Reality on Display

Have you ever heard someone say “get real?”  Today’s passage speaks that to me today as I read about a man who had real life issues he faced.  He had a right hand that was shriveled and Jesus asked to put him on public display with it to teach something valuable to the religious Pharisees and teachers of the law in the synagogue.  The fact that he was in the presence of Jesus was a gift of God’s grace for him that brought about his healing as Jesus asked him to stretch out his hand, but the point that my Father is laying on my heart today is that our Father wanted to use the reality of this man’s struggles to bring Him glory.  If there were never any struggles in a person’s life, how would they ever see the miracles of God as they seek Him and how would they have a witness of Him in life?  Often in life, it is in us as saints sharing the reality of struggles in our lives and our willingness to stand up in front of others with those struggles that provides just the right opportunity for the glory of Jesus to be seen by those looking on. Being real and not shrinking back into secrecy may be just the opportunity for each of us to make a difference in someone else’s life.  I ask you today as I ask myself 1)What is the reality of our lives that we need to trust Jesus on?  2) Are we willing to stand before others with that area of our life in order to reveal Jesus to others through it? 3) There was beauty found in the shriveled man’s hand.  What beauty can be found in the struggles of our lives? 4) How can God use us in sharing the reality of our lives to bring Him glory?  Let’s trust Jesus to work good through whatever circumstances we face in life.  With these thoughts in mind, I’m a gal seeing all of life as beautiful today! How about you?

Luke 6:6-11

Farming for the Harvest

Spring has sprung in Idaho and with that farmers are getting busier now that the snow drifts have melted away.  Even during winter, they are planning and thinking ahead. Each year, they pour forth effort to bring about the best harvest possible.  This all reminds me that as saints, we are also farmers, sowers of our Father’s Word to bring as many to the saving knowledge of Jesus and His Kingdom that we can with the help of the Lord.  We have great opportunity every moment of every day to work at bringing the greatest harvest of souls possible.  I am inspired by these Words spoken to my Father to us today:

“…as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

One of the greatest ways that we can bring about the greatest harvest, is to keep each other as saints inspired, supported and encouraged.  Make the most of the opportunities to encourage the family of saints around you today to keep going.  So many people in the world need the Good News that our Father wants to share through us.  The world needs you, saint!  Never give up!  Our Father will not forget your hard work and you will be so blessed to see the harvest that is coming!  It will all be worth it!  Oh, I can hardly wait to see the beauty of it all!  It’s gonna be great!

Galatians 6:9-10; Hebrews 6:10-12; John 4:35-38

The Root of Love

My Father has me looking at the imagery of trees today as I ponder His Word.   Being the spring season in Idaho, I have been marveling at the beauty of trees in full bloom.  What a heavenly sight to see!  It speaks so loudly of the beauty that our Father brings into this world and the amazement of His wisdom.  As I ponder the trees, my Father speaks to me of the external display and how what is displayed is based very much on what is underlying – the roots and the health of the roots.  If the tree roots are healthy and are receiving sufficient nutrients, the outer tree is healthy and fruit bearing.  As Christians, this is also true of our lives.  If our hearts (our roots) are grounded well and fed sufficiently in the love of Christ and faith in Him, it is going to be reflected through the visible outliving of our lives.  The Apostle Paul understood this and his heart was for the saints to understand this when he wrote to them “And I pray that you, being “rooted and established in love” may grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  We can know of the love of God, but unless we know it and embrace it fully for ourselves, drinking in its rich nutrients into our hearts, we will always be lacking what is needed to have the full potential of fruit bearing in the outward showing of our lives. Knowledge of God’s love is just knowledge – grasping it personally is what fills the reservoir of our hearts that provides the healthy and full life our Father so desires for us all to have.  He so wants us to get it that Jesus loves us unconditionally, with unfailing love! So, I say, let’s drink it all in, saints!  Click here to ponder His love for you personally today! His love for us in us is going to bloom great things in our lives! How exciting is that! Grasping on to His love with ya today for the power to have a very fruitful life!

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 3:14-21

‘Tis a Lovely Thought

Have you ever heard it said “go to a happy place in your mind?”  Well, my Father reminds me this morning that there is great value in doing so, but that a happy place in our minds is based on focusing on His Truth.  What we think about is important!  What we thought yesterday has put us where we are today and what we think about today will determine our tomorrows.  The Apostle Paul understood this was key to a happy life.  He said “Whatever is “true”, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”  Jesus said that Truth sets us free in life and that He gives peace that is not available except through Him.  People that had no room in their hearts for His Truth is what put Him on the cross and it made a big difference in their lives what they chose to believe. When we can accept His love, grace and Truth, it is life changing and freeing.  Jesus so longs for people to live free and in peace.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

“Tis a lovely thought”, do you agree? I’m a gal focusing on my Father today, how about you?

Philippians 4:8-9; John 8:32, 14:27

All Decked Out for Today

Woohoo!  I am delighting in the wardrobe that my Father has given to me to wear today! He has me “all decked out” (clothed or adorned with finery).  Not just me, but all who believe in Him!  The Psalmist understood this as well when He shared his heart this way:

“I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness..”

I’m a gal stepping out in the wonderful style my Father has chosen for me today! Whistle, whistle!  I see how Jesus has adorned you has you lookin’ good, too, saint!  Enjoy the gift of His high-fashioned grace for us all today! Got a smile to wear with His wardrobe today and so thankful to have Him as my escort through life, how about you?

Isaiah 61:10; Colossians 1:21-23; Psalm 37:23-24

 

The Stable One

We live in a world that is always on the go.  I was reading this morning about orphans who are moved a lot as children and how they greatly long to have stability in their lives.  No matter where we are at in life and no matter what we might encounter, we have stability with our Father.  As Moses spoke of God “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields Him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders.”  The good shepherd that Jesus is, He carries us between His shoulders like a lamb.  He is our constant care giver no matter what is happening in the world around us.  When we seek Him, He always gives us peace of mind and stability.  We always have a secure home with Him – through faith in Him, we have an eternal home with Him and He is now at home with us in our hearts – time will never change that!  When He was resurrected and sat down at the right hand of His Father who gives Him stability, He chose to also live in our hearts and have us with Him and the Father, saying “I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. Because I live, you also will live.”  He said that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us that “On that day, we will realize that He is in His Father, and we are in Him and He is in us.” One great all together family! He is always a Father to us, helping us as we seek Him through faith. “Never will I leave you nor forsake you,” He says.  I am so thankful He is always there for me as my stable One, aren’t you?  He is my security in all of life.  No matter where life might take you, enjoy His forever, all the time presence with you, saint.  You are never alone!

“The eternal God is our refuge, and underneath are His everlasting arms.”

John 14:16-20; Deuteronomy 33:12,26-27

Focused on Love

As I continue to reflect upon Easter and what Jesus did when He was going through pain in His life on the cross, I am touched by His love and His heart in how He focused upon loving others.  Obviously He went through great pain by those who put Him on the cross, but He focused on the joy that would result with victory in going through what needed to happen to have those relationships be healthy.  He did the stuff to bring victory!  I’m a gal so thankful He did, aren’t you?  In this way, He loved people, but I also see that He loved and focused on those who loved Him, like the man next to Him on the cross who defended Him and reached out to Him in hope for his life and He also loved the people on the ground about Him that He knew loved Him.  God IS love and truly Jesus was a man who loved us enough to die for us, but He also lives for us, in that He now sits next to His Father and prays for us and has chosen to be as close to us as possible – right smack dab in our hearts!  Him there enables us to love with His love.  Now how lovely of a thought is that!  Focusing on love today is a beautiful thought in my mind today and I’m loving ya all as I step out thankful for the love of Him for me and for you!  Have a lovely day and enjoy His presence close to you!

John 3:16, 14:16-20, 19:1-30; Luke 23:1-43; Romans 5:8, 8:34; 1 John 4:7-21

The Wise Gentleman Shepherd

I so appreciate the heart that our Father has for children.  He paints the imagery of that love as He likens Himself to a Shepherd that gathers lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.  He is a Father that understands that we as His children need to be led, but He also knows that we need love and so He combines the two to raise us up well.  I so love the way my Father leads me and loves me.  I love that He cares enough for me to lead me in His Truth, revealing to me the things I need to see to be healthy, well and successful in life, but He also holds me close to His heart and makes me feel loved, accepted, appreciated and valued.  He gives me the best of both wisdom and love.  Images of Jesus as a Shepherd show Him holding a lamb close to His heart with a staff that He used to guide His lambs when they needed His help. That speaks to me that He loves me as His child enough to make me wise and has wisdom in how He does it to make me feel loved. Woo hoo!  Life doesn’t get better than that!  To all of this, I say “baaaah” which means I’m a gal so thankful to be in my Father’s care.  Happy, happy, happy with ya all with our Father! Thankful He is our wise gentleman Shepherd!

Isaiah 40:10-11; Romans 12:2, 9

The King is on the Throne

As we reflect upon the passing event of Easter, I stand amazed at it all – the stories of divine intervention and the bringing about of the Lord’s prophesied plans in order to take care of His people through the efforts of the one man Jesus, His chosen One!  He brought about His will in the perfect way and in the perfect timing to the blessing of all who believe in Him.  Looking back upon it all in clear hindsight, it is easy to have faith that God did all of that in His perfect wisdom to give us a bright future forever with Him.  The question is, will we have that same kind of faith as we move forward through our lives as we watch His plans played out for each of us day by day as we wait for His best for us to be unveiled?  We can have the same faith that He is working all things out in the perfect ways and in the perfect timing to bless us even now through eternity because Jesus is the same yesterday, as He is today as He will be forever and He is committed to loving us with unfailing love and working all things for our good.  Yahoo! King Jesus is on the throne and His power is on!  Knowing He has our best interest at heart and that He is praying for me and in control, gives me all kinds of peace today and excitement for the adventure of seeing how it all works out divinely. How about you? Enjoy the ride!  It’s gonna be great!

“The Lord is in His Holy Temple; the Lord is on His Heavenly Throne.  He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them.”

Psalm 11:4; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 8:28-29; Hebrews 13:8

One Man’s Difference

Click here for a live video link that Sheila wants to share with you with today’s message.