Simple Thoughts

The burdens of the day are real. Staying in and around your home as much as possible. Venturing out only for necessities. Cleaning, wiping, sanitizing. Taking care of elderly parents. Home schooling small children. Working from home. Staying connected but keeping our distance. Zoom. FaceTime. Social Media. Keeping us connected with friends and loved ones. Let us uplift one another. Reaching out. Offering help. An encouraging word. Praying for one another. God hears our prayers. Wants us to lay our burdens, worries, concerns at His feet. As we unpack our load, handing it over to God, we feel the weight lifted, the peace being restored. God is with us every step of the way. He promises in His Word, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5b) Rest in God’s promises. Let us seek His word in these times and in the future. Let us hear these assurances of God and believe Him.

The gift of finding an item you never paid that much attention to until the last couple of weeks. Hand Sanitizer. I found a bottle in the side pocket of the passenger door in my husband’s truck. I started lathering it on as I had just been up at the church doing some menial tasks.

Now is the time for thankfulness. Time slows. Memories being made. Spring break trips to ski turn into staycations. Time off from work allows for early spring cleaning to be done. Thankful for the warmer weather to walk around the yard, the block. Spring rains are here. The earth is poised to bloom, ready to display her beautiful colors. Thankful for time to spend with family- riding bikes, playing games, watching movies together. Thankful for renewed strength from slower days.

Time spent reading the Bible or a daily devotion. Renewing my strength spiritually as I keep my focus on God. I had plans this week but I defer to His better plan for me today. I obediently yield to His guidance and rule in my life and in this world. Thankful I can come to Him daily in prayer, to thank Him, to praise Him, to communicate with Him, to worship Him.

“We are never cut off from the mighty power and sustaining peace of God.” David McCasland

As Floridians, we are experienced storm preparers. We watch the weather, learn the path of the impending storm and make the necessary preparations.

Right now, the news is telling us there is a storm brewing. It is approaching. Take appropriate measures. We see the numbers. We see the maps of the infected areas, but nothing more concrete. We are mindful, though, of this approaching storm and make wise choices. That is the calm voice of reason talking. You know there are people panicking, running to the store, buying everything they think they might need if self-quarantine is necessary.

This is today’s storm. Are we as concerned about our spiritual health as we are with our physical health? Have we come to a place where our sinful nature and desires are exposed and cried out to Jesus, the One who can take away our sin? Jesus, whose sacrifice at the cross and victory over death, is the One we put our faith and trust in. God sent His Son to carry out His redemptive plan for mankind.

I pray you take stock of your spiritual well being and settle your eternal destination with God. He will calm your fears. He will give you a peace that does surpass all understanding, even as the swirling winds of today’s storm blow.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

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.