May Your New Year Be Happy and Blessed

December 31

As we come to the conclusion of a year, it is a blessing to be able to reflect upon its events and conclude that in spite of any set-backs or disappointments we may have experienced, the year has been a good one. If we are honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge that at the year’s difficult times, Jesus was there.

His presence with us during the moments of sorrow and loss, the hour of challenge and struggle may not have been the most pleasant times of our lives, but they were certainly the times that tried our faith and proved our spiritual metal. It was those times we best understood His promise to abide with us.

As we stand at the threshold of a new year and contemplate its opportunities and its challenges, we hold fast to the promise in Psalm 128:2, “You shall eat of the fruit of your labor and blessed shall you be. It shall be well with you.” This word encompasses the entirety of our hope.

We are assured that our labor will produce fruit. In a fractured economy, this is an optimistic hope! If that simple promise is fulfilled, we will be relieved from the stress of the day. If we are blessed as the word assures, our fate will not be contingent upon the changing tide of human events but be steadfast in Him.

December 30

In a beautiful prayer of supplication, David sets forth the desire of our own hearts. We read Psalm 90:17 and add our voice to its plea: “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us and establish Thou the work of our hands…” for emphasis it reiterates, “…yea, the work of our hands, establish Thou it.”

Most of us recognize that apart from the Lord’s touch upon our lives we cannot hope to realize the aspirations of our hearts through our labor. The essence of what is beautiful in life comes not from the baubles it allows us to wear or the possessions it enables us to display in our fine homes. Life’s lovely things are felt within.

The satisfaction we feel at a job well done is beautiful. The delight that warms our hearts as we watch children play gleefully is indescribably lovely. The joy we feel in our ability to lend a helping hand to one in need is beyond compare to any mere worldly acquisition we may obtain as reward for our labor.

We realize that for any endeavor of ours to be abiding—whether in the realm of professional achievement or of personal interaction—it must be established by the Lord. We desire that He place His stamp of approval upon our life’s work so it may be beautiful, so it may be established, so it may enhance the beauty of life.

December 29

Some Biblical concepts are difficult to grasp at first reading. Our inability in understanding springs at times from our changing value system. Ideas that were absolutes in the day when the scripture was penned have evolved until in our day they are subject to ‘situational ethics.’

Besides that, there is the reality that modern life has altered some very basic facts of life, for example, our society anticipates that everyone shall have equal opportunity to acquire the things that make life worthwhile. The precept in the days of scripture writing was that each man fended for himself as best he could.

Furthering that concept, Proverbs 19:22 says, “The desire of a man is his kindness and a poor man is better than a liar.” At first contemplation this is a confusing statement indeed. What has a man’s kindness to do with his integrity in being truthful? How can the tenderness a man feels toward those he loves be equated in any stretch of the imagination to his honesty?

The point being conveyed is that there is joy to an individual in being kind to those he loves and in achieving success, but the delight of those human expressions of bliss are overshadowed to an immeasurable degree in God’s eyes as well as in the man’s own eyes if he is a liar. A poor man of integrity is esteemed above a wealthy man whose gain is gotten by subterfuge.

December 28

So, have you completed your list of New Year’s Resolutions? Have you determined (one more time) to eat a healthier diet? Are you going to be faithful to your exercise regimen? Perhaps you’re going to express your love and appreciation more fully to the significant people in your life. Sounds great!

At the top of our list of New Year’s resolutions should be this one that will assure the success of the entirety of our agenda for the coming year. We must allow the Christ who loves us to determine who we will be and what we will do in the days and weeks and months that He’s set as a clean slate before us.

There is a glorious promise in Jeremiah 7:23 that should stir our hearts with expectation as we appropriate it to ourselves as our motto for the new year that lies before us and for the entirety of the life that He will give to us as time unfolds into the glorious eternity that He has prepared for those who love Him. It says:

“…Listen to Me and obey My voice and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in the way that I have commanded you so it will be well with you.” When we walk in His way, follow His law, embrace Christ’s salvation, we know our resolutions will be blessed for time and eternity with everything God esteems.

December 27

We are at the threshold of a new year. It holds much promise for us. At its onset, we will resolve to rectify all that we’ve done wrong in the past and to resolutely pursue the worthy goals that we aspire to achieve in the future. We consider ourselves to have a new beginning before us.

We must sort through the closet of our minds and determine the value of what we have stored there. What is hanging on the shelves of our thoughts that is worth the space it’s occupying? What is cluttering the corners of our minds that should have been discarded long ago?

The Word tells us, “Whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are right…think on these things” Philippians 4:8, and we would do well to clear out the thoughts that degrade us or depress us or diminish our hope. We must focus on the lofty things that the Lord would have us to do and to be.

Philippians 3:13,14 tells us that we must, “…forget what lies behind and press forward into the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” To press forward is to continue to do the things that He’s called us to do, to think what He’s called us to think—and to discard our clutter of ungodliness in all its forms.

December 26

Solomon said something in Ecclesiastes 2:24 that is a powerful truth as far as it goes. Here, the wisest man who ever lived proclaimed, “There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and make himself enjoy the good of his labor from the hand of God.”

Yes, God wants His people to enjoy the fruit of their endeavors and He wants them to enjoy prosperity, yet He does not want the acquisition of wealth or the accumulation of things to be the heart and soul of a man’s heart and soul. Our Lord has better for us than the enjoyment of the gain our hands have gotten.

I Timothy 6:6 says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Ultimately, the best treasure we can acquire is that which comes when we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior and recognize that the washing away of our sins in His shed blood that we may spend eternity with Him is our greatest gain.

When we have recognized the enormity of the gift He has purchased for us, we will want to please Him in all our ways—not because we are trying to earn the salvation He gave as a free gift but because we love Him and want Him to delight in us—and that godliness will accrue to our spiritual account as great gain!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! JESUS IS LORD!

December 25

Psalm 25:5 proclaims a glorious truth. It assures that God will, “Guide me in truth and teach me, for He is the God of my salvation and I wait expectantly for Him.” Along that same line is the promise of Habakkuk 2:3, “The vision is for an appointed time…though it tarry, wait for it, for it will surely come.”

On this day of celebrating the birth of Jesus, the long-awaited One, we reflect upon the patience of the prophets who foretold His coming. Through long years, centuries, of anticipation, they proclaimed the appearance of the One who would deliver them from oppression and govern them in righteousness.

The God of truth guided them in truth and taught them of His plan, and though that plan was long in coming, they waited for it, knowing that He was worthy of all their trust. As Hebrews 11:1 recounts, they stood on faith which is the substance of all their hope when there was no visible evidence of the promise.

We who wait for Jesus’ Second Coming in power and glory to reign in peace and love over mankind, may say with Simeon, “My eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared for all people, a light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel (Luke 2:30-32). And we expectantly await His return.

December 24

God has rest for His people. It is His intention that those who trust in Him for the fruition of their labor will not exceed a reasonable limit of work in order to achieve all they need or desire but they will believe His promise to cause the labor they perform to prosper (Proverbs 16:3).

If we don’t accept God at His word, if we do not trust Him to fulfill His promise, we will assume the responsibility to achieve our prosperity. Perhaps part of the matter will require us to answer the question, “Do I want what God wants for my life or do I want more than He appears willing for me to have?”

If we are not satisfied with the Lord’s level of provision for us, we will continually strive for more. Perhaps it is when we have a goal that compels us to desire more of the world’s treasure than of heaven's treasure that we strive beyond the reasonable level of labor that God intends us to perform.

Hebrews 4:9,10 says, “There is a Sabbath rest awaiting the people of God where they have ceased from striving, just as God rested from His labors…” If we have confidence in Him, we will wait upon Him when we have done what He set before us to do and we will be content in His provision, in His sufficiency.

December 23

Hebrews 4:11 states something of an oxymoron. It says, “Let us exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest of God that no one may fall or perish in unbelief and disobedience.” Strive to rest. Isn’t that true of physical life as well as of spiritual life!

We look forward to a weekend but must accomplish the tasks before us Monday through Friday before we can enjoy the time off from work. We have food to prepare before we are able to sit down to a relaxing meal. We yearn for peace with God but must strain against our natural proclivity of worldliness to attain it.

Strive to rest. Indeed we will lapse into a continual state of hyper activity if we do not establish boundaries for ourselves that limit the time we spend at grinding, wearing labor. The workaholic has nothing to show for his efforts but fleeting success in the workplace and undermined health and relational stress at home.

The correlation between our physical and emotional well-being and our spiritual rest is indisputable. Statistics evidence the relationship between our ability to cope with the demands of our lives and our willingness to establish time for communion with God. May we not rob ourselves of the refreshing He gives.

December 22

God expects us to love one another. Not merely profess love. Not just say that we love. Not simply give tokens of affection. God expects us to love. When we give love, we are giving that part of our self that holds The Lord within, for when we love truly, we are not really giving our self, we are sharing Christ.

I John 4:7 says, “Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and he who loves is of God and he who loves understands God.” Love is of God. Anything that is of God is first and foremost honorable and pure. There is no stain of ulterior motive or wrinkle of self interest involved when it’s truly God’s love.

Certainly, we may go through a lifetime of interacting with others under the guise of loving them—often we’re deluding not only them but ourselves as well. We make a pretense at love and we attain a sense of comfort within a relationship we deem to be a loving bond with another human being.

But if we’re honest with ourselves, willing to recognize the selfishness that underlies our love—I love because I need to feel needed; I love because I feel better about myself if I reach out to others—when we see the futility of our false love, we will then yearn to receive and give the real thing—and turn to Jesus!

December 21

The Lord who created the entirety of all that exists in six days and then rested on the seventh day knows the value of taking a break. In our modern world, rest is virtually unheard of for some people. When they aren’t actually working at their place of business, they are traveling in order to further business interests.

This lifestyle, designed for professional success and financial gain is ultimately destructive to a life. While the enterprising business executive or the rising money manager—name the branch of the work-a-day world that best fits you—is straining to succeed, the life he’s trying to enhance by his efforts is falling apart.

Personal relationships that once seemed perfect begin to disintegrate, children who adore their parents and are dearly loved in return begin to feel the sting of neglect, stress and sleeplessness exacerbate health concerns. The cycle of pursuing the dream and reaping brokenness goes on without end.

Were we to follow the Lord’s counsel from Psalm 116:7 which says, “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you,” we would realize both physical and spiritual rest. If, when we had performed reasonable labor, we would leave the outcome to the Lord, He could bless both our work and our rest.

December 20

We live in an ever-coarsening world. Our children and grandchildren will not know the delight of TV viewing that generated wholesome laughter and inspired heroism. They won’t be privy to the early movies that always resolved moral issues according to godly mores--and the good guys always won.

Because our society is bombarded by evil and debauchery, our children and grandchildren won’t find it easy to abide in the promise, “The effect of righteousness will be peace and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever (Isaiah 32:17).

Yet, the truth of God is eternal and though it may be difficult to find the path of godliness through the maze of sin’s many alluring side roads, the one who desires to know the Lord in the beauty of His holiness can still find his way to the side of the Savior.

We know that He does not expect us to walk the path alone. He has assured us that He will always be with us. When we allow Jesus to take up residence within—to be Lord of our life—we receive the Holy Spirit as our Guide. When we don’t know where to turn to avoid evil, He will point us in the way of righteousness.

December 19

When Jesus spoke the words in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” the world was a much simpler place. It was an agrarian society and, baring the unforeseen hardship of a bad crop, things were pretty simple on a day-to-day basis.

Even the ordeal of living in an occupied country where foreign troops could be seen on every street, though somewhat troubling, had no direct impact on the daily lives of the people who dwelt in Judah during Jesus’ day. Yet, Jesus recognized that many of the citizenry were heavy laden.

He sees that in us, too. He knows the pressure of trying to make a living in a difficult economy. He knows the stress of being unemployed and without health care. He knows the frustration of working diligently to provide for a family and having to deal with high taxation that renders ones labor to none avail.

He knows the anxiety that comes regarding issues of health and of fractured relationships and the incalculable stress of living in a world at war with itself on so many fronts. Yet, His invitation, His promise to all is that when we cannot endure any longer, we may lay our burdens upon Him and receive His rest.

December 18

Freedom is the benchmark of Christianity. Freedom first and foremost from the wage of sin that is death is the paramount gift we receive from our Heavenly Father through the shed blood of His Holy Child Jesus. We praise Him for that freedom and we rejoice in the free gift of salvation that we know is ours.

Because we know we are free for time and eternity, we recognize that we have every advantage over the lost who have not received the unspeakable gift that is too wonderful to even be uttered in finite terms. Because we know we are free, we long to share our freedom by directing others to Jesus, its Source.

I Corinthians 10:23 assures us that once we believe, “All things are legitimate and we are free to do what seems right in our eyes, but, though we are free to chose our course, all things are not expedient. Though all things are legitimate, not all things are edifying.” It behooves us to choose those things that lift us up.

Our Lord desires above all things that we grow in Him. He would not have us to linger at the trough of high mindedness or conspicuous consumption or self aggrandizement. He would have us go forth as ambassadors of His Kingdom, inviting souls to taste and receive of the blessed freedom He’s supplied to us.

December 17

‘Follow the Leader’ is a childhood game in which we delighted but it is not a good idea to continue following indiscriminately in adulthood. Some of us still do it, though. We catch ourselves desiring the things that others have, striving for the goals they’ve achieved. We’d perhaps change lives with them if we could.

We know things aren’t always as good as they appear in the lives of those whom we envy and emulate but we’ve succeeded in deluding ourselves into believing that they are. We’re convinced that the lives of the successful, happy people around us are certainly better than the paltry existence we’re experiencing.

We want to follow their path to the goals we’re sure we’d realize if only we could have the roadmap they used for success. How do we succeed professionally? Check the map! How do we assure rewarding relationships? Check the map!
How do we realize our dreams? Check the map.

But God’s Word, which has a better plan than any we can contrive, states a sure-fire route to joy, which is the underlying desire of our yearning. Romans 8:14 says, “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” If we believe that, we know we are His children—and trust our loving Father to always guide us rightly.

December 16

Ephesians 4:23 is a short verse that leaves room for contemplation. Here Paul writes to the believers. “Be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind.” We think of spirit and mind as separate entities, and perhaps they are essentially, for one is associated with spiritual revelation and the other with worldly knowledge

But here Paul is indicating an aspect to the essence of who we are that he identifies as a ‘spirit of your mind.’ What he seems to be saying is that there is a connection between what we think and what we espouse in the realm of our spirit.

Perhaps it is this correlation that causes some individuals to be so different in their thinking and in their perception of life in general and of God’s requirement of man in particular. Could it be that the spirit to which we surrender ourselves has a profound impact on how we think? On what we consider to be reasonable? Most people in the Western world base their world view in Christian thought. Acts of violence are repugnant to them.

An extreme example of an opposing view might be a suicide bomber. Is it mere coincidence that someone who has opened his mind to extreme hatred for those whose convictions are not his own would have the capacity to commit murderous acts? Had that same individual surrendered his mind to thoughts of love and peace, the spirit that drove him would have had no power over him. Our spirits become the captive of our thoughts. We must guard them well.

December 15

Everyone knows it’s wise to save for the future. No matter how much or how little money you earn, it’s important to have a program by which a designated amount is set aside on a regular basis for the future. Even in an uncertain economy, the individual who has prepared for the future will not be intimidated by the future.

There is another area besides the realm of finance where the Word of God advises storing up for the future. It is an unlikely one but if contemplated objectively its wisdom can be discerned. The admonition can be found in Proverbs 19:20.

In this passage it says, “Hear counsel, receive instruction and accept correction that you may be wise in the time to come.” This actually flies in the face of what most of us believe regarding counsel and instruction and correction. First of all, we generally don’t think of these tidbits of advice as resources to be stored.

We may endeavor to graciously receive them when they are doled out to us, we may be rebuffed by them and we may be required to bite our tongue to keep from being dismissive of them, but we don’t value them as viable investments into our future. If we heed them, if we employ them, however, they may serve us well.

December 14

John speaks words of truth with the tenderness that comes from having been the disciple whom Jesus loved. Of course, the Lord loved them all, but John was more sensitive to that love. He felt it more than the others did and he cherished it with a fervency that few among those who follow—then or now—can feel.

Because of his profound awareness of the love of Christ, John’s life was a clear reflection of Jesus. Whether he was a young man who desired to sit at His right hand when He came into His Kingdom or whether he was an old man who was imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos, his every thought was directed toward being a living epistle of the Lord he loved in return.

In I John 3: 23, 24 the beloved Apostle writes, “This is God’s commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He says. Anyone who keeps His commandments dwells in Him and He in them. This we know by His Spirit within us.”

The concept of abiding is an essential one to believers in Christ because one of His foundational promises to those who lay their lives at His feet is that He will abide in them. Because He will never fail or forsake the people who love Him (Hebrews 13:5), it behooves us to live as we are—precious in the beloved.

December 13

The concept of ‘slavery,’ does not sit well with modern Americans. When we think of children in bondage to cruel masters who require physical labor or sexual favors of them, we are aghast at the notion that such practices exist today. We wish that all humankind were enlightened in this world of darkness and depravity.

It is our desire that people be free—those in bondage and those who keep them bound—to worship God and to serve Him with hearts that love one another with His own love. Rather than abuse or oppress those who are helpless among us, the Lord would have us to love them, to free them from all manner of bondage.

Yet there is an ultimate form of slavery that will exist until the worlds dissolve on that great and glorious day when Jesus comes to make all things new. Jesus has said that as a man cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13), a man cannot serve God and worldliness. Man will adhere himself to one or the other.

The difference between serving God or serving the world is that the world binds, but God sets man free. II Corinthians 3:17 says, “...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” When we bind ourselves to Jesus, He sets us free. Nothing can deny us freedom when our sprits are liberated by His Spirit.

December 12

The God we serve is not a god of penury. His intent is that we who believe shall have life, and, as Jesus said in His own words, “I have come that they might have life and that more abundantly” John 10:10. He does not expect that we forsake all desire of prosperity in life to gain the endless blessing of eternity.

His concept of blessedness was sown into the Word from its earliest chapters. One of the passages that convey His desire to bless and prosper His people goes back to Zechariah 8:12. Here it states, “For there shall the seed produce peace and prosperity. The vine shall yield her fruit and the ground shall give its increase…I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all things.”

“All things.” That is quite an encompassing promise. Our heavenly Father desires to bestow upon His children of all that is His. He owns everything that exists in the universe. The stars in the heavens, the distant planets, the as yet undiscovered galaxies are His. There is nothing the eye can see or the mind can imagine that does not spring from His endless coffers.

The soil in which we sow our grain belongs to the Lord. From the furthest unseen realm of space to the tiniest particle of earth that gives nurture to the food we consume, all of it belongs to Him. And He desires to share all of it with us. As the mysteries of space are revealed and as the harvest comes in its season, He continues to be faithful to His Word.

December 11

I John 4:20 points out, “If a man says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar, for if he can’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” God is not giving any extra credit on life’s test for good intentions. If we love Him—truly—the proof of that will be our love for others.

Romans 12:9-11 goes on to say, “Let love be sincere; hate what is evil and hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection, giving honor to one another and fervently serve the Lord.” The Lord will not accept a counterfeit love when we profess our love for Him or for our fellow sojourners through life.

He expects that the love we extend to both Him and to those around us will be that which flows from His own heart. We are merely conduits of His love to those who are perishing for a lack of it. As we love with His abiding love that wells up within our hearts, that love will have no strings attached. It will be pure.

If we truly love Jesus, we will strive to maintain the integrity of the love He gives to us. As He honors us by making us co-heirs to His eternal Kingdom, so we will honor those to whom we witness His salvation by loving them into the fold. In so doing, we will be adding to the community of faith as we fervently serve Him.

December 10

I Peter 4:8 tells us that “…love covers a multitude of sins.’ That is nowhere more evident than in Jesus on the cross. Because He loves us so much, He lived the sinless live we cannot live and died the death we’re no longer required to die. We who believe in Him are to be imitators of Christ. So, we must forgive.

Forgiveness does not come naturally to fallen man. The old saying is, “I don’t get mad, I get even.” Left to ourselves, we will be part of an endless cycle of offense and retaliation. Left without Jesus, we would be no better than ravenous beasts who fall upon their prey and fall upon one another.

But when we have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when we have allowed His Holy Spirit to remold and reshape us into a reflection of Himself, we can appropriate the beautiful words of II Corinthians 13:11 which say, “Brethren…be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace—and the God of love and grace will be with you.”

It is a beautifully completed cycle—He loves us, He lives for us, we see our need, we allow Him to supply our need, we are transformed from darkness to light and from hatred to love. When that happens, He takes us from glory to glory—perfecting us to dwell eternally with Him. Knowing the peace that comes with this comforting awareness allows His grace to be manifested to others through us.

December 9

We serve a Holy God. His character is without blemish. He is of “purer eyes than to behold evil…” Habakkuk 1:13; He will not look upon sin. That’s why when Christ hung on the cross, bearing the sin of all mankind for all time, He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ Mark 15:34.

Yet as far removed as He is from sin, God understands ours. Because He knows our frame, He made provision for our cleansing from sin before the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8); because He loves us, He wants us to be free from sin so we can enjoy fellowship with Him for time and eternity.

His love is definitive of His character. In fact, love is so much the essence of who He is that the Word tells us “…God is love…” I John 4:16. Apart from God there is no love—there may be a counterfeit of love, but there is no true love without God. And out of that great boundless well of who God is, springs that other glorious aspect of Himself—forgiveness.

If we allow our blind eyes to receive the eye salve that enables us to see our need for Christ as our Savior, and allow our minds to apprehend the truth that of ourselves we are worthy of nothing but eternal death, then we can grasp the promise of Psalm 130:4 which says, “There is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared and worshipped,” and worship we will from hearts of love!

December 8

Our tendency is to measure our happiness by the circumstances of our lives. If things are going well, we count ourselves to be happy. If life has hurled difficult challenges our way we allow ourselves to become fraught with anxiety, with stress, with depression. Our prayer is for deliverance.

But James 1:12 informs us that, “Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands under temptation, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him.” Tests come to everyone.

As an athlete must buffet his body, discipline himself to endure stringent physical exercise in order to be well-prepared for the contest before him, so must the believer be disciplined to be prepared for the spiritual contest before him. The athlete who is out of shape won’t stand in the winner’s place and neither will the believer.

The enemy of the Lord desires that the man of God falter and fail! But if the Christian can recognize the nature of his opponent and if he can appropriate the reality that Jesus has equipped the saint to not only engage in the contest but to prevail over the wiles of the enemy, he can take joy in not only the promised victory but in the battle itself, for it is training him for eternal glory!

December 7

We who are free from bondage to the law because Jesus fulfilled all the law in our behalf sometimes have difficulty grasping exactly what the law is to us. Because Jesus complied with every jot and tittle of the law’s stringent demands, we are able to appropriate to ourselves His total obedience.

Though we don’t have to be encumbered with the minutia of the law, we are advantaged by its benefit, for the Lord has given us the fullness of His obedience. Though we have utterly failed to keep the law, our acceptance of Jesus and His complete keeping of the law is credited to our heavenly account.

It is important that we are mindful of the totality of the Lord’s redemption. It was bought for us with the incalculable price of His death in our behalf and of His sinless life. Had He failed the law in one point, His sacrifice could not have bought our salvation!

James 1:25 recommends therefore, that, “…he who looks into the faultless law of liberty must not be heedless and forget, but must be a doer of the law and be blessed.” Because of our Lord’s perfect, sinless sacrifice, we have the chance to live as He lived—free from the chains of sin and death; free to walk in blessing.

December 6

When the Almighty One who dwells in eternity, the Glorious One who has no beginning and has no end fashioned the earth and everything that exists, He did not labor to produce it; He merely spoke-and it was. Only with man, the creature upon whom He bestowed His love, did He use His hands to fashion him.

The Lord who spoke and mountains were formed, who uttered the command and the stars were flung into space, reached down and touched the dust of the earth and breathed upon it and created the crowning jewel of His creation. And when man, upon whom He had lavished His love, betrayed Him, He worked again.

This time, the Majesty from on High assumed the visage of a man and came to earth to do the work of salvation that man could not do in order that man would have the opportunity to have restored fellowship for time and eternity with the One who did the work of salvation that sets errant man free from sin and shame.

The Holy One who has no peer, the Eternal One by whom exists all that we see and touch and taste and hear says that as He worked, so should we. In fact, if it is our goal to achieve greatness, our path to that end is via servanthood. As Jesus came to work, so must we. We work by freely sharing Him with others.

December 5

Jesus observed in Matthew 6:27 that our much contemplation could not add an inch to our stature. There are some things that simply aren’t worth the time and energy we put into fretting about them. It doesn’t matter how desperately I want to look like a runway model, I simply won’t—not even in high heels.

What then, about the things that may have the potential to be changed? What should I do about them? Should I try to advance in my career? Should I concern myself with losing a few pounds? Should I trade in my old but reliable car on a newer model even though doing so would stretch my budget?

Psalm 37:5 has a viable solution to every quandary I face. The Lord here affirms His absolute watch care over everything that concerns my life. He says, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him and He will bring it to pass.” The One who holds eternity in the hollow of His hand holds you, holds me.

We have no need of disconcertion over the affairs of Life. The Lord knows what we have need of and He will supply. Does that mean we absolve ourselves of responsibility for our own well-being? It does not. It simply means that when we have done all we can, we relax, rest in faith, and trust Jesus with the outcome.

December 4

Sometimes we can’t help but marvel at the individuals who gain the seat of power. Within companies, top executives defy employees’ understanding of how they came to their lofty positions. Governmental representatives seem wholly out of touch with their constituents and are elected—sometimes over and over again—despite being unresponsive to the will of the people.

Even more mind boggling is that God has opened the gates of Heaven and invited people like us to gain entry simply by receiving Jesus as our Savior. He hasn’t required an elaborate time of preparation on our part. He doesn’t demand that we fulfill stringent requirements for entry. We simply must believe in Jesus.

And when we have come to faith in the God-Man who left His home in glory to sojourn as one of us, we do not need to expect to be elevated above those around us who have not yet come to faith. In fact, the Word tells us that the opposite will be the case. Once we have given ourselves to the Lord, we will be like Him—humble in spirit, not grasping at what we have, but releasing all we possess to be used for His purpose.

Matthew 20:26-28 says, “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant; whoever desires to be first among you must be your slave, as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and gave His life a ransom for many.” The key to greatness in God’s Kingdom begins with surrender and continues with relinquishing—with giving up our rights, with giving up our resources—and relying totally upon His promise that through Jesus we shall prevail.

December 3

I Corinthians 2:16 extends an amazing thought. It says we, “have the mind of Christ; we hold the thoughts of His heart.” It is beyond comprehension that the great mind that designed the entirety of all that exists, that devised the plan of salvation, that orchestrated the transformation of man from mortal to eternal dwells within those who believe!

Just believe. It’s too simple a plan. Anyone can do it. It’s far more difficult to enter some gated communities, to access individuals who consider themselves to be important, who count their time as too valuable to waste on anyone who doesn’t measure up to a certain standard, than to join the community of heaven!

What is God thinking? How can He be so lax in His criteria for membership in His enclave of faith that anybody, that a ‘nobody’ can be included simply by receiving Christ as Savior and Lord? How can it be that instead of devising a lofty scheme to prove worthiness, all one must do is acknowledge that he is unworthy? In a word, what God is thinking is ‘love’.

In a nutshell, God has kept the plan simple and accessible so that whoever desires to participate may do so. The only thing that can keep an individual out of heaven is the individual himself. The only way one may be denied salvation is if one rejects it. Jesus stands with open arms to receive sinners who, when they receive Him, also receive His heart and mind.

December 2

My grandmother was born into a well-to-do family in Italy. Their prominence in their village was based in the fact that they raised grapes and olives from which they produced wine and olive oil. They had a thriving enterprise and my grandmother wanted for nothing as a young girl.

She followed her husband to America where her children were raised. She never saw her parents again but when they died, she anticipated an inheritance. It did not come because World War II intervened at the wrong moment in time. Italy and her new country, America, were on opposite sides in the war, and monies were not being transferred from Italy to its enemy.

Perhaps you have a similar story to tell—one of disappointed financial expectation. It may have been a ‘sure’ investment that did not produce the high rate of return that was anticipated. Perhaps it was a business enterprise that was undone by a scheming partner. Perhaps it was an anticipated inheritance that was bequeathed to someone else.

But there is one ‘inheritance’ that is promised to every espouser of Christ and it shall not be denied! Colossians 3:24 says, “Know with all certainty that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance which is your real reward…” Our assurance is that our God has provided something far greater for us than the things of earth that deteriorate. The inheritance of Heaven shall endure forever!

December 1

The Lord has many names for Himself. Each of them affords the person of faith an insight into the character, into the very nature of the Most High God whom we profess to love and endeavor to serve. One of the most wonderful of those names is “Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider” Genesis 22:14.

This verse, this name, is the groundwork upon which is set the entirety of our faith. It is our God who, “supplies all our need, according to His riches in glory” Philippians 4:19. Foremost, He has given Jesus for our salvation, so we may anticipate His full provision of all we need for spiritual well-being. He has given His Holy Spirit to assure His full supply.

But beyond our need for discernment and faith and hope and joy and love—all the fruit of the spirit—we also require temporal needs to be met and our Heavenly Father assures us that we shall not want in any good thing we require (Psalm 23:1). Let us trust in Him. Let us go forth in faith in Him. Let us see beyond our lack into the moment He’s ordained for our need to be provided!

May our confidence that He shall meet all our needs be reflected in the words of Psalm 5:11, “Let all those who take refuge in You rejoice; let them ever sing and shout for joy because You make a covering over them and You defend them. Let those who love Your name be filled with joy.” Our provision, our joy is complete in Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.

November 30

When one has received the blessed gift of redemption from Christ by accepting His propitiatory life, death, and resurrection in ones own behalf, a new day dawns. Where there was once darkness, there is glorious light. Where there was once despair, there is hope. Where there was sorrow, there is joy.

The transformation is so profound that it is referred to in the scriptures as a new birth. The Lord Himself said, “You must be born again…” Indeed, without this new birth, without this awakening from the dark night of sin, one… “cannot see the Kingdom of God” John 3:3.

This new life is at once an improved version of the life one had been living all along while at the same time being a life that has transcended the temporal and reached the realm of the eternal. It is a life that requires continued attention to the needs of the physical but is now focused on God’s provision of the spiritual.

In Galatians 2:20 it says, “The life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave Himself for me.” Once seeing the magnitude of the provision Jesus has made for man’s eternal well-being, the Light of His love forever dispels the darkness. For the one who believes, eternity has dawned.

November 29

We’d like to think well of ourselves but reality sometimes steps in and requires us to do a bit of reassessing. If we find ourselves to have offended several people—that just might indicate that we have behaved offensively. If we are not at the top of everyone’s ‘must invite list’ it could be because we’ve hurt others.

The consequences of our social shortcomings are not pleasant but if we’re honest with ourselves, we know they’re deserved. Jesus, however, endured much from the sinners He came to save even though He had done nothing but show them kindness and love.

Jesus healed, He delivered from demonic possession, He supplied food to nurture their bodies and spiritual food to nurture their souls, yet they found offense in Him and demanded His execution! When we face ostracism or criticism, the Word admonishes that we think of Him. His example guides us in our own endurance of hardship.

Hebrews 12:3 says, “Think of Him who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself so that you may not grow weary or lose heart…” When we contemplate His steadfast love for us, His sacrifice, we are encouraged by His example to go forward in our resolve to forsake our shortcomings and become like Him.

November 28

We tend to think we’re not too bad. Indeed by man’s standard of assessing good and evil, most of us would be placed into the ‘good’ category. We haven’t masterminded a murderous plot that brought down skyscrapers and left thousands dead and untold millions shocked and grieving.

We haven’t strapped on incendiary devices with the intention of destroying the lives of unsuspecting innocents who happen to be in the path of our convoluted emotions of hatred and blood lust and prejudice. We haven’t terrorized those around us by our words or our actions. We’re good.

But when we compare ourselves to our HOLY GOD rather than to the most depraved of fallen man, our self-assessment becomes less flattering. When held beside the pure, unadulterated goodness of God, our best attempt at that commodity is comparable to “filthy rags” Isaiah 64:6. Yet, we can be clothed in the righteousness of Christ!

He makes His purity our own! Ephesians 2:4, 5 says, “God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love for us, even when we were dead in sins has given us life through Christ, saving us by His grace.” No matter how hard, cold, evil we may be, we can be transformed by His love and salvation if we will but embrace Jesus as our Savior and Lord!

November 27

“Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” These words from Psalm 23:4 have perhaps lifted more people during their times of grief and loss than have any others ever penned.

The Lord’s rod protects and His staff leads the believer even through the dark tunnel we call death and His promise of salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for our sins assures that the believer will emerge into the glorious light of Heaven’s indescribable joy on the other side.

One thing that this beautiful passage conveys when you read between the lines is the utter powerlessness of death over the one who has placed his trust in Jesus. For who could possibly fear a shadow? A shadow has no substance. It gains its presence by projecting something that blocks the LIGHT! Should the one who trusts the power of the Lord fear a mere shadow!

When we face death or any threat of danger, when we are unsettled by the long, dark shadow cast by our fear and by our sense of helplessness to overcome an intrusion into our lives that is too big for us to manage, may we look beyond the shadow and the threat that casts it to the LIGHT of Jesus that is always behind any shadow, always shining there to enable us to see His help in time of need.

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable GIFT...II Corinthians 9:15

November 26

Stewing in your own juice is a recipe for heartburn! Even if you have a justification for your irritation, it is unwise and unhealthy to indulge the kind of emotion that stirs up negativity within. The Lord’s counsel is that we love our enemies and do good to those who despitefully use us (Luke 6:27).

Before we can love our enemies, we must follow another scriptural admonition, that being, “Cease from anger and forsake wrath, fret not yourself; it tends only to evildoing” Psalm 37:8. The Lord understands our emotional make-up and He knows our proclivity to seek revenge when we feel we’ve been wronged.

He also knows that the world’s way of dealing with perceived slights and hurts is good for nothing but perpetuating anger, hard feelings, and an endless round of attempting to get even. Long after the original reason for the breach that now exists has been forgotten, the endless striving for retribution goes on.

But if we can appropriate the Lord’s counsel in the matter, we will release anger. We will not fret about the wrong that was done against us. We will not allow the anger to seethe and fester until we’re plotting revenge. Once we resolve to let go of all negativity, we can get on with the Lord’s admonition to love!

November 25

Betrayal. That word delves into the depth of who we are and pulls out fears and longings and disappointments we’ve all experienced and then submerged in our endeavor to get on with interacting with others without transferring to them the anticipation of hurt that was generated by someone else.

Often, we are unsuccessful in our resolve to get on with our lives without the encumbrance of past hurts and dashed expectations. Sometimes those negative emotions were created when we disappointed ourselves. We had high hopes and they came to far less than we wished they would.

Sometimes the sense of betrayal does not result from letting ourselves down but because someone we trust, someone to whom we made ourselves emotionally vulnerable used our trust against us. This form of hurt is grievous because we feel not only betrayed but foolish for having allowed ourselves to be gullible.

There is One, however, in whom we may place our confidence with absolute assurance that He will not fail or forsake us in any way. It is the Lord of whom we may say, “My soul, wait only upon God and submit to Him, for my hope and expectation are from Him” Psalm 62:5. He is faithful. He is steadfast. He is true.

November 24

If we had the foggiest notion of who God really is, of what an awesome being He is, we would not spend one moment of our lives in anxiety or fear or consternation or dread of future events. If we truly knew God, we would have no fear in life and we would have no fear of death.

We may think we know Him. We may love Him as we know Him—with the limited resources that we possess--but He desires to reveal the fullness of Himself to us by overarching our frail resources of understanding and surrender and love.

One excellent way to enable Him to deepen our trust and faith in Him is by reflecting upon the glorious feats in our behalf that He has already performed! In Isaiah 46:9, 10 it says, “Remember the former things that I have done, for I am God and there is no one else; I am God and there is none like Me. I declare the end from the beginning and from ancient times I have spoken what is yet to be. My counsel shall stand. I shall perform all My good pleasure.”

If we follow the Lord’s own counsel as He expressed it through Isaiah, we will gain in strength and in faith as we reflect upon the awesome things He has already brought to pass. We will remember the steadfast sense of the presence of His Holy Spirit when we were troubled and we will remember the deliverance that came when He comforted our hearts. We will recall the battles fought and the victories won—and we will remind ourselves that HE IS FAITHFUL!

November 23

Some of us don’t see ourselves as mighty men of valor in the Lord’s Army. We tend to see ourselves as sniveling cowards who want HIM to intervene in our behalf so we can be excused from service. We tend to want life to go smoothly. We want our frail bark to sail on peaceful waters.

The reality is that we are not often called upon to stand in the gap of a major spiritual conflagration, but were we to be, what would we require of ourselves? If a major spiritual set-back could occur or a remarkable advancement for the cause of Christ—depending upon which way our efforts guide the outcome—would we rise to the need?

We may not be called to go to some distant outpost of humanity to share the gospel with the lost. We may not be required to put our lives on the line to share Christ’s Truth with those who literally hate the Word of Truth. We may be allowed to simply love Him from the comfort of our secure little niche, yet there is an area of service that we are equipped to step into and fight the good fight!

In Colossians 3:15 it says, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you are called in one body—and be ye thankful.” If we will allow ourselves to trust the Lord as His peace governs our heart, and recognize our place in His body, and rest in thanksgiving for His full supply, our lives will exude the wonder of His salvation to everyone whose life touches ours!

November 22

Those of us who have the events of November 22, 1963 etched upon our memories know how profoundly the course of a nation can be changed by the actions of one deranged, hate-filled individual. Likewise, the evil the 9/11 hijackers set in motion was unthinkable prior to their wanton act of infamy.

Even though these acts of treachery make us aware of our vulnerability as individuals and as a nation, we also know that there is One whose overarching protection is more than adequate to guard us against the unleashed, unvarnished vitriolic hatred that confronts us.

We are reminded in Psalm 34:7 that, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and each of them, He delivers.” This makes it obvious that there is an enemy to be faced. If we are in the Lord’s Army, we will encounter battles that will be horrific because the foe we face is without redeeming qualities.

The evil entity that assails the people of God makes the hatred and violence of mere men pale in comparison to the depth and breadth of his own. Indeed, he is the author of all vile, evil acts! But when we contemplate the hedge the Lord has placed around His people, there is no need for fear, for our God is mighty to save!

November 21

Today’s U.S. Army is the best-equipped, most technologically advanced fighting force that has ever donned a nation’s uniform, and it is all volunteer. That was not the case a few decades ago. The Army operated under a ‘lottery’ system whereby a young man of a certain age had to register. If his number ‘came up,’ he had to enlist. No option.

Being part of God’s Army bears some similarities to each of these systems. We know the Bible tells us that the Lord has chosen us to be His. I Timothy 2:4 tells us that God desires all men to be saved. Jesus came into the world to give His life as a ransom for sinners—to buy us back from the slavery of sin—and every person ever born has the option to receive this wonderful salvation.

But simultaneously, our great and mighty, all powerful God has given to each of us a free will. That means we aren’t required to receive His salvation, to serve Him or join His Army that He sends out to share the redemption story with the lost. Yet, if we do sign on with His Army, He promises to equip us to the utmost. He does not send us to fight without thoroughly training and accoutering us.

In Ephesians 6:11, He tells us to expect the battle to be heated; to know it’s essential to, “Put on the whole armor of God so you can to stand against all the fiery darts of the enemy.” We aren’t flailing the air when we fight for Jesus, we’re waging warfare against the Lord’s mortal enemy, the one who’s come to undo the purposes of God. But, with the full combat equipment of God, we will prevail!

November 20

It is imperative that a vehicle of conveyance be worthy of its task. Having once been aboard an airplane as it flew through the severe turbulence of a typhoon to reach the calm above the storm, and having seen some of the bolts in the overhead compartment jarred loose as doors opened and discharged their contents, I could not help but be praying that the mechanical parts of the plane were more secure.

We need to be able to trust the integrity of what, of whom we trust ourselves to. Whether it’s a life partner or a physician or a tax consultant, we want to know we’ve placed ourselves in trustworthy hands. We account competence and steadfastness to be among the most desirable of traits in a professional.

God desires those things from us as well. He wants us to know Him, to know His Word, so we will fully understand Who and what we are committing ourselves to when we place our lives at His feet, and He wants us to be steadfast in our determination to remain strong in faith, even when the winds of adversity assail.

This quality, steadfastness, has been uppermost in God’s expectation of His people from the earliest scriptural references. In Genesis 15:6 we are told, “Abram believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” To believe Him, one must know Him and trust Him. Then it’s easy to be steadfast!

November 19

We tend to have our priorities out of order. It is the nature of man, after all, to put natural or world-related matters first. The old saying, “If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it’s a duck,” goes into play here. Because we’re born into the world and the world is all we see and all we know, we’re worldly.

God wants us to be different than that. It’s like the old Mission Impossible TV show that was made into a couple of movies of the same name—God poses to the natural man an option and, “Your mission, if you choose to take it…” will be fraught with difficulty and challenge.

The most daunting aspect of it is simply accepting it. That’s because in order to realize we have the option, we must have our spiritual antennae up in a world that is broadcasting primarily natural messages. We are focused on the natural, so we hear the world’s siren call much more clearly than God’s still, small voice.

But once we realize the truth of Romans 14:17-18, “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but it is of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit which is pleasing to God,” we reorient ourselves—not just to please Him, but so the promises He gives for time and eternity can become ours.

November 18

Psalm 27:5 gives us a promise we will cling to sooner or later in our life’s experiences, for here it says, “He shall hide me…in the day of trouble…” Nobody wants to see trouble come, but everyone wants to be shielded from the brunt of its power when it shows up.

Although it is a comforting thought that the Mighty One who holds all power in His little finger shall employ His great strength in our defense any time the enemy assails through his many schemes and snares, Psalm 27 goes beyond the fact that the Holy God we serve loves and protects us from evil.

In verse 6 of Psalm 27, it also says, “And my head shall be lifted up above all my enemies around me; therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord!” The psalmist is exultant because the promise goes much further than his assurance of being shielded by God from trouble!

Here he states an expectancy that we all desire—we don’t want mere protection from the onslaught of the foe! Although it is wonderful to be shielded from any power that comes against us, we’re not satisfied to simply be hidden from the intensity of the battle! No! We want to be conquerors who hold our heads proudly—and rejoice in victory!

November 17

During his many work related travels overseas a gentleman once had as a seat partner aboard a plane returning home from a European capital a young woman who had been searching through the archives of the churches of that continent to find information for her doctoral thesis at an Ivy League school on the move of the Holy Spirit in the early church.

By her account as she discussed her findings with him, there was invariably, in all the churches she investigated, an account of rich evidence of the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ when these churches were established. Their histories indicated, too, that there was invariably a falling away from implementation of the gifts or fruits of the Spirit as the churches grew and became more established.

The clear indication is that churches, people who believe in Christ, tend at the onset of their walk to be totally surrendered to the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is a cognizance of the fact that without Jesus we are helpless to be of use to the outworking of His purposes—within the community, within the church or within ourselves!

At the onset, we seem to grasp the magnitude of His Word which assures, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8. If we could maintain our determination to be the instruments through whom He stretches Himself over our circumstances rather than become self reliant, we could always serve Him fully!

November 16

Life can be fraught with disappointment and frustration. We aim high and fall short of the goals we have set for ourselves. We strive in relationships to please those whose lives are intertwined with our own but find the fabric of our relationships unraveling in spite of our best efforts.

Just as others have disappointed us, we, too have disappointed many of them. The entirety of human existence seems to be a journey from one empty hope to another. Whether it’s losing our bid for promotion or never buying the winning lottery ticket, we find disappointment heaped upon us most relentlessly.

If we aren’t careful, we can transfer this defeatist mentality to the spiritual realm. We can expect that although the promises of God are absolute, they will never be realized in our lives. Not that we don’t believe God is faithful! It’s more that we think He’s too busy with important things to be aware of us.

This mindset negates the words of I John 4:4 which say, “Little children, you are of God and you have already defeated and overcome evil because HE WHO IS IN YOU is greater than he who is in the world!” Jesus, the Conqueror of sin and death is within you! He lives in your heart! His intention is to guide you rightly!

Orchestrate your resources with those of others who desire to reach out to needy children this Christmas! Share this web site with your church or organization so your group can be used by the Lord to convey the message of Jesus and His love and salvation to children who otherwise may not hear.

You may even have the opportunity to host one of these precious little ones during this season of joy--and see first-hand the wonder and delight in the eyes of a child whose life has been transformed by the message of the gospel and the love of the Lord as it flows from His heart through His people to a child in need:

http://fhwishes.com/?page_id=332 .

November 15

Isn’t it maddening when something goes awry and you’re trying your hardest to get things straightened out, and some so-called friends take the opportunity to gloat over your discomfiture! Oh, they don’t do it overtly. They coyly feign concern and empathy, but underlying their façade is glee that you’re in a fix.

Micah 7:8 has a beautiful word of encouragement for the individual who is down and knows those around him are rejoicing in his plummet from a height of success or accomplishment. It says, “Rejoice not over me, O, mine enemy! For when I fall, I shall arise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”

The reality is that ups and downs are inevitable in life. The old saying, ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall,’ has a lot of truth. It’s also true that the bigger they are, the more people who are hoping that they fall! Envy is often directed at those whose successes exceed our own.

But we have an assurance in Proverbs 3:26 that says, “The Lord shall be your confidence, and He shall keep your foot from being caught in a snare.” Although we cannot always depend on friends and we cannot even be confident in ourselves, we may always know beyond doubting that Jesus is there for us

Looking for a new way to celebrate Christmas?

Tired of the focus on expensive gifts and rich foods and self-indulgence?

Perhaps you're perfectly happy with the way you celebrate this wonderful holiday but wish to expand your outreach to those who are less fortunate. The following web site can open a new avenue of joy for you, allowing you to extend the delights of the season of Christ's birth to children in unfortunate circumstances.

http://fhwishes.com/?page_id=332

November 14

Man is always trying to ‘build a better mousetrap.’ Creativity and invention are the signature of modern western civilization. An enormous amount of progress has been made in the last 100 years or so. In fact, the world has been technologically revolutionized since the beginning of the Twentieth Century.

As long as man continues to employ his creativity toward unlocking the secrets of the mind of Christ, in Whom is hidden all the knowledge and wisdom of our Triune God, the Lord will continue to allow His supreme creation the joy of unlocking the secrets of the universe.

But, there is one thing that cannot be improved upon. Man’s inventiveness can hold no sway over the one thing that is settled in Heaven, and that is the plan of salvation. We know that when the Triune God conferred with Himself in eons past regarding the fall of His beloved creation, man, He decreed that Jesus would come as a man, live a sinless life, and pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind (Revelation 13:8).

I Corinthians 3:11 affirms the veracity of the assertion that Jesus is man’s only salvation. Here it states clearly, “For no other foundation can any man lay than that which was laid, which is Jesus Christ.” No matter how ingenious man may be, no matter how many new ideas he has or how many new gadgets he develops to make life on this planet better, there is no other way to build life for eternity than upon the shed blood of the God-Man who gave Himself for us.

Please inform your pastor or organization leader about the opportunity to assist Frontier Horizon in its annual Christmas outreach to children whose lives can be transformed from darkness to the light of Jesus and His love by your concern as it is expressed at thise season of giving.

Investigate this web site for information about how you or your church or organization can help:

http://fhwishes.com/?page_id=332 .

Thank you.

November 13

Our concept of victory is very temporal. We think of armies that conquer, of sports events that are won, of entrepreneurs who succeed, and relationships that flourish as victories. That concept is promoted by Hollywood movies that almost invariably depict a successful resolution to any scenario.

God doesn’t see victory in quite the same way and that is evidenced by the greatest victory that has ever been won—the death of Jesus on the cross. What appears to the world as His downfall, His utter humiliation and undoing, was seen by the Orchestrator of the scenario as the ultimate conquest of good over evil.

In the spiritual realm, when Jesus laid down His life to redeem man from the penalty of sin which is death, the scourge of humanity, the devil, was paraded before the captives in Shoal and demonstrated to be the ultimate loser in the conflict which he has chosen to wage with Almighty God. When we find ourselves engaged in conflict, we must therefore remember who the ultimate enemy is. It is the one that Jesus defeated when He went to the cross.

We must know that as with Jesus, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty before God to the pulling down of strongholds” II Corinthians 10:4. We must further recognize that the great battlefield of this conflict is in our minds, for if the evil one can influence the way we think, he can influence the way we comport ourselves. It is imperative that we ever be mindful that we are heirs to Christ’s victory—the only victory that is eternal in scope.

Here's another reminder to check out a web site that will afford you or your organization an opportunity to extend a hand of help and the lamp of truth to children who are deprived of both:

http://fhwishes.com/?page_id=332

November 12

“Do what’s best for # One.” The world’s counsel is that you always weigh your options and do what’s best for yourself. The world’s point of view is a selfish one and we needn’t delve very far into the outcome of such a viewpoint to discover that it has wrought havoc.

Oh, it may make sense upon casual observation. Those who place their own interests above those of everyone else often seem to be ‘sitting pretty.’ They rise like cream to the top. Their financial portfolio is enviable. They take the best vacations. They hobnob with the best people.

But if you could be a fly on the wall, see them in their private moments—when they’re alone or when they’re with those closest to them—you just might see a different picture. You might see a void in the depth of the soul, a despair that has no name, for they have achieved the prize and it leaves them hollow. They’ve tasted the sweetest that life offers and it sours upon consumption.

But the man who follows the scriptural admonition, “Trust the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and be fed” (Psalm 37:3), has the assurance that his needs are met in God! When he places his confidence in Jesus rather than in himself, his best is achieved without ‘besting’ another, for the Lord has enough to distribute true wealth, spiritual treasure, to all!

Here's another reminder of an opportunity to make this Christmas come alive with blessings for orphan children abroad who otherwise will not hear of the great gift Jesus has brought to them.

Please check out this web site for more information and share it with your friends:

http://fhwishes.com/?page_id=332

Thank you for letting your heart be touched by the Father's love.

November 11

Peace is an elusive entity. Nations negotiate to achieve it but don’t trust one another sufficiently to believe real peace can exist even when solemn treaties are signed. Rogue nations unsettle the peace of all others because their stated intent is to wage war against any who do not espouse their world view.

An individual longs for peace within himself but is thwarted in his yearning by the almost continual contention he must face—at work, at home, at worship, in his own mind and spirit. One who is not at peace with himself cannot find that longed-for objective with another.

So is ‘peace’ make-believe? Is ‘peace’ the ‘Santa Clause for adults’? We hope to receive it but even if we sit up all night, will we enter the morning without having encountered it? That depends on where we search. If we search between nations or among men or within our own resources, it will elude us.

If, however, we seek peace from the One who is the “Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9:6), the One of Whom the Psalmist wrote, “In His days shall the righteous flourish and peace shall abound as long as the moon endures” (Psalm 72:7), then, no matter how shaken the world around us may be, our peace will abide.

http://fhwishes.com/?page_id=332

The above is a link to a Christmas outreach sponsored by Frontier Horizons. It affords a wonderful opportunity to reach out to children in Russia who are less fortunate and to share the gospel of Jesus with them. If you or your church might be interested in the program, please contact Beth as directed at the end of the web site.

Thank you and God bless you for your prayers and support of this worthy outreach.

November 10

We live in a day when there is evil on every hand. Institutions that were bulwarks of faith and hope have compromised the principles upon which they have stood for centuries. Government officials are steeped in corruption. The integrity of the law upon which our nation was founded has been challenged.

It is compelling when everything around you has gone awry to attribute great power to the enemy of your soul, to see his hand of mischief twisting and distorting truth and goodness so he can take captive unwitting souls who haven’t enough understanding of spiritual matters to recognize his deception.

But when we do that, we are giving the devil much more than ‘his due.’ The Word reinforces the fact that we are not to ponder the workings of the evil one over-much. In Ephesians 4:27, we are told, “Leave no room or foothold for the devil.” Don’t give him even a place to stand! Don’t recognize him! Look to Jesus!

And you might say something to the effect that we can’t simply ignore the evil around us. There is truth in that. But what does Jesus admonish that we do when we see sin abound? It is then, He said, that we should, “Look up and lift up our heads, for our redemption draws near,” Luke 21:28. We know the Word assures the devil and all his schemes must work to the ultimate glory of the Lord!

November 9

Falling in love does wonders for an individual. That sense of ‘hum-drum’, ‘same old-same old’ disappears and life becomes an adventure! And it’s not possible to keep this experience a secret—no—the inner elation shows very much on the outside! You don’t care if everyone notices the ‘new’ you.

Falling in love with Jesus is even more wonderful than finding the person who lights up your life. Although Mr. or Miss Right can put a lilt in your step and a smile on your face and a joy in your heart, Jesus puts a wellspring of Himself into your spirit—and that is an incomparable, overflowing blessing!

II Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any person is in Christ, he is a new creature; behold old things are passed away; behold, all things become new.” The things that once consumed you—how successful you are, how much money you have, where you will go for your next vacation—have lost their allure.

Certainly, you know you must be a responsible, hard working individual who evidences the understanding that you labor not for yourself but for the honor of the Christ you profess to serve; but in loving Him so deeply, you desire to reflect His joy, His hope, His peace, His salvation, His love—to everyone around you.

November 8

The enemy of your soul is cunning. The enemy of your soul is as subtle as a fox stealing through the night to gain entry into the hen house. Were he open and straight-forward, you would have no delusions about his evil intent. Were he not the father of lies, he would not sugar coat sin.

People would have no difficulty in averting their gaze from the consequence of sin if the consequence were what their eyes beheld at the onset. Without the veneer of loveliness, the pain and destruction of sin would be avoided at all cost.

The story is told of a young adventurer who gazed across a placid river to behold a lovely maiden bathing. It was only as his eyes focused more clearly that he realized she was a leper! That is the reality of sin. From a distance, it appears alluring but once it is held close, once it has been embraced to the bosom, its hideousness is clearly discernable.

But by the time sin’s awful side is recognized, the devil’s dupe has found himself to be his prey! He has inadvertently stumbled into the lair of wickedness where he is the one whom the enemy, “…like a roaring lion is seeking to devour” I Peter 5:8. Indeed, without repentance, sin will swallow you up. Sin always seeks to destroy the one who embraces it.

November 7

God doesn’t want His people to put on a ‘dog and pony show.’ His intent is not that we draw attention to ourselves or have a, ‘Look at me! Aren’t I a remarkable Christian!’ kind of attitude. He doesn’t expect us to wear our religion on our sleeve. He wants us to live our religion openly but humbly.

Many of us feel a compelling drive to gain the notice of the unsaved around us. We tell ourselves that we desire them to see the Christ in us, but the reality is that as long as there is anything about us—about our ‘self’—that attracts their attention, they won’t see Jesus at all. We’ll be blocking the view of Him.

Even when we are maligned, even when our good is evil spoken of, we are to maintain the attitude that conveys to those who have misunderstood us that we are not offended in them. Is this something we can do apart from the help of the Holy Spirit? Indeed we cannot.

But if we will drink in His Word, if we will die to our pride and our desire to be recognized for the good we attempt to convey, we will live up to Ephesians 4:2 which says, “Walk in humility and meekness with patience as you bear with one another because you love one another.” Then Jesus gets the glory!

November 6

It is a logical assumption that if we share an abode with someone, we will be in constant contact with them. Families share much of life together. Certainly, each member must go his separate way to his necessary task of the day, but all members come together again for dinner, for travel, for worship.

Using that same line of thinking, each of us who has the Holy Spirit dwelling within us should be in continual communion with Him. Our Heavenly Father delights in interacting with His children. This was first demonstrated in the Garden of Eden and has been a reality to those who are His throughout time.

Psalm 141:2 states the beautiful fact of our ability to commune with the Holy One thusly, “Let my prayer be set forth as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” The incense burning represented the laying of ones life before the Lord as a sweet-smelling sacrifice in the morning.

The lifting up of ones hands at the end of the day affirmed the heart of the believer was still intent upon the Holy One. Because now the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we have not just morning and evening oblations but the joy of hearing His voice when He speaks and knowing He listens to the prayers of our heart.

November 5

Generally speaking, man enjoys recognition for his accomplishments, notoriety for his contribution to the well-being of people in general. We bask in the perfume of the accolades we receive for our good work. The Nobel Prize has even been conferred upon man’s ‘good intentions.’

Bill Gates, one of the world’s most successful people of all time, takes a more practical view. He is purported to have said that one should achieve something of note before having self-esteem. The Nobel Committee, by Mr. Gates’ definition, seems to have it backwards.

From a spiritual perspective, the one thing that is most amazing and noteworthy that any of us can attain is something that does not cause pride or self-esteem to well up within. Quite the contrary! It causes humility to pervade our perception of ourselves and gratitude to overflow our hearts.

I Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received from God?” We have the Holy Spirit—that same Spirit by Whom God created all things, by Whom Christ was raised from the dead—within us! Oh what cause for humble joy!

November 4

We are inspired by the story of the Spartans who, with an army that was a fraction of the size of the Persian hoard they faced, stood their ground to the last man. There is a verse in scripture that admonishes that when we have done all that we can do, we simply ‘stand’ (Ephesians 6:13).

There is a place of literally resting in the awareness that we have served His great purpose in a situation and at that juncture, we must simply leave the result with Him. Hebrews 4:3 says, “We who have believed, enter that rest.” “That rest” is the place of relinquishing all to Jesus.

When we trust Him, when we know in the depth of our spirit that He has our lives in His hand, when we believe and are sure that He is ours and we are His for time and eternity, there is a quiet peace that is ours that nothing else can afford us. It is a literal relinquishing of our entire being to His eternal purpose.

When we know in the depth of our spirit that it is His intention to do us good, when we know that we know that we are His for time and eternity, we can say like Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust him” (Job 13:15), and like Paul, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

November 3

The world’s way is to take every advantage over a perceived adversary. In the day-to-day jostling for position and power, it is not uncommon to see those grappling for ascendancy to ‘kick a guy when he’s down.’ It’s a dog-eat-dog world and most people will do what it takes to look out for ‘Number One.”

That’s not God’s way, and He doesn’t expect it to be ours. The Word tells us that we are to “prefer others above ourselves” (Romans 12:10). To be Christ-like in our attitude toward others, we must be genuinely concerned about their well-being. We must care about the totality of their selfhood.

I Thessalonians 5:11 states the Lord’s position on how we should treat others very clearly. Here He declares, “Encourage one another and edify one another.”
‘Encourage’ and ‘edify’ are directives that take us beyond the mere provision of a hand up to one that is down. To encourage is to literally ‘give heart to’ one who is hopeless or in despair. Our resolve should be to pull the one who’s fallen out of the pit of hopelessness.

To edify is to equip with understanding, to ground in truth. That is a process that requires an investment of ourselves. It is no quick fix. In other words, the Lord wants His people to come along side those in need and walk the distance with them. Encouraging and edifying take time. As He is with us, we are to be invested in caring for them for the long haul.

November 2

If we are truly passionate about the Christ we profess to love and serve, we will reflect that passion in our everyday lives. Psalm 9:1 states clearly the focus of its writer. Here he says, “I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart. I will show forth Your marvelous works and wonderful deeds.”

Jesus said in Luke 6:45, “…out of the abundance of his heart, a man speaks.” He is clearly stating here that the heart is the seat of the words we utter and by extrapolation, of the things we think and the things we do. The entirety of our interaction with others is rooted in what we allow to occupy our hearts.

If we allow Jesus to reign in our lives from the throne of our hearts, the preponderance of what we think and say and do will be a reflection of Him. Oh, we may indeed be a pale reflection of His light, for we do see but a dark reflection of His glory. Yet if we will allow His glory to be revealed in us as we open the dark recesses of our being to the wonders of His love and light, we will discover that His presence enhances the light we endeavor to shine.

Will we be transparent so He can shine through us? Not always, but if we are passionate about Him, we will allow our love for Him to spill over those around us as He allows His love to spill over us. Will we be free of failure in our attempt to shine His light into the darkness? Not always, but if we are passionate about Him, we will not allow our fear of imperfection to hinder us from letting His perfection and His passion to shine through us.

November 1

Our God is passionate. His care for His creation is beyond the comprehension of our numbed senses. We think we care deeply about many things, but the level of our Lord’s care—of His investment of Himself into our lives, into our circumstances, into our problems, into our solutions—is beyond our ken.

Why does the One who inhabits eternity choose to involve Himself in the mundane things of human existence? How can it be that He who measured the heavens with a span and scattered the stars into the unfathomable depths of space elects to care about a student’s calculus test or a child’s earache?

Why has He promised that He’ll never let us down, that before we call to Him in prayer His answer is already being expedited into our situation? The answer to all those questions is one little word that caused Him to engrave our names on the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). It’s because of His love for us. As He loves us, He desires that we love. He lives His love for us and He wants us to live His love.

His Word instructs that we are to, “…speak the truth in love that we may in all things grow into…Christ” (Ephesians 4:15). He knows that if our love matures, becomes unselfish rather than an expression of our selfhood, it will enable us to be His representatives among a world of people who are perishing for the lack of His love. He knows that as He spoke and worlds came into existence, so, too, as we speak His love, we, and those around us, shall become loving as He is.

October 31

Sometimes we feel extremely inadequate. We know our Lord and Savior has vested great power within us. Indeed, we are the temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. When we have received Jesus as Savior and Lord, He makes His abode with us—He dwells within our hearts.

But we are woefully unproductive when it comes to allowing the Almighty One who dwells within us to use us to bring glory to His name. We desire to be useful to His Kingdom’s purposes, but we often find ourselves so preoccupied with the mundane things of time that we have nothing left to devote to the purposes of Heaven.

But there is something we can do in the course of our day as we go about our routine and as we interact with those who share our little corner of existence. We can be an encourager to those who are around us. We can help to lift them when they are down, to brighten their outlook when they are lost in the shadows.

Romans 15:2 says, “Let each one of us make it a practice to please his neighbor, to do him good, to care about his welfare; let us edify him and strengthen him in his spirit.” Let Jesus help us to say the kind word, do the kind deed, extend the hand of help—and thereby to glorify Him by acting as He would in our place.

October 30

Although the Word of God never changes, the Word of God changes things! The entrance of God’s Word into a situation has the power to transform the circumstances, to conform them to the will of the One who holds all things in the hollow of His hand and whose plan for those who trust Him is to bless and do them good.

II Corinthians 4:13 says, “…I have believed, therefore have I spoken. We believe and therefore we speak.” We do not keep our faith bottled up within us—rather—we proclaim it! We do not anticipate disappointment in our expectation—rather—we expect that He will exceed our expectation of the good He will do in our behalf.

Will we see the outcome of our faith immediately? Perhaps, but perhaps not. We know that, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Sometimes the Lord expects us to stand fast in faith, anticipating the promise before the promise becomes reality.

The one thing we know—whether the answer comes immediately when we pray or whether Jesus allows us to mature through the struggle of wrestling as Jacob did until the promise is given (Genesis 32:24-30), the Word in which we hope is forever true and forever blessed—and it blesses us forever.

October 29

The entirety of the Word of our Most High God is “yea and amen.” As there is no shadow of turning in Him, neither is there changing of His Word. What He spoke long ago to an ancient people, He speaks to us today. He has not modified His holy law to accommodate a modern age. He is forever the same.

Just as His Truth is unalterable, so are His promises. We may consider ourselves to be too sophisticated to pray and seek His help in time of need, but His offer to extend His help is part of the entirety of the Word that is forever written in Heaven and is forever true.

We know that the key to unlocking the coffers of Heaven and securing the favor of the Lord is our relationship with Jesus. It is He who empowers us to pray the prayers that pull down strongholds, to touch the hem of His garment to secure the healing, the deliverance, the prosperity, the answer we need.

In Matthew 21:22 we are told, “Whatever you ask for in prayer believing, you will receive.” We are not to ask doubting, we are to ask believing. We are not to ask to prove God, we are to ask trusting God! Because Jesus has made us righteous, we can expect God to make us mighty in our prayers!

October 28

Most people distain the idea of needing to be corrected. We like to think we’ve got our act together and if someone happens to disagree with what we do or what we say it’s because they simply don’t “get it” rather than because there is anything amiss within ourselves.

God doesn’t see us as we see ourselves, however. In His estimation, we all stand in need of introspection. We each need to allow the candle of His Holy Spirit to search out the inner recesses of our minds where our understanding dwells, and our hearts where our eternal self dwells.

Proverbs 23:12 admonishes that we, “Apply your mind to instruction and correction and your ears to words of knowledge.” We need to allow ourselves to be taught the spiritual truths that facilitate our eternal well-being as we must allow ourselves to be taught the knowledge that facilitates our temporal well-being. We must allow ourselves to become students of the Word.

We must read it, not merely superficially but with its spiritual and historical intent in mind. We must listen to the expounding of the truths of the Lord from the vantage point of those who’ve apprehended its fine points. When we do, the Word becomes alive in us; it becomes our teacher and our disciplinarian. When we have allowed it to correct us, we begin to attain unto the perfection of Christ.

October 27

It’s a reality of life that some of the smartest people are the least astute spiritually. In fact, that’s often the case. It almost seems that great intellect and spiritual faith are incongruous. Perhaps that’s because those among us who are extremely intelligent have little need to develop the spiritual side of life—they gain all of what they perceive themselves to need through their keen minds.

But the Word of God tells us that it is the fool who denies God or his need of God. It is the fool—no matter his I.Q.—who negates the only aspect of his existence that will extend beyond his final breath. It is the fool who convinces himself that only the things that can be perceived though the senses are real.

What is one to do whose existence is anchored in the material realm? How can one expand to embrace the spiritual when his mind is focused on the things he can do, or say, or study, or solve, or own? The first step is to acknowledge that he, like his Creator, is a triune being—he is body, mind, and spirit. The things related to the body and mind may be well under his control, but the things of the spirit need to be awakened to the reality of his need for God.

So, he must pray the prayer from Psalm 51:6, “Lord, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.” Recognizing that the mind is the seat of knowledge but the heart is the seat of spiritual wisdom gives tremendous impetus to the discovery of the eternal side of one’s existence. Once that discovery has been made, its growth and maturation can begin. At that point, the brilliant, accomplished individual will have become truly wise.

October 26

The abilities the Lord has programmed into man are astounding. A simple knowledge of history and the progress that has been made during his six thousand years on the planet are cause for wonder at the curiosity and ingenuity that have produced such amazing medical and technological marvels.

The engineering skill of the ancient Egyptians who constructed the Pyramids or the Chinese who built the Great Wall evidence precision to detail that were achieved without modern instruments or calculators. Today, we have satellites that hurl into unexplored galaxies, sending back awesome revelations about our universe.

Yet, with all that man can do, with all he has achieved, there is one basic truth that remains unchanged. We still need one another. The greatest accomplishments of our ever-inventive minds are done through team-work, through cooperation, through sharing. Whether on the scale of industrial and medical and engineering feats that benefit mankind or whether on the level of personal interaction, unity is a profound advantage.

In the Body of Christ, we are admonished in Romans 12:5 that, “…we are one body in Christ and individually we are parts of one another, dependent upon one another.” No matter how significant and impressive may be our individual gifts, God did not design us to glean accolades for our ‘self.’ His intention is that we lift one another up, bear one another’s burdens, nurture one another in the admonition of the Lord so we might all serve Him more fully in holy surrender.

October 25

Our natural proclivity is to take things and people for granted. We don’t mean to. We start with good intentions and with good results, but time passes and we lapse into a comfort zone of indifference. The friendship that we valued continues to be important. We just don’t work at it with the diligence we once applied.

The marriage to the partner who inspired such passion has become like a comfortable pair of old slippers. We tend to do this in matters of faith as well. We know what we believe and we know in Whom is our salvation, but our day-to-day walk is along familiar paths and we don’t stop to savor His presence as we once did.

If the Jesus at Whose feet we placed our lives is Who He says He is, we owe Him so much more than a perfunctory nod to His Lordship on Sunday mornings. We owe Him our all. Hebrews 2:1 says, “Since all this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift from them and slip away.”

We live in an age where deception is afoot. Many things are coming to pass that indicate His return is imminent. This is no time for complacency; it is an hour when vigilance is imperative. What can we do? First, and most importantly, we must attend to our own relationship with the Lord. It must be our top priority. Then we must share our faith with others, so they and we, may be watchful.

October 24

Psalm 16:1 acknowledges a reality that is a comfort to everyone who believes in the all-encompassing goodness, mercy, love, and protection of our great and almighty God. It says, “Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge and in You do I put my trust and hide myself.”

No matter how big we are, no matter how powerful we are, no matter how many people tremble at a mere word from us because our authority is over them in some fashion, under our guise of self-sufficiency, authority, power, superiority, lurks the little child who is sometimes afraid.

Some of the most bombastic or self-confident among us may be the most fearful. The façade of control might be just that—a false presentation of ourselves to camouflage the hurting person within who longs for assurance, for a sense of well-being, for the knowledge of being secure in hands that are stronger than our own.

The Lord extends this assurance to us. Whether we are weak and frail, and know we are, or whether we have deluded ourselves into thinking (or at least have projected the thought to others) that we can handle anything that comes down the pike—we are truly secure when we place our lives in God’s loving hand.

October 23

Proverbs 27:5 says something that is on its face rather confusing. Here the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, says, “Open rebuke is better than love that is hidden.” What have these polar opposite entities to do with each other and how can the one we perceive as being negative ever be preferred to the one that we perceive as being excellent?

Essentially, Solomon is telling his reader that harboring any feeling deep within yourself is not good. If you feel anger or feel the necessity to challenge or ‘rebuke’ someone for a perceived wrong, be open about your feeling. Don’t let it stew within you, building up resentment for a future day of uncontrollable wrath!

For, surely, if you allow such negativity to fester within you, it will only worsen with time. Every perceived slight, every word spoken out of turn will gnaw at you. It is far better to state your concern openly and rationally than to allow it to darken your spirit or your attitude toward another individual.

Hidden love isn’t much better. Christ demonstrated His love for us openly. Should we not be likewise quick to embrace our fellow sojourners to our hearts with a love that is appropriate to the relationship? The Word tells us we should love even strangers, for some just might be angels in disguise! (Hebrews 13:2)

October 22

One of the most exciting aspects of the old cowboy movies my generation of children enjoyed the most was what happened in the last few minutes. Invariably, the wagon train was surrounded, the Indians were getting closer and closer to achieving their way with the unfortunate pioneers, and every child in the theater was on the edge of his seat!

Then, in the distance, just over the hill beyond the view of the traumatized kiddos in the theater, we could hear the bugle sounding the attack! The cavalry was on its way and the wagon train and its intrepid but weary passengers were about to be saved!

Though we may have been on the verge of nervous collapse, in the depth of our little hearts, we knew the wagon train would be rescued. We knew the protectors of the frontier would show up and save the day. God wants us to be at least that sure of Him. Proverbs 20:22 says, “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil,’ wait for the Lord and He will rescue you.”

If we truly believe in the goodness of the Savior we profess to love and serve, we know our deliverance is at hand—whether we are saved out of trouble or whether we are comforted in our trouble—we know that Jesus will be true to His promise that He will not allow us to be forsaken. We know we needn’t take matters into our own hands, for the mighty hand of the Living God is in the business of rescuing those who trust in Him.

October 21

Matthew 6:14 is very clear. Here Jesus says, “If you forgive people their trespasses against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you your trespasses.” To be forgiven, we must forgive. Sometimes we have a hard time letting go of wrongs that have been done against us, and when we won’t let go, it’s almost impossible to forgive.

I wonder, if we were ever to confront our innermost feelings of resentment, of grudges held against all who’ve hurt or disappointed us, what portion of that negativity would we discover that we hold against God Himself? Yes, it’s a shocking thought, but perhaps it holds a measure of truth.

Someone we love dies. Who do we blame? The doctor who tried valiantly but unsuccessfully to save him? Someone we trusted betrays us. Do we love him too much to actually blame him so we transfer the blame to God? We fail at something we desired greatly to attain. Do we blame ourselves or do we lament, “Oh, God, why did You let this happen?”

If we find ourselves holding God in the unwarranted position of having let us down, the resentment we harbor can undermine all He desires to do in us and through us. If we allow a negative spirit to undermine our relationship with the One who loves us enough to have died for us, how can we begin to receive all He has for us—including forgiveness when we sin or the ability to forgive others?