The Name I Bear

"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy"- Philippians 1:4 (NIV).

As a child, I was always somewhat envious of my sister Joy's name. Mother had the liberty to name her second daughter anything she wanted to after having made me the namesake for her mother. Our pastor preached on the book of Philippians Sunday. He says it was Paul's "joy" epistle. The church at Philippi was the model church and Paul was expressing his joy at having seen their acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah and living a life of servitude to the glory of the Lord. Those who stay rooted in Christ Jesus are always filled with joy. My name may not be Joy, but I can choose to be full of joy. That doesn't mean I'm happy all the time, it means my joy is found only in the Lord, not in people or the circumstances of this life. No one, including the Father of Lies, can steal my joy from me. Nor can he steal your joy from you, unless you allow him too. Have you lost your joy? God can restore it (Psalm 51:12). Stay in His Word: "When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear Your name, Lord God Almighty" (Jeremiah 15:16). I love the last eight words of that verse. The name I bear is the Lord God Almighty's name. Feast on the Word of God and your joy will be restored and/or enriched.  

Neglected Areas

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well"- 3 John 1:2 (NIV).  

God is concerned about both our spiritual and physical health and, since He is, we should be as well. It's a balancing act of taking care of the whole body. Like an under-watered garden, a body deficient in time spent in the Word and prayer, or physical exercise and proper nutrition, will suffer and wither away. My husband and I have soaker-hoses in our garden that are on a timer. Our garden is watered each morning and evening; however, we became a little too dependent upon that system and didn't make regular checks on the garden, until we found one side of the garden wilted and yellowing. There had been a malfunction in the soaker-hose. The same is true for our spirit and body. We need to do regular wellness checks. Is either your spirit or body wilting, not growing or producing a noticeable harvest? The sooner you correct the neglected areas of your spirit and body, the sooner you'll be enjoying good health and your soul getting along well.

Jesus...Saves

"We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done"- Psalm 78:4 (NIV).

We used to play a hide and seek water game in the pool. With one person designated to "search", he/she would shout out the first name and listen; those who needed to be "found" had to respond with the last name, giving the designated searcher an idea of their location. Do you know the name? Marco...Polo! The spoken name was critical to finding the lost. What a wonderful analogy of a Christian's role in seeking the lost. When is the last time "Jesus" came out of your mouth in conversation with another person? For most, "if" it occurred, it occurred in church on Sunday; but, I wonder how many Christians, even our pastors and church secretaries, can count the number of times on one hand...or at all. Oh, the power of Jesus' name. He is the only way, the only truth and the only life. No one can come to the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6). You cannot be obedient to today's Scripture without using the name of Jesus. Continuing with the pool analogy, sharing Jesus with others is like tossing a life preserver to a drowning (aka lost) person. The name of this game is Jesus...Saves. Shout His name!  

The Hope of Glory

"And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began"-John 17:5 (NIV).

Imagine giving up your "glory" for a season. That's nigh impossible, so imagine giving up what good you feel in your societal acceptance. Our perceptions by others are very important to us. Remember the pimple on your face that felt like a blinking red beacon? How about the haircut from the stylist who never saw you again after that botched job? Even the smaller issues can be blown out of proportion: spilled liquid on the crotch of your pants, a pantyhose run blazing up the side of your leg, high water pant legs...you get my drift. These things can have us feeling anxious, hiding away where no one can see us, and we would certainly never choose this discomfort. We fear rejection. Jesus gave up His glory for us, sinners, who rejected Him. Why would He do that? Because "God so loved the world," you and me, and now we get to share in Jesus' glory (John 3:16; Romans 8:18). Jesus' prayer, "I have given them the glory that You gave Me, that they may be one as We are One," is one of God's most beautiful gifts (John 17:22). He has shared His glory with us. "To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). 

Searching for the Red Bucket

"Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these"- Matthew 19:14 (NIV).

My grandson, Brantley, just turned four-years old, which means he is too old now for the nursery and ready to attend the children's sermon in the sanctuary. The children's sermon is done down front, on the steps leading up to the podium, in full sight of the congregation. I had spoken to the children's minister, Cameron, before church and told him about Brantley and our anxiety over this being his first time. At the appropriate time, I took Brantley down and seated him with the other children. He waved to us moments later, which let us know he knew where we were and he seemed to be content seated with the other children. His mother and I watched holding our breath. Cameron had an activity where four red buckets were hidden throughout the front of the sanctuary. He called on three children to go search for the red buckets and then asked if there was a Brantley in the group. Brantley jumped up and climbed down through the other children to Cameron. My heart almost stopped beating. Brantley looked around, trying to decide where to go, while my mind whirled; but, Cameron's wife got up and took Brantley by the hand, guiding him to a "good" spot to search. He ran back triumphantly to Cameron with the red bucket held high over his head. The sad truth is, if I had known before hand, I probably would have kept Brantley with us, fearful of creating a scene...or causing embarrassment. Cameron and his wife helped lead Brantley, not only to look in a "good" spot for the red bucket, but they began the process of leading him to find Jesus. It makes me wonder how many times I have held myself and others back in an attempt to not make a scene or cause embarrassment. Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Let's hold our red buckets triumphantly over our heads and run to Jesus. 

Our Constant

"You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With Your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall"- 2 Samuel 22:29-30 (NIV).

I noticed the morning light is not present when I open my shutters at 5:50 in the morning now. The earth is rotating and the days are beginning to shorten. It's almost indiscernible, unless you're a type-A person who does the same routine each morning...like opening the shutters once my bed is made. There's good to be found in being observant. Seasons come and go, but the earth keeps turning. It weathers the heat of summer and the chill of winter, but it keeps on turning, just as God created it to do. Metaphorically, we go through seasons, too: fear and courage, sadness and joy, sickness and health, lacking and gain, etc. We must keep "turning," just as God created us to do. He turns our darkness into light, fights alongside us through battles, and gives us strength to overcome obstacles. Those who discern His presence, even through a difficult spot, are filled with the peace only God can give. There can be joy in the darkness, in the battle, and in the difficulties and what's more, a confidence grows with each "turn." God is with you. He is your Constant.  

River Guide

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze"- Isaiah 43:2 (NIV).

My husband and I went on an eight-mile white water rafting trip down the Natahala River Saturday with our daughter and her husband. We had our own raft and a guide named Ben. Ben was very knowledgeable about the river, where the big rocks, rapids and falls were located, he knew the history of the river and the names of the trees and flowers we passed by. He should have, Ben was the lead guide for the company and we felt blessed to have him. We were in very experienced hands. None of us fell out of the raft, but both my son-in-law and I got tossed into the floor of the raft. Our guide had told us to anchor our feet, so we would not fall in the opposite direction, which was "out" of the boat. Let me tell you, you have no control when your body is tossed up into the air, but we were still "in" the boat thanks to Ben. Life has a way of tossing you into the air and you feel like you have no control. Bottom line, our outcome comes from trusting and believing God is with us in our raft as we navigate the rivers of this life. Jesus is our Guide, and just as we had to listen to our earthly river guide telling us what to do, how to do, and when to do, we have to keep spiritual ears open to Jesus' promptings. God's not promised there won't be rocks, rapids and falls ahead, there will be, but Jesus is there guiding us along. He's the Lead Guide and we are in very experienced hands.

Go Up

"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it""- Numbers 13:30 (NIV).

Doubting God results in missed opportunities and consequences. Caleb and Joshua were the only two saying God would give them victory over the inhabitants of the promised land, while the others who had spied out the land with them spouted their fears they would falter and fall if they went up against such strong opponents. After all, these were fortified cities and the land was full of giants. God sent them back into the desert, on a 40-year wilderness trek, punishment for not trusting Him. Once the 40-years of desert punishment ended, the Israelites were once again standing on the edge of the promised land. Moses told them they were to go into the land courageously and in God's strength. "Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6). Guess who the only two original people were who crossed over into the promised land? Caleb and Joshua. Fear and doubt can be crippling. Thankfully God is a God of second chances. And thirds, fourths, fifths...he will never leave you, nor forsake you. Go up...you can certainly do it.       

The Power of Thought

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ"- 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV).

The pen is mightier than the sword. That phrase was coined by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 indicating that thoughts put into words were more powerful than physical actions. The power was generated by thought. Verse 4 says the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world; but weapons with divine power to tear down the strongholds within the mind and hearts of people. Not only in others, but also within ourselves. That's why Paul went on to say that we were to take captive every thought and make it obedient. When we don't control our thoughts, because we can, it's like giving a weapon to a child, who doesn't know how to use it. Who is in danger? You are. Joyce Meyers wrote Battlefield of the Mind saying your life won't change until your thinking does. As you think in your heart, so you become (Proverbs 23:7). How can you fight an external war, if you are fighting yourself internally? Do you see how Satan works? Control the power of your thoughts.

Live Like You Believe It

""Am I only a God nearby," declares the Lord, "and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?" declares the Lord. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the Lord""- Jeremiah 23:23-24 (NIV).

My mother never said, "Don't do anything you wouldn't do if I were right there with you" when I finally got old enough to go off on my own. Instead, she said, "Don't do anything you wouldn't do if Jesus were right there with you." That had a much more profound impact on my choices as a young person gaining independence from my parents and even now as a senior citizen. It's natural for a child to separate themselves from their parents as they become older; parents are no longer privy to all aspects of their child's life and have to trust that the foundation they provided will lead to a healthy lifestyle for their offspring. The relationship with Jesus, however, doesn't have a line drawn where He is waving good-bye as you drive away. No, He's omnipresent; always with you: from the highest heights, to the lowest depths, from the dawn to the far side of the sea..."even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast" (Psalm 139:8-10). He fills heaven and earth and He fills you. Jesus is right there with you, guiding and holding you fast. May you live like you believe it.