The Confession

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  I John 1:9

Is there anything more delightful than admitting you are wrong?!  Confession is often a painful and distasteful activity.  We try to get around it.  Rather than saying I am sorry I hurt you we say “If I hurt you, I’m sorry.”  If asked “Did you do this?” children usually respond with “I might have.”

Admitting we are wrong, whether it be to God or man, requires a vulnerability that we are uncomfortable with.  But it must be done.  Jesus has paid the price for our sins.  He died on the cross and paid the penalty that we might be free.  Our part is to come to Him and confess our sins, His part is to cleanse and purify us.

Even after we come to Christ for salvation, we still stumble, we still fall.  Thus, confession should be a common part of the Christian’s prayer life.  Whoever said that confession is good for the soul, told the truth!  Confession makes us feel clean, honest and right before the Lord.  And the good news is that the more we do it, the easier it becomes.

When we come to God for confession and forgiveness, it is important that we truly take responsibility for our sins and transgressions.  “Lord, forgive me for all of my sins” is awesome to pray and results in salvation and a right relationship with the Lord.  But there are times that those blanket prayers do not really do the trick.  There are times we must call the sin by name and take responsibility for it.  “Lord, forgive me for being angry and having hatred in my heart toward my brother.”  “Lord, please forgive me for lustful thoughts I had when my co-worker came in wearing a tight-fitting outfit.”  “Lord I am angry with you because my loved one did not receive healing and died a painful death.”

These confessions may be painful to make, but the truth is that if we take one step toward Him, he covers the rest of the distance.  Confession is our part and we must take it seriously.  Confession is a constant reminder of who we are on our own, and who we become through His sacrifice.  I encourage you today to take a little time to do some spiritual housekeeping.  Confess to Him all your shortcomings.  You may be surprised how much closer you feel to Him when there is not unconfessed sin between you.

“Dear Lord, forgive me.  Forgive me for thinking I can do this on my own.  Forgive me for having unforgiveness toward people in my life.  Make me aware of any sin that is between us.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

 

Sherri

The Value of Words

“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”   Proverbs 25:11

A baby’s first word is a milestone worthy of claps, celebration and phone calls to all the family.  A person’s last words are cherished moments, words we cling to, words we treasure.  But what about all the words spoken in between?  We do not give them the same amount of fanfare, but are they as important?

We all know that words in the mouth of an angry person can be like darts or arrows, striking the mark and leaving pain and infection.  Angry words, when allowed to sink in, can be poison to our whole system, festering and resulting in toxic emotions.

Kind uplifting words, words of encouragement, can cause us to keep going when we are tempted to give up.  They can cause us to stand a little taller, smile a little more, and feel loved, cherished or appreciated.

How are you using your words?  The Bible makes it plain in Matthew 12:36 that we will give an account for every careless word we speak.”  What a sobering passage!

It takes effort, determination and intent to be a person who speaks apt words, those which we read today are like “apples of gold in setting of silver.”  These types of words are valuable, precious, enduring, and to be treasured.  Even as we have a word of correction, rebuke or reprimand to give, it can be done with apt and fitting words, causing the person to feel helped rather than attacked.  “This report looks really good.  I can see you put a lot of time and thought into it.  There are just a couple of modifications we need to make before it is ready to be distributed.”  Is much easier to accept than:  “What were you thinking Jones?  My fifth grader could have done a better job writing this report.  Do it again, and this time do it right!”  Which of the above scenarios would inspire you to try harder and improve next time?

Or “Do you have any idea how much Jesus loves you?”  Versus “You are a sinner and headed to hell!”  Which one draws you to Jesus?  They are both truth.  There are times to say both things- under the leading of the Holy Spirit.  But the second one would probably be better received after the first one has been said many times and demonstrated by the speaker.  People can accept constructive criticism, but it has to be at a time that they are not feeling threatened or attacked.

I encourage you today, as you go through life, YOU be the one to speak praise into the life of your kids or grandkids.  YOU be the one to have something positive to say over the people on your job.  YOU be the one to speak words of love to the lost people God puts in your path.

At the end of your life, people will remember either fondly or resentfully your manner with people.  Much of that is determined by your use of the powerful, spoken word.  Make it count!

Dear Lord, help me today to keep this tongue under control.  Let me be a light wherever you have placed me.  Let me see the good in people- and situations- and help me say it.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Sherri

Lasting Love

“Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”  I Corinthians 13 4-8a

How is your love life?  Does it match up the description of love we just read?  Does your mate, parents, children, friends, etc., treat you as this outlines?  Do you give out to them the type of love reflected in this passage?

I always read these verses as beautiful poetry.  It flows so beautifully, it is no wonder that this passage is frequently included in weddings.  But when I start dissecting each attribute of love listed here, I must confess I quickly become overwhelmed and condemned by the tall order that it is- and how short I often fall.

So many of the aspects of love listed in these verses are almost antiquated these days.  In our fast food society, patience is not readily practiced.  Being proud, rude and self-seeking has almost become a part of the American dream.  You deserve the best in life, no matter what it takes to get to the top- this mindset is the opposite of walking in love.

Keeping a record of wrongs is a sure fire way to fall out of love with someone, regardless of your relationship.  We all fall short.  We all have irritating habits and traits.  We must not focus on these things if we want our love life to live up to God’s standards.

“It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”  In our very conditional and temporary society, we have lost the endurance of love.  To live this type of love life takes dedication, prayer, commitment and fortitude. Parenthood is one of the most challenging relationships on earth- but love does not give up.  Marriage waxes and wanes in regards to mushy feelings- but the kind spoken about in these verses is a foundation in which to stand your ground during the difficult seasons.

Do the people in your life have an example of love that they can look at and follow?  It is my prayer that my life and relationships epitomize the qualities set forth in I Corinthians 13, the love chapter of the Bible.

Tomorrow my father-in-law and mother-in-law will celebrate 50 years of marriage.  It is a beautiful thing when two people commit to each other and to what it takes to make a marriage successful and enduring.  Congratulations Marlin and Yvonne Evans!  May you have at least another 25 years!

Lord, help me to live a life of love.  Help me to not seek selfishly to use relationships to make me happy, but rather help me to serve those in my life.  Help me to protect, trust, hope and persevere.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Fear of Shame

“No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.”  Psalm 25:3

Today’s verse is successive to the two from yesterday.  It continues the theme about God not allowing us to be put to shame.  This is important because many of us suffer from a secret fear of failure or embarrassment. 

The definition of shame is:  disgrace; humiliation; often at the hands of the enemy.  Being put to shame often involves a fear of public embarrassment, ridicule or rejection. 

Have you ever noticed that God never leads us to do anything that we can do within our own strength?  There is always a faith-factor to the tasks that God assigns us or calls us to do.  Many people never fulfill their God-ordained destiny because of their fear of failure or humiliation.         It is hard to witness to our neighbor or speaks publicly at church- even testifying about a blessing in our lives can be hard.  Why is that?  I believe part of the reason goes back to our feeling self-conscious and foolish.  What if we say it wrong?  What if we make someone mad?  What if we make a fool of ourselves?

We can step out with confidence and trust and begin to obey God, knowing that this verse has “got our back.”  Does that mean we will never misspeak or have an embarrassing moment?  Probably not; but it does mean that God will turn things around for our good.  It does mean that he will shine His favor and approval on us and keep us from being utterly destroyed by it.

As a female minister, I have often worried about tripping when going up and down off of the platform.  Wearing heals and a longer dress hem at times would cause me to worry and fret.  Because, honestly, what could be more humiliating than literally falling on your face publicly?  When our miracle baby was a little over a year old, he took off running during service.  Because of the lay-out of the church (we have a large open area in the back; and it slopes downhill toward the platform) my little one got a pretty good head start on me.  So I tried to walk briskly- yet discretely- down a side aisle to catch him.  Right as he reached the front, instead of going out the door to the back where he had seen his friend go, he took a sharp left and headed straight for the Pastor where he was still preaching.  I quickly stepped up my pace and made a sharp turn as well- but my high heel did not.  So here I am in the middle of a service rolling up under the altar at the foot of the Pastor.  He was great about it.  Not wanting to draw undue attention to me- he gestured like Vanna White and declared- “Ladies and Gentlemen:  Your Associate Pastor!”

My lowest moment?  Maybe.  My most embarrassing moment?  Without a doubt.  Did my church family let it go quickly?  Not hardly.  I am still living it down 3 years later.  But one thing is sure- I no longer worry about falling and being embarrassed. It has already happened and I survived. 

I realized a hard truth through all of this.  A lot of our fears of shame go back to a spiritual issue- a pride issue to be exact. I urge you today to let it go.  Put your trust in God knowing that you will never be ultimately put to shame.  In Christ you are more than a conqueror.  In Christ, you have the victory.  What harm can a little life do you?

Dear Lord, help me to let go of my fear of public humiliation, shame or disgrace.  Help me to step out in faith knowing that you will cover and protect me.  Forgive me for the spirit of pride.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Fear of Embarrassment

“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God.  Do not let me be put to shame nor let my enemies triumph over me.”  Psalm 25:1

When you read this verse, what part of it spoke to you?  Not being put to shame or not having your enemies triumph over you?  As we live our lives in confident trust, we believe that God will protect us from embarrassment, lack, and defeat by our enemies.

The circumstances you face in life today, probably made a particular part of the verse speak more to you.  For me, it is a little bit of both.  There are several things that I have committed to God in faith that I want or need to see Him perform.  There are faith steps that I have made that I want him to protect me from being embarrassed over.  And for sure, there are enemies I do not want to get the upper hand over my life.

Who are the enemies you face today?  It may be actual people in your life, on your job or in the family that cause you to feel oppressed or afraid.  Perhaps your enemies are things like financial lack, health problems, strife and discord or fear.  No matter what enemies you have, God is greater.  He is bigger, stronger, smarter and more powerful than anything or anyone you stand against today.  He walks beside you, carrying you when needed.

Lift up your soul to Him.  Put your trust in Him. He cannot fail you.  He loves you and wants what is best for you even more than you do!  He will protect you from your enemies.  Run to him- you will find safety.

Dear Lord, I lift up my soul- my mind, will and emotions, to you today.  I ask you to protect me from my enemies and keep me from embarrassment.   I pray especially today for those who are facing fearful circumstances, I ask you Lord, to give them peace and strength.  Protect them, in Jesus Name I pray.  Amen.

Sherri

Cheap Sacrifices

“But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it.  I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” II Samuel 24:24

This passage of Scripture has always spoken deeply to my heart. In this text, David had sinned against the Lord in taking a census of the fighting men.   Because of his disobedience, the Lord allowed him to choose one of 3 consequences for his sin:

1-   3 years of famine

2-   3 months of fleeing from their enemies

3-   3 days of plagues

David chose the third option and 70,000 died from the plagues.  The reason that the census was such a great sin and resulted in such severe punishment is a discussion for another day.  But suffice it to say, that God saw it as a grievous offense.  During the time of plague, God spoke to Gad and he went and commanded David to offer a burned sacrifice on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, who freely offered to give it to the king.  For free, David could have the threshing floor, the oxen, the wood and the location spoken about through Gad.

This is the point in the story that always speaks to me.  After David acknowledges his sin, he is given an opportunity to make a sacrifice to restore his relationship with God and to stop the judgment he has brought on the land. Here he has a chance to obey God- but without it really costing him anything.

Thankfully, we live in a day of God’s grace.  The sacrifice that Jesus made once, for all of our sins prevents us from needing to make animal sacrifices.  We need only call on the name of the Lord, ask Jesus into our hearts and confess and repent of our sins to receive salvation.  To enjoy forgiveness as needed, we need only confess and ask for forgiveness.  I am so grateful that Jesus loved us enough to pay the ultimate sacrifice to unite us with Him.

But as Christians, there is still a cost to following Jesus.  We still should make sacrifices of praise to him.  We should still sacrifice our time, our talents, gifts, and priorities to Him.  As children of God, we willingly give everything back to the one who gave so much for us.

This verse always reminds me about the beauty of sacrifice- the importance of freely giving to God.  The importance of making it personal.  It is not a sacrifice if I give money to you that someone told me to hand you.  The sacrifice comes in when it is my money and I will not get to use it for what I have in mind when I give it to you.

I want to offer authentic sacrifices to the Lord.  I want my gifts to Him to be meaningful, expensive, and precious.  I want Him to know I love Him enough for it to cost me something.  I want to be the one to “foot the bill” for the things that I offer to the One I love most.

Dear Lord, thank you for paying the ultimate sacrifice for me.  Thank you for purchasing my freedom.  Help me today to please you as I live my life as a living sacrifice back to you.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Safe in the Storm

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”  Psalm  55:22

Worries and cares of this life can crush a person beneath the weight of it all.  It seems that just about every day presents new concerns, issues and struggles.  Learning to cast our cares upon the Lord is crucial to learning to have peace to stand during a trial.

I have personally always struggled with knowing where the dividing line is between my responsibilities in a situation and trusting God.  By nature I am a proactive person. The Bible verse that says “…you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.” (Eph. 6:13) has always left me wondering, but have I done all?

There are situations in life where it is obvious we have a part to play in a situation.  If you have said angry words to someone and they are mad, it is obvious we must apologize before we pray and wait for God to reconcile the relationship.  If you need a job, the first step is looking for one and applying for things for which you are qualified, then you pray for a job.

I have made it my practice to pray for direction, and then do what I can and then try to wait patiently on God for the answer.  But there are other situations that from the very inception of the problem, there are no obvious action steps to take.  That is when I am endeavoring to trust rather than try.  Pray rather than fret, worry and analyze.

The sustaining power of the Lord is what sees us through days of doubt and seemingly unending times of trial and test.  God is able to give us the amount of grace that we need to make it through each day.  We have all had hard times in life.  We have seasons of pain, loss and darkness.  But the hand of God is there, keeping us through whatever we are going through.

One day I was driving home through a terrible electrical storm.  The lightning was popping close to my car, and I was just praying for the protection of the Lord to get me home.  That is when He gave me an analogy that has seen me through many things.  I could see the rain, as it was pounding on my car. I could see the how strong the wind was, as it was bending trees over. The lightening was booming and cracking all around me, but inside that car I was safe.  It was like I was enveloped in a cocoon of protection. That is how the sustaining hand of God is.  We can see the hardship; we feel the fear; our journey is impacted by the storm; but through it all, God is still a barrier between what we are going through and us.  He keeps our Spirit safe in his care, always giving us the hope, grace and strength we need to get through that day.

He will never let the righteous fall.  Wow.  What a promise.  When all of our kids were toddlers and wanting to walk everywhere we went, my husband and I would hold their little hands.  When they would stumble and begin to fall, we would pull up on their arms to keep them from being harmed.  God is so much bigger, so much stronger and so much more mindful of the things that could cause us to stumble.  He is well able to protect us and prevent us from falling.  I encourage you today to cast your care on Him and allow Him to sustain and protect you.

Dear Lord, I need your help today to let go of the situations that weight heavily on my mind.  Keep and protect me.  Sustain my faith and strength.  Thank you that as I walk with you, holding your hand, you keep me from falling.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

According to His Riches

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19

In my pantry there are certain staples I am seldom without.  If I have corn, tomatoes, pasta and hamburger meat (which is in the freezer instead of the pantry!), I can come up with several different dishes to cook for dinner.  If I have flour, butter, sugar and cocoa I can go in several different directions for dessert.  These are my go-to ingredients.

Today’s verse is a staple verse of my life as well. If you have been very long on this earth, you know that finances go through seasons as well. You get a raise and enjoy more prosperity. You buy a new car and things are tight.  You pay off a credit card and have more money, you have a baby and your finances are never the same again!  We go through seasons of prosperity and seasons of more limited resources.  But through it all, God is our source.  He is the only one who ultimately meets our needs.  He chooses to do it through our jobs, unexpected bonuses, raises, gifts, discounts, specials, and rebates. He is unlimited in the way He meets our need.

If you are walking in obedience in your finances- tithing, giving and being a good steward; you can rest assured that He will be faithful to do His part as well.  According to this verse, He will meet all of your needs.  Not just some of them.  But notice this passage does not promise every little desire of your heart. It is talking about basic needs.  When there is something we need, He will supply it according to His glorious riches.  Wow!  I am so glad that it is not based on my riches, or really on my need, but it is based on His riches- which are limitless!

There are other verses that talk about giving us the desires of our heart as well.  But today, just focus on the fact that no matter how bad things can look at times, God is your source and He has unlimited resources.  You can trust Him to meet your every need.

Dear Lord, thank you for all the things you have already blessed me with- salvation, my family, my health, my home and my job.  Thank you that you see my need and love me enough to meet it.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Surrounded with Favor

“For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as a shield.” 

Psalm 5:12

How could we make it through one day without the blessings of the Lord?  Our salvation, our health, our family, our job, our home, our vehicle, our friends, our clothes, every small thing we possess is a gift from our Creator.  He willingly bestows blessings on us, lavishing us with His love each day.

Many days I need the favor of God.  Favor is defined as kindness, approval, and friendly regard by a superior.  Aren’t you glad today, that God surrounds you with favor?  So much so that it serves as a shield around you!  It protects you from potential blows and hardship.  His favor causes people to like us, to think the best of us and to want to go out of their way for us.

I have a friend in my life that just oozes the favor of God.  Everyone I meet who is a mutual acquaintance always says “Oh, you know ____, don’t you just love her?  She is so sweet! She is just the best!”  And she is.  But I recognize too that the favor of God rests on her, giving people friendly regard for her everywhere she goes.

Today as she you face the circumstances of your day, expect the favor of God to surround you as a shield.  On the job, when talking to the insurance company, when returning a defective item… it does not matter the circumstance, if you are a child of God and are trying to live righteously before him, this is a reality you should enjoy!

“Dear Lord, go before me today.  Pour favor over me with everyone I come in contact with.  Protect me with your favor and be glorified in all I do.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.  And this is his command:  to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

I John 4:21-23

Getting our prayers answered depends on so many factors!  It is not just about saying the right prayer, at the right time and in the right position. We have to pray according to His will.  We have to make sure that our hearts are not condemned because of sin.  If we have unconfessed sin in our hearts, that can cancel out the effectiveness of our prayers.  But not doing wrong is just one part of getting our prayers answered.

Doing right is also a big part of getting our prayers answered.  So often we think of our relationship with God as being something between us and Him.  But a lot of it has to do with our relationship with others.  According to today’s passage we can have confidence and receive the answer to our prayer when we obey his commands and please him.  Doing so involves loving one another as he commanded.

This is not a teaching that I have heard very much in my life in regards to answered prayer, but makes perfect sense.  How can I expect God to bring healing to my body while I am rude to the slow clerk at the grocery store?  How can I expect God to hear me when I am angry and unforgiving toward a fellow Christian?

It is always a good practice to pray for forgiveness and to pray to forgive prior to bringing our petitions or requests to God.  We must do heart maintenance often to get rid of all the things that creep into our hearts on a regular basis.  Anger, unforgiveness, spite, resentment, revenge… these are all poison to our heart and to our prayer life.

Dear Lord, help me to walk in love toward others today.  Show me where I am falling short so that I can please you and so that you will be able to hear and answer my prayers.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Embracing Your Day

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” 

Psalms 118:24

 Do you ever have days you wish you could fast forward through?  I find myself doing that this week in particular.  I feel that if I could just get through Thursday, my life can begin again.  I sometimes feel this way when I am up against a lot of stress; big deadlines on the job or an activity that I really dread.  It seems like during these seasons all of life is drained of enjoyment and is just an endurance test.

But the truth of the matter is that today is a precious gift that we can never get back.  We are none guaranteed another day, so we must capitalize on each day as it comes our way.  Today- this day- is the day the Lord has made.  He has made it as a day to be with us.  He has made it to be a day we enjoy His presence; seek His face; and rest in His goodness.

Here the psalmist says “let us rejoice”.  This phraseology indicates an imperative and a choice.  He is commanding himself and his audience to find a way to rejoice.  Find a way to embrace joy, find a way to delight in the things the Lord offered them.  Rejoicing is a choice.  We can spend our days dreading, fearing and doubting, or we can begin to give ourselves a pep talk.

You may wonder how to go about doing it, as have I many times. For me, with the things at work I face, it goes something like this- “Thank you Lord for today.  Thank you for blessing me with another day.  Thank you for walking with me through all I face.  I praise you for all of the times in the past you have brought me through stressful things.  Thank you that every time I have been through an audit you have been with me and given me favor.  I know that my life is in your hands and I give you the cares of this day.  Thank you for life, salvation, my family, my job and all the wonderful blessings you have given me today.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Rejoice!  I will say again rejoice!

Sherri

From Grief to Grace

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28

Isn’t it good to know that no matter what life throws our ways, God works it for our good?  So many things that come our way can seem bad, if not downright awful.  Christians are not immune from the heartaches of life.  We too lose our jobs, have wayward children and face health issues.

God’s way of working for the good means that He can take the bad that life throws our way but use it to better us.  He works our character in the furnace of life. He teaches us to trust Him.  He gives us depth of character and integrity as we turn to Him through life’s trials.

Since we know that nothing comes our way unless He allows it; and since we know He ultimately works all things for our good, we can rest in Him when life gets out of control.  God loves us and watches carefully over us.  Many times He spares us from tragedies and mishaps.  These are the situations that get us excited about being a child of God.  We are a little less thrilled when He gives us the grace to walk through things that we want Him to rescue us from.

This is a lesson that I learned personally a few years ago.  I believed that the Lord had promised me another child. So when we got the news that we were expecting I was so excited about the fulfillment of my answered prayers.  I was completely taken off guard when I lost that baby through miscarriage.  I went through a season of doubting and yes, even anger that the Lord had allowed that to happen.  When we found out that we were expecting again, I was frightened, but still overjoyed.  I believed with the depths of my soul that God would not allow that to happen to me again.  But just like the time before that, I found myself grieving with empty arms.

It was at that point that the Lord spoke to me about the problems of life.  He basically impressed on me that the lessons He was trying to teach me would be learned through one life issue or another.  The question was did I want a baby at the end of the trial?  So with fear and trembling we were told once again that we were expecting.  I would like to say that this time there were no problems.  But it seemed to be going terribly wrong just like the other two times.  Ultimately, Praise God(!), we were blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

It was during that season of grief, loss and confusion that I came to trust Him that no matter how things turned out, I knew that He would work it all for my good.  Certainly this was tragedy I would rather have avoided.  The loss of two babies in four months’ time was emotionally and physically devastating to me.  But I did learn that through these things the Lord was faithful to walk with me through it all and protect me from falling from the faith.

Whatever you are facing today, I urge you to put your trust in God.  He cares about your situation even more than you do.  He knows what it will take for you to receive your miracle.  He will not leave you to walk it alone.

Dear Lord, help me today to walk in faith, regardless of my circumstances.  Thank you that you are working everything for my good.  Please grant me the grace I need to stand through it all.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

I So Love You!

This is the message you have heard from the beginning:  we should love one another.”  I John 3:11

Love.  It is a many-billion a year industry.  We have florist shops, candy shops, greeting card shops, balloon shops and many more types of industries based in the industry of love.  Love based “chick flicks” gross untold millions each year in movie theaters.  Romance books leap off bookstore shelves.  We love love!      

At least we love the idea of being in love and being loved by others.  But the truth is that love is no easy task.  Love is not for wimps.  Love is for the few, the strong, the dedicated.  (Said tongue in cheek). 

“God is love.” (I John 4:16)  He epitomizes all that is love.  And when we are born again children of God, he expects us to show love in this world as well.  It is relatively easy to love our new-born babies.  It is easy to love a husband or wife who dotes on us.  But how well do we love the unlovely?  The rude people, the selfish people, the pushy people?

Love is an action word.  It is so much more than a feeling.  Love will cause you to say you are sorry, when you are not even wrong. Just to restore peace.  Love will cause you to watch movies you are not interested in, go to sporting events that you detest and put weeds in a vase, because your child gave it to you.  Love is the jumping off point for a lot of the things that we do.

We all struggle with showing love all the time and to everyone.  But it is proof that we are His disciple.  It is a mark to aim for in our daily lives.  So today as life gives you opportunity to become angry and retaliatory, choose instead to walk in love.  To the grumpy clerk, extend mercy.  To the inconsiderate driver, pray that God will spare their lives long enough for them to gain some sense!  If we are not out in this world showing the Father’s love, it is not being shown.  He left us behind to finish what he began.  The most famous verse in all the bible begins:  “For God so loved the world…”  (John 3:16).  Go forth, child of God and so love the world!

Dear Lord, help me to walk in love today and show your love to people who feel unloved and invisible.  Love through me.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Consider the Lilies

“And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith.”  Matthew 6:28-30

Nature is such a testimony to the glory of God and His care of His creation.  He is so faithful to provide for even the smallest creatures.  He is so faithful to create such beauty in the Earth, it is awe-inspiring.  The majesty of all He created is such a sermon, that many of us go back to nature when we want to feel closest to Him.  We sit on the beach, view its vastness and know He is big enough to handle whatever we need.  We go to the mountains and are awe-struck by the panoramic views, knowing the God that set all of that in motion is watching over us.

In many ways, all of these things are a love letter to us.  They are a reminder of how much He loves us, because as beautiful as all of this is, only we- the human race- are created in His Image.  His gave His own precious son to redeem humanity.

If all this is so (and it all certainly is) what are we worrying about?  He is so much greater, so much more resourceful, so much more creative than anything we could ever have need of.  We must move beyond worrying about the daily necessities of life and begin to rejoice in all He has already given us.

Will he not much more clothe you?  Feed you?  Give you favor at work?  Heal your body?  And then Jesus goes on to call the crowd “o you of little faith.”  As Christians most of us desire to be a people of great faith, to believe God for the nations and see His purpose come to pass.  Yet we worry about the tiniest things- clothes, food, and unfounded fears.  He will take care of you.  When life throws you worries, go back to this one basic truth.  He provides for all of nature, and He cares even more for you.

Dear Lord, forgive me for doubting and making you small in my mind.  Enlarge my view of you and help my thoughts and actions bring praise to you.  Increase my faith.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen

Sherri

Worry: America's Pastime

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”  Matthew 6:27

Worry.  It is a daily pastime for many of us.  And yet, it may literally be the biggest time waster known to man.  Jesus asks the rhetorical question here- who can add a single hour to his life by worrying?  Perhaps the ironic answer is that worrying actually subtracts hours from our life!

Our minds are very intricate and complex mechanisms and almost as hard to control as the tongue.  It is God’s will that we find a way to trust Him rather than spending our days – and hours- worrying.

A habit of worry is difficult to break, but may be as simple as “bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (II Corinthians 10:5.) That means that we do not allow our minds to aimlessly wander wherever they want to go, instead we discipline them to think upon the things of the Lord.  Philippians We choose instead to think on the “pure, the lovely, the things of good report.” (Philippians 4:8 paraphrase)

I hear your thoughts now: “But I have something legitimate to worry about!”  I do not doubt there are real issues going on in each of our lives and some of us are walking through major life crises.  But the truth of the matter is this- worrying is not your part to play in any given situation.  Worrying is fruitless. Worrying changes nothing.  Worrying corrodes our faith.  Worrying muddles our mind. Worrying causes us to focus on doubts rather than on our faith.  Our part as a believer- in every situation- is to believe.

I encourage you today to do as Joyce Meyer advises: “Think about what you are thinking about.”  If your thoughts are worrisome, fearful, anxiety provoking thoughts, choose instead to speak the Word of God over your situation.  Instead of thinking, I am going to die; meditate instead on the fact that “by his wounds you have been healed.” (I Peter 3:34).  The Word of God has the power to transform our mind and allow us to think faith-filled, hopeful thoughts about our lives and our future in Christ.

Dear Lord, help me today to lay aside worry and instead, focus on you.  Please bring to my mind the scriptures that I need at the moment I need them to refocus my energy on your Word rather than my worry. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri