He Does Good Things For Us~

Christmas-is-two-weeks-from-today greetings!

“Prepare for God’s arrival! [clear away the obstacles]; Make the road straight and smooth.” Isaiah 40:3

I am going to a wedding the weekend after Christmas, and I am bringing a gift with me to give to the happy couple.  I received the invitation a couple of months ago, I RSVP’d that Jorge and I would attend, and then I bought a gift.  I think it’s fair to assume this couple is expecting us to attend the ceremony as well as receive a gift from us and from others at their wedding.

Likewise, if God is encouraging us to prepare for His arrival, it’s because He fully intends to come!  And when He comes, is He bringing a gift with Him?  No, He is not bringing a gift.  He is bringing several gifts! 

Here’s a partial list:

Do-overs, forgiveness, goodness, grace, guidance, healing, health, hope, joy, justice, laughter, light, love, mercy, opportunity, peace, protection, provision, redemption, wisdom…

Psalm 103:1 “Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me.”

He does good things for us, and the way “does” is used in this verse means it’s  ongoing.

Every single day that we breathe, amazing blessings can be ours.  But, and yes, there is a “but,” because relationships are a two-way street.  

We must do our part and prepare, and then He arrives.  We prepare by praying, by declaring our total dependence on Him.  By asking for forgiveness of our sins.  Look at that list above one more time.  Can we honestly attain any of those things without Him?

When we let Him know that we need Him, He shows up.  God will always come, without hesitation, to those who are ready for Him.    

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are ready.  We are ready for all the good things You want to do for us.  We open our hearts and our lives to receive You. Forgive us of our sins so that we can make room for all the beauty You are bringing with You. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~  

Hindrances and Hurdles~

Tuesday greetings,

My Christmas shopping is in full swing, and I am about done.  I am on a first name basis with my UPS driver, and several times a week our mail carrier has to trek it up to my door and drop off packages.  I also enjoy receiving cards from friends and seeing how their children have grown, as well as sending out my own cards.  Just today we had our office luncheon, and last Saturday I was out until 3AM at another holiday party.  Plus, I am famous within a one-block radius for my annual talent show every December 25^th.  It’s just my siblings and me, and it’s a lot of work but also great fun.  So much activity happening in my life this month, and it’s because I am preparing for Christmas.    

I feel, however, that I am leaving something out…

Wait!!! IT’S JESUS!

“Prepare for God’s arrival! [clear away the obstacles]; 
Make the road straight and smooth.” Isaiah 40:3

The most important thing to do during this time of the year, and always, is to prepare for God’s arrival.  The way the word “prepare” is used in this verse means it’s an ongoing activity.  We don’t just prepare once.  We prepare every single day.  We must constantly clear away whatever is standing in the way of God getting to us.  Sometimes, for me, it’s the busyness of the season that keeps me from spending time with Him.  How ironic!  Christmas exists because Christ was born and in the huffing and puffing of getting stuff done, Jesus is overlooked.  Other times it’s my bad attitude.  Sometimes its even been watching TV.

But that’s why the precious Bible exists.  To gently remind us to get it together and prepare.  To proactively remove, clear away, delete, and purge any and all hindrances and hurdles that block our relationship with God. 

We all have a say in how easy or how hard we want to make it for God to get to us.  And I hope we are all saying “YES!” to making it straight and smooth because in doing that God will get to us in a jiffy.     

PRAYER: Dear Lord, How wonderful that right now as we pray, we are preparing for You in our lives.  Come to us, precious Lord, and bless us and our families.  Grant us wisdom, health, peace, joy, and hope.  In Christ’s name, AMEN!

Be Prepared~

Yesterday was quite an eventful day for Rayray, who has requested that I not show her lovely face.

She went in for her physical and fainted when they gave her a tetanus booster.

Now now--before y'all accuse me of being a negligent mom--keep in mind that Rayray is a full-fledged adult who insisted she could go to the appointment by herself. Besides, it's not like she hasn't fainted before. Four other times that I am personally aware of and maybe a couple where she blacked out but no one was around to document it.

One time she was in Sunday school and she stabbed her finger with a pair of scissors, and I kid you not--the teacher said Rachel fell asleep for a few moments and then woke up.

I suppose that's a delicate way of putting it.

On the bright side, Rayray was prepared this time around. She had an inkling that she might get queasy, so she was lying down when she "fell asleep."

Today's DEVO is about being prepared.

Prepared for what?

Proverbs 21:31 "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD."

Back in the Bible times the horse was the symbol of power and might--only to be used in times of battle. And a wise army always had their horses ready to take off at a moment's notice. A hungry horse with worn out shoes wouldn't be much use in an emergency.

Kind of like a half-hearted Christian who never prays or reads an inspiring scripture; when the crisis arrises they crumble rather than rise up to meet the challenge.

Not less than five minutes ago I had a conversation with a gal pal who said that a couple of years ago she was ill-prepared for a sudden situation in her family. And not that she would want to go through anything like that again, but if something ever comes up again she knows her first reaction will be to pray.

Happy dance time!

What are we going to do then? I say we prepare every single day--we strengthen our foundation. But we always always always keep in mind that even though we do our part, God still has the ultimate and best role--the victory! Nevertheless, people, let's give Him something to work with!

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You that the victory belongs to You. Help us be prepared. Inspire us and draw us close to You. In Jesus' name, AMEN~