A bit of scripture, short meditations and stories, prayers, news and maybe a touch of humor.
I am a MIGHTY GOD. Nothing is too difficult for Me. Nothing is impossible. Jeremiah 32:27
The errors and the disruptions of humans are no match for our Lord. A little inconvenience, maybe, but nothing that cannot be set right. He tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 Continue reading
A Conversation with God
Some time ago, my daughter found this conversation with God on a Facebook page and passed it on to us as our Meditation for today. It was written by John Roedel and it is such a good and appropriate message, and so I share it with you. As you read this, keep in mind, this is you and God having a conversation.
Me: Hey God.
God: Hello…
Me: I’m falling apart. Can you put me back together?
God: I would rather not.
Me: Why?
God: Because you aren’t a puzzle.
Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground?
God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell off for a reason. Take some time and decide if you need any of those pieces back.
Me: You don’t understand! I’m breaking down!
God: No – you don’t understand. You are breaking through. What you are feeling are just growing pains. You are shedding the things and the people in your life that are holding you back. You aren’t falling apart. You are falling into place. Relax. Take some deep breaths and allow those things you don’t need anymore, to fall off of you. Quit holding onto the pieces that don’t fit you anymore. Let them fall off. Let them go.
Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me?
God: Only the very best pieces of you.
Me: I’m scared of changing.
God: I keep telling you – You aren’t changing! You are becoming!
Me: Becoming who?
God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have decided to adorn yourself with that you cling to with such greed and fear. Let those things fall off of you. I love you! Don’t change! … Become! Become! Become who I made you to be. I’m going to keep telling you this until you remember it.
Me: There goes another piece.
God: Yep. Let it be.
Me: So… I’m not broken?
God: Of course Not! – You are breaking like the dawn. It’s a new day. Become!!!
Life is filled with unexpected pits and twists. What has been happening to you over these past two years, since the pandemic ? Some have drawn closer to family, loved ones, friends – crediting your own need and your common sense. It seems that most of us have drawn closer to God and our faith – Thank you, Lord.
Truth – During this time, I sense that God has matured us in our faith, in ways we could not have anticipated. We have drawn closer to the Word. Our pattern of church attendance has altered somewhat. We have changed in ways that bless the lives of others, and ourselves, even today.
Regardless of changes, our Lord beckons us to peace, day by day. Life in Christ will not be the same, it will be different in a bright, new way. Listen to the voice within, telling us of the doors He will open, and the spiritual food He will provide, and the graces that will abound. You are breaking like the dawn. Wait for the Holy One’s direction. Become! Be at peace, and know.
GRACE — God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
Many people, would consider the following, as a prayer of St Francis, would name this one, but it is not, in fact, by St. Francis, but comes from an unknown French source, and was first written around 1913. The prayer does capture the spirit of Francis.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
(I posted this Watchword nearly two years ago, but it seemed right to repeat it following the Watchword A Conversation with a Friend. These imagined conversations may very well touch us where we live. May God bless your meditations. — Stan)
23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:23-24 Continue reading
15-17 “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you! John 14:15-17 The Message
I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Continue reading
20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment. Matthew 9:20-22
11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Luke 17:11-19
46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. Mark 10:46-52 Continue reading
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8
3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5 Continue reading
“1 Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:1-5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings. Proverbs 3:5
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” We cannot follow the ways of the Lord without discernment. Hosea 14:9
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14 Continue reading
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, give thanks with Thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-6
Praise Him Anyway
Have you read the book When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kushner? The title alone can remind you of times you really don’t want to revisit.
Within my circle of friends there are six of us who have lost our spouse following a period of declining health, all within the last eight years. In several of those cases the end was certain because the illness had a long history with no happy endings.
We don’t pray that God will make our lives free of health problems because that won’t happen. We can’t ask him to make us immune to the diseases, like the ones taking our loved ones, He won’t do that either. We don’t believe in magic spells so that bad things will only happen to others and never to us. I don’t even believe that’s a thing, just a myth.
What happened to our loved ones that led to their leaving us was all part of God’s plan and it is still hard for us to understand, at this moment in time and on this side of eternity. But our faith tells us there is a purpose, God had a reason, and His plan is still playing out.
As I write this there are several within that same circle of friends that are faced with difficult medical problems and our role is providing support and praying. Our faith tells us that prayer has power, yet, since we haven’t seen much progress, we wonder. Does our sadness reveal a lack of confidence, patience, or weak faith? I don’t believe so. Our faith in Christ is strong, and we trust His plan for loved ones. Maybe we need to work on our patience, but. our faith is strong and we have confidence.
I don’t believe that we can live our lives, even with the strongest of faith, without having to climb a mountain of trouble, work our way through difficult times, along rough roads. Our faith gives us hope when the diagnosis comes our way. There is a new reality that comes with strong faith in God. It’s the knowledge that God loves us, and that God has a plan for our lives, even here where we are.
Through scripture, Jesus tells us, “We have designed you to meet Me moment by moment. As your awareness of your neediness increases, so does your realization of my abundant sufficiency. I can meet every one of your needs. Approach my throne of grace with confidence and receive my peace with a thankful heart. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Stan’s Amplified Version of Hebrews 4:14-16)
We can approach Him with confidence and with hope, even when we’re surrounded by darkness. He knows the way and He will show us. Remember, He tell us, ‘Come to Me, and I will give you rest.’ Amen
Heavenly Father, you are the author of life and my source of hope. May faith arise in my heart as I pause to listen to you. You are the strength of my life, and your promises describe my future. I rejoice in your great faithfulness. Your mercy sustains me in days of darkness and distress. Deliver me from evil. I put my trust in you, my God, and my redeemer. Amen.
19 Are there still some among you who hold that “only believing” is enough? Believing in one God? Well, remember that the demons believe this too—so strongly that they tremble in terror! 20 Fool! When will you ever learn that “believing” is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith. James 2:19-20
Show Me
You say you believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. Prove it. How would I know by watching you day by day? There was a time you believed in Santa Claus, and the tooth fairy, and what happened to those moments of belief? Gone, as you grew up. Now, how about Jesus Christ?
Your faith is simply a state of mind, or something in the quiet times of your morning when you pray to the Lord, and that’s it. Tell me what “it” means. I think that some people see faith as a time of meditation, or a period of waiting to see what God has in store for them, what graces will He heap upon them. Perhaps it’s a mission that you must be prepared when the call comes. In the meantime… waiting for what?
A pastor friend of mine liked to ask his congregation the question: ‘If I looked at your checkbook what would it tell me about your faith in Christ?’ Or, ‘If I looked at your daily routine; how you interact with your neighbors, how you speak with your closest friends that you trust, your attitude toward others who may not believe the same as you do’, what would that tell me about your walk with Christ?
A friend of mine sent me a link to a recent Rick Warren broadcast where he spoke on the topic of Daring Faith. Rick makes the point that faith is active, not passive. He challenges us to look at the way we live our lives. Is your faith visible to others? If your faith is strong, you will demonstrate it each moment of your life.
What would your Christian resume look like? All right, you went through Confirmation as a child, you’ve been baptized, you made a statement to God that said ‘I believe’. All that is well and good. What else you got? I’m not asking about works, you can make a long list of the good stuff you do; the casseroles that you prepared for others, the visitation in the hospital that you did, the singing in the choir, the serving as an usher, and you’ve risen to the exalted position of church council member. So what?
Your actions don’t make you a Christian any more than standing in the garage makes you a car. Your actions show you are a Christian. You were saved because Jesus loves you and you know that and that causes you great joy. Let it show! More than that, share it.
Now back to all those good things you did. The visit in the hospital, the dinner you prepared and took to someone in need, the way you interact with others in a loving way. You do that because you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. Because He loves you and you know that, and in your knowledge of that, in your security of that, in your faith about that you want to show them Jesus Christ. Not for your gain,but for His. Don’t keep it a secret. Simply tell them, Jesus loves you. So be it.
Lord, help me be active in my faith in You, and not to lean on my own understanding, that I may acknowledge You in everything, so that You can direct my words, thoughts and actions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18b-20 Continue reading
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.1 Peter 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3: 20 Continue reading
