Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning, for I am trusting you [God]. Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer. ~ Psalm 143:8 (NLT)
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People tend to need reassurance from time to time as to whether other people really love them, huh? Maybe it's because human love is so fickle. "I'll love you til the day I die" sometimes only lasts until they've gotten sick and tired of this or that, and then--poof!--they're gone, and so is the love. There are some greeting card companies that develop the love/romance card section in such detail, that there's a card for EVERY facet of a love relationship, headings such as...
~ So glad I met you
~ You're the one for me
~ I've never met anyone like you
~ Our love will last forever
~ I'm sorry I upset you
~ Let's work things out
~ Getting past our differences
~ Please give me another chance because you're the only one in the world for me, and I'll just die if you don't take me back, even though I was a cheat and a liar and... (oh, sorry, got a little carried away...perhaps that's just a little too detailed even for the card companies! :-)
Most people want to hear "I love you", and yet, actions speak louder than words -- true? Talk is cheap, but the one who drives those words home with loving actions is one we can feel secure with, one who can be trusted.
What about God's love? Do we sometimes doubt it?
This whole 143rd psalm of David is far from jubilant, when you read it in full. He is miserable! His enemies are after him, and driving him into depression and despair. He wants to stay true to the Lord and follow Him, but He's being hounded day in and day out from those who want to destroy him. Kind of tough to keep your mental and emotional stability under those circumstances, huh?
But David knows that God loves Him. And he remembers that God has shown that love in tangible ways in the past. So he simply asks for some reassurance of God's love again, to renew His spirit, to give him hope, to keep him from sinking into a mental hole. What those words in the morning would be, I don't know. Maybe news from a messenger that something miraculous had prevented enemy advancement, and David would know it was God's hand. Maybe some encouraging news from home would reach David's ear. Maybe God's spirit would just whisper into David's soul, "I love you, David. Don't be afraid, and don't lose heart. I see all you're going through. Keep trusting me -- I will never leave you or turn my back on you."
Even if all of your earthly relationships were to end up in the toilet, God's love for you would still remain. And He is always there to show you in some way. Think back and remember times in your life when God was very evident to you, when He stood in the gap for you in ways you saw and understood. Stay true to Him and keep your eyes open!
Psalm 136 is a wonderful proclamation of God's enduring love! It first praises Him for who He is, above all. It praises His work of creation, and all the miraculous ways He provided for the Israelites in Egypt. And it ends like this...
23 He remembered us in our weakness.
His faithful love endures forever.
24 He saved us from our enemies.
His faithful love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every living thing.
His faithful love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His faithful love endures forever.
Though you can't see Him, you have seen evidence of His love. And if you need special assurance at difficult times, feel free to ask Him for it. That's just honest communication between two who love each other -- you and God. He knows we're human, and that we need love notes now and then. When times are tough and things look bleak, trust Him. You never need to worry about getting a greeting card in the mail from Him that says, "Sorry things didn't work out between us...can we still keep in touch now and then?" :-)
Love,
Joelene
Friday, January 4, 2008
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Verse of the Day - Matthew 26:41
[Jesus says,] "Keep alert and pray -- otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing, the body is weak." ~ Matthew 26:41 (NLT)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Yeah, that's right -- it's the 3rd day of the New Year, and let's see -- how many weight-loss New Year's Resolutions have gone completely out the window, huh?!? Actually, I think the BCS Bowl Game coordinators are in kahutz with the Jenny Craig marketers! Yeah--think about it. I'm not going to snack in 2008...lose 30 pounds...no snacks in 2008...lose 30 pounds...(enter a commercial for yummy Tostito chips and salsa...yummy!)...go to the kitchen and find a snack, and sit down to watch more football...(enter a commercial for Jenny Craig where Valerie Bertinelli looks fabulous after she just lost 30 pounds)...put down the snacks...pick up the phone...put down the phone because you realize you can't afford Jenny Craig...finish the game and the snacks...
Like I said, it's a conspiracy. :-)
Jesus knows us so well. He realizes that we are fragile creatures, prone to wander, desiring the good, but bent on the bad. And so he gives us some wonderful words of wisdom, that if we can heed, will help us in this world of temptation. He says, "keep alert and pray."
Now I realize that he said this to His closest disciples (Peter, James and John) who had gone with Him so He could pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and had fallen asleep when He went away by Himself. But I believe His words that night are timeless and needful for all generations. I wonder how many times in subsequent years, when the 1st century church was under heavy persecution, did the disciples quote Jesus' Gethsemane words to encourage believers to stay strong under the weight of temptation to leave their faith behind. How many times have we quoted these words?
"...the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak..."
We often say these words, which recognizes the problem, but fails to acknowledge the solution. "Keep alert and pray". Our strength in overcoming temptation is directly linked to keeping our eyes open for traps from the evil one and staying connected to God through prayer. Bottom line.
When we go along in life, in a la-dee-dah, non-chalant way, we're just asking for trouble. Some of the most dangerous temptations are the most insidious. Just a small enough taste, so that you hardly notice. Just one brownie...it's not like I'm eating a whole cake. Just one beer...it's not like I'm drinking a 12-pack. Just one click on this XXX website...it's not like I'm hiring a prostitute...
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ~ 1 Peter 5:8
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes....And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. ~ Ephesians 6:10-11, 18
You know your temptation hotbuttons -- I don't. And mine are most likely not the same as yours. Food may be my problem, but not alcohol. Yours may be too much TV or computer games, but not food. We're all created differently, with different bents. So, keep alert and pray...
Open your eyes to what it is you do throughout the day. What is it that floats through your mind a lot when you're not really thinking about anything in particular? What do you do when you're bored? And -- keep God in the middle of it through prayer. I'm not talking about the on-your-knees-in-the-dark-with-a-Bible kind of praying...I'm talking about walking-to-your-office, driving-in-your-car, strolling-through-the-produce-section kind of praying. Daily-grind kind of praying. We need God during these times -- don't leave Him back at home in a dark closet. :-)
And, yeah, we're gonna fall down. Even with all of our best intentions, we will slip up. I thank God for His grace and mercy in my weaknesses. He still loves me, in spite of all of my skinned knees and dirty elbows. He lifts me up, dusts me off and kisses my hurts. And then He says with a wink, "Okay, now, get on out there and break a leg!" Thanks, God -- I'm sure glad You're in my corner...I couldn't ask for a better cut man and trainer.
Keep alert and pray. Wisdom for the ages.
Love,
Joelene
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Yeah, that's right -- it's the 3rd day of the New Year, and let's see -- how many weight-loss New Year's Resolutions have gone completely out the window, huh?!? Actually, I think the BCS Bowl Game coordinators are in kahutz with the Jenny Craig marketers! Yeah--think about it. I'm not going to snack in 2008...lose 30 pounds...no snacks in 2008...lose 30 pounds...(enter a commercial for yummy Tostito chips and salsa...yummy!)...go to the kitchen and find a snack, and sit down to watch more football...(enter a commercial for Jenny Craig where Valerie Bertinelli looks fabulous after she just lost 30 pounds)...put down the snacks...pick up the phone...put down the phone because you realize you can't afford Jenny Craig...finish the game and the snacks...
Like I said, it's a conspiracy. :-)
Jesus knows us so well. He realizes that we are fragile creatures, prone to wander, desiring the good, but bent on the bad. And so he gives us some wonderful words of wisdom, that if we can heed, will help us in this world of temptation. He says, "keep alert and pray."
Now I realize that he said this to His closest disciples (Peter, James and John) who had gone with Him so He could pray in the Garden of Gethsemane and had fallen asleep when He went away by Himself. But I believe His words that night are timeless and needful for all generations. I wonder how many times in subsequent years, when the 1st century church was under heavy persecution, did the disciples quote Jesus' Gethsemane words to encourage believers to stay strong under the weight of temptation to leave their faith behind. How many times have we quoted these words?
"...the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak..."
We often say these words, which recognizes the problem, but fails to acknowledge the solution. "Keep alert and pray". Our strength in overcoming temptation is directly linked to keeping our eyes open for traps from the evil one and staying connected to God through prayer. Bottom line.
When we go along in life, in a la-dee-dah, non-chalant way, we're just asking for trouble. Some of the most dangerous temptations are the most insidious. Just a small enough taste, so that you hardly notice. Just one brownie...it's not like I'm eating a whole cake. Just one beer...it's not like I'm drinking a 12-pack. Just one click on this XXX website...it's not like I'm hiring a prostitute...
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ~ 1 Peter 5:8
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes....And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. ~ Ephesians 6:10-11, 18
You know your temptation hotbuttons -- I don't. And mine are most likely not the same as yours. Food may be my problem, but not alcohol. Yours may be too much TV or computer games, but not food. We're all created differently, with different bents. So, keep alert and pray...
Open your eyes to what it is you do throughout the day. What is it that floats through your mind a lot when you're not really thinking about anything in particular? What do you do when you're bored? And -- keep God in the middle of it through prayer. I'm not talking about the on-your-knees-in-the-dark-with-a-Bible kind of praying...I'm talking about walking-to-your-office, driving-in-your-car, strolling-through-the-produce-section kind of praying. Daily-grind kind of praying. We need God during these times -- don't leave Him back at home in a dark closet. :-)
And, yeah, we're gonna fall down. Even with all of our best intentions, we will slip up. I thank God for His grace and mercy in my weaknesses. He still loves me, in spite of all of my skinned knees and dirty elbows. He lifts me up, dusts me off and kisses my hurts. And then He says with a wink, "Okay, now, get on out there and break a leg!" Thanks, God -- I'm sure glad You're in my corner...I couldn't ask for a better cut man and trainer.
Keep alert and pray. Wisdom for the ages.
Love,
Joelene
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