The Keys are Right There~

Matthew 16:19 “You have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.”

One of my favorite TV shows is the 1960's sitcom The Andy Griffith Show.  It’s such a funny show, and it seems like almost every episode someone winds up in jail.  One time a character named Otis was locked up for the night and was waiting to be let out when all along the keys were right in the middle of the two cells hanging on a peg.  That’s one of the running jokes of the show.  The keys are always hanging on that peg within easy reach of anyone who is inside.

So many of us are like Otis: The keys are right there, but we don’t realize it or just plain don’t use them.  We stayed locked up in fear, loneliness, stress, hopelessness, sickness, and need because we don’t use the keys. 

Which keys?  The keys to the kingdom.  And how do we receive them?  By prayer.  We always come back to prayer.

Prayer is the means by which heavens doors open up and bless us here on earth.  Prayers eliminate barriers. Prayers give us complete and free access to everything God has to offer.  Please refer to Psalm 103 for a tiny glimpse of everything that is ours. 

Prayer is never about a free pass to ask for whatever we want and to do whatever we want to do; God will never do anything contrary to His Word.

But prayer is the means by which God decided to make a bridge between heaven and earth.  Christ gave us His life to build that bridge and like Otis, all we have to do is reach through the bars and grab those keys.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for so freely giving us the keys to the kingdom.  Some days, we forget to use the keys, or we forget they are right there.  But thank You that they are the easiest things to access; all it takes is a little talk with Jesus.  We say “YES!” to Jesus and the health, protection, peace, love, and hope that He offers right here where we are on earth.  And we say “No!” to anxiety, disease, worry, fear, loneliness, and hatred.  Heaven agrees with us, and we receive it! In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

God is There, Listening for All~

What’s worse than getting stuck in an elevator?  How about getting stuck in an elevator with a roach?

Yes, dear ones, it happened to me.  There are four things that really freak me out: Roaches, rats, snakes, and sharks.  Roaches are number one because I see more of them than the other three.  

So there I was stuck in the elevator with a huge two-inch roach, and it may as well have been an escaped convict.  I was terrified, and of course the space was limited, so it scurried around trying to avoid me too and came close – too close – so I screamed bloody murder.

Not my finest moment, but amen and glory, someone hit a switch somewhere and the door soon opened.  I ran out and never did find out if the roach made it.  Don’t honestly care.

I have zero doubt that God heard my, “JESUS, HELP ME!”

But I will admit there may have been a time when I would have had to scream saying: “DEAR GOD, I KNOW I HAVEN’T TALKED TO YOU IN A WHILE BUT I NEED YOU.  ARE YOU THERE? I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS AND COULD USE YOUR HELP!”

Look at how long it took to read all that.  By the time I would have finished praying, the roach could have started munching on my nails.  Yes, people, roaches eat nails and hair.

God always hears us when we cry out.  But we are the ones who feel the barrier because we don’t make prayer a habit, and that’s when we start our prayers with excuses and/or apologies. 

It is kind of awkward to run into someone for the first time in six months and ask for a favor without at least finding out how they are doing.  But our Lord is not just any someone.  The Bible says in Psalm 145:18, “God’s there, listening for all who pray, for all who pray and mean it.”

I highlighted the word “all” because God is there, right there, waiting for you and me and anyone else who prays and means it.  It is never a question of how we feel, or what we think, but rather an acceptance of this truth – that God is always right there, wherever we are, listening for us.

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, Thank You for always listening out for us.  It is reassuring to know that You are always so close to us.  We need you, and we mean it!  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Then you will call...

Jeremiah 29:11 ““I know the plans that I have for you.  They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.”

What should be our reaction to knowing that God’s plan for our life is good?  I think it’s fine to jump for joy and share this news with others, but our immediate reaction should be what follows in verse 12: “Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”

When we come to the realization that everything He says is true, we will turn to Him in prayer because He listens.  We will call on Him because He answers.  We will go to Him because He and only He – not our car, or a statue, or a rock star – fulfills His plans for us. 

When we pray we are letting God know that we believe in Him, we believe He is the only One Who has the power to help – the only One Who has power period – we believe He has our best interests at heart, and that He’s the only One Who knows how to make everything work out for our good.

We pray so that God can share with us what He already knows: There is nothing He can’t do, and He wants to bless us and help us each and every day.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for having plans for us that are meant to encourage us to pray.  Some days we don’t feel hopeful or at peace, and it is at these moments that we need to redirect our focus on You.  We ask You to fulfill Your goodness in our lives.  We thank You for listening to us.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~  

Open Our Eyes~

Tuesday greetings~

I love taking road trips.  Jorge is a pleasant companion, the scenery is pretty, and when I sing-a-long to the radio, I sound fabulous.  My favorite place is anywhere where the leaves have turned colors in all their fall glory.  There is one stretch of highway between Tennessee and Georgia, however, that is so perilous I always close my eyes and move toward the center of the car.  I realize my body is fully protected inside the car, but that two-way road is so narrow that I feel as though we are going to hit either the oncoming traffic or the railing on the other side.  One part of this road goes through a winding tunnel, and there is no way to see what’s around the corner.  The first time we went through it, I pretty much screamed the entire way.  The next time and since then, Jorge always reminds me to close my eyes. 

I don’t like it when I can’t see what’s up ahead; it’s a scary feeling.  Life is kind of like that too.  None of us really knows what’s next, and sometimes that can leave us feeling anxious.

Even though we don’t know what’s next, we know Someone Who does.  And He says, “I know the plans that I have for you.  They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God’s plan is to give us peace and hope.  No need to close our eyes!  We can’t see everything that’s coming, but He can, and He desires to bless us with peace and hope.  To receive His plan we have to receive Him.  We get on board by letting Him know every day that we want His guidance, His protection, and His provision in our lives.  And even when everything in our life seems to be anything but peaceful or hopeful, we stretch our faith muscles and tell Him that His way is best because ultimately everything we have ever hoped for will come true.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We love Your plans for our life!  We want peace, we need hope, and none of us ever wants disaster.  Help us to trust You – especially when we go through hard times.  Rather than going through life with our eyes closed, open our eyes to see Your power and goodness all around us. Thank You for always having good things in store for us.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~    

An Easy Exchange~

TGIF Greetings~

Psalm 30:11 “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.”

I dread making the exchange/return line at the store.  It seems like I always wind up with a trainee who isn’t quite sure how to handle the transaction.  One time I returned some clothing only to realize that I was charged for the merchandise again.  I basically paid twice for something I returned, but of course, I didn’t bother to check until I was in the car.  Back to the line I went.  I remember telling my husband that I know Jesus is in my heart and in my hands because He kept me from smacking her when she treated me rudely.  She was not happy to see me, or happy to have to call her supervisor for help. Ditto for me!      

There is, however, an exchange God wants to make for us that requires no line and no hassle.  There is no rudeness involved, and the One Who attends to us is perfect at His job.  And when you leave, you do so feeling way better than you did before you got there.  

Today’s verse happens when we activate the verse right before it: “Hear me, LORD, and have mercy on me. Help me, O LORD." 

Prayer is simple.  You just open your mouth, your trap, your beak, your chops, or your jaws and speak with Him.

Whatever is on your mind or on your heart – just say it.  When we are honest with Him, He takes our garments of sorrow and exchanges them for garments of joy. 

I love the idea of God Himself outfitting me with garments of joy.  I know they will look perfect on me, and everyone around me will comment on how good I look with joy all over me.   

PRAYER: Hear us, Lord, and have mercy on us, Help us, o Lord.  We thank You for hearing our prayer, and gladly exchange our garments of sadness, frustration, fear, loneliness, and hopelessness for garments of joy joy joy! In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

What Makes You Happy?

Romans 12:12 “Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently, steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer.”

Thursday greetings~

What makes you happy?  I have always said that I am happiest when all the chickies are in the nest.  My definition has broadened, however, because my two chickies flew the coop.  What makes me happy now is when they visit, and stay for dinner and conversation – when they actually turn off their electronic devices, make eye contact, and say stuff.

I am also happy when it’s me and Jorge and reruns of 1960s sitcoms to keep us company.  Plus, I am happy when I chat with a friend, have a cold glass of milk in front of me, am cuddling with a baby, or am holding the latest and greatest spy novel in my hands.

But what about when troubles come?  Can we be happy then?  Can we have joy when we do not feel well, or one of our kids is in trouble? When we are surrounded by problem after problem after problem?

The answer is yes.  It is possible to smile and laugh in the middle of all the madness.  This happens when we base our happiness on our hope in Christ.

What exactly are we hoping for?  Peace, health, a 100% problem-free existence, perfect love, and a time where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…(Revelation 21:4”

And these are precisely the things that Christ has done for us.  Yes, we still have to live this life to get to the eternal one.  But God reminds us in this verse that when things get tough, even unbearable, we can proactively be happy that because of Jesus, one day, every thing we have hoped for will become a reality.

There’s a reason God encourages us to base our happiness on the hope Christ offers: EVERYTHING ELSE IS TEMPORARY.

If my happiness were based on my money, where would I be if I lost it all?

If my happiness were based on being young, I would have been in trouble a while back.

Babies grow up, relationships come and go, and perfect health does not last forever. 

But Jesus, well, He is a constant we can rely on!

  

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for giving us so much hope.  No matter what is going on, help us to always keep our eyes on You and all the amazing blessings that are headed our way.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

A Good Habit~

Romans 12:12 “Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently, steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer.”

When the kids were in elementary school they had a bunch of different teachers who had various approaches to the students’ behaviors.  One in particular had a big, colorful dog house on the bulletin board with all the kids’ names written on individual construction paper bones.  If you misbehaved your bone was placed in the dog house.

It seems like every single day there were more bones in the dog house than not.  I know because I made it a habit to check for my own children’s names. 

I suppose mine was a responsible habit.  But any and every kind of bad habit could get you sent to the dog house.

“Don’t bite your nails!”

“Don’t pick your nose!”

“Don’t pick at that scab!”

Then came Rayray’s second grade teacher, the lovely Mrs. Albury.  She had a completely different approach.  Rather than point out all the stuff the kids were always doing wrong, she made it a point to catch them doing something good and then announcing it to the world by putting a little bee in the beehive on her bulletin board.  If your bee made it to the hive, then everyone knew you were up to something good.

Trust me when I tell you that all those second graders worked hard to make it to the beehive.  Mrs. Albury’s personal philosophy was that little children could unlearn bad habits and relearn good ones with some gentle encouragement.  She was right.

The verse above encourages us to remain devoted to the good habit of prayer.  Why is that so important? 

Mrs. Albury noticed that practicing good behavior led to more good behavior.  It became almost automatic for doors to be held open and for children to share happily with each other.  Likewise, God encourages us to make prayer a habit because it will become the go-to response when things get rough.  Rather than freaking out and losing control, someone who is in the habit of prayer will first go to God rather than go crazy. 

Notice how the right way – the only way, really – to go through a trial is to pray your way through it.   Each of us, regardless, is going to have to endure some stuff.  How we endure is key.  Living in fear is an unbearable way to live.  Complaining won’t change a thing.  But maintaining the habit of prayer will.  Even if everything all around you is out of control, staying on a steady course of prayer will work wonders.  It will invite joy, peace, hope, and the promise of better days ahead into your situation.  I’ve heard that it takes 21 days to form a new habit, which is great news for all of us.  We have all been praying longer than that!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Prayer is one habit we want to keep.  Help us, strengthen us, and bless us as we pray.  We welcome You into our lives and thank You that You cover us with Your love.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~