Author: Christine

As an athlete, I am familiar with the mercy rule. In softball, the game would be called after 4 1/2 innings if a team was 10 runs ahead. In basketball, if we played a much weaker team, the starters would sit the bench for most of the game allowing fellow teammates valuable playing time, while also not running up the score on the opponent.

“Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36) As Christians, we are to extend mercy to others because God first extended mercy to us. Showing compassion and mercy to those in need: the sick, those in pain, the young, the elderly, the poor, the down and out. Zechariah 7:9b-10 “Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.”

At the cross, Jesus Himself selflessly gave His life that we may be saved. Taking upon Himself the wrath of God, that we would have a pathway to God. Instead of giving us what we deserve, punishment for our sins, God showed mercy to all mankind by offering His Son as the sacrifice. When we repent of our sins and place our faith and trust in Jesus, we are saved… Saved from what? From eternal separation from God.

God, in His eternal wisdom, did not take the Star Athlete out of the game. No, He said I am going to send my Son so that all who believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. God did not run up the score. He did not leave us alone and floundering, trying to work our way back to Him. He offers grace and mercy to all who come to Him.

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Turning to God in prayer. Finding rest, peace in His Words. Sanctuary in His presence. Calmness and comfort restore the weary soul.

Breathing deeply, meditating in His presence. Focusing on Him. Relying on Him.

Coming into God’s presence with thanksgiving. He alone is worthy. Rejoicing over this day that the Lord has made.

Going into the day brave and courageous. Holding close His Words, abiding in His presence. Trusting this day to God.

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8

Being thirsty, you search for a drink to quench that thirst. The thirst is satisfied but you know, in a little while, you will be thirsty again. Hunger follows the same cycle. Hungry- eat- satisfied and in a little while, you are hungry again.

I have seen this first hand. Raising 3 boys, the kitchen was grand central station. They were constantly searching for food and drink that would satisfy their growing bodies. Food bills were high, dishes and cups filled the sink, all testifying of their bodies’ desire to be filled and satisfied.

As a Christian, I hunger and thirst for God’s Word. I will read and study His Word, learning new truths, wondering how I never saw that in the Bible before. If I go for 2-3 days without reading the Bible, a devotion, I hunger and thirst again to be filled with God’s Word, to live a life pleasing to God, bringing Him honor and glory.

Just as it filled my heart with joy to see my boys enjoy a meal and be filled, it fills my heart with joy to follow my Savior and Lord in this life, praising Him daily, looking to Jesus to fill me.

The word meek means quiet, gentle, submissive, according to the Oxford dictionary. Many people see meekness as a weakness. That person is easily controlled and will not stand up for themselves.

As Jesus sat down to teach the crowds, He shared truths not embraced by the world. He was teaching them what true faith looks like. Being meek is a sign of true faith as one walks in quiet, humble obedience. The meek are those who are quietly attending to those in need, who humbly come to the feet of Jesus and learn from Him. The meek are filled with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to guide and direct their paths. Their eyes are not on this world, but on the world to come where the meek shall spend all eternity praising and worshipping Jesus Christ, the gentle Lamb who willingly gave His life for the sins of mankind, submitting to the will of the Father. That those who put their faith and trust in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 14:2-3 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”

When someone loses a loved one, they mourn. They have lost that which they loved. We are called to sit with them, to love them, to comfort them in their period of mourning.

So, too, as we see our sinful hearts in light of a holy and righteous God, we mourn over our sin that separates us from God. We mourn as we seek forgiveness, to repent of our sins and seek mercy and grace at the feet of Jesus. As we lay our sins at Jesus’ feet and put our faith in Him and His sinless sacrifice at the cross, we are comforted. Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to give us peace and joy as we put away our old self, our old desires and become a new creation. One that is wholly dedicated to serving God for our good and His glory. We now live a life that submits to His authority in our daily lives, trusting in His Word, His Truths, His Promises.

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 remind us, as Christians, we are blessed. Happy, fortunate, blissful (John MacArthur). As I study each beatitude, I am studying and understanding what true faith looks like.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” To first be called a Christian, one must make a decision. A decision that reflects the heart- empty, sinful, separated from God. The moment I first realized the condition of my own soul, that my sins separated me from God, that my good works were not what God looks at to be called His, was a life changing moment. I cried out to Jesus, trusting in His shed blood and resurrection from the dead. I submitted my soul, my heart to His will, believing His words, His gospel to save my soul. All Jesus! My life changed radically. My eternal destination set on a new course.

I am blessed, happy, fortunate, blissful for the very fact that God made a way back to Him, through the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. I am reminded daily of the fact that I bring nothing to Jesus but my very soul and all He asks in return is a life surrendered to His will. I am happy to follow His path, blessed because God opened my spiritual eyes. I was blind but now I see. Jesus has made me whole and my life seeks to glorify Him.

Are we, as Christians, in awe of God? Are we amazed that He calls us blessed? When people hear the word blessed, they think of health, wealth and prosperity. The word blessed literally means: happy, fortunate, blissful. When you think of Christians as blessed by God, re-think your meaning of blessed: happy, fortunate, blissful.

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we see the word “blessed” several times. The attitudes of the faithful show their complete faith and dependence on God. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek, blessed are those who huger and thirst, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are those who are persecuted.”

If Christians are a called out people, set apart by God and for God, He deeply cares for us and asks for our our deep, committed love and devotion for Him. We desire to serve Him, to know Him, to obey Him. All we are and have come from and belong to Him. Let us resolve to check our attitudes daily. Let us remember we are redeemed by the blood of His Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. We are in a right relationship because of what Jesus has done. Let our attitudes show that we are blessed: happy, fortunate, blissful.

Our small church is a trail angel for weary travelers on the Florida Trail. They can rest their weary bodies, recharge their batteries, fill up on provisions, pick up packages from the Post Office. A recent hiker needed medical attention for her foot and our pastor gladly took her to the ER for treatment. I spoke to her that evening as I took her a meal, asked her about her foot and did she think she would be okay to go back on the trail the next day or did she need another “zero” day at our church. She said she wasn’t sure, that her foot may need one more day of healing. We were happy to oblige. She then told me once she gets back on the trail, 100-150 miles/week needs to be her pace to be able to finish in Pensacola by March. That’s quite a pace for us leisure walkers who may do 2-3 miles on a hike and call it a day!

It is nice to slow down to enjoy a leisure pace. Taking a zero day. Going faster when we must, slowing down when we can, abiding with God at all times, no matter the pace.

Busy-ness. Weary-ness. Empty-ness. As a people, we are busy. Busy with life. Busy with commitments. Busy with worry. The “busy-ness” can lead to weary-ness. Here I go again, into this job. Here I go again into this same conversation. Here I go again with this same attitude. Here I go again… Do we start to feel empty? Are we just going through the motions?

When busy-ness leads to weary-ness, when weary-ness leads to empty-ness, STOP! Your body, your mind, your heart, your soul is speaking. LISTEN! We all need to take time to hit the pause button. It is okay to say no. No, I cannot add one more thing to my work plate. No, I cannot serve on one more committee. No, I cannot attend that event this time. When we say no, we are allowing ourselves time to heal, time to rest, time to be filled. When we do take this moment, this hour, this day, this week, our bodies recover. Our minds slow down. Our souls calmed.

So, sit on the porch and relax. Take that walk. Smell that flower. Breathe. Thank God for this time and be restored in body, mind and soul.

As I read this in my daily devotional study time this morning, this truth “God waits” illuminates in my mind. It is like a bright light is lit in my brain. God waits. He drew me to Him and patiently waited as I searched the scriptures, searched my heart and finally cried out to Him. God is patient with us, not wanting any to die without Him (2 Peter 3: 9, 15).

What if we meditate on this: God waits. If God is patient with me, and oh how patient He is with me, then He is patient with all of us. What has God laid on your heart that you are pushing away? What sins do we need to confess and clear out of our lives? If we want to actively search the scriptures, to know God more, we must put aside self to imitate Christ. God is waiting for us to give our lives completely to Him. Let us surrender today.