May 03 2016
Leave a comment
Devos

Ending one season in your life? What to do next? Pause and praise!

an isolated generic college diploma with cap and tassel

Got the the end of a major section in the Psalms this morning in my Bible reading… (Book 2 ends with Psalm 72 – will start reading the Psalms in Book 3 tomorrow)…

Have you ever gotten to end of one season in your life – one phase in your journey – and wondered what was next? At that point in life have you asked yourself what you should do? Perhaps is was graduation (from high school, university, or finishing an advanced degree). Or it might have been a layoff from a job. Perhaps it was “retirement.” Whatever it was, the question was, “What’s next? What should I do now?”
 
Well, at the end of Book 2 in the Psalms, I believe we’re given a good recommendation… Pause and praise the Lord! Bless his holy name!
 
Here’s what it says… “Blessed be the Lord our God who alone does wondrous things! Blessed be His glorious name forever! May the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen!”
(from Psalm 72:19)
 
I don’t know about you, but that seems like really good advice! At the end of various seasons or episodes in life – before you begin something new, something different – Pause and praise! Bless the Lord! And then let Him lead you into something new and different. Going to try to remember that – and do that!
May 02 2016
Leave a comment
Devos

Through all that life brings… My whole life long… God has been, and will be faithful!

Through it all
Through all that life brings… My whole life long… From even before I was born… through childhood… through youth… as an adult… even to old age and death… The Lord has been, and will be faithful!
 
Andre Crouch wrote a song about that… He testified…
 
“I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
There’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consolation,
That my trials come to only make me strong.
 
“Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word!”
 
There’s a Psalm about that… Psalm 71. You should really take a little time and read it today! I did, and it was very affirming about God and my relationship with Him… “Through it all!” Here’s just a “teaser” from it…
 
“In You, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame! In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline Your ear to me, and save me! Be to me a rock of refuge to which I may continually come! … For You, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Upon you have I leaned from before my birth; You are He who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of You! … Oh God, from my youth You have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds! So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim Your might to another generation, Your power to all those to come… You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again! You will bring me up again! You will increase my greatness and comfort me again! … My tongue will talk of Your righteous help all the day long!” (from Psalm 71 ESV)
 
Com’on, look it up… read the whole thing! Underline what God is saying to you from it in a special way! Let it become your words – your confession, affirmation, and testimony to the Lord today!
May 02 2016
Leave a comment
Devos

What an opportunity… Become an ambassador! God’s ambassador!

An AmbassadorI just read a wonderful passage that declares two wonderful truths…

Truth #1 – Although Jesus Christ came in the flesh and appeared as a man – He was more than just a man!  He was the “Messiah” – God’s “anointed one” – He was our Savior!  He was the one sent by the Heavenly Father and appointed by God to save humanity from their sin, reconcile them to God, transform their lives, and grant eternal life!

Truth #2 – People, although by nature sinners because of their “fall” into sin, have divinely given potential.  They can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, transformed by His grace, and become agents to bring the message of reconciliation to anyone who will accept it!

Here is what that wonderful passage declares…

Apostle Paul speaking:  “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation!  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!   All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.   Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God!  For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.  Working together with Him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain! … Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!”  (2 Corinthians 5:16–6:2 ESV)

I embrace both truths by faith with all my heart!  And, Oh, how I want to be an agent of God’s reconciliation to others through Christ – an “ambassador of Christ – God making His appeal through me!”  My message?  “Oh, be reconciled to God!”

← Older posts
Newer posts →