Goodness and Mercy

Such a reassuring verse. Oh, the goodness of our Lord and Savior.

Thank You, Lord, for Your promises. Thank you for the generous sharing of goodness and mercy, and for the amazing promise of eternal life.

New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions every year.  We resolve to lose weight, eat healthier, exercise more, keep our house and office clean, and be kinder to family and friends.    People make all different types of resolutions, intending to keep them.  How often do you keep your resolutions?  How often do you think others keep their resolutions—at least longer than a few weeks?  If you reviewed your resolutions weekly, do you think you would be more likely to keep them?  I tend to forget yearly resolutions, but am more likely to follow through on weekly resolutions.  Many of you are already doing some of these but try something new, perhaps on of these weekly Christian resolutions.

  1. This week I resolve to become involved in a bible study and fellowship group.
  2. This week I resolve to spend some time every day reading my bible or a bible-based book.
  3. This week I resolve to talk to God, asking forgiveness for my sins, for guidance in living a godly life, and for His grace for others.
  4. This week I resolve to listen to God: listen for His guidance and listen for answers to my prayers, both spoken and unspoken.
  5. This week I resolve to schedule some quiet time with God to read, to listen to music, or to meditate on His greatness.                                       
  1. This week I resolve not to become discouraged, but to ask His forgiveness and begin again.
  2. This week I resolve to remember His life, death, and resurrection, and to live my life as a reflection of my beliefs.
  3. This week I resolve to help someone less fortunate.
  4. This week I resolve to love the unlovable, just as Jesus does.

Reviewing these resolutions on a weekly or even daily basis will help me to better remember them and keep them.  Perhaps you would like to write your own spiritual resolutions.  To more easily enable you to keep them, it would be a good idea to post them in a place where you will see them every day.  When you see your list, ask God to show you how to keep your spiritual resolutions.  We know that “all things are possible” with God, even keeping resolutions.  

Colossians 1:9-11a “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.  And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:  bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might.”

Father, as we contemplate this new year, reveal ways to enrich our spiritual lives and better reflect Your spirit living within us.  Help us to make spiritual resolutions, to review them regularly, and to grow ever closer to You. 

This year, I am challenging myself my joining a group who will “fast read” through the Bible in 90 days. There is no way I could do this without being part of a group. I need the encouragement. What are you resolving to do this year to challenge yourself spiritually?

Jesus Calls

“Jesus calls us to his rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort.”

― A. W. Tozer, Pursuit of God

Keep my eyes on You, Lord. Keep my humble and keep my heart longing to know you better.

Christmas Eve

On this Christmas Eve, I’m wishing all of you some special time with your Lord. May the new year draw you closer to Him and renew your relationship.

This week I will be taking a break, but I’ll see you again in 2024. The blog is always open, so hop on over any time you want to read a bit and spend some time meditating on His greatness.

His Light Shines

II Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

I am so thankful, Lord, that you have sent this light to us. With the birth of your Son, you’ve allowed us to see the glory of Your light in His face. You allow the light of Your Spirit to shine in our hearts. Thank you for this amazing gift of grace and love. Keep this on my heart both now, during the Christmas season, and throughout the year.

New Birth

What a beautiful verse to contemplate as we consider the birth of our Savior into the world and into our hearts.

Thank You, Lord, for the living hope that you have provided. May we keep Him close in our hearts and follow in His ways.

Hear the Crying

Hear the Crying

Imagine if you will, Christmas day more than 2000 years ago in the town of Bethlehem.  Jesus is born.  Do you feel the crisp morning air?  Do you smell the animals and the hay?  Listen.  Do you hear the newborn crying?  Can you see Mary, seated on the floor of the stable, holding her tiny son?  Can you see her rock back and forth to comfort her babe?

Thirty years later, behold a dry and barren land.  The voice of John the Baptist cries out in the wilderness. “Make straight the way for the Lord,” he calls to any who will listen.  Now that the crying baby is grown, his cousin John cries for the repentance of his people.

Three years later the mother of Jesus cries.  She weeps at the foot of a rugged Roman cross.  High above is the broken body of her baby boy.  The once tiny babe is grown, and men have nailed him on a cross.  She cries for her son as he suffers and dies.

In just a few days, everything changes. Now those bitter tears, those agonizing cries have turned to miraculous cries of joy.  The son who was crucified on a cross is no longer in the tomb.  He is alive!

As you contemplate these cries, think about your preparations for Christmas.  Did you spend many exhausting hours shopping, wrapping, cooking, cleaning, and baking?  Did you cry in anger, frustration, or fatigue? 

Through your tears, remember, the babe who cried in the manger is the Lord who died on the cross.  He is the same Lord who was resurrected and is alive.  He is the same Lord who washes away our sins so that we, too, may become blameless and live forever in heaven. 

Once again, we hear crying, the crying of our hearts.  We cry, remembering our sins.  We cry in repentance, preparing our hearts for His coming in our lives.  We cry in grief, remembering His sacrifice.  We cry in joy, recognizing His resurrected life in us and anticipating eternity with Him.  We cry tears of delight, for we realize that even though all the preparations are not yet finished, we are, finally, ready for Christmas.

May we never overlook the reason for the celebration.  In all the busyness and scurrying, let us take time to reflect on the miracle of our Lord’s birth. Let us cry tears of repentance and gratefulness, remembering our greatest Christmas gift.  We have worked so hard to prepare for Christmas. May we work just as hard to prepare for His birth and life in our hearts.  May this precious life within us cry out joyfully for all to hear.           

Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.”

Looking Up

“…the world has no charms for me when I look up, but the trouble with God’s children is they do not look up enough.”

– D.L. Moody

Lord, remove my gaze from the charms of the world. Instead, help me keep my focus on You and Your glory.