Love Lifted Me

Psalm 30:1 “…You have lifted me up.”

Greetings,

This morning I saw the most beautiful, soul-stirring commercial about dogs and puppies that were being rescued from abandonment and abuse.  And what really surprised me was the song playing in the background, “Love Lifted Me.”  It’s a well-known Christian hymn – one that I grew up singing - and part of the lyrics say, “Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!”  

Imagine those words accompanied by a sweet melody as puppy after puppy is shown being picked up and snuggled, as dog after dog is cradled and kissed.  (I encourage you to YouTube the song and hear it for yourself).  It blessed my morning.  And I hope it will bless you as well to know that Jesus lifts us out of sin, heartache, sadness, illness, confusion, despair…Whatever it may be, He will rescue us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for Your mighty love that saves.  Sometimes we feel overwhelmed; sometimes we feel as though we will be overtaken by the problems we face.  But nothing and no one can stand in the way of Your power to lift us up! In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Let's Go!

Greetings,

When I was a little kid I remember seeing a black and white cartoon drawing of a terrified man hunched over in front of the huge, imposing throne of God.  God was sitting there - this enormous faceless presence - pointing a finger the size of the Washington Monument at the man's downcast eyes.  It wasn't a very welcoming sight, and it's also a completely WRONG depiction of our Father God. 

“Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"(NIV Version).

Disregard any preconceived notions that God is standoffish, disinterested, or worse, foreboding, and threatening.  God welcomes us with open arms, not condemnation.  He's ready to hand out mercy, not disapproval - grace not rejection.  Amen!

The only precursor to receiving help in our time of need is that we have to go to Him.   

Let's go!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we approach You right now knowing that You long to be kind and compassionate to us.  We need it, so help us in our time of need. In Jesus’ name, Amen~

No More Disappointment!

Greetings,

Years ago, a very wise cola company promised, “everyone is a winner” with their prize give-a-way promotion.  All you had to do was purchase one of their beverages and whatever was listed inside the bottle cap was yours.  Of course, Jorge and I took the bait, and that’s the only refreshment we purchased for a while. We loved getting free drinks and candy bars in the process, but one day we hit the jackpot!

Jorge and I were thrilled to learn we had won a remote-control caddy.  We followed all the instructions to claim our prize and waited eagerly for its arrival. Jorge had visions of playing golf with an automated club carrier, and I was all excited that he would be the talk of the course.

Six weeks later the box arrived, and we knew right away there was a mistake.  How can you fit a caddy into a box that was 10 inches long and 10 inches wide?

Well, when the remote-control caddy the beverage company was giving away was a black plastic organizer to keep the TV remote nearby, that packaging was more than adequate.  Talk about disappointment!

Experiencing disappointment is a fact of life.  Not one of us will go through life 100% satisfied 100% of the time.  But the day is coming when we will never be disappointed again.

I can barely imagine what that will be like.  No more headaches, hassles, or stress.  No more sadness, frustration, or fear. No more bitter pills to swallow, worry, or tension. Everyone getting along perfectly, and everyone and everything at peace having fun with Jesus…forever...      

Romans 10:11 "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED" (New American Standard Bible).

This verse actually appears in all caps in the NASB version of the Bible, and it’s because God wants to get our attention.  He wants us to embrace this beautiful promise when we’ve had a rough day.  He wants us to thank Him that heaven’s joy awaits and the hope He gives will get us through this life too.  God wants us to be completely and totally uplifted by the assurance that soon enough it will get better and last forever.

Next time we experience disappointment, let us take a moment to remind ourselves that disappointment – no matter how harsh – is only temporary.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for this verse.  Life is beautiful, but it has its difficult seasons.  We needed to be reminded that one day only the good shall remain!  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

A Blessing~

Greetings,

What’s happening in your life right now?  Are you busy preparing a first-time high schooler or kindergartner for back-to-school? Maybe you are caring for an elderly parent or little baby? Perhaps you are dealing with a difficult relationship, nursing someone back to health, or putting up with difficulties at work because your family needs you? Even if you're just living your life in general, loving those around you, and cooking dinner, getting the oil changed in the car, and smiling at strangers, I speak this blessing over you today:

“May the Lord repay you for what you are doing. May you be richly rewarded by Him, the God of Israel, under Whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:12).

These encouraging words were spoken to a young woman who, while enduring great difficulty, put her trust in God.  She also demonstrated loyalty and love to her mother-in-law to such an excellent degree that it caught the attention of a wonderful man who eventually married her and changed the course of her life, dramatically and for the better.  Her name was Ruth and besides having her own book in the Bible, she is also named in the genealogy of Jesus.  Pretty impressive!

As you think about your daily life, struggles, heroic efforts, and/or courageous sacrifices, receive the blessing above as TRUTH.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, we receive this blessing and thank You that we are richly rewarded when we do what is right and good.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

God's Telephone Number~

Greetings,

Over the weekend I received a postcard inviting me to my 35-year high school reunion. What? I graduated high school over 30 years ago?  Amazing how time flies, and of course I took a little trip down memory lane. The one glaring difference between now and then is the cellphone.  We are connected 24/7 to everyone and everything.  But when I was wearing Jordache jeans and dragging my white suede, red-swooshed Nikes down the hallowed halls of Shamrock High, we had to use payphones to communicate.  A whopping .10¢ per call.  I remember some days I would leave the house at 6:00 AM and not speak with my mom until 5:00 PM later in the day.  Today, it would be unthinkable to go more than an hour or two (or even less) without sending an email, text, or making a quick call.  I love the ease with which we can reach out to each other.  But what I love even more is that our Lord has always been easy to reach.  There has never been a limitation or restriction when it comes to connecting with Him, and we don’t have to dial or be near a computer either. 

“Call to Me and I will answer you.  I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out” (Jeremiah 33:3). 

It’s mind-blowing to know the Maker of heaven and earth is willing to share marvelous and wondrous info we would otherwise never understand. And while the verse doesn’t promise to tell us everything about everything, we can have faith that if we need to know it, He will tell us.  He will speak into our lives, our messes, and problems.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I call upon You today to tell me marvelous things that will bless me and help me make wise decisions.  I call upon You to tell me wondrous things so my faith, peace, joy, and trust stay aflame!   In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Holy Permission

Greetings,

See if you can identify with this sequence of events:

1-     You have a need/concern.

2-     You pray.

3-     By faith, you believe God has heard you.

4-     You trust that He is coming up with a plan of action.

5-     God implements the plan!

Sometimes, however, or maybe most of the time, it seems we live stuck between numbers four and five. What are we thinking on those days or even weeks or months when we are still waiting for an answer?

Maybe we give up – doubting God?  Or maybe we don’t want to keep bothering Him with the same thing over and over again?

This is where having the Bible comes in handy.

Then Jesus said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’ “The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’ “But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need. “Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open” (Luke 11:5-10).

These verses give us holy permission to keep on knocking until we receive an answer. We must never give up just because our timeline differs from God's. He wants us to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking because He knows the answer is worth the wait!

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, You will always come through for us; we must never give up. Thank You that You have made it clear in Your Word that You want us to be persistent with our prayers. We take You up on that invitation and ask You to bless us today. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

I Have Fought the Good Fight~

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Greetings,

This past week an elderly lady I know, whom I have greatly admired and considered a faith hero for 20 years, was diagnosed with cancer.  It’s pretty serious, and unless God intervenes she will be going home soon.  But there’s a reason I have always looked up to her and called her for prayer whenever I have had a need.  Here’s why.  When the doctor gave her the diagnosis, her very first response was, “I have lived a long life and accomplished God’s purpose for me.  I am ready for heaven.”  Amazing!

I want to be like her.  I want to have the kind of faith that stands strong as I cross the finish line.  I want to be confident that God’s purpose for me is good, powerful, and eternally relevant.  I want to be calm and joyful as I live knowing that I am called to fight the good fight for those I love, and that I will not leave this earth until I have done that.  And when the time comes to cross from here to There, I want to go with peace, having left a legacy for those who are staying behind about the necessity and importance of a relationship with Christ.

May it be so for you as well.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, one day we will all be rejoicing with You without the constraints of time and pains of human life.  The Bible says that heaven is so wonderful that we cannot even comprehend it. Amen to that!  In the meantime, we are alive and living and while we are grateful for life, we need Your daily help to make it.  It is only through Your constant blessings of protection, provision, wisdom, joy, love, peace, healing, and hope that we can make it.  Thank You that You willingly and lovingly come alongside us every single day. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~