Get wisdom

“By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established” Proverbs 24:3

My daughter has reached the age where she is being placed in more situations where I am not around to guide her. She attends sleepovers and trips without me, and I’m blessed that I have never had to worry about her behavior. She knows how to follow rules and instructions and obey those who are in charge of her.

What I do worry about, though, are those situations not covered by the rules or supervised by caretakers. There are times when she is required to make decisions, usually on the fly, about what she should do. It’s for those instances that I have begun to pray that she will have wisdom.

We can know all of the rules and regulations, but our life’s course is established in those in-between times. It’s the decisions we make that rely on more than legalities which tell what we’re really made of.

I pray today that, while you study God’s word for His precepts, that you will seek after His wisdom as well. The course of your life isn’t determined by rules alone, but by knowing what to do when no rule applies. His rules give us knowledge, but His Spirit gives us wisdom.

Crazy love

“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we’re called children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.” 1 John 3:1

Have you ever done something crazy for love? All over the internet there are stories of people loving and giving sacrificially. Maybe it’s a spouse who sticks by the love of their life even after Alzheimer’s has taken their mind. Maybe it’s giving up an organ to a complete stranger and saving their life. Maybe it’s parents who give up everything to see after the needs of their children.

That’s the kind of love the world doesn’t understand. Crazy love.

The world doesn’t understand the kind of love the Father has for us, either. He sent His only son to die a sacrificial death for a people who did not deserve it. Made us His children even though we were not worthy. Gave us a hope that we had no right to and could never earn.

Crazy.

But He did it anyway.

As my mother says, thank God for Jesus. Thank God for His plan for our redemption. Thank God for His crazy love.

Tips and tricks

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7

Have you noticed? Everywhere you look, there are articles and news reports on “tips and tricks.” Seems like for everything from photography to home decor to having a baby, someone has some ideas on how to make it better or easier. It can be easy to feel like you are doing EVERYTHING wrong!

The Bible has a list of tips and tricks, too. It’s called the book of Proverbs.  Some of the wisest men who ever lived dole out wisdom on love, finances, and careers. You’d be hard pressed to beat the knowledge base it contains.

Are you needing some practical “how to” advice on life? Look no further than Proverbs. Contained therein is a wealth of information that will, indeed, help your life to be better and easier!

Taking God for granted

I sat in “my chair” flipping television channels. I came across half a dozen Christian programs. My daughter was on the computer in the office, listening to her favorite Christian music while playing a gsme. My husband was still at our weekly praise team practice, helping set up for Sunday’s service. We are a family deeply immersed in God and ministry.

I began to pray that I would never take Him for granted.

Sometimes, when you are surrounded by something (or someone) constantly, it’s easy to take it for granted.  We are blessed in this country to have nearly universal access to God’s word, powerful teaching,  and uplifting music. Yet, I receive messages nearly every day at my job (working in my church’s office) reminding me to pray for persecuted Christians and missionaries around the globe. This week, I printed luggage tags for our missions teams. I was advised to leave the word “church” off in case they were used in the future in “restricted” countries.

We are so blessed, and we don’t even realize it. It can be easy to tune Him out when we don’t have to fight for access. We can forget Jesus’ sacrifice when the sacred becomes commonplace.

Lord, I thank you for your sacrifice, and for the freedom I have to worship You. Help me to never take You for granted. Remind me that I have brothers and sisters around the globe who need my prayers and support. May I always stand, with them, in awe of You.

New mercies

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23

I love spring. I love the warm weather, the sunny days, but most of all, Iove to see new life coming from the trees and flowers around me. Those buds give me hope. It doesn’t matter what condition the leaves were in before they fell. They may have been torn, or discolored, or eaten by insects. None of that matters now. The tree has a fresh start with all new, unblemished leaves.

It reminds me of God’s love and mercy towards us. We can come to Him broken, abused, imperfect, and He gives us a clean slate and a fresh start – every time. It doesn’t matter what our past is, He is interested in giving us a future.

Those old leaves? They are gone. They won’t be back. And God forgets our past transgressions to. He is faithful and just, and He brings us new mercy every day. Thank God for springtime!

Let it shine!

“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

I don’t pretend to be a fashion expert, but I have learned a lot over the past few years about using contrasting colors to make things stand out. After all, I might have a beautiful turquoise shirt and a beautiful turquoise necklace, but if I wear them at the same time, neither will be viewed to its best potential.

Jesus said we were put here to be light to the world. But we can’t show God to the people of this world if we’re contunually blending in. If our actions and motivations are no different than the unsaved around us, they won’t notice the God within us.

It’s a good idea to evaluate ourselves once in a while. Are we a contrast to the world, or are we letting ourselves hide our light and blend in? Let’s not waste the light God put in us. Let it shine!

Get off the bottle

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” 1 Peter 2:2

As a parent, I’ve watched my daughter go through many stages – milk, baby food, and now eating-me-out-of-house-and-home.  But I’ve also watched her grow spiritually – from asking questions about spiritual things, to accepting Christ, and now she and I have regular discussions about the Bible and what she is learning about God. Each new step has amazed me as she moves from one stage to another. Small changes have added up in a big way.

God desires that we grow spiritually as well. When we first come to Christ,  we only have a very basic knowledge. But, we can’t stay that way and be healthy. Eventually, we should grow in our hunger and thirst for righteousness and delve deeper into Him. We will see small steps that add up to a changed life.

No matter where you are on your journey today, never stop growing. Never let your quest for Him come to an end. You will find that you will never know enough about our infinite God.

It was there all along

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2

I watched the pictures the missionaries were showing: wells, giving the people in the African villages access to clean water. They were changing the lives of the villagers, and generations after them, simply by giving them access to something that was under their feet all along.

God’s grace is like the water running beneath that village. It’s there for us, but we need an access point – and our well is Jesus.

Through Jesus, we have access to our Heavenly Father and the hope of eternal life. We have grace for today, and the promise of everlasting joy for the future. Our lives, and the lives of generations to come, are changed when we tap in to Him.

Whatever you need from God, it’s there. He has an abundant supply. And, our way in is through His son, Jesus. There is no better time than now to access it.

Free indeed

“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.  The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36

Our family’s pet rabbit, Lucy, is a perplexing creature. Some days when I open her cage door so she can roam the house, she happily bounds out and hops along. Other days, the door can stay open for hours and she never attempts to leave. It’s almost like she doesn’t know how to take advantage of the freedom she has been given.

Many Christians live their lives the same way.

Christ has come to open our cage door so we can move around freely, unshackled by sin. Unfortunately, we sometimes focus so much on what has bound us – our sins – that we don’t take advantage of The Door – Jesus. We have to choose to walk in our freedom, every day.

Are you caged up? Or has a way been made for you to walk in freedom, but you can’t seem to make it through that door? Don’t let the memory of the cage that was keep you from enjoying the freedom that is. Jesus has opened the door – all you have to do is walk through it.

Rescue One

“[T]hen the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,” 2 Peter 2:9

Have you spent much time around fire and rescue departments? It seems like an odd question, I know. In my former life as a newspaper reporter, I became well acquainted with our local fire department. They had a brand new, shiny red truck they were quite proud of. They called it “Rescue One” and it was stocked from front to back and both sides with everything they might need to rescue someone: inflatable pillows (for lifting heavy objects); backboards (for stabilizing patients); even the “jaws of life” (for opening mangled metal.)

In short, that department is well-equipped for any type of rescue. Likewise, your Heavenly Father is well-equipped for whatever emergency you may face. Nothing takes Him by surprise, and He has infinite resources at His disposal. He never even has to restock from the last time he helped you!

What problems are you facing today? Are you waiting on a rescue you feel will never come, or have you been too distraught to even call for help? Don’t worry – He is always on time, always willing, and always prepared. Your rescue is just a prayer away.