Teach Me To Wait
(KJV) Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard,
that the everlasting God, the LORD,
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
fainteth not, neither is weary?
there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint;
and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
Some days I just have to start the day with my favorite scripture. And I listen to the song we sang in Youth Choir so many years ago.
There is something so comforting about songs you sang as a teen. There is something so assuring about scripture you learned at the same time.
Isaiah 40 marks a shift in Israel’s story. At first we see the Assyrian conflict, and before the dust from those battles have settled the prophet tells of the exile to Babylon.
But then, oh then, Isaiah speaks the most wonderful words of comfort found in verse 40:1—comfort, comfort my people.
Do you have a favorite scripture stretching back to your youth? How about a favorite song? Whether a hymn such as “Great is thy Faithfulness,” or perhaps a song from Children’s Choir like “We’re in the Lord’s Army,” why not spend a few minutes remembering those scriptures and music from long ago that helped establish you on the pathway to holiness.
May we each take a moment to reflect on and be thankful for the men and women who helped shape us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Be not Anxious
Matthew 6:34 ESV “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Have you found yourself being anxious? It seems we have periods of our lives when we are overcome with worry.
Perhaps our money just won’t last until the next pay period and that causes worry. We’ve worked hard but just don’t see the results of our labor, and that causes worry. Or we are aging and our bodies have seemingly turned against us, becoming limited in range and motion and producing more pain with each passing day.
The Word teaches multiple times that we are to confine our concerns to the day in which we live. The Israelites wandering in the desert tried to store up manna, but God taught them to rely on Him daily by allowing the food to spoil if it was kept more than a day.
When Jesus taught us to pray, we learned to ask for our daily bread. Not weekly, or monthly, but daily.
Jesus said the birds of the air and the lilies of the field are cared for by the Father, and so are we.
May we rely on our Father, relinquishing our worries, just for today.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Psalm 103:12-14
New International Version (NIV)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
Today is Father’s Day, a day set aside to remember our own fathers and to make the day special for our husbands. One thing that stands out about my father was how easy it appeared for him to sacrifice for his kids.
Daddy loved pork chops, but he would not think of having a second pork chop until he knew his kids had all been satisfied. Similarly with pie or cake, Daddy would have never taken the last piece. It was just not in his nature.
I was blessed to have a father who loved me, so it is not difficult for me to understand God’s love. Some are not that fortunate, but I would like to tell you that you can still know a Father’s love. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
If you have not known the love of your heavenly father, then Father’s Day is a great day to begin that new relationship with Him.
Father God, as we anticipate another Father’s Day, let us set aside some time to focus on you, to thank you and praise you for all you have done in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Never Alone
(NCV) Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted,
and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed.
19 People who do what is right may have many problems,
but the LORD will solve them all.
When people suffer loss, whether due to the separation of death, or other of life’s tragedies, I always point them to the Psalms. After years of study, I know that David went through the highs and lows that make up life and he found the key to survival: to keep his eyes upon the one, true and living God.
We have each been dealt disappointments in varying degrees. One of the quotes I will never forget is “No one gets out of this life alive,” by screenwriter Irving Ravetch.
Life is rife with manifold troubles, yet Psalm 34:18 is one of the promises that when we are brokenhearted and crushed, sometimes to the point of giving up, God will save us. We may not be saved from bodily harm, but as Jesus said in Matt 10:28, fear not those who can kill the body, but fear the one who can destroy the soul.
May we start each day looking to the author and finisher of our faith, knowing with full confidence that we are not alone.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Only Jesus
(NIV)Acts 4:11 Jesus is “‘the stone the builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Today I need to remind you that there is no other name by which we can be saved. Only Jesus.
And it is only Jesus through whom we can receive redemption. It is only Jesus Who can purchase our salvation. It is only Jesus Who died for us, Who was resurrected for us, and Who lives again for us.
It is only Jesus Who has gone before us to prepare a place for us. It is only Jesus Who offers His yoke which is easy, and His burden which is light, and He offers a supernatural peace that you cannot find anywhere else.
It is only Jesus.
There is no adding to or taking away from the Word of God. And when the Word says Jesus chose us from the foundation of the world, it means just that.
Only Jesus. And if you are too ill, or are in too much pain, all you have to do is say “Jesus.”
May each of us whisper His name when that is all we can do, knowing that a whisper is enough.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Seeking Holiness 