JESUS IS HERE

Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous! Do not
tremble or be dismayed, for the
Lord your God is with you
wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

I think I've mentioned this before but my first Christmas “piece” was at our church when I was at the ripe old age of four. I was the youngest participant and greeted the guests with four lines of welcome. All the other kids were big...primary and juniors in their departments. At dress rehearsal, I got up to say my piece and absolutely froze. There were other kids and parents in the auditorium and I was petrified.

Our teacher, seated on the front row, walked up to me. I was standing on a high part of the stage and she on the main floor. Although on the short side, she managed to gently take hold of my ankles and lovingly spoke encouraging words to me that ended with, “Remember Glendarae, Jesus is here.” I thought in my young mind, “You have got to be kidding.” I looked all over that huge room and I didn't see Him anywhere. I knew what he looked like from the pictures on the wall of our Sunday school room. I didn't see Jesus, and so as far as I tell, He wasn't there.

In all of the turmoil we are facing today, I wonder how many times, even the best of Christians have asked themselves, “Where is God in all of this?” We are facing threats on every side: riots, burnings, political conflict, death threats if you don't wear a mask, keep a distance from people, our country's freedoms at risk, education systems a mess...all too much to be hit with at the same time.

We Christians in our sincerity speak firmly regarding our belief in the sovereignty of God. That may mean different things to different folks but bottom line, we know that God is greater than any problem we face. We are used to dealing with people in person, face to face. In general conversation, we prefer person to person contact than by phone or computer. We are used to face to face conversation which is why today's masks are so disturbing. We want to see the real person, the real thing.

When God says in His Word that He will be with us, it's a promise we can count on. As believers, we have abiding in us, His precious Holy Spirit who is with us no matter where we are. Over fifty years ago, I had a brief surgical procedure to remove a small tumor. I had claimed a verse in Isaiah 41:13 for that time. I was single with no family or friends around. I hadn't said anything much to anyone about this so felt very much on my own. That verse reads:

“ I the Lord thy God will hold
thy right hand, saying unto thee,
'Fear not: I will hep thee.'

I recall the surgical nurse beginning the process of an IV to be put in my right arm. I asked her kindly if she could put it in my left arm because I had “Someone” holding my right hand. We knew each other and she understood and complied with my wish. I knew as well as knowing my own name, that the Lord my God would in His own way, hold my hand.

We need to get serious in these days about knowing and relying upon our God of strength and power. Nothing I consider negative can touch my life except it first filter through the fingers of our Heavenly Father. What we see as negative, God may see as a positive for our good. We are not to be people of fear. God hasn't given us the spirit of fear...that's Satan's doing. If I rely on God's promise to be with me, work on my behalf, then fear shouldn't enter my thinking. I have often felt that the more I fear, the more that would be solved. Satan loves that.

Whether saying a Christmas piece or being wheeled into surgery, God has promised us His loving attention and presence is ever with us. He wants us to trust Him no matter the problems or stages of life. Let's remember that God will always be the boss through anything we face.

Thank You Father for the fact that You are in charge. Keep Your hedge of protection around us and strengthen us in mind and spirit in facing the problems and evils of this world we face daily. We praise You for who You are in our lives. Help us to keep trusting. May we find a special peace by basking in Your love and care consistently. In Jesus' precious name...Amen 

GOD KNOWS

For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, saith the Lord,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil,
to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11

This year, I celebrated 70 years as a child of God. I'm at an age where I can look back on God's goodness in my life that has come in so many and various ways. He has taught me so much through these years and for some reason, I thought as I aged that He wouldn't have as much to teach me except for those areas where I seem to need a lot of reviewing. However, there are occasions when He seems to blow me away with an old thought with new meaning.

Intimacy is such an important thing, especially with God. I'm not sure how important intimacy is to folks anymore. Nothing seems to be secret or sacred. With all the phones and computers, information about anything or anyone is right at our finger tips. We're often hesitant to be our real selves around people, perhaps even with people we know well. Our culture tends to pull us away of this closeness with others. With this thinking, our view of God is often affected.

As a little girl, the most I was told for a time about God was of His careful observation of me while holding a black crayon in His hand. I was told at home and away from home when I messed up that God would put a big black mark by my name. This told me two things...God always sees me and He was just watching for me to make mistakes so he could use his black crayon by my name.

Recently, our pastor made a comment that stuck in my mind to the point I almost didn't hear the rest of what he said. He was speaking of something I already knew that God sees everything to the smallest detail that affects us. Then he said something that maybe didn't affect anyone else but it sure did me. He said that if we have one cancer cell in our bodies, God is fully aware of that. It might be funny to you, but not to me for I was sitting there with a throbbing knee that was rebelling against being confined to a church pew.

There's not a cancer cell in my body that I know about, but for sure I sat there in stunned silence. The black crayon wasn't what registered with me in this present day. The only thing I could think was that in the privacy of that church pew, I saw with some clarity how God in that moment was concerned about my discomfort, even down to something as insignificant to anyone else as my throbbing knee.

I wonder how many of these “intimacies” of God I've missed in a lifetime. How clearly does He view any moment in our lives?

Neither is there any creature that is
not manifest in His sight: but all
things are naked and opened unto
the eyes of Him with whom we
have to do.
Hebrews 4:13

He sees it all...the big things we expect Him to know about, but also down to the smallest events. I don't know how He does it. I don't know how He tracks all the little things in the lives of His children, but am reassured He knows everything big and small taking place in my life. It's hard to wrap myself around that kind of intimacy and attention that is all based in a love for me that only can come from my loving Father. He does the same for all His children...even minus a black crayon.

Dear Father...just knowing You care about everything in my life is so encouraging. It also puts me in mind of the fact that You are aware of my every need no matter the size. You not only love me in it all but You care very deeply about me in a very personal way. I'm not worthy of that kind of care. I love You. Praying in Jesus' name....Amen

BLESSED IS HE THAT...

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which
God gave unto him, to shew unto his
servants things which must shortly
come to pass; and he sent and
signified it by his angel unto his
servant John;

Who bare record of the word of God,
and of the testimony of Jesus Christ,
and of all things that he saw,

Blessed is he that readeth, and they
that hear and words of this prophecy, and
keep those things which are written therein;
for the time is at hand.

Revelation 1:1-3

Perhaps about the last book in my Bible I venture toward for an in depth study is the book of Revelation. I've read through it on several occasions and have picked up information from it. I guess I'm not the best theological thinker there has ever been, but I refuse to give up on this book that gives us the hope, encouragement and information regarding final earthly days as well as heavenly ones. Mostly we are shown the complete victory that has been God's all along. Of great importance is seeing the final end of Satan on this earth, and his being confined to his final home.

Recently as I began another read of Revelation, I found right away that I was stuck on the first three verses. I saw an organization to them I hadn't noticed before. That is so like the Holy Spirit, our teacher, who always has new and fresh insights in the Word when we pray, asking His direction.

Verse one speaks of God and His intent on getting the message of this book , the revelation of Jesus...to John...a message having to do with things to come. Verse two then looks at John and his responsibility in extending that message. In verse two, John is referred to as “who.” He was commissioned to pass along God's message he had received through the vision God had given regarding things that were to come.

Verse three then comes down to you and me. We learn here that we are blessed (happy) if we deal with this book as we ought to do. So much more could be said about these three verses, but there is another trio of words that really places a great responsibility on us. It's a threesome that works in tandem with each other, three concepts that can't be separated from each other. In fact, the same three words found in verse 3 that I have underlined above are still words that are a good pattern for us as we delve into any of the other 65 books of Scripture.

The first word stressed is READ. Without that process, there's no real constant with the Bible. We may carry it to church, keep it handy on a bedside table or even carry a copy of it in a tote of some kind. It remains paper, ink and binding like any other book if not read. As we read, the Holy Spirit stands by to teach us what we are reading. One of the biggest mistakes Bible readers make is not inviting the Holy Spirit to teach as one reads.

HEAR is the next word in this trio in our quest for knowing God better and His will for our lives. I have, on many occasions, read my Bible, closed it and walked away with little from what I read that soaked into my mind and heart. John's next exhortation was for hearing the word. This hearing doesn't necessarily refer to the physical act of hearing. It can be hearing the Scriptures read from the pulpit or in a class of some kind. Even then, the Word may not soak into our hearts. As my Mother would say...in one ear and out the other. This hearing referred to is a spiritual, heart-soaking one that makes all the difference

Lastly is the word KEEP. This is where the Word really sticks, is incorporated into our every day living...faith with feet, walking in obedience and in close relationship with the Author of it all. Books have been written regarding a Christians intimate walk with God and being “Jesus with skin on” to the world around us. Unless I read the Word, there isn't going to be much hearing or keeping. I then find myself trying to live the Christian life in my own strength and that usually doesn't work very well. This is a trio of concepts that work together.

Our minds these days are preoccupied with a lot of things...most of which we can humanly do nothing about. God has promised will be a blessing when the Word becomes our mainstay. God delights in blessing His children. He wants an intimate relationship with us. The more we read, the more we will know God better. When we seriously hear, we'll know wonderful spiritual growth and when we keep, we will come to love serving Him like we never dreamed possible. May we be among the blessed that...

Dear Father, I'm so grateful for Your Word even though there are so many parts I have trouble grasping. May I be open to the teaching of Your Spirit and willingly walk in obedience that will please You. Thank You for Your Son Jesus, our Savior Who gave His all for me. In difficult days, may I not lose focus of Him, His love and sacrifice. In His name...Amen 

I GIVE UP

Neither yield ye your members
as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin: but yield yourselves
unto God, as those that are alive
from the dead, and your members
as instruments of righteousness
unto God.
Romans 6:13

When in early grade school, we neighborhood kids loved playing cowboys and indians. For us, it was the wild west. We had our ropes for lasso's and anything resembling a six-shooter. If fortunate, one might get a cowboy hat or even boots for Christmas. We really didn't need all the trimmings as we trotted along as if on a horse in and out of yards and sidewalks.When a little older, but still in grade school, I was allowed to go to t

he State Movie Theater on Saturday afternoons to see usually two cowboy movies. I came to know all those guys...Lash La Rue, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Lone Ranger, Gabby Hayes, Cisco Kid, Hopalong Cassidy and who knows who else. The movies were harmless. Back then, if someone got shot, it was in the arm. Eventually there were some movies involving cowboys and indians and their skirmishes. 

Often, movies had to do with two factions warring against each other. It was during these themes I learned what a white flag meant when it was obvious that one side had completely lost their battle. Usually a couple of “losers” would ride their horses toward the enemy with one of the men holding up a white flag. That's what it was called. It may have been made from most anything, but that was the surrender signal. At that point, all fighting ceased and the losing side yielded to the winners no matter the conditions of the surrender. Sometimes, a defeated person yielded to the winner with hands up and the phrase, “I give up...don't shoot.”

You and I are in a real battle, individually speaking. Such affects our families, churches and even nation. However, our battle is usually one on one with Satan. We don't like to admit that at times in our weakness, Satan seems to win in our skirmishes. What bothers me is to think of the times we have all but waved a white flag in Satan's presence, yielding to his will in a particular fray. Even though we have the power of the God of universe ready to empower us, we still at times give in to the wiles of Satan. I wonder how many white flags Satan has figuratively received from me when I was too weak to stay in the battle.

Perhaps one of the reasons for it all is that we don't think to wave the white flag of surrender to God Himself. Such teams us up with the “good side” and with our perfect Heavenly Father. A white flag we wave before our Father is saying, “I give up...I want to live on Your terms...I don't want to fight whatever Your will is for my life.” With that, our Father accepts our yieldedness with no discussion. The terms of such a surrender are written in His Word. Where some human treaties may fail, no surrender to God is temporary or even fragile from His standpoint.

We have often sung a hymn in church entitled I Surrender All. How many times have we sung the words without the genuine giving of ourselves to our Father. I recall the first verse of that song saying:

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give.
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

As far as God is concerned, those words sincerely sung or spoken is better than any white flag of surrender we could present. He's not looking for a white flag...He desires a loving and yielded spirit on our part, freely given.

Father, forgive the times I have sinned, given Satan a victory without even seeking You and Your strengthening. Thank You for Your patience, forgiveness and love. I want to always be in the very center of Your will for my life. I want to give up only to You. In the precious name of Jesus...Amen