Month: May 2016

It is  hard to love others sometimes. Christ had unconditional love for us, agape love. I have an easy time loving others when they love me back but to love the unlovable is a hard task that is fought with determination and intention.

Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

It is so easy to be offended, to hold onto the past capturing the hurt and reliving the past. Unforgiveness rooted in justification is pride.

Phillippians 2:5

“Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.”

When I am highly offended, I contemplate why I am offended. I have noticed in myself I am offended the most on things that I need to work on in my own life.

I will read Matthew 7:1-6

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

⁶ “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

If I see things I don’t like in myself which  is usually the case I need to work on myself before trying to fix the same problem in someone else.

But if I am offended and have been wronged. I think of Peter. Peter called himself the one that Jesus loved. Brazen if it wasn’t true. Jesus and him were close. Peter denied Christ not once but three times when Jesus could have wanted him there. Peter ran and denied knowing him.

Jesus restored Peter. He didn’t live in the past. He didn’t tell all the other disciples what a punk Peter had been. He went to Peter directly and restored the relationship.

Pride is Satan’s way of justifying anger, resentment, and unforgiveness. Jesus never wanted that pain for us. He offers hope, restoration, and forgiveness. We are called to have relationships with agape love and really in the end agape love brings peace.

Prayer for today:

Please Lord let me love like you even when it is hard. In Jesus name, Amen

As the children’s  song goes tweleve  men went to spy on Canaan ten were bad and two were good.

As an adult how hard is it to go against the flow of the naysayers. Ten against two.

Ten leaders convinced the whole assembly that God’s plan was too hard, pointless.

The people wanted to go back into slavery instead of proceeding with God’s plan!

In fact they wanted to stone the people who were trying to go with God.

Why then do we sometimes see obstacles as a way out?

Obstacles can be a learning experience, a chance to grow, a testimony in the making, God has a plan even when the whole picture looks scary.

I would challenge you and myself included to follow his lead not ours, even when the way seems impossible.

The story can be found in Numbers chapter 13.

Prayer for today:

Please Lord let me be like the two believing in God against obstacles and not conform to the majority knowing God’s way is sovereign. In Jesus Name, Amen

For many women, Mother’s day is a day of dread. The deep longing of loosing a child, being barren, wanting to see your mother this side of Heaven one more time, or having a child who is here on earth but wayward.

Mother’s day to be honest can suck. It can suck the hope right out of us.

“Hope deferred  makes a heart sick, but longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

I often wonder if Sarah’s heart was sick. If she laughed at the news of becoming a mother because the hope and hurt of being disappointed was just too much. The story can be found in Genesis 18.

The response to Sarah’s laughter was that nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Nothing is impossible with God. I believe this with all of my heart. God is almighty.

Why then do we put God in a box? Why do we put time limits on God? His time is not our time. I think it is our limited understanding that God has eternity in mind, when our mind is fixed on the temporary.

When we live for eternity the temporary becomes easier.

If this Mother’s day is hard, if you have a child or children in heaven, my deepest condolences no one wants to belong to this club. I think of my daughter and look forward to the day I will see her again. I know God has me in the palm of his hand. I also realize my beautiful daughter is  happy, whole, and vibrant in heaven. I  know that God has used me to comfort others with comfort I would not have known had I not been through a death of a child. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

I take refuge in God never wastes the good or bad in our life, all things work together for good and are used for his purpose.( Romans 8:28)

My heart hurts for the mothers who want to be mothers and don’t have children. God loves you and has a plan.

For the mothers who child didn’t turn out the way they wanted and prayed for. God is a God who pursues. Keep praying. God loves you and them.

I wonder how often if we knew God’s timing and we could see the beautiful testimony unfolding how much comfort that would bring.

God never promised an easy time on earth, in fact he promised the opposite. We will face trials. ( John 16:33)

He did however offer peace with hope. We have a choice to lean into God to mend our broken heart. I am  praying  for his glory to be revealed in a broken situation because God never wastes. He gathers the scraps of a trail and uses it for eternity.

When the trails are pressing down and I feel hopeless, sad, and angry.

I remind myself of Romans 8:18.

“For I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

I have a heavenly home that I long for but until that day, God is working in my life and yours  to have a beautiful testimony.

I am praying for your Mother’s day, for you to feel God’s peace and his hand guiding you in his timing. In Jesus name, amen.