Tag: Jesus is Love

What If?

Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

To seek the Kingdom of God above all else means to turn to God first for help. What if this entire season was meant to get us to slow down? What if this season was intended to steer us into spending more time with our Lord? God is our Father, our heavenly Father. What is more appealing to a father than to have his children crawl onto his lap, with complete and total trust and faith, and spend time with him?

If you are a parent of a teenager or a young adult, you know how it feels when you want to connect with your kids, but they just don’t have time. They are busy with friends, work, entertainment, fashion, sports, movies, etc. It is not that they are being bad, they are just busy. Is that what we were doing with God? What if God said, “Enough! I want to be with my children. I want to spend time with them and their families.” What if this season is more about HIM than us?

What is really important to you? People, objects, goals? There are so many things that compete for our attention. Any of these things can quickly bump God out of first place if you don’t actively choose to give him first place in every area of your life. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” According the Jesus, this is the FIRST and GREATEST commandment. What if that is what this is all about?

Dear heavenly father, thank you for sending your son Jesus to die for us. Please always help us to prioritize our lives so that we put you first. Amen.

Technology and The Bible

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. (NLT)

Technology.  I don’t understand how an image that is 100, 500, or even 1,000 miles away can reappear on my computer screen in my bedroom.  I don’t understand how it works, but it brings me so much joy.  I am comforted by it.  I can see and hear my Mom and Day and know that they are safe.  I can sing Happy Birthday to my sister and see her excitement. 

I can share technology with other people and they can experience the same range of emotions too.  In that way, technology is like the Word of God.  When I read the Bible, I am comforted by the words I read.  I can share God’s word and I see it bring joy to other people too.  Simple words that individually are just words put together brings happiness and comfort to me every day.  I honestly don’t understand how it happens.  But I still want to share it.  I want other people to feel the same way, have the same experience. 

My soul is filled up.  Don’t you want to feel that way too?  Don’t you want that empty feeling to go away?  The only way to do that is through the Word of God.  Everything else is temporary. The Word of God will fill the empty space permanently.  It will bring you peace, and forgiveness, and a joy that you will want to share with other people too.  Jesus did all the hard work while he was here on earth.  When he left, he left the Holy Spirit here to help us.  Open your heart to hear God’s Word and the Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Don’t have a Bible?  No problem. I’m sure you have a smart phone.  All you have to do is download the YouVersion Bible App (which is FREE) and click on Plans.  Then search for “Gateway”.  In the search results you will see “Fresh Start Bible One-Year Reading Plan”.  Click on that and then click “Start Plan”.  You can read the Bible by yourself or you can read it with friends.  The best thing about the YouVersion Bible App is that you can click a button (it’s at the top of the screen on my phone) that looks like a little speaker with sound coming out of it.  If you click on it, it will read the Bible verses to you.  SA-WEET!

Dear Lord, thank you for the people that created the technology we use everyday to stay connected to our loved ones.  Encourage me daily to use the same technology to dive into your word.  Amen.

Strength and Trust

Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”

Even the strongest people get tired at times.  Tired of worrying.  Tired of feeling helpless.  Tired of isolation.  Tired of pretending everything is going to be okay.  Even though the trials and tribulations of our lives today may seem overwhelming, God’s power and strength never fails.  God is never too tired or too busy to help and listen.  His strength is our source of strength.  When you feel all of life crushing you and you cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”  It is hard to trust others right now.  Everything is changing so quickly, and it is difficult to put your faith in God.  But God knows what is best for you. He is a better judge of what you want than even you are.  Bring your decisions to God in prayer; use the Bible as your guide; and then follow God’s leading.  He will make your paths straight by both guiding and protecting you.

Your faith in God is not going to take you out of the problems you are facing, but your faith will take you through them.  For in Romans 8:28 it says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  This does not mean that all that happens to you is good.  The enemy is present in this fallen world, but God can turn every circumstance around for your long-range good.  So, turn to God for strength and trust Him with all your heart.

Dear God, you are the one who strengthens me and gives me hope.  Thank you for your everlasting love.  We trust you to bring us through this storm.

A Spirit of Fear

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

A spirit of fear has taken over our world because of COVID-19.  I have watched from the sidelines as neighbors and friends have panicked and ran to the store to buy up every last roll of toilet paper, can of Lysol and bottle of hand sanitizer.  But the Bible says that fear is not from God.  So, if it is not from God, who is it from?  Fear is from the enemy. 

Fear often brings on sleepless nights, short tempers and bad decisions.  You end up feeling helpless, overwhelmed and completely alone.  Fear is one of the enemy’s most popular weapons that he uses against us. The most common lie that the enemy uses to instill fear into us is that God is far away or absent from our presence.  God has given us the power to break away from fear.  In Joshua 1:9 it says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discourage, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

God has proven time and time again, both in the Bible and in our lives, that He loves us and is always with us.  In Romans 8:38-39 it says, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  In a time like this, God’s love should overflow from you to the people around you.  You can show love by helping your neighbors, family and friends.  Check on people that may be vulnerable to illness.  Offer to pick up something from the store if you are going anyway. 

Fear is not a physical enemy; it is a spiritual enemy and a spiritual battle requires spiritual weapons.  So, what weapons do you bring to a spiritual battle?  The most powerful weapons of all.  Prayer and worship!  It is easy to forget to pray and worship in a time like this. You find yourself glued to the media to hear the latest news.  Don’t get me wrong, it is good to be informed, but God has given you self-discipline too.  Self-discipline to stay in prayer.  Self-discipline to stay in worship.  Self-discipline to follow the guidelines given to us by the authorities.  A sound mind in a time like this is a gift from God.  Slow down, pray and worship. God will bring you comfort.

Dear God, thank you for the power you give us to defeat the enemy. Thank you for your never-ending love.  Help us to linger in prayer and worship so that fear is whipped out.  Amen