August 4 Out Of The Blue

Image by Zach Fonville

2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23; 1 Corinthians 1:1-17; Psalm 27:1-6; Proverbs 20:20-21

“The Lord is my light and my salvation,
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life
of whom shall I be afraid?
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling.” Psalm 27:1-3,5

Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.” 1 Corinthians 1:7-9

Out of the blue
trouble comes,
stirs up the waters
of my life.
“Didn’t see that one coming!”
Life is like that–
this fallen, imperfect world
I live in.
Life isn’t fair,
but that’s OK
because my God is
faithful.
The good work that He
began in me,
that spark of faith life
remains steady because of
His promises to me,
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Trouble will come
in many shapes and forms
but it need not define me.
I am not depression.
I am not joblessness.
I am not broken relationships.
I am not cancer.
I am not addiction.
I am not loneliness.
I am not…
I am faithful
because my God is faithful.
He will not let me be tempted
beyond my ability.
He provides my way of escape
from the enemy that surrounds me.
He hears my prayers.
He is my Light and my Salvation.
Praise His holy name!

Thank you Heavenly Father for defining my life for me–for calling me to be your own–for being with me in times of trouble, for helping me endure. Thank you for your faithfulness in sending the promised Messiah–Jesus Christ, my Lord, who broke the bonds of sin and death and now lives and reigns with you now and forever! Amen!

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January 23 Pester the Lord

Image by Everett Bowes

 

Genesis 46:1-47:31;  Matthew 15:1-28;  Psalm 19:1-14;  Proverbs 4:14-19

“And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.  And behold a Caananite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.  My daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”  But, he answered her not a word.  And his disciples came and begged him saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.”  He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  But she came and knelt down before him saying, “Lord, help me.”  And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  She said, “Yes Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.”  Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith!  Be it done for you as you desire.”  And her daughter was healed instantly.”  Matthew 15:21-28

Wow!  What a lesson on prayer and faith and persistence.

No we don’t deserve to have any of our prayers answered.  Nothing we say or do makes us worthy to come before the Lord of heaven and earth and ask him for anything.  

It is only by God’s pure grace and mercy that He comes to us and says, “keep praying!”

He loved us so much he sent his Son, Jesus to die for our sins–to bridge the gap between his holiness and our lowliness so that we can come to him in prayer–often, persistently, in faith–believing that he hears our cries for help.

So we can:  pester him for help in parenting, for healing, for employment, for peace in our marriage, for deliverance from abuse or addiction or loneliness.

Pester the Lord with all your heart.  Bow down before him like the Canaanite woman who believed and would not give up!

Lord God, you know our hearts and you know our needs.  Have mercy on us, Lord and hear our prayers for _________.   We trust that you will answer in your time and in your way according to your will.  Thank you for letting us pester you.  We give you all thanks and praise, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Feb. 19 The New Normal

Leviticus 9:7-10:20;  Mark 4: 26-5:20;  Psalm 37:30-40;  Proverbs 10:6-7

 The townspeople of Gerasa were pretty used to the crazy guy that hung out in the caves.  Because of his brute strength and uncontrollable ways they pretty much left him to himself.  Hearing his cries and seeing his bloodied hands and limbs, though disturbing, fell into predictable patterns.

 An encounter with Jesus changed all that.  After Jesus commanded the evil spirits possessing the man to take leave into a herd of pigs, the townspeople were upset with the new normal.  “And people came to see what had happened.  And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.”  Mk 5:14-15

 They saw two thousand dead pigs and one sane man–NOT NORMAL!

“And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.”  Mk. 5:17

An encounter with the almighty power of God created a new normal–one that many feared and did not understand.

 To hear that someone has been healed by God’s Hands…

 To meet someone delivered from addiction by God’s Mercy…

 To witness a complete turnaround in behavior because of a new relationship with Jesus Christ…

 may seem strange and abnormal to some.

 But, we who believe can rejoice and give praise to God who delivers a new normal!

 “And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”  Mk.  5:20

 Lord God,  thank you for the new normal in our lives–that “in Christ we are new creations!”  May we be like the freed demoniac–telling others how much Jesus has done for us–we’ve been freed from sin, death and Satan’s power!  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

“The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;  he is their stronghold in time of trouble.  The Lord helps them and delivers them;  he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because he takes refuge in him.”  Psalm 37:39-40