Simple Thoughts

New year. New goals. New resolutions. As humans, we realize we have flaws. So we seek to improve. Improve our body. Improve our mind. Improve our relationships. With personal trainers and nutritionists. With self help books. Good to be learning. Good to be improving. But I would challenge you to see your main flaw is our own human condition. Born in sin. Doing what sinners do until God draws you to Him. Then you are changed. From the inside out. Your body that you want to improve is now being used in service to God. So set healthy eating goals and exercise. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8) Your mind that you want to improve is now focused on God. On His ways and His words. So read your Bible, learn what God wants you to set your mind on (Colossians 3:1-2). The relationships that you want to improve is now possible because of the relationship you now have in Jesus. Model His love, His patience, His kindness, His grace as you relate to others.
Is this the year of the new you? If so, I pray this is because of what Christ is doing in you, changing you, conforming you to be more Christ-like in your daily walk, your daily devotions, your daily prayers.

Not feeling festive? Decorate anyway. Not feeling social? Reach out anyway. Feeling apart from God? Worship anyway. As Christians, we feel guilty when we have the “blah’s.” We know it is wrong. But sometimes, it is hard to shake. We go about our day, do our jobs, our chores, our responsibilities, but the feeling is still there. Whether it is for a day, a week, or a season. Changing seasons can be hard. Loss is difficult. How do we overcome the “blah’s?” We come to God. We read. We pray. We devote ourselves to Him. We meditate on His words. Feelings come and go. We can be fickle. But God. He is faithful. He is steadfast. Hesed. His faithful, steadfast love. That is what sustains us. He is the One who sustains us. Fills us. Encourages us. Strengthens us. Let us take our mind off self, focusing instead on God. His love. His greatest act of love in giving us Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Sing. Worship. Read. Pray.

Psalm 30:10-12 “Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.” ¹¹ You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
¹² that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!”

Have you ever been shopping with a child who has “x” amount of dollars to spend? They carefully look, check the price, is there enough in the wallet? When they step up to pay, there is joy in the gift buying. It may have taken every penny in their wallet, but to them, it was worth it for the love in their heart towards the person receiving the gift.

At this time of year, gifts are being purchased at a high volume. Is it a list of what to purchase or does thought and love go into the gift buying? Think of the greatest gift ever given. It was purchased, not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. God gave us His Son, to die on our behalf, to redeem us from our sin. Think of the love, the cost, knowing it was all done for us, because of love. So that no one perish in their sins, but all come to the cross to accept this free gift Jesus offers to all who believe. May you have peace with God today because of the gift of Jesus.

Luke 2:8-14 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

In the United States, we have no king. We elect presidents. Those countries that do have a monarchy, have kings and queens based on the bloodline and birth order in a family. Presidents and kings are seen as that country’s head. He rules/reigns. As good citizens, we follow the law of the land, lead good, upstanding, moral lives, obeying the rules and submit to the laws. And we should.

In our own life, if we take stock of self, do we submit to a Higher authority or do we do what is right in our own eyes? Do we live one way in front of believers and another way in our home? As Christians, we need to remember who is King in our life. King Jesus. His Word is our book that we read, live out, submit to. Not just when we feel good, when things are going well. But also in the trenches. In the hard days.

Jesus’ birth, hailed and proclaimed in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, is the Good News we all seek. King Jesus, from the bloodline of King David, has come to earth as Savior of the world. As believers, we are adopted into His family. We are His sons and daughters, children of the King. Let us remember who our King is and live in His light. Testifying to Whom we belong. King Jesus. Our Savior and Lord of our life!

“If we do not allow our Lord to rule over us, if we are not strong and courageous to do according to all He has commanded us, then Beloved, we will be conquered by the pressures of the world around us, and the futility of our own reasoning. Bow before King Jesus!” Kay Arthur

The expression of gratitude, especially to God. Being grateful or thankful. Thankful that God sent His Son to be Savior of the world. Grateful for His grace, unmerited favor. Favor bestowed on sinners who deserve wrath. Yes, Jesus took upon Himself the wrath of God, poured out at the cross. Believing I am a sinner, saved by grace, enables me to live in a state of thanksgiving every day! Thankful to God for every breath I take. For every beat of my heart. Thankful to share God’s love with others who are looking for love, for hope, for peace in their lives. Seeing the blessings of God in His wonderful creation each day, from the rising of the sun to its setting each evening. Grateful for the people who come across our path for a season or for a lifetime, to the kindness of a stranger. Thankful to God for the ability to live in a country blessed by God. For the ability to freely worship and praise the name of Jesus, Savior of the world!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Happy Thanksgiving. Giving thanks to God!

Have you ever smelled a dead, decaying animal? It stinks. And when the wind blows the wrong way, every breath brings the stench of death to your nostrils. In our sin, we are separated from God. Our sins stink to the “high heavens!” When our eyes are opened, we smell our sin and are sickened because of it. The remedy? Acknowledge your sin in light of a holy God. Confess your sin, repent of your sin. Do a 180 degree turn from your sinful ways. The smell of confession, repentance, forgiveness is sweet smelling. This brings us back into right fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Savor the sweet smell of His mercy and grace as you cry out to Jesus.

“Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; my health is broken because of my sins. My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart.” Psalm 38:3-5, 8

“Come quickly to help me,O Lord my savior.” Psalm 38:22

Pruning: trim a tree, shrub, or bush by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness or growth. (Definition by Oxford Languages)

As a youngster, I mowed grass, weeded and raked leaves. I didn’t take much interest in gardening. As I age, though, I take pleasure in planting and maintaining the flowers, bushes and plants in our yard. I have learned to prune and understand the benefits of doing so.

How does this pertain to my Christian walk? Do I need to do some spiritual pruning? What do I need to bring into submission to God? Do I feel the shears, understanding the need to cut away certain thoughts, behaviors and attitudes to make my Christian walk more fruitful? Whatever it is, know that this process is meant to bring us into spiritual maturity as we grow in Christ likeness. Just as the physical pruning of a plant brings about fruitfulness or growth, so does the spiritual pruning bring about fruitfulness and growth in our walk so that we may allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.

Let us not be resistant to the pruning shears. This change, this process, is transforming us from the inside out, changing us into the new person God want us to be, day by day.

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Dear Christian, Wake up! Arise from your slumber! You once went to church. You once read your bible. You once prayed. You once fellowshipped with other Christians. You once taught others about Jesus. But then what? You got busy. You got sick. You became indifferent. You moved. You changed jobs. You got divorced. You got hurt feelings. You moved away from your first love.

Dear Christian, in today’s culture that is searching for truth, calling opinion truth, unfollowing for reasons known only to them, let us be the light in a dark world. Let us get off the fencepost of neutrality and take a stand for God. Come back to church! Go to your prayer closet! Join a bible study! Go vote in this election for righteousness!

Dear Christian, “Don’t be a Reuben who searched his heart but did not move. Be a Jael and take your stand for God. Sing like Deborah and Barak who stepped out in faith and knew the Lord was with them, gave them the victory. Awake to your responsibility and do what you can, where you can, under God’s direction.”*

Dear Christian, Don’t be a Reuben! Be a Jael! Be a Deborah!

If this blog has sparked your interest, read Judges 4 & 5. Get to know Deborah, Barak, Jael and the tribe of Reuben.

• “Choosing Victory, Overcoming Defeat” by Kay Arthur. Harvest House Publishers. Eugene, Oregon.

Psalm 62:1 “I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him”

Psalm 37:7-8 “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;…Do not fret—it only causes harm.”

Psalm 37: 39-40 “The Lord is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them;…He saves them, because they trust in Him.”

Is your mind swirling? Are the waves crashing over you? Do you long for the storm to be stilled? Yes, yes and yes! I have slowly been reading through the book of Psalms. The most recent verses have brought me peace. God has stilled the storm as I reflect on His word. As I saturate my mind on these verses, my soul rejoices in these truths. I pray for my thoughts to remain focused on Him. May these bring you peace today, as well.

Growing up in a family of eight, with two older sisters, I would receive hand me downs to wear. Sometimes I liked them, other times they were not exactly my style. As I got older, I still received hand me downs occasionally and saw the value of receiving free clothing items.

Our faith, however, cannot be received as a hand me down. I didn’t become a Christian because my sisters had or because my parents were Christians. It wasn’t based on the church I attended. My faith was personal. It was Jesus Christ revealing to me my sinful nature and my need for a Savior.

I can pass down my love of Jesus to my children. I can share my testimony with them. I can share God’s word with them. I can pray for them. Each child, however, has to accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus offers.

Let us teach our children and pray for their souls.