solid food and we’re yearning for a steak.
God, help us grow spiritually with each passing day, maturing in You. Amen.
25…BLUE ANGELS
Good morning! We had the privilege of having the Blue Angels perform in our area. Our local news had a special on them and one thing I learned about them really has stuck with me. One of the pilots said that during their performances they are only 18 feet apart from the other planes! Wow, there is only one thing that could allow these pilots the confidence to have such tight formations and that thing is...trust.
Trust is one of the corner stones of being a Christian. We trust that the Lord is who He says He is, can do what He says He can do, and that He will never change. When we have faith to trust Him for our salvation, we can surely trust Him for everything else in life but sometimes we forget that. During those times when life’s circumstances throw us off center, we can get our focus back by spending time in God’s word. I have two go-to verses on the issue of trust. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” And Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Both of those verses include “if-then” statements. “If” we trust and acknowledge Him, “then” He will make our paths straight. And again “if” we trust Him, “then” He will fill us with joy, peace and an overflowing of hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that we’d want to stay in a very tight formation with the Lord...the closer the better. May we experience His overflowing of love, peace, joy and hope in our life by simply trusting in Him.
Lord, help us trust You more with each passing day. Our desire is to stay as close to You as possible. May our trust and confidence in You be such that being more than 18 feet from You seems like long distance. Amen.
26…DEPENDING ON HIM
Good morning! Depending on God is something that we read about throughout scripture but depending on God is a whole lot more than just words. So what does depending on God look like? I was able to answer that question over the weekend while I was in the hospital.
When you depend on God you are saying that you know you can’t do this alone. You are agreeing with the Lord that you neither have the strength or the ability to handle life without Him. Some might see this as a bad thing but it’s actually the best way to live this life...fully depending on Him. When we work with the Lord and accept the role of a follower instead of the leader of your life, we can then wait with great anticipation to see what adventures He will take us on each day. True, sometimes the adventures aren’t what we’d like, like being in the hospital, but in all of them if you look closely, you can see God working.
I am learning to live out Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” I love how this verse tells us we can do ALL things through the Lord, not just a few things or some things but ALL things. When I regained consciousness in the ambulance I began reminding myself that I was not alone and that the Lord would get me through this situation just like He has done every other day of my life. So the next time your life is interrupted by the unexpected, I pray that Philippians 4:13 will remind you that God will give you the strength to get to the other side of what you’re dealing with.
Lord, so many people view depending on others as a sign of weakness, but we know whenever anyone depends on You, they are in the best place possible. Being under Your control is a source of strength that cannot be found anywhere else or in anyone else. Thank you for the strength You give all believers who trust in You. Amen.
27…HEART’S GARDEN
Good morning! One of the things I love about where I’m living now is that I see neighbors daily. I hear them as they come and go from their houses and when they’re out in their yards. I can hear the mail lady when she’s on our street. And likewise I hear all of the trash trucks as they come down the street, as well as, the FedEx and UPS trucks, too. Those reminders of having other people physically present in the area which I live are really, really cool. This morning when I went out to put a bill in my mailbox I noticed I had a box on my front porch. It was a box of homegrown tomatoes and cute little flowers that came from my neighbors. Needless to say there was a BLT in my future.
As I was thinking about how that gesture from their garden blessed me, I started thinking about the garden growing in my heart. Sometimes my heart produces beautiful fruit like the tomatoes that I received. But unfortunately, other times I have forgotten to pull the weeds in my heart. And even on prompting from the Holy Spirit to take care of the weeds, I find a reason why it’s not the right time to deal with them.
God wants good fruit to be produced in our lives so He loves to meet us there in our heart’s garden. What I’m learning more each day is that the Lord is all over helping us pull those weeds so that the fruits of the Spirit can come forth from our heart. Galatians 5:22 lists those fruits that show others that we belong to God. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” When we keep our hearts free of known sin, we bless God and receive the blessing of having an overflow of fruit from our heart.
Holy Spirit, please help us examine our heart on a regular basis so that any weeds that are in the way of Your producing good fruit in our spirit can be removed. May others see those positive fruits displayed in our life, drawing them closer to Jesus. Amen.
28…ROLLER COASTERS
Good morning! Our local SEMO District Fair starts in just a few days. I was talking to a friend about our favorite things at the fair. We laughed over our answers because we agreed that it is all about the food! You can find corn dogs, caramel apples, funnel cakes, salt water taffy, all kinds of fried foods on a stick and so much more as you walk down food alley. The smells alone will cause you to gain a few pounds. lol
One of the most popular rides is the roller coaster. That’s not a ride I do, or so I thought. In reality, I ride that ride often. It’s called living life. Sometimes we are at the top of the roller coaster where things look so good from that perspective and just about the time you’re getting comfortable on that plateau, the bottom falls out and you’re heading down into a valley. When you listen to people as they ride the roller coaster at the fair, it’s very similar to what we hear in our own life. When we are on top, there is laughing and excitement but once things start going south you hear a lot of screaming going on.
The good news is that we don’t have to ride the roller coaster of life alone. Just like most people ride the roller coaster with a buddy, the Lord will ride life out with us. He tells us in Isaiah 41:10 that He will help us. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Whether you were on a mountaintop where everything is beautiful, and running smoothly in your life or if you’re in the valley where challenges of life have made it hard on you to move forward, there’s one thing to remember. When the Lord is by your side, even times of great distress can seem like a mountaintop experience as He makes all things new. So here’s to riding life with the best friend anyone could have...Jesus.
Jesus, thank you that we do not have to ride this life alone and that You are the One riding the rides with us. Amen.
29…CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES
Good morning! Have you ever noticed how our “plans” can be instantly changed? One minute you’re feeling good, and the next minute...they want to schedule you for chemo treatments. One minute you’re enjoying a hobby you love, and the next thing you know...you get hurt. One minute you have your finances all in order so you can start saving money...then an emergency comes up and that plan goes out the window. This list of examples could go on and on as we’ve all dealt with such unplanned disappointments. So, when these changes in your plans occur, how do you handle the disappointment? Do you lose your mind over it or do you start seeking the Lord to see what it is that He would like for you to learn from this unscheduled event?