Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One, Listen to him”. Luke 9:35 NLT.
Listen to him. Such a simple statement and request. God the Father, speaking from a cloud to Peter, James and John after the transfiguration..interrupting Peter’s off the wall suggestion he build a tent for Jesus, Elijah and Moses. My friends, this is my simple encouragement for today. Listen to him.
Listen to him as you read his Word. Really pay attention to what he asks. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105. ESV.
Listen to him as you pray. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20. ESV.
Listen for the answers to those prayers. Expect him to bring the directions and insights you need. Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great, and hidden things you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3. ESV.
Listen to the sermons your pastoral leaders give. Pay attention to the corporate direction, encouragement and instructions given. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly. Psalm 85:8. ESV.
Listen to the still, small voice within your spirit. When you hear it, respond with obedience. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37.7 NLT.
Listen to the stops he gives. Pay attention to any warnings he may give. Do not ignore them. They are there for your benefit. I am God, your God who teaches you how to live right and well. I will show you what to do, where to go. Isaiah 48:17 MSG.But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26. ESV.
Listen to his loving voice. When you know it is his voice speaking, enjoy the fact that you can hear the voice of your Savior who is also the Creator of the Universe.
When you listen, do not listen with fear. We must listen with faith and trust. Trust he wants to speak to you. Trust what he speaks is important and timely. Trust that no matter what you hear–it will lead you to become more like him. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27. NLT.
It is my prayer that these simple reminders will spur you on to open your ears to his voice. Remember to test the spirits, but know he is able to direct your steps. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 ESV.
Father, please teach us to listen to you. Whether it is through your Word, through others or through you personal speaking to us. You promise you sheep hear your voice. Speak, now my Lord, In Jesus Name, amen.
Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Discouragement: losing hope or confidence , a feeling of being disheartened, dejected, or losing motivation, often due to obstacles, failures, or lack of progress. We don’t like to admit it, but everyone faces discouragement in their lives. It is part of life, but so is victory over it!
Over the years, it caught me in its trap far too long and far too often. The good news is I have learned some hints, tips, and warfare tools that I want to share. Discouragement is an effective tool Satan loves to use against God’s people. He uses it to stop us from moving ahead with God’s purposes. He is happy when he can thwart believers. He uses any tool he can find. Discouragement is often one of those tools.
Sometimes it is so subtle. A small seed of doubt begins to grow and the joy and expectation we had seems to fade. We can still function and fulfill our roles, but it seems harder to do. Failed expectations of ourselves or others often lead to discouragement. It is a natural part of our emotions.
Learning to recognize discouragement it one of the first steps in dealing with it. It used to be hard for me to admit I was discouraged (anything less than perfect you know!) Pride was the root of that. Now, I’ve learned to name it and own it. All people face it, and I had to admit I am part of the human race. Once I identify I am discouraged, I try to figure out exactly where it is coming from. Am I believing a lie from Satan? Did I expect a different outcome from a situation? Uncovering the lie and replacing it with the truth is key to victory. Am I tired and weary? Do I need a snack?
Elijah needed a break and a snack–plus time with an angel speaking truth will help! (Read the story in 1 Kings 19). We may not have an angel delivery system, but we do have the Holy Spirit and His help. Take a break, spend time in prayer–pouring your heart out to Him who never grows tired of listening to His children. Pride makes us feel we can’t come to Him when we are weak, but that is the best time to come to Him. Remember, the Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many trouble, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. Psalm 34:18-19. NLT. He loves to comfort and encourage us, but we have to come to Him. A crushed spirit is so painful and hard. I’ve walked through feeling crushed and downhearted, but I found His faithfulness. He led me out of those dark days and into His truly marvelous light. During one season, I picked up a journal and wrote out all my pain to Him and kept writing till I found my thoughts changing, from hopelessness to hope. Discouragement tries to steal our joy, our hope and then our faith. But our God promises to be close us during those times. Do not hide from Him.
Another tool David found was worship and music. Technology is my friend for this. Alexa, Google and Spotify are easy for me to turn on and worship fills my home. Suddenly, hope is renewed. As the various worship songs play, heaviness falls off and God’s promises and truths come flooding in. The discouraging situation probably has not changed, but my attitude has. Strength is renewed.
The gift of Godly people are essential during discouraging times. Humbling yourself and asking for prayer from other believers can break discouragement quickly. Giving them the opportunity to speak truth and love into your life can be the very thing you need to keep going. God did not make us to live life alone, find a community. Remember what it says in James? Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them. The key point here, is “let them” call. You can’t expect others to know when you are discouraged and need help–nor can you wait till they see it! There is too much to be done for His kingdom for us to fall for the trap of discouragement. Discouragement longs to undermine our faith and trust in God’s goodness, love and power and put our eyes back on ourselves.
Gratitude for what I do have, or have accomplished, or people who have proven faithful is another tip I’ve learned when facing discouragement. And they defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. Revelation 12: 13. Rehearse what God has already done and all the victories where you overcame discouragement. Sometimes I take a big view of history and think about how God has kept the church throughout so many difficult and struggling times. He is not about to quit. We will face trials and tribulations. Some face persecution. There are believers across the globe who are being persecuted in real time with real consequences right now. It makes our small troubles shrink in comparison. Praying for others can break the cycle of discouragement as you release your faith for them.
If a besetting sin is the source of your discouragement. It has to be dealt with. Repent and turn away from it. Admit it to someone else. Join a support group, whatever it takes. You do not have to carry the weight of un-confessed sin. If you have tried on your own to “get over it”, ask for help. Anger, lust, gossip, lying etc. are just some that often are self justified. My husband struggled with anger issues at the start of our marriage. I could tell the soul toll it took on him every time he had an outburst. He would feel disqualified and discouraged. What a blessing to watch the Holy Spirit help him overcome this learned behavior. He is able, my friends. Do not settle.
Father, I thank you for all the lessons you have taught me in dealing with discouragement. I ask you help us keep growing in these areas. I ask you to strengthen our will to persevere no matter the obstacles we face, because you are so able to finish our race. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.: Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” Mark 9:23-25 NKJV.
When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they rant o greet him.What is all this arguing about? Jesus asked. One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.Mark 9:14-19. Wow, what a situation. Just before this event, Jesus, took Peter, James and John up on the mountain, where they experienced what we now call the “Transfiguration”.
I imagine those four folks were pretty excited. The three chosen disciples who were with Jesus probably could not wait to share the experience with the rest of the team. But what did they come down to? Arguing and contention. A desperate father who very clearly understood the effects of his sons struggles. The teachers of religious law (also called scribes) were arguing with the remaining disciples, there was a distracted and disappointed father, along with the demonized son plus large crowd of bystanders! We can assume the scribes were criticizing the disciples for not being able to free the boy–although we don’t see them helping him either! It seems to be part of our human nature to quickly criticize what we can’t do ourselves.
It is a bit difficult for me to figure out exactly who Jesus was referring to to with his comment: You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Was it to the scribes, the disciples, the crowd or to the man and his boy? Back in Mark 6, Jesus commissioned the disciples. He gave them the authority to cast out evil spirits. So, was it them? Maybe he was disappointed they hadn’t learned to use the authority they had received as yet. At this time in Jewish culture there was an understanding that different evil spirits were harder to deal with. It was their understanding that you had to know the name of the spirit in order to cast it out. So dealing with a mute spirit was more difficult. This spirit caused the boy to be mute. No matter what, I am sure these 9 disciples were embarrassed and perhaps angry they couldn’t help the man and his son. Do not let the enemy discourage you from praying for difficult situations. That is his goal, to silence our prayers. If anything, stir yourself and pray even bigger ones.
There was a season in the 70’s where the church I attended dealt with evil spirits. It was amazing to watch transformation take place as our Senior Pastors spoke in authority to these evil spirits, and the people were freed. I also watched as others “tried” and the enemy seemed to mock the situation and nothing happened. It was difficult to understand. In this story, Jesus expressed his emotions and disappointment, but did not forget about the hurting man and his son.
As he turned his attention to the father, asked more clarifying questions the father ended with: Have mercy on us and help us, if you can. Mark 9:21. My friends when we struggle with unbelief, don’t we also include some kind of qualifier? “If you can”. If you want to”…”If you think I’m worthy”…maybe we don’t verbalize these qualifiers, but we may think them. The way Mark tells the story, we find Jesus sounding a bit “short”. He really wants us to trust him. I think it disappoints him, when we question his power and love. We can’t let our unbelief dictate our actions. The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief”. Isn’t that our heart when we want our loved ones freed, healed, changed etc? Are we willing to put in the time, energy and effort to build up our faith so we can see the answers to our prayers?
My question is do we comprehend that although Jesus understands our unbelief, He doesn’t want us to stay there. He really doesn’t like unbelief. Continuing the story, he looks at the crowd and then deals with the demon. The son is eventually set free and returned well to the father. We see his love and compassion for these two. When they are alone again, the disciples ask him, “why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” Jesus replied. This kind can be cast out only by prayer. Mark 9:29. This is challenging. Are we willing to pray and study enough to grow in our faith to see the answers we want? I heard a story today of a woman who prayed 37 years for her husband’s salvation. The 37th year, he accepted the Lord!
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12. My friends, let us be careful not to ignore areas where we find unbelief. But take them to the Lord. Pray about those areas. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to grow in your belief.
Begin to study his word in those specific areas. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing comes by the word of God. I think we can get complacent and not understand that if we do not keep growing in our faith: complacency, cynicism and apathy takes over. The Holy Spirit is showing me areas where I have stopped believing for change. This is not his fault, but mine. I have decided to exercise my faith muscles for our nation. Praying for our leaders as we have been told to do, instead of letting others do it. My voice counts, so does yours. The bigger prayers we pray (according to God’s Word) the stronger we will become. We will have even bigger and better testimonies of his faithfulness to encourage others.
Father, please forgive our unbelief. It is something the enemy wants us to put up with, instead of fighting it. Teach us how to grow in faith. Help us to pray like you asked us to. In Jesus Name, amen.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8.
Have you ever fought with too short covers or blankets? Some of you length challenged people may not understand the struggles we taller people have with differing lengths of blankets. In order to warm your shoulders, you have to turn on your side, bend your knees and sleep like a pretzel, not my fun way of sleeping. If you stretch out your feet poke out and get cold. Not a way to get a good nights sleep. Have you ever felt your love blanket was too short?
Reading this passage this morning, above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins, reminded me that when our love runs short, it is like that too small blanket. Instead of enlarging our love, by reminding ourselves what Jesus did for us, we either ignore this verse or point fingers at the sin of others. This is not what loving our brothers and sisters should look like. There sees to be times I put my love blanket in a too hot dryer of my emotions and feelings and allow it to shrink exposing the sins or shortcomings of those I am supposed to love.
One area that I’ve learned that causes my love blanket to shrink, is unmet expectations. How about you? I remember a time I felt a leader should have given me a word of praise or thank you, but for whatever reason, they didn’t. My emotions tried to run wild. Mumbling and grumbling began rising up in my thoughts and it wasn’t pretty. When I stopped to take a breath and a good look at myself, I had to admit they didn’t owe me a thanks. I volunteered. It was my choice. This sounds like a very small issue, and it was. But as I struggled to get past these emotions, I began to cry out to the Lord. Please help me, I do not want this is grow into a root of bitterness. As the Holy Spirit helped me rightly view the situation, peace came. I began to pray for the leader and all the things they had on their plate, besides me and my feelings. The interesting thing was that the next day, they thanked me!
Covering a sin means forgiving. Peter is dealing with interpersonal relationships within the body of Christ. If a brother or sister wrongs us, we are supposed to forgive them as Christ forgave us, but he didn’t say it would be easy. 1 Corinthians 13:5 tells us that love keeps no record of wrongs. Ouch…are you a scorekeeper? We need to put away all scorecards, as we would want others to put away their scorecards for us!
Another area of covering sin has to do with gossip. If we forgive, we don’t share. It is covered. Oh, that can be so hard to do. Our flesh loves to gossip, doesn’t it? If someone sins against us, we are supposed to go to that person, alone. When I have people coming to me about their frustrations with another person, and I ask, “have you told them”? Often, they hang their heads and say “no”. How can they change something they don’t know hurts you? It is not fair to the other person. He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with a gossip [who talks freely or flatters]. Proverbs 20:19. AMP. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29. ESV. Gossiping definitely shrinks our love blanket.
Covering love acknowledges the hurt the sin caused. It then forgives, sets boundaries if necessary, and moves on. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. All of these thoughts have to do with our heart, don’t they? My friends, I feel like I need to read 1 Corinthians 13, slowly once a week to remind myself what godly love looks like. It definitely does not come natural to our spiritual man, does it?
Father, please help us grow even more in understanding how we can love each other like you want us to. Teach us to place a guard over our heart first, then our mouth so we do not shrink our love blankets through unforgiveness and gossip. Teach us how not to rejoice in wrongdoing. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
I am writing this on January 1, 2026. We have begun a calendar “new” year. I don’t really do resolutions. I have goals I hope to achieve this year. As i think about my definition of new and God’s definition of “new” I see the gaps. My thoughts of new usually include something the same, but maybe updated. I received a “new” sweatshirt, but it was still a sweatshirt–even though it was a new color and design. I will wear it the same way as my “old” sweatshirts. But God’s Word seems to define “new” as a transformation. If we are in Christ, we are new or different creation than we were before. Our old thoughts, complete with our moral and spiritual condition, lead us to death. But the new creation we’ve become lead us to life and godliness. We can look forward to new mercies every morning.
I can see the effects of the new creation I am in some areas. The Holy Spirit makes me aware of the changes I need. I have read through the New Testament letters this past year. Jesus words were very clear. Love one another as I have loved you. John 13: 34. Love those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who persecute you, just as God sends sun and rain on the just and unjust. Luke 6:27. This is heart of the type of new creation God wants us to have. I cannot just will myself to love those who curse me or despitefully use me. I need the power of the Holy Spirit to touch and enlarge my heart.
How does He do it? Often it is by bringing us to these very opportunities! These challenging tests are not easy, but if we want to grow in Him and into all the new things He has for us, we have to trust our Holy Spirit teacher to bring us the perfect lessons to help us grow. The Apostles Paul, John, and Peter all emphasized this need to learn to love one another. It’s written throughout each of their writings. My friends, should we not make it a priority to allow the Holy Spirit to transform our love ability? It is not easy, at least for me. But the more I learn about His love for me, the easier it is for me to love others.
My heart and my mind says I love them, but what about my actions. This is even more tricky, isn’t it? Laying down our lives for others, putting aside our own selfish concerns is challenging. I have found, when I obey the Holy Spirit’s nudging, fruit is born. Not necessarily in the situation, but in my own heart. It is worth it.
What He does with our obedience is in His hands, not ours. It really isn’t. The cost of obedience is sometimes higher than we think we are purchasing. Our old mind weighs the seeming cost, and can cause us to choose not to obey. The cost can be our time, talent, or treasure. In me, it reveals my selfish desire to run my own life. Submitting to becoming this new creation definitely means denying ourselves.
My friends, suppose your willingness to love someone above and beyond, when they are persecuting or cursing you brings them to the knowledge of our Savior? Would that be worth it? Suppose someone else’s willingness to go through those things for others may bring your loved one to the Lord? Jesus said the world will know we are His children by our love for each other. So let’s at least try to love those already in the body of Christ! This may be just for me, so pray for me, please?
Father, we need your help desperately in this matter. We aren’t good at loving each other. We aren’t good at glorifying your name by our actions. Forgive us for our selfishness, lead us into your truth, In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Let love be your highest goal! I Corinthians 14:1 a.NLT
My reading through the Bible this year has brought me once again to Paul and his inspiring letters. I have noticed that in everyone, his emphasis is on how we handle relationships. In Ephesians 4:31, he instructs us to get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words. and slander as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God through Christ has forgiven you. He makes it pretty clear, doesn’t he? If we are to follow Jesus, it seems we must pay attention to these types of verses.
I Thessalonians 2:12, We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in His Kingdom and glory. Oh, my friends, I wonder what would happen if we actually took these verses to heart? I am not sharing this to bring condemnation or guilt. I want to remind us how important the Lord cares how we treat one another. The day we celebrate is birth is quickly approaching. From Genesis to the Gospels, God planned to bring us salvation, already knowing the price it would cost Him. Paul encouraged the Thessalonians not to live unto themselves. Instead, he urged them to live lives that God would consider worthy. This way of living is obviously not how our flesh would want to live. My friends, there is so much joy in caring for one another. Recently, I’ve added a visit to my friends in assisted living each week. They have been members of our church for years. Contributing their time, talent and prayers for years. We were not necessarily close friends, but always enjoyed sharing about the goodness of God. Doctors diagnosed her husband with dementia, and he is now in hospice. Having been there with my own husband, I know how difficult it can be. So, fulfilling 2 Corinthians 1: 4, He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us, I go and visit them. It isn’t easy watching his progression, but I know it is much harder for his wife. There is something God’s love does for us when we reach out to others with His love. I told her, “I can’t go through this for you, but I can do my best to make sure you aren’t doing it alone”. Please understand. I am not bragging about what I am doing. I am amazed at the grace God has given me to do it! He will do it for you to, if you ask. I admit that sometimes I am too selfish. I don’t want to love those around me the way they need it. But then, His love convicts me, and I repent and start again.
Proverbs 17:17 says a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Matthew 5:44-45: But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
Luke 10:27: And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.
John 13:34-35. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: Just as I have loved, you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
I believe the verses above shares God’s heart on the matter. Asking Him to teach us how to love Him and His people is a high goal. It is not easy, and we can’t do it without His love being shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). Paul’s instructions in his letters make it really clear on what love is and how we are to show it. 1 Corinthians 14:1 comes right after 1 Corinthians 13; what we consider to be the “love chapter”. The New Living Bible says: Make love your highest goal, the NIV says: Follow the way of love. The Message: Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it. Wow, that’s pretty clear. Love is not an emotion; it is choices and actions. We can do this! Let’s encourage each other to grow in love this coming year, OK?
Father, please help us learn to love you and those around us more perfectly. We aren’t very good at it. Your word makes it very clear that it glorifies You when we live a life of love. You know what it costs us to lay down our lives for others, because You paid even more for us. Thank You for loving us, even when we make a mess of loving Your people. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6. NLT.
Don’t worry about anything. I used to think I did pretty well in this area, not worrying. But one day, the Holy Spirit started revealing areas in my life where I was anxious. I had grown so accustomed to it that I didn’t recognize it as worry! As I pondered and prayed about today’s blog–you guessed it! Worry, anxiety and stress showed up! Worry is sneaky. It robs us of so much energy.
If we stop worrying, start praying we receive what is promised in verse 7. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. When our hearts and minds are at peace, it is so much easier to make right choices. We won’t be driven by competition, conflict or fear. It is easier to stop and ask for His wisdom and perspective when we begin from the place of peace.
I haven’t learned the secret to “non worry”, but I am learning how to prevent it from ruling and running my life. When I catch myself moving toward worry, I try to stop and pray. Small choices often open the door to stress and anxiousness. The “should I’s” of life can become paralyzing if we let them. My friends, do not let worry derail you from moving ahead with God’s plan and call in your life. Worry and anxiety steals your trust and makes your God small. He is not small in any manner.
When in doubt, choose faith and trust. Look for the bigger, bolder choice and do it! Do not let fear dictate your decisions, but release your faith when confronted by those fears. Stir up your faith, if need be. Remind yourself who your God is. This morning I read the first chapter of 2 Corinthians. I found it so encouraging. We go through things so we can help comfort others. Our enemy would like us to quit before we get to that point. No matter what you are facing, your choice is faith. Forgive yourself if you realize you have let worry run your life. Today is a new day, for fresh choices.
I confess lately I have been plagued with worry thoughts. The Holy Spirit showed me that when the enemy knocked with worry, I let him in. He didn’t stay in that small area, but anxiety tried to spread to new areas of my life. Thank you Lord, for opening my eyes to his schemes. I repented and asked Him to guard my heart and mind once again with His peace. Peace came along with the confidence I needed. Check your own heart. Don’t let worry steal from you.
Father, I thank you for helping us make good choices. Choices of faith, trust and confidence. Teach us to take the time to pray first, acknowledging any worry, concern or anxious thoughts we may have. Help us capture them with Your Word, in Jesus’ Name, amen.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him, and bless His name, For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and HIs truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5. NKJV.
Years ago, in elementary school, my parents sent us to a Methodist church Sunday school class. I don’t remember our teacher’s name, but she encouraged our class to memorize scripture. It was a great beginning and a wonderful gift to those of us in her class. Psalm 100 was one scripture we learned. I am amazed at how often the Holy Spirit brings these truths, learned so long ago, to my mind.
The whole psalm is encouraging. Focusing on this verse reminds me to check myself when I am struggling to “sense” or “feel” His presence. Am I seeking Him for His answers or am I seeking Him? Often people use the phrase, “am I looking for His hands or His heart? This is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. A day set aside to express our gratitude for the blessings we have received. Gathering with family and friends around a special meal, reflecting on the goodness of life, is a good thing when we begin with thankfulness.
Driving to my daughter’s house this year, I determined to take the time to shift my thinking and enter into His gates with thanksgiving. I admit my mind has been filled with concerns and struggles, not for myself but for some members of my family. Last night as I was getting ready to sleep, I shifted my “intercessory prayer” mode to one of gratefulness. As I thanked the Lord for each of my grandchildren, I chose not to focus on what I think He needs to do to “change” them. Instead, I simply released my faith that He is working in them for good. The more I thanked God for each of them, the easier it was for me to trust His work in their lives. They are all great people, not perfect, but amazing human beings. So as we gather today with seven out of the eleven of them, I am choosing to simply be thankful and grateful. If there are areas of heaviness and concerns for the people in your life, take a break from “wishing things were different” and just begin to thank Him for His work in them. Release your faith. What if those very struggles are what He is using to change you? Your thoughts, attitudes or to simply teach you about acceptance?
The gate of our hearts is in our hands. We control who we let in, when we let them in and what manner of reception they will receive. Don’t let bitterness, resentment or unfulfilled expectations ruin your day. If you need to forgive people for being who they are, then forgive. Today, just be grateful for those around you. Share words of encouragement and appreciation. Look for what is right rather than what is wrong. That is what faith does! Remember Galatians 5:6; faith works by love. The two go together. This year I am sharing my sons family with his in-laws. I pray they are having a wonderful time together. I know we will miss them, but I choose to focus on who is there, not on who isn’t. Entering in His gates with thanksgiving, helps me open my gates to those around me, and for that I am so grateful.
Father, please teach us how to enter into Your gates each day with thanksgiving. There is so much more to understand about the power of gratitude and developing a thankful heart. Thank you for continuing to help your children learn and grow. Forgive us when we fall so short. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Iwill be your God throughout your lifetime–until your hair is white with age, I made you, and i will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. Isaiah 46:4. NLT.
This past week I had the privilege of speaking at our Senior Life Ministry breakfast. So many thoughts crossed my heart and mind as I prepared for this event. This scripture is so full of hope and encouragement. I’ve learned from my story and those of other Seniors that life is unpredictable. During the last years of my husband’s life, he declared his motto to be: the best is yet to be. He truly believed this. I did too, but what we were expecting during this time was not what happened.
He spent the last two and a half years needing a caregiver. This man who was a mentor to many, could no longer talk. Before his stroke, we talked about what our “old age” would look like. We would grow old together, enjoying our sunset years. He passed away at a young sixty-five. Thirteen years later, I am still here leaning on the Lord like I have never done before. The promise in this verse assures us that our God will be our God throughout our lifetime. This includes these senior years. What I have learned is that learning to walk with the Lord today prepares us for our future. The trust lessons we learn today can only help us for our tomorrows.
For my younger readers, can I admit something to you? Senior life can be scary. We fear developing dementia or Alzheimer’s. Running out of money is also a concern. We worry about becoming dependent on our children, and these fears tend to lurk in the back of our thoughts. Health issues become a bigger deal. Falls and fall risk increases as we age. Doctors appointments now include a memory test. Unless we apply God’s Word of hope, truth and trust it is easy to fall into discouragement, isolation and depression. Aging into the “senior” age is usually gradually. Age 50, AARP begins sending you their information. Come join us. Get discounts on travel, financial advice, social security and medicare changes and other information. Most people at 50 are healthy, working and strong.
Life is changing for retirees. Instead of full retirement benefits at 65, beginning next year it is 67. If you are healthy and have an enjoyable career, it should not be a problem. But some seniors don’t have optimum health, so they will struggle to make it to 67. Personally, at 67 I thought senior life was a breeze–except I had lost my husband when I was 62. For me, it meant re-figuring my life without him. This is where I personally, intentionally began to apply God’s Word about my future. My prayer life became even more important as I navigated the loneliness of widowhood. It was clear the choice was mine, was I going to grow bitter or trust God’s purpose and grow better.
All believing Seniors need to utilize the armor of the Lord daily. Ephesians 6:10-11 became one of my go to verses. Finally, my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. NKJV. The battle does not ease up because we are older. We have even more to fight for. Our bodies could be weaker, but our spirits should be stronger. We have the privilege to pray for and fight for the next generation. The enemy would love to plant seeds of doubt, isolation and fear, but we must fight against the feeling of uselessness and worthlessness. The fight is still real, but so is the victory.
Our God sees us and loves us. He has a plan for everyone of our days. Psalm 139:16: you saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Learning to trust this promise, isn’t always easy. Ask my friend whose husband is suffering from dementia. But she is finding Him faithful, even in this season of life. To every age reading this, learn your lessons of this season well–you don’t know how much you will need them in your future.
You may not be fighting aging, but no matter what you are facing: God is with you today. He is with you in His power and might. He is with You with His love and purpose, which why we can say “this is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it“. Psalm 118:24.
Father, I thank you for being with us, no matter how old we are. I thank you that we need every generation. Teach us how to trust You and Your Word, to hide them in our hearts so we might not sin against you. I thank you for your trustworthiness in my life and in the lives of your people. In Jesus’ Name amen.
All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart has a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15. NKJV.
I must admit, there are some days I feel a part of the “afflicted.” Difficulties coming from right and left to knock me off my faith walk. Then I focus on the ‘merry heart’ section and I know I have experienced that as well. The two words in this verse that can cause us trouble is the “all the days” and “continual” perspectives.
Many commentaries make it clear. The afflicted do not necessarily have more outward battles than those with a merry heart, but it is how they react to them. It is a matter of perspective. It is often our choice, isn’t it? Jesus tells us so kindly in John 14:1, Do not let your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me. Life happens to everyone. Trials and tribulations hit every family. Jesus very clearly told us: In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33. NKJV. So the question to each of us is: how are we going to handle them?
Take time to take a deep breath. I usually begin by praying: Lord, help me. Simple prayer, but it reminds me He is there. This past week we received some news about one of my granddaughters. There was a possible diagnosis for a life-long and life changing illness. My heart sank when I read the text. Fortunately, I was just beginning our small group and asked for prayer. I forced my mind to stay focused on the fact it was only a possibility. The next night during our monthly prayer and worship meeting, our pastor asked if there was anyone dealing with undiagnosed medical issues. This is the first time I have heard him (or anyone!) do an altar call for undiagnosed medical issues! There were several of us who came. As I stood in for my granddaughter, I prayed “Father, please touch her body and let all things come back to normal.” Waiting another week challenged me to keep trusting, knowing that He has her future in His hands. The good news came back yesterday…all tests were normal!
I am so grateful for this good news. Our family has had its share of not the news we wanted to hear as well. But through each of these troubles, I have learned to trust Him and His perspectives. They aren’t mine. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours. When in doubt, trust Him. I read a quote by Joyce Meyer the other day. It is food for thought: Is your problem really your problem, or is it your attitude towards the problem that is your problem. Learning to ask Him to help you change your perspective is a huge tool. Like most new tools, it can take some effort to learn to use it, but it is doable, and oh so useful!
The Message Bible reads: a miserable heart means a miserable life; a cheerful heart fills the day with song. The New Living Translation reads: For the despondent, everyday brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast. They give us a slightly different perspectives. Jesus came to give us life, and that more abundantly so if your heart is afraid, miserable or feeling despondent don’t run from Him, run to Him. Take the time to ask for His help with the different areas of your life where you maybe feeling afflicted. He wants to help.
Father, I thank you for helping us in these difficult areas. You know our days on earth can be difficult, but you encourage us to be of good cheer because you overcame those difficulties for us. Please help us believe Your Word and who You are, in Jesus’ Name, amen.
Faith Encounters 