The Gift of Encouragement – Week of March 20, 2011

March 20, 2011 in Devotion of the Week | Leave a comment

Hope is not something to take lightly.  This soft word produces hard results.  If one possesses hope, a myriad of wrongful and destructive outcomes are kept at bay.  Without the presence of hope, there is nothing to hold back choices self-destructive or destructive to others.  Without hope, there is no vision for the future.

Suicidal deaths are the result of the absence of hope.  Addictions, depression, and various other realities bar hope.  An ending is committed that is a harrowing beginning in grief’s torment.  Jesus is the hope that breathes beyond human limits and beyond challenging endings.  The hope of Christ breathes into weak faith.  May you remember that Jesus is the hope that upholds believers and sustains them throughout all of life’s valleys.  Jesus is the also the One to comfort when hurts and losses are deep and numbing.  Jesus is with you—right now.

Jesus, Your hope sustains.  Thank You for Thy upholding Spirit, and righteous foundation.  Those who ache in grief have You to carry them with Your powerful.  Your love is everything.  In Thee, Lord Christ, Amen.

The Gift of Encouragement – Week of March 13, 2011

March 13, 2011 in Devotion of the Week | Leave a comment

To right a wrong after someone has died can make a spirit churn and a body weak form guilt and remorse.  To seek forgiveness from someone who is no longer there to ask for it is to live with regret.  Jesus can change that.  He does not want anyone to live with regrets that deplete energy and slay joy.  Instead, He wants a person to come to Him for the forgiveness they need.  He is available at any time or place to dispense that forgiveness.  This is what Jesus does—forgives.

There are times in life when betrayals, wrongs, and offenses are committed against us or by us.  They long to be soothed and righted.  Jesus is accessible at any time to heal.  What happened cannot be changed.  It may not be possible to speak to the person with whom the problem occurred.  However, Jesus is the Person you can go to now to tell about the problem and seek resolution.  He is waiting to hear from you.  His heart will not reject you.  His love for you is too great to turn you away.  Go to Him.  Jesus loves you.

Lord Jesus, sometimes circumstances are such that people are unable to go to individuals directly to relieve their minds and spirits.  You, Lord Christ, are the One who forgives.  Thank You, Lord, for Your constant availability to anyone who needs to release his or her burdens.  Thank You for the gift of prayer and time with You that heals and restores.  In Thee, Amen.

The Gift of Encouragement – Week of March 6, 2011

March 6, 2011 in Devotion of the Week | Leave a comment

The Star that is Jesus that a believer follows means walking in step with His heart for you.  Think of that.  Jesus is with you walking the path of your life with you.  On a momentary basis, Jesus is beside you to speak, listen, care, and love.  Oh, how He loves.  His love for you is second to none.  Think about that.  It is a thought to stop you in your steps and take your breath away.

In a culture of speed and instant answers, walking with Jesus is counter-cultural.  To go along with Jesus is to live in faith.  Whether your life is currently stable or if you are in a season of trial, to continue to walk with Him is to take steps of faith and trust in Him.  The Wise Men kept walking toward the Star and eventually arrived to bring their gifts.  The wisdom they possessed told them that what they had to offer was small compared to the gift of Himself that Jesus had already given to them by virtue of His presence.  The gift of His presence is still ours today.  Receive it.  It is yours.

Lord Jesus, Your love for each one of Your own is immeasurable.  You walk with each one in love.  Jesus, Thank You for your faithful steps.  May we continue to follow You and Your ways.  May we be open to receive Your incomparable gift of love.  Amen.

Transitions – March 2011

March 1, 2011 in Transitions of the Month | Leave a comment

                                                SOLUTIONS

If you have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you.    Matthew 17:20

There I sat on the floor with my little nephew, Lego blocks surrounding us.  His young eyes peered over the pieces as I held the directions to put together this apparatus, one far more sophisticated than the plain Legos I built when I was little.  Things have changed.  So there I was having fun assisting him as to the various pieces/steps required to put together this contraption. 

In the course of our building project, at times I would watch my nephew as he studied the pieces before him and concentrated on the right fit.  When it registered in his little mind, he would officiously state I have the solution.  It was a declaration.  One would think a Head of State were entering the room.  I might of thought it comical if I were not so impressed by his confidence and the repeatedly correct solutions.  As we sat there engrossed in this project, I silently prayed that as he grew he would look to Jesus as his solution—every time for every need to be solved.

Jesus is the solution for your life and for mine.  Faith is the key.  Even the small faith of a mustard seed will do.  That is all that the Lord needs and wants for matters to be turned over to Him so that He can work out solutions.  Belief in Jesus and all He can do builds trust in Him so that we go to Him—regularly—for help and healing.

The solutions we receive from the riddles in our lives may not be the answers we  pray for.  Sometimes solutions are antithetical to our desires.  Whatever results come, they are God’s best solutions to our problems and concerns.  The Lord has a mysterious way of making the outcome for one need an exponential blessing.  He is such a giver.  The Giver.  And while His solutions may confound us at times, we can trust that the perfect love of God has a reason for what comes—and for what does not.

For Christians worldwide, this month begins the solemn season of Lent.  It commences on Ash Wednesday and continues for 40 days.  It is a time of sacrifice, reflection, and spiritual renewal.  A time to ponder the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness to ready Himself for the inimitable and dark day of His crucifixion.  By all accounts, that day looks bleak and aimless.  It was a day of violence, torment, and death.  A day Jesus endured for the forgiveness of man’s sins as He shed His blood on Calvary to be the cleansing blood to wash sin from the lives of people of all place and time.   Jesus is The Solution to human need.  He always will be. 

Losses in our lives due to death, divorce, illness, wayward children, job endings, and other significant transitions, are losses that beg for a solution.  Jesus solves.  His presence offers strength and comfort.  That does not mean that circumstances will be different; they may remain as they are for a time.  But it does mean Jesus will go through life’s challenges and sorrows with us so that we are never alone and never without hope.

In the times in which we live—a turbulent, rapidly changing, and sinful world—we need Lent, and any hour of focus on Christ to remind us and renew us of a formidable and holy Christ who made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for the covering of sin.   As you walk through this season, may your heart be tenderized toward Jesus who stayed alone in the wilderness for your sake.  For mine.  May these weeks before Easter serve to remind us that the era of history in which we live is not faced alone.  The turbulence and shift we live through is a season overseen by Sovereign God.  God’s unmatched love and divine wisdom gave us a solution for this place and time: Jesus.  May you seek Him with all of your heart and be held safe and sound in all of His love.

Lord Jesus, to think of You preparing for the cross and wilderness in order to meet Your day of suffering, stops all other thought and activity.  Pondering those solemn days is to be mindful of Your sacrificial love.  Such love is beyond words.  Lord, with humility and warm gratitude, Your own bow their hearts before You.  May Your heart be blessed as Your people live with abiding faith in You as our solution.  There is no other.  In Thee, Lord Christ, Amen.

The Gift of Encouragement – Week of February 27, 201

February 27, 2011 in Devotion of the Week | Leave a comment

Showing up when you do not feel as though you have a strong spirit to offer is evidence of Christ alive inside of you.  Each of us experiences times of weakness, emptiness, and mourning.  Life hurts at times.  When it does, vibrancy plummets and we feel low.  This is normal.  It is a perfect time for the Lord to show His faithfulness.

Jesus promised to be with us always.  Always.  That means in times of distress as well as times of joy and ease.  He is not going anywhere.  Once you have said yes to His gift of Salvation, His presence is with you forever.  No matter what.  Trust His love and nearness to carry you—even if you do not feel it.  He is The Great God.  He can do anything.  Today He wants to love you as only He can.  Let Him.

Jesus, You promised.  We trust that promise today no matter what we feel.  You are our anchor.  You are the love on which we depend.  Give to those who are especially weak this day of a touch of You so they are warmed and encouraged by the nearness of You.  In Thee, Amen.

The Gift of Encouragement – Week of February 20, 2011

February 20, 2011 in Devotion of the Week | Leave a comment

Saying goodbye is work.  It may not seem as though it is laborious but it takes emotional energy, tears, and a flood of memories to toil through.  When someone special leaves this world and our lives, it takes tremendous effort to adjust to that absence.  Prayer, God’s Word, and the might of the Holy Spirit’s presence are steady helpers in that phase of adjustment.

The Lord Jesus knows the pain of grief and how riveting it can be.  He stays in the lonely hours and in the hollow days to make a difference in our ability to carry on.  We still may not feel as though we are stronger; we are not.  But the strength of Jesus and His abiding love carries us through.  Count on His presence with you.

Lord Jesus, You said You would be with us always.  Thank You, loving Lord, for staying with those who must do the hard work of goodbye and remembrance.  May the comfort of You and the hope of a reunion ahead be of support and encouragement to those who grieve.  In Thee, Amen.

The Gift of Encouragement – Week of February 14, 2011

February 14, 2011 in Devotion of the Week | Leave a comment

Love.  That word conjures a myriad of meaning and emotion.  It is a warm word yet filled with indescribable experiences and reaches that only living out the word with someone else can reveal.  When we say I love you to someone, we accept the unknown.  Whether that relationship is with a special man, woman, parent, child, friend, new friend, it means there will be a host of variables, memories, decisions, anxieties, and uncharted paths that will be lived through in the interest of love for that other person.

This week we will see the commercial side of love, which does have its merit as flowers, candy, and cards are offered as token expressions of love for Valentine’s Day.  But Valentine hearts cannot mirror what lies in the heart of one who truly loves another.  Expressions are best offered in moments of silence, through illness, in mourning, in joyous memories, in the hope of reunions to come.  Love is something Jesus proved on Calvary.  Sometimes love hurts and is sacrificial if it is love at all.  May you and those you love exchange something meaningful this week; something that blesses each of you and brings glory to God.  Remember, Jesus loves you.

Lord Jesus, Your love is the gift of a lifetime.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for all You have done and all You continue to teach us through Your Word and Your ways about what true love really means, and what true love really costs.  In Thee, Amen.

The Gift of Encouragement – Week of February 6, 2011

February 6, 2011 in Devotion of the Week | Leave a comment

Our given days are full of grace and purpose.  Each dawn when we awake, the Lord tells us Yes, there is more.  He grants more hours of meaning, and He wants us to engage in these hours with hope and trust.  Trust in Him.

Dawn comes full of hope even if we do not feel hopeful on a given day.  God understands.  Jesus came into the world to be our hope when we feel depleted for one reason or another.  In the days of weakness, Jesus is our strength.  In all days, Jesus is our hope.

Lord Jesus, we reside in the precious presence of You, the presence that carries us on.  In Thee, Amen.

Transitions – February 2011

February 1, 2011 in Transitions of the Month | Leave a comment

ARMS AND ARMORS

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.    Ephesians 6:13

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has a permanent exhibit on display Arms and Armors.  Arms and Armors made quite an impression on me the first time I saw it years ago.  It is a display of ornate and heavy battle equipment used by warriors.  Helmets, shields, breastplates, swords, armors with full regalia, and various accessories, are magnificent to view.  Considering the weight of these items, one wonders how men fought in such bulk metallic protection.  But they did, winning and losing.  This armor is manmade; Christians wear armor of a different sort. 

Are you dressed for battle?  If you believe in Jesus Christ, you will engage in spiritual warfare each day.  If you know that, you are already prepared.  If you do not, it is time to suit up with the Word of God. God tells us in His Word, The Enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).   He attacks the lives of Christians in subtle and clear ways.  Because the Lord knows we will contend with the Adversary, Satan, He gives to us an outline in Ephesians as to how we can arm ourselves to combat dark forces that seek to defeat us.  Because of Jesus, we have the great victory and yet we must be on guard against Satan, the roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8).

Satan strikes when we are going through times of physical, spiritual, emotional or mental weakness.  Grief seasons are times of weakness.  They are draining episodes of experience that are weighty and encumber us in our daily walks of faith.  Grief is a universal experience, however, until it happens to one personally—and it will if it has not already—the magnitude of its power is incomprehensible.  Once a loss is met, felt, faced, and survived, a loss of significance etches itself on a heart such that it remains an unforgettable season in life, even after healing occurs.

In today’s culture, our young people need tremendous love, fervent prayer, and our abiding presence to aid them in their times of grief, which can be times they combat the Foe.  Society is filled with readily available choices that are easily addictive and destructive.  These choices become habits but their genesis can be disguised as fun, recreational, comforting, and entertaining.  Among our youth, every drink taken, drug ingested, sexual act performed, lie told (to themselves and to others), has the potential to be harmful and chip away at the foundation of integrity and self-worth.  When this happens, Satan smiles.  Satan accommodates.  For this reason, it is imperative elders give careful attention to the young within their sphere of influence, and to those unseen youth needful of fortifying prayer.

Spiritual warfare is real.  Scripture informs us that we do not war against flesh and blood but against principalities of the air (Ephesians 6:12).  This is where the war is waged but we see the spoils and casualties of war all around us.  Blessedly there are young people who are intentionally living for Christ who daily put on their armor ready to live, thrive, serve, and witness.  But some are not.  Some cannot.  Some young people do not have models about them to put pure physical arms of love around them and arm them with The Word of God and the covering of prayer.  Young people need, seek out, and find places of acceptance and love—even if it is false and temporary.  Those temporary answers can be painful.  Even violent.

One place youth are turning is to gangs.  Gang membership is on the rise.  Gangs are a structured and notorious reality.  The breakdown in family and use of the internet are two significant reasons for gang proliferation.  Involvement in this kind of life robs them of today and tomorrow, and steals the future from us all.  Our young people must have sound assurance that we shall continue to be a shield and bulwark for them in an increasingly dark world.

Jesus, precious and faithful Jesus, is the Light of the World (John 8:12).  He continues to shine brilliantly and vividly for all who keep their eyes on Him.  The world will be as it is but those in Christ are told you are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).  Bolstering our youth so they live encouraged through and after a season of grief or brokenness, and live free and clean from Satan’s lure, is possible by the might of Christ.  He is the One who fills us with light and hope to equip us on a daily basis to encourage others.  Christ will champion our cause to care for our youth when they grieve, grow despondent, become wayward, and when they return.  Christ will champion our cause to care for them because He loves our young people more than we do, and more than we are capable of loving them.  With His arms of perfect love and the armor of His Name and His Word, He steadies steps and fosters optimism for the future.  He proved His love on Calvary.  He wants people to have life and to have it more abundantly.  Because He lives, He wants all to live armed and armored—in His victorious and endless love.

Lord Jesus, some of our youth are in pain today.  They feel sorrow and anxiety over deaths, divorces, endings of relationships, academic concerns, bullying, addictions, fitting in, letting go, and contemplation of leaving this world.  Lord Jesus, help.  Help them.  Help us.  You see their every need, and You hear every word of truth these young ones speak in their hearts.  Lord, help them to know that You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  Govern those around them by the presence of You, Holy Spirit.  May we who surround them be granted Your wisdom, stamina, patience, and comforting love to encourage them today and for all of their tomorrows.  Thank You, Jesus, for Thy certain presence among us all.  How we need You.  How we love You, Amen.

The Gift of Encouragement – Week of January 30, 2011

January 30, 2011 in Devotion of the Week | Leave a comment

Suffering can lead to one of two places—a better or a bitter place.  When life’s pains come, and they do indeed come, you can rise to a better place by letting Jesus closer to you and allow challenges to conform you more into Jesus’ character.  A bitter place is reached if you let the venom of adversity flow in your veins so Satan can tempt you with thoughts of hopelessness and despair.  There is a choice.

Jesus came so that we would have life and hope. Yes, life is hard at times.  Life can hurt.  We may even think it will not improve.  These are valid thoughts and feelings.  Jesus understands.  He helps us through these hard times.  How?  One simple way is to say Jesus.  Repeat it, clearly and aloud or as a whisper.  There is power in His Name.  The very utterance of Jesus is a prayer to help, soothe, and guide.  It is always a way to keep Satan and his destructive lives away.  Jesus is the Name of life and hope.  Keeping saying it. Jesus is listening.  Jesus… 

Lord Jesus, we call on You in times of challenge, trusting that speaking Your Name will be an act to encourage hope and stop Enemy plans.  In Thee, Amen.