite put his finger on… I also knew what would help him and change his ways. All the same, I also knew it wasn’t the time, the place, the hour to tell him. It wouldn’t go over well.
While my every emotion said, “Tell him, now. Get it out, already.” Wisdom said, “Stay quiet, Kelly. Wait.”
Grr…
Ever been there? You almost certainly have because we are all — living on top of each other! Here, more than ever, we easily see things about people: their quirks, annoyances, little things they need to know, and everything they should do.
In this environment, it can be easy to voice to quick advice. Or, to problem-solve with rapid-fire solutions. Or, to offer missile-like snap-backs at a moment’s notice.
What is annoys you? How do you react and respond? What do you voice and verbalize?
With my husband, in this case…I listened to wisdom; I didn’t speak. Instead, I prayed about God making-known the issue to him. About three days later, my husband approached me and said, “Kelly, what do you think about….?”
I told him everything. He listened and changed course.
I learned something critical here: more important than what I do say is what I don’t say. A withheld-word is wisdom-in-action. It is the difference between a person knowing my opinion and God’s breakthrough.
“A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.” (Prov. 17:27 Berean Bible Study)
More than my knowledge my husband needed God’s breakthrough. More than my kids hearing my complaint, they need a positive environment. More than me having every answer, may my family experience Father God’s leading. More than perfection, may we all embrace grace.
There is so much that doesn’t need to be said — so that Jesus can speak a better word.
The less I say, the more room they have to hear.
Prayer: Father God, may we have the wisdom to know what to speak, when to pray, and how to say what needs to be said. May we be thoughtful about our home environment and how our words affect it. May we be life-bringers instead of hope-stealers. May we walk in an abundance of wisdom. May we trust you to do the work, our mouths are inclined to do. May you breakthrough in every area of need as it pertains to our relationships. You are a much better teacher and instructor than we are. We call for you help today. You have the best answers. We lean on you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Subscribe for all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.
The man got out of his pickup. He ran down the stairs quickly. As he did, as if I was sizing up a suspect, I noticed his cut-off sleeves, his see-through thin white shirt, his scruffy beard, hid tattooed arms and his body that was far too thin. Was he on drugs?
I saw him dispose of something next to the sidewalk. What is he doing? Is there evidence he wants to get rid of?
Suspiciously, I kept my eye on him, as he quickly ran off…back to his car.
What did he do? I was determined to find out. So, as I approached the area of the sidewalk where he “disposed of his stuff”, I looked down. And, right between the side-walk and the water, was the evidence — a little turtle.
This “evil” man had rescued a turtle from the road to bring it to the water. He saved it from death to bring it to life.
And, as I looked at that turtle, I saw the reality of me: I size people up too quickly, by appearance, without knowing the reality of their heart.
My head dropped as I walked on. I am well acquainted with another group — who did a similar thing…the Pharisees.
They accused Jesus of healing on the Sabbath, without considering “the heart” behind Jesus’s motives (see: Mt. 12:15-21)
They misinterpreted Jesus intention to heal, missing His heart, by attributing the power to the devil. (Mt. 12:22-37)
They missed the whole new covenant because they couldn’t perceive the heart of God, through Jesus, in flesh and blood.
Let’s not judge, before we seek to understand — real truth. We are quick to size up what we can’t understand. Our natural mind demands we draw conclusions, rather than to wait on the Lord’s answer. Or His deeper meaning. So, we label people before our heart has come to know their real heart-motivation.
But, what if we were to give those around us “the benefit of the doubt”? What if we were to “believe the best”? Wait before sizing-up?
For instance, rather than judging people different than us, we can suspend our thoughts and pray a blessing over them.
Rather than picking apart our husband’s actions, we can choose to say, “I know he loves me. He is doing his best.”
Rather than assuming a friend doesn’t like us anymore, we can say, “I better call her and see how she is doing. Maybe she is having a hard day.”
Rather than believing God has forgotten us, we can say, “I don’t see answers to my prayers now, but I know God has all my requests in His hands.”
We can do something different: preserve our heart. When we wait on the Lord — He usually has a better answer. There are better heart-interpretations than ones we lean on though instinctive reactions.
What might you need to step back from in order to see from your heart? Where might you need to wait, instead of drawing conclusions?
Subscribe for all Purposeful Faith blog posts by email – click here.
Now, more than ever, we need to pray. We cannot change the climate of this day unless we pray. I am convinced of this. So much so, I feel an urgent need to create a reservoir of prayers to assist us in praying. Be it a daily prayer, a safe-keeping prayer, a repentance prayer, a protection prayer or a night’s end prayer. The goal of these prayers is to help you: persevere, gain courage, fight-the-good-fight and overcome through Christ Jesus.
While this is the first of a multi-part blog post of powerful prayers, it will eventually end up as a dedicated landing page on my blog with all the prayers listed. You can return to the page, to pray (more on that page link, later).
As you pray these, remember: 1. God hears. 2. There is power in persistent prayers. 3. God answers prayers.
Print these pages. Keep them prayers close to you. Share them with others (I will be posting these prayers on FB if you want to share it there).
Prayers to Pray (Part I):
“Accepting Peace” Prayer
Father God, the world is moving 1000 miles an hour. Often, I can’t keep up. I can’t keep track of the news coming at me. I can’t figure out my best way. I can’t manage every detail. I can’t make people do what I want. Things are beyond my control.
I feel restless in waiting. Unsure about what my future holds. Not knowing what to do.
But, Father God? I thank you that you have all control. Jesus, you as my Prince of Peace, have left me peace. Today, I choose to accept this peace. I take a moment to truly receive what you have given. I cast my cares on you and receive the peace you have given.
I also choose to stay near you today. I choose to think upon you. For it is written, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (Is. 26:3)
Today, Father, give me the grace to keep my eyes on you, my ears attuned to you, my heart in check with you, and my feet following you. Then, I will live peace.
Today, I choose to fix all of me, on all of you!
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
“Resting in the Arms of a Good Father” Prayer
My Daddy God, you love me. I am loved by a good, good Father.
This is amazing! Thank you for wanting me. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for keeping me as your own. I am so glad it pleased you to save me. Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that I am loved and wanted, but I AM!
My Father God? Will you, today, reveal to me your fathering heart? Will you help me to see the million ways that you take care of me, provide for me and love me? I want to see your ways, above my own. I want to behold your faithfulness and goodness in fresh and life-inspiring ways.
The truth is: you are miles, lengths, widths, and depths — BIGGER –than my mind can even conceive. I cannot even begin to fathom.
You have small-me in your big-hands. And, your hand IS “the mighty hand of God.” Your hand IS mighty-to-save, mighty-to-move and mighty-to-provide. The bigness of you transcends even my faintest conception of You. Your ways far exceed mine, your goodness is far greater than mine, and your thoughts are galaxies above mine.
Today, I choose to rest all of me, in all of you! I can trust you.
For,
Everything belongs to you!
All kingdoms rest in your hands!
All money is yours!
You rule over everything!
There is nothing you can’t do!
Even more, you ARE faithful! Always and forevermore.
Daddy, I want to be close to you. Will you give me a more complete understanding of your goodness and your vastness? Wil you unveil yourself to me? Will you give me spiritual understanding so I may go, faithfully walking, by your Word?
In this, I will become more full of life and power that comes from you! I will more so love others with that same love in which you loved me. I will rest under the cover of you — a good Father — who loves me with love like I’ve never known before.
Fill every place of me, with every bit of your Spirit.
May I, down to the cellular and mind-level, know:
I have nothing left to prove.
I have no work left to do to gain love.
I need no weight of worry, for Jesus already carried the weight of the cross.
Everything has been proven on the cross. It is done.
Praise be to you, Father of Lights and giver of every good gift. I am loved! I am helped! I am protected! I am kept! I am led! I am equipped! I am called! I am whole!
Glory to you, God. And, thanks be to your son, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
“Affirming Your Identity in Christ” Prayer (See: Romans 6)
Father God, I thank you that it is done! Because of your son, I am now dead to sin and alive to Christ Jesus. My sin nature has NO power in my life (Romans 6:6). Praise be to the Lamb! I am dead to sin and now alive to Christ!
Christ is my living-reality. Christ is my vantage-point. Since I am united, with him, in his death, I am also raised with up him to new life (Ro. 6:4). With this, I live new life. I see new life. I believe in new life for all those I reach with his gospel.
This affects — all my life. I am not down and out. I am seated with Christ in the heavenlies. I am not ruined, I have a new heavenly vantage point. I see above earthly realities, for the Holy Spirit in me, illuminates all truth. I live by the Spirit and not my flesh. I am led by the Holy Spirit and not my flesh. Fill me afresh, today, Holy Spirit.
I am alive!
Because of this, in everything, today, I choose to see higher. I choose to see above my problems and my issues. I choose to set my eyes on the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6). I am no longer a slave to sin. I am set free from the power of sin and death. I now live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus!
When I make a mistake, I repent and move on, by your grace. It is that simple. I receive forgiveness and I forgive myself too. Your grace always makes way for a new habit or response. I live in the newness of life, not in the old. Not in the past.
I walk in the newness of life, all-the-time! I walk in righteousness and connected to righteousness.
With this, I am completely given-over to you, God. I live my life, through Christ, by Christ, with Christ, and for Christ. I shine the light of Christ. I am submitted. I am reliant. I trust God in all things, as I move with Him. No forces of hell or schemes of the enemy can stop the life of Christ that is working in and through me.
My body is a tool, unto the glory of God. This is why I choose to: get sleep, eat right and receive rest. I take care of my temple. I honor it. All of me is a worthy vessel, for all of you, my Father.
I also walk by faith and not by sight. I walk in obedience not in self-destructive self-sacrifice. I walk in hope and not disappointment.
Right now, I cast off any sin or hindrances that easily entangle me from moving forward with you.
I receive all the grace I wholeheartedly need today. I boldly approach throne of grace.
Here, I remember: I am adopted. I am a child of God. I am beloved. I am chosen. I am part of God’s royal family. I am free. I am always loved. I am whole. I am thriving. I am showing Jesus to the world. I am unafraid.
Whom the son has set free is free indeed. I am free.
Through God, I produce good fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. Good deeds, flow easily through me, as I am submitted to the Holy Spirit working through me. I am not bound by the letter of the law, but free by God’s grace.
Shame has no claim to me.
Fear cannot touch me.
Sin has no weight over me.
Feelings of ‘less-than” don’t rule me.
I abide in Christ. I believe God’s Word is true. I focus on what God says about me. I trust God in all things. I love others with all my heart. I am alive and it is well with my soul!
All glory to God, who is worthy of all my praise, affection and adoration. Worthy is the Lamb!
This morning my 6-year old daughter wondered if there was a tornado coming. Out of fun, I checked the weather. Oddly enough, she was right. There was a tornado warning for our area. For the next hour, we should: beware.
Laying on the bed, while trying to calm her fears, I said, “Do you know what I would do, Madison, if a tornado came this way?”
“What, Mommy?”
“I’d throw my body over you, like this…” I then, laid right over her, acting like a mammoth overhead-covering so she wouldn’t get hit by the imagined fray and swirling winds.
At that second this verse popped in my head…
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge…” (Ps. 91:4)
God does what my instinct as a parent has me do….He covers.
God covers us to shield us from the worst, coming at us. Jesus proves this. His very own skin was damaged to defend us from the oncoming ravages of sin and death. Jesus, thrown up on the cross, covered our every mistake with His body as He took our pain on.
God not only protects, but He covers.
With this, let me ask you a question: If God sent His very own son to protect you this bloody way, how much more will He protect you today?
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8)
He cares to protect you. He wants to keep you.
Yes, the winds of fear surround us. But, rest is available right here — in the midst of this — under the cover of His love. Will we enter in? God will never force us, but He will always welcome us. How? How do we this?
We:
Remember the cross when we get weary or doubt-filled.
Believe that He will protect and keep us.
Remind our heart of specific instances of His past-faithfulness in our lives.
Give Him all worry or fear. Repent.
Thank Him for His care and choose to dwell our mind on it.
Entrust our wellbeing into His hands, allowing Him to be our shield.
“He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” (Prov. 30:5)
To those who choose to take refuge — they will rest under His cover. With this, don’t look left or right to size-up what is happening with other people. Don’t get sucked into the Evening News. Don’t get pulled into fear because someone said that cats or dogs are carriers. No. Keep your eyes on Jesus; let Him cover you with His perfect peace.
Prayer: Father God, I give you my fear, my worry, my stress, and my anxiety. I don’t want to be covered by things that keep my heart nervous and tense. I don’t want to be covered by a cloud of gloom and doom anymore. I choose to move out from under these things so I can rest, under your cover. Will you forgive me for carrying all this? You are the Prince of Peace. I choose to follow you in all things, in all ways. Pour out your grace on me so I may walk near you, all my day. You are my only and my best “cover”. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Friends, while I hate to admit it — this week has been hard. The flesh-side of me wishes I could blame it on my husband, but I can’t. It takes two to tango. I’ve accused him within my mind. I’ve raised my voice in the house. I’ve changed the atmosphere from peaceful to stressful. I’ve taken it out on the kids. I feel bad about all this…
I wonder if things might be hard at home for you too? We are living in a fishbowl, after all. Right on top of those we love, 24/7. Unable to get time alone, like before. It is a condition ripe for conflict.
Yesterday, I took a walk. One house along the path was lined with beautiful blooming flowers. I thought to myself, “Wow, that’s a picture of grace. In the midst of virus mayhem is grace-filled beauty. Spring has no mind for the madness.”
Neither does Jesus’ resurrection have a mind for madness. It is the exact opposite of mayhem. Whereas we may argue, panic, or worry, the resurrection of Jesus is righteousness, peace and joy. For, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
Just like those flowers pushed out of the dark ground, to find the bright of day — Jesus, through the resurrection, pushes out darkness to bring new light — by demolishing sin, denying the power of death, and shaming the powers of darkness…
Jesus always brings light to the darkness. He does so, even today. Even, here, in quarantine.
With this, I can’t help but think, there is a boundless nature to what Jesus can do. Even in this time of quarantine, marriages can be healed, hope restored, depression removed, habits renewed, mindsets rewritten, finances helped. Everything is possible through Christ. Think BIG and reach towards Him in BIG ways.
Forget what the world says. The triumphant reign of Jesus is amongst us. The Spirit is in us. The Prince of Peace is present. The King of Glory is in full of glory. Jesus has risen — and is rising up new life in the here and now.
Oh, how we praise you, Jesus! Oh, how we love you! Oh, how we need you! Oh, how we rely on you! Oh, how we surrender to you! Oh, how you are worthy! Oh, how you are everything, Jesus. We want to give you all the worship, this Easter!
Friends, can you see it? We cannot be in the darkness when we are: are in the light. We now stand in the light of an empty tomb, with the stone-rolled back and a risen King over us and — ruling!!!
“For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” (Col. 1:13-14)
The transfer already happened. We get eternity forever! Oh, the riches of that. And, thanks to the Lamb of God, the resurrection-life power of Jesus is moving in our homes. Jesus is ever-working, ever-healing and ever-transforming us. Look for him this season. Talk to Him too.
Whatever appears dead in a tomb in your life, is not. Jesus conquered the grave.
Friend, if you feel depressed, if you feel misunderstood, if you feel anxious, if you feel worried, if you feel shameful, if you feel disappointed, if you feel bad, if you feel ruined….I pray you see: new life. Starting today.
Just like those flowers busted out of darkness, in the midst of madness, Jesus can bust through any darkness or madness in your life — to bring beauty.
Today cannot be a time of blessing, can it? After all, we are social distancing, staying 6-feet away and looking at others like walking-viruses, ready to attack.
God, what do you have for me, here, in this weird place? This is an important question to ask.
I believe there are blessings available for those who ask. A blessing, not a cursing — for those with eyes to see. A bounty, not a backbreaking burden — for those at home.
Is that you? Or, do you feel it is unbiblical to be blessed? To seek a blessing?
You know, my friends and family…
for a long time, I could not receive a blessing. Nor, would I ask God for one. It felt self-indulgent to say, “Lord, will you bless me?” It felt unbiblical to say, “God, I want your blessings.” There are so many people who need so much more than I do. Who am I to ask. I should be a servant, not a seeker for myself…
Yet, a Psalm, written by David, a man after God’s own heart — set me straight. Within it David says:
“With all my heartI want your blessings.” Ps. 119:58
If David wanted a blessing, and God inspired these very words in His Word, who am I to disagree? I can ask for a blessing, with my whole heart, without shame!
“God, I want your blessings. With all my heart, I want your blessings. In a time of Coronavirus I want your blessings!”
The fact of the matter is — I need God’s blessings — His unmerited favor, right now, in my time of trouble, more than ever. Anything less than me needing God’s blessing is likely pride in-action.
To think I can do it without God’s help and generous giving is probably self-work or pious self-proving.
Thanks to God’s wisdom on this, during this season, I have received His blessing. This is why this time of “social distancing” has become a different time. Rather than “social distancing”, it is a time of “family gathering”. I have gotten closer to my kids and husband. I have laughed more. I have played more. I have gotten to know fun without big price tags.
I am blessed! What is simple has trumped what is complex and the peace of the Lord is here — in my house.
Because of this, I give him thanks. All glory to Him; I am blessed.
Might you ask God for a risky thing: to be blessed today…?
Prayer: Father God? I ask you for more, today. More blessings! More of you! More of what you have for me! I ask without shame! I ask expecting to receive. I ask ready to give all thanks and glory back to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
