Watch and Work

“For the Lord Himself will descend

from heaven with a shout, with the

voice of an archangel, and with the

trumpet of God. And the dead in

Christ shall rise first. Then we who

are alive and remain shall be caught

up together with them in the clouds

to meet the Lord in the air. And thus

we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore comfort one another

with these words.”

     1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NKJV)

The older I get, the more I think about heaven and that’s understandable.  But the return of Christ should be on the minds of all believers, young and old alike!  It’s so exciting to think about when the Lord will descend from heaven and we will be caught up with Him and never leave!

We’re told to comfort one another with these truths, and that’s what one dear sister and I do after church almost every Sunday. For example, she’ll say, when the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there – and I’ll smile and say me too! Or I’ll say, we need to keep looking up, it could be any day now — and she’ll smile and say amen!

Remembering the promise of Christ’s return is encouraging not only on good days but especially on days that are a struggle.  When you can hardly bear to read the headlines in the news anymore, when you see the moral decline in our society getting worse, when you're weary of all the sin and pain in this world ---that’s when it’s truly a comfort to think about the Lord coming for us.

We should be waiting with expectation for Christ to come again, but that doesn’t mean we check out and just sit around until His return. No, this is a time to be busy serving the Lord and sharing His good news to a lost world.  Because we don’t want to be ashamed when He comes; we want to be found busy doing His work. 

So watch for Him and work while there is still time.  Come Lord Jesus, come!

Thursday Devotional - Chasing after the Wind of Sounding Good

Some of us are naturally bigger talkers than others. Even those of us that don’t talk as much still need to be careful what we say. In fact, when it comes to talking to God, we’re to listen more than we speak.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7        ^]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

² Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.
³ A dream comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. ⁵ It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. ⁶ Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.

We’re to be careful when making promises before God. We’re also to stand in awe and listen to God more than speak ourselves. He does want to hear from us in prayer, but He has lots to tell us – through His word and through quiet moments. One of my friend’s favorite verses is:

Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

Where can you and I go this week to be still before God? How will you and I take time to truly listen rather than spending most of our time telling Him our ideas?

Alice

Celebrate Love

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7

So, this week I am on vacation, and it has been really fun.  It’s a time to forget about the hustle and bustle of work, cheer practices, and responsibilities, and take time to be thankful for the things I have.  For example, my wife and I have enjoyed spending time together like it is a second honeymoon.  She has had fun all the while poking fun at me.  I tell her how she hurt my feelings and she is why we don’t get nice things (playfully of course  😊).  I enjoy how much love there is between us.  I think of the times where we were truly upset with each other.  They were messy and ugly.  However over the years, I figured out something about love.  True unconditional love between two people is the same as love that often fails.  The difference is not the love.  The difference is what matters to them.  Conditional love focuses on those things that are not.  The insensitivity shown or failure and disagreements that occurred.  Unconditional love focuses on the things that are.  The smiles shared and the tough times we fought through.  Love is a celebration.  Not a sacrifice.

God’s love is about the beauty He sees within us.  It should not be a huge surprise that a devotion on ‘Love’ focuses on 1 Corinthians 13.  In science, it has been said that the simplest laws are often the most powerful ones.  For example, what goes up must come down is the law of gravity.  1 Corinthians 13 is exactly that way.  It is simply written but powerfully advanced.  As you read the verses, I asked myself, “When I said that I loved someone, was all of this present?”  I saw the moments in my life where I was not loving, and in each case, something from these verses was missing.  Then, I think of how God loves me.  He looks beyond my flaws and sees me as a person usable for His will.  He subtly guides me even as I may fight Him (like I had a shot  😊).  He corrects me sometimes harshly but always with a look toward the future.  It is why people say God is love.  Like the last verse, He, “never gives us, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

As I think of this week’s vacation, I have a greater drive toward righting all those things where love was lacking.  Whether it is a conversation with a co-worker or addressing a situation with my daughter, I am driven and inspired by the love I have for all of those near and dear to me.  Each of us has that within us to love.  If you feel a limitation of love then either one of two things must be true.  Either you have not let God in enough to expand your abundance of love or you may not truly love as much as you believe.  God’s love is sufficient for all, and if you happen to be a person feeling unloved I want to impress upon you these simple truths:

1. God loves you
2. Love yourself as God loves you
3. Love others, and that love will come back

“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”” (Matthew 22:37-40)  Where is your love abundant or lacking in?  How can you expand your love for others?  My prayer is that we see others as God sees us and celebrate our love.  Amen.

Safe spot

Have you ever been around a child that is so good for others but when they are with their parents, they seem to just break down and let go of all their built-up emotions?  Let me tell you, this is my son!  I am his safe spot.  When he goes to school, he must be on his best behavior.  He must control himself at all times.  When he gets home, he knows that no matter how he behaves, he is loved so he is not as concerned about being that perfect child.  Let me tell you, this frustrates me beyond belief.

Psalm 32:7-8

You are my hiding place;
    you will protect me from trouble
    and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

How different are we?  We go to work or somewhere else and we put our best self forward.  We want others to see the best in us.  The thing is, we all have our times when we have to let go of our emotions.  Maybe it’s when you feel like you are all alone that you unleash what has been held back.  Maybe it’s simply in your head. 

Where is your safe spot?  I know that my safe spot still includes my heavenly father.  Most of the time, it’s just me in a car or maybe as I’m in bed at night.  God is there though.  Does he feel the same frustration that I feel with my son when he acts out?  I’m sure he does. 

I thank the Lord for the loving eye he counsels me with.  I pray I may do the same for my son.