A BLESSED NATION

Blessed is the nation whose

God is the LORD, the people

He has chosen as His own

inheritance.

Psalm 33:12

In these days, I would imagine I am among the few who have very clear memories of World War II. Although not even in kindergarten, my impressions of those days run very deep because of family and friends interactions sometimes over the back fence, sharing what war information any had heard.

I was much smaller when I saw neighbor ladies crying as they spoke of PEARLS. In those days, almost every woman had a pearl necklace. I just figured someone had lost theirs and was sad. Little did I understand that more than a necklace had been lost in one swoop of an enemy over a place called Pearl Harbor.

Our nation was different then. It wasn't a perfect place but it was a people with a love of our country, who had moral and spiritual standards in their lives. We were known as a Christian nation because of our historical heritage and ongoing maintaining of standards lived out in folks lives. We are a different nation now. Immigration has changed things a lot. There was a day when legal immigrants were welcomed to America and perhaps had even more of a love and appreciation for our country than many native citizens.

Everyday life changed then. Women went to work in factories, we saved things like newspapers and empty food cans, victory gardens were grown in most back yards and every family had ration books because certain food items were scarce. There were no complaints. Citizens felt it was their way of helping our country toward victory in the fox holes across Europe and the Pacific Ocean.

God still loves our country and wants it back in His caring arms. Our country will be a blessed country anytime God is honored in every way. We aren't perfect and God knows that but His love is consistent and He'll never give up on us. The war effort is different now but overall, it's still not so all that different. We still have a dreaded enemy Satan who will use anything and anyone to defeat us. The spiritual war isn't over. The ammo is different but the Commander is still in charge.

Bring us back, dear Father, bring us back....In Jesus' precious name...Amen! 

MY DAD CAN BEAT UP YOURS

Your MERCY, O Lord is in the heavens;

Your FAITHFULNESS reaches

to the clouds.

Your RIGHTEOUSNESS is like the

great mountains;

Your JUDGMENTS are a great deep;

O Lord, YOU PRESERVE man and beast

How precious is Your LOVINGKINDNESS, O God!

Psalm 36:6-7a

In my childhood days, it wasn't unusual for neighborhood kids to get into their arguments. It also wasn't unusual at times for a parent to be brought verbally into any resulting fray that might take place. I think dad's all across our country hated when their children referred to them as being the dad who could beat up any other dad on the block. It was unusual to hear from a very angry boy or girl, “My dad can beat up your dad any old day.” I also believe that just about every dad across the country took such a statement with a grain of salt.

In my reading, I came across the above Scripture. I put those attributes of God in bold print for a reason. They stood out to me almost immediately as I thought of our Heavenly Father who makes those things a reality in our lives because of who He is, our Father. In our world today, many folks establish their own gods. Such gods can offer nothing but temporary satisfaction and usually a lot of disappointment.

Our God freely and lovingly offers to us all of those things that will enrich our lives because of who He is. It may seem for some that the things of this world are worth temporary fixes. God's gifts of love are never temporary. My Father can beat up the father of this world any old day.

Father, I'm so grateful for Your personal love and care for me. Keep me trusting You above all others. In Jesus' precious name...Amen 

 

BLESSED HANDS

Whatever your hands find to do

do it with your might....

Ecclesiastes 9:10a

A precious friend of mine put something touching on my computer regarding a lady of some age who sat looking at and evaluating her hands. God has created us in such special ways that our body part function in every way to our benefit. We rarely consider anything about our bodies or parts until something goes wrong with them.

Hands are of necessity and are rarely thought of. This isn't a time for listing what mine have meant in my life but in the present moment, there are indicators. My hands hurt most of the time because of arthritis. They really aren't beautiful hands like some ladies my age have. However, I'm grateful that they are still usable for my own benefit and to be of help where others are concerned.

There are indicators on my fingers in the form of jewelry that speaks of my life. There are rings...engagement and wedding ones picked out solely by Brian. One Mother's Day, he purchased a simple mom ring and then on our 50^th anniversary a special anniversary ring with some diamonds on it. It seemed rather unusual to have one so lovely. Then on my right hand is one ring...Brian's wedding ring that I'm not sure he ever took off. I've had it since he passed away. All rings on my hands say so much of me.

My hands have scars from the past but there are no nail scars. Only One did that for you and me. We claim and cling to those scars that make everything else irrelevant. Jesus' scars outdo any jewelry or small scars I may have. He consistently works and touches my life with those hands. Jesus' scars outdo all else and aren't we glad.

Thank You Jesus for dying for me that I might have an eternal and loving relationship with You. I look forward to seeing Your precious hands in person some day. With all the gratitude I can muster, thank You and Amen.

A SPIRITUAL JOB DESCRIPTION

...that you may walk worthy of the Lord,

fully pleasing Him,

being fruitful in every good work, and

increasing in the knowledge of God.

Colossians 1:10

With most professions, when one is called in for an interview, there is usually conversation relating to the job where there are expected duties. This conversation may be just in pointing out responsibilities, but many will give those duties written out, often to be signed by the interviewer and future employee. I don't know how much attention is paid through time to such a document but it is still important for one to know what is expected in the workplace.

When ladies have asked me how much of the Bible I read in a day that isn't prep study but for personal enrichment, I've told them there is no amount. I often read until the Holy Spirit stops me on a verse. I stay with that verse until I've taken in as much as I can in that moment.

Such is the above verse. I was reminded of what a spiritual job description might look like. There are still expectations in the next two verses following. They would be worth your reviewing. With the opening verse, in my typing of it, I deliberately divided it line by line as to expectations. There are four of them listed there. I see no unreasonable expectations there because God is never unreasonable when it comes to His Word. They seem to me to be very reasonable in our loving association with the human resource Person of our lives.

Our life is to be one of a lifestyle, our walk, that pleases the Lord. We are to be fruitful for Him in every way possible; and then, we are always to be learning more and more about our Heavenly Father. Too many Christians could be ranked as primary Sunday school students when it comes to really knowing God and things about Him. It doesn't mean just knowing facts, but really wanting to know Him beyond the facts. Am I living up to God's expectations of me in this verse as well as in this same chapter in verses 13-18? Paul is quick to show us the benefits of being God's child....benefits no company on earth can match.

Dear Father, thank You for Your patience with me in my not taking time to know You better. I thank You for Your Word and it's being so clear in every way of Your loving direction in my life. I love You and praise You in Jesus' name....Amen