WATCHWORD:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:1-5
25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. 27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:25-30
Meditation:
When In Doubt
I think too often I am guilty of that old saw, “When in doubt read the instructions.” For many of us, the last resort is often the simplest, pick up the sheet that came with the gadget, read and follow the instructions.
What happens when you buy or trade for a new phone? If it’s a ‘smart phone’, then it had to be programmed for you. All your data from your old phone was transferred to the new one, something an expert had to do for you, probably a sixth grader.
In a weird sort of way, we are a bit like that smart phone. From conception on, a set of instructions is being inserted into our memories, and those basic instructions will guide us on to what is next.
In a sense, you and I get programmed. When we are young, our minds are constantly being programmed by the experiences we have. We are influenced by significant others around us; first, parents, and, later, teachers, pastors, best friends etc. Those basic instructions are modified by all of these interactions to produce a personality and character of who we are. When all of those influences are positive, the result is positive. When some of those influences are negative or harsh, that has an effect on us as well.
We have gone through so much over these past 11 months. I think we would all agree that so much of it seemed negative at the time; the isolation, quarantining, and always the threat of the virus just outside our door. We have learned to cope, and that is probably a good thing. Maybe we have drawn closer to the Lord, another good thing. There are other positives there, within us, if we were to examine our experience impartially.
So many of our gadgets require that we do maintenance, from time to time. Maybe it is time for our psychic “oil change”, a reprogramming of our mind and heart. We need to prayerfully take a look at all of those things that we have experienced and realize God is in even those. You know He is up to help us with that maintenance. In His word, He provides truths to replace the lies that circumstances may have caused us to believe about ourselves. In Christ, we are worthy.
Open your heart to Christ and ask Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you—as His beloved child, precious and honored in His sight. Like the new blender or the dishwasher, we come with a book of instruction, His book. The Bible is the source of all reprogramming. He is the creator and you are the creature that He loves. Give it all to Him. Amen
Bulletin Board:
Info here
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we come before you with grateful hearts, for your presence in our lives as we’ve gone through these days, weeks and months. There have been difficult times and we have felt your presence. There have been times of discouragement when you have reached down and pulled us through. We pray for our families, for our children and our grandchildren, for so many of our friends that are hurting that need your presence, that need your touch for healing or for inspiration. We pray that you will always be there each step of the way, and we ask for a refreshing of your presence, still our hearts with the calmness that is your peace. We give you all the honor and glory, Lord, and it’s in the name of Jesus Christ that we pray. Amen.
