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Comfort and Hope - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

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16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good thing you do or say. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NET) I lose hope sometimes. It seems like the smallest bump in the road and boom, I go from got-it-all-together to the sky is falling. And I try to keep that stress to myself, but somehow it leaks out and gets on everything.  One minute, I’m like Peter who trusted the Lord so much that he jumped out of a boat on the sea of Galilee. He did not jump into the water. He jumped on top of it. Walking to Jesus. What a thrill! Then, he noticed the waves. And down he went.  And but for the arm of the Lord right there, he may have drowned. He lost his hope in an instant. When he was actually in the physical presence of Jesus! (Hey, I’m so thankful that God gave us Peter in the scriptures) And I can lose it too, just that fast.  I so need hope and encouragement! This p
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He Will Save - Matthew 1:19-21

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Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately. When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:19-21 Who am I in Christ? I am a saved man. Saved. Not dead anymore. Saved. Not just a little bit. 100% saved. It’s like when Harvey, our cat, brought a live rabbit into our house one Sunday evening. We took the rabbit out of Harvey’s mouth and set him free behind our house. The rabbit was saved.  There are differences though, right? It was goo
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The Lord’s Goodness and Faithfulness Chase Me - Psalm 23:5-6

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You prepare a feast before me in plain sight of my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; my cup is completely full. Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days, and I will live in the Lord’s house for the rest of my life.  Psalms‬ ‭23:5‭-‬6‬ ‭(NET‬‬) https://bible.com/bible/107/psa.23.5.NET My mom teaching me to memorize Psalm 23 is one of my earliest and sweetest memories. It’s been over a half century ago, but I think I learned it about when I first started school or just before. At that age, memorizing feels like so much fun. I love this image of sitting down to a feast that the Lord has prepared. The idea that He cares for me in such a special way is so joyful and yet so humbling. Though memorizing the chapter was a good and potent act for me, I wish I could say that I carried it with me at all times. There have been many, many times in my life, even long stretches of time in which I have all but forgotten how special I am to Jesus. And even now after mu
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Caleb's Blessing - Joshua 14:7, 10-11

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Click to play the audio .. “I was 40 years old when Moses the Lord’s servant sent me from Kadesh-barnea to scout the land, and I brought back an honest report.” “As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised, since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then. Joshua 14:7, 10-11 (CSB) Things don’t always go right. In fact, sometimes they go off the rails. Even when we do it right. (But they never go off God’s rails.) Think about Caleb. Caleb was one of the spies that Moses sent to the land of Canaan. He explored the promised land with the other spies, and he was excited about what God was doing for them. He came back with a good report. Why? Because he trusted what God would do. But most of his fellow spies came back with a bad report. Th
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But the Grace of God - 1 Corinthians 15:10

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But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.  1 Corinthians 15:10 (CSB) Paul says, "I am what I am." That’s a statement of acceptance. It’s an important reminder for me too. Because I can resent what I am and who I am. I can resent my own biography, the stuff that has happened in my life. I can certainly blame people and events for my struggles.  I am what I am. But rather than be resentful of who I am, I should be grateful. And I don’t use that word “should” lightly. I don’t like it. It’s a pushy little word isn’t it! And I think it’s the right word here. See, I should be grateful for who I am. I recently visited my chiropractor. He has worked on a number my family members. And he started to list the blessings I have. And it was humbling. God was using him. And I am grateful. Here's what happened: in that doctors office, I spoke
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Do Not Be Agitated - Psalm 37:7-8

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Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans. Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated — it can only bring harm.  Psalms 37:7-8 Who am I in Christ? Let's start by listing the verbs in this short passage. 1. Be silent 2. Wait 3. Not agitated 4. Refrain from anger 5. Give up rage Being silent before the Lord first of all implies that I am with Him, that I recognize His presence. That means that sometimes I can simply sit with Him and not pile on with an onslaught of words. I'm silent. I'm trusting, know that He is God.  And I'm waiting. There is a peaceful stillness in it. There is trust. To wait patiently is to trust.  What if I'm a mess? I can be silent and wait even in my mess, right?  In fact, the act of getting that quiet, which I might not have done in a long, long time, the act alone can begin to bring some sanity. I don't know about yo
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Walking Worthy - Ephesians 4:1-3 (a prayer devotion)

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As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  Ephesians 4:1-3 (ESV) He asks me to be humble, that means there IS a pathway to humility for me. In the passage, He asks me to be gentle. That means that I CAN be gentle.  Lord, please give me the grace to behave in the way you are asking. You say I can do it. I KNOW that I can't do it through a flesh-push. I can only do it by being Spirit controlled. By being filled with the Spirit. May my life as a believer be exemplified by these things. May you rule in my heart. May you give me wisdom when I feel that I have none. When I have nothing left. May I depend upon You. Lord, I ask for your grace upon today. Blessed be the name of the Lord. He asks me to be patient. That means that I can be patient. I can know that God
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