Encouraging Words for Today

This week I started cleaning out the walk-in closet in our guest bedroom. Well, it’s supposed to be a walk-in closet, but it’s so full I can barely get the door closed. Games, baskets, old files, boxes I haven’t looked at in years. It’s so stuffed with stuff there’s no room for anything important, like, I don’t know, clothes maybe!

Our lives are a lot like our walk-in closet sometimes. We fill our hearts and minds with guilt, hurt feelings, regrets and anger. We fill our days running here and there, wasting precious moments on frivolous wants and needs.

With all this stuff filling our every waking moment and our every thought is it any wonder we have so little room in our lives for things that really matter, you know, things like family, friends, and, oh yeah, God?

Luke 2:7 says Mary, “brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Unfortunately, not much has changed in 2000 years. Too many of us still have no room for Jesus.

This morning Jesus stands at the door of your heart, asking to come in. Open the door and He will help you get rid of all that stuff you don’t need, things like guilt, doubt, hurt and resentment. Without all that junk clogging up your life you’ll be amazed how much better you’ll feel. The best part is you’ll finally have room for Him in your heart.

They say Christmas is a time for giving. If that is so, then yourself the best gift of all. Make room in your life for Jesus!

I remember seeing a story last year about fireman rescuing a young girl trapped in the mudslides in California. The girl was stuck so deep she couldn’t get out by herself. Her rescuers had to get right down in the mud with her to get the leverage necessary to pull her to safety.

That’s what Jesus did for us. Luke 2:7 says, “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger….” Can you imagine this? Jesus, the King of the Universe, adored by countless angels, the creator of all things, humbled himself and became a baby, born in abject poverty, in the lowliest of circumstances. Why would He do this? Why would He stoop so low?

The answer is, because He loved us, and it was the only way to get us out of the mess we were in. Like the mud in California, sin had us trapped and was pulling us under. We couldn’t get out on our own, so Jesus came and jumped into the mud with us. He got down where we were, so He’d have the leverage to lift us up.

Out of His love for us, Jesus got down in the muck and was born in the manger so long ago. He “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8). Because of what He did, “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him….” (Hebrews 7:25).

I don’t care how far you’ve fallen or how thick the mire of sin which has you trapped, Jesus Christ can set you free. This Christmas season, remember the One who got low, because He couldn’t let you go. Grasp His hand by faith today and let Him lift you out of the muck and lead you into a brighter tomorrow.

You’ve all heard expressions like, “Time’s a wastin’,” “Time waits for no man,” and “Time flies when you’re having fun.” We love it when our plane arrives on time, when we have time to waste, and when we see a beautiful sunset and time seems to stand still. Time controls our lives, provides order to our days, and sometimes leaves us stressed, when it slips away to quickly.

Time is a big deal to God. Even though, “A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day” (2 Peter 3:8), He still has “a time for every activity under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Even when it came to the birth of His Son, God had a time set for the prophecies to be fulfilled. Galatians 4:4 tells us, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law” and Luke 2:6 says, while Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, “the time came for her baby to be born.”

Just as God had a time set aside for Jesus to be born, so He has times set to fulfill His plans for your life. Sometimes, when things aren’t going your way, it may seem like God is taking forever to keep His promises, but, if we will just be patient, He will make “everything beautiful for its own time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11.

Just as Mary could not rush Jesus’ birth, so we cannot rush God. He has “a time for every activity under heaven.” Put your trust in Him today and He will cause “everything to work together for the good” – in His time.

“At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire…And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home.” Luke 2:1, 4 NLT.

When I read the verses above this morning I realized going to Bethlehem was not Joseph’s choice. Instead, it says, “he HAD to go…” I can imagine him grumbling as he loaded the donkey, “Stupid Romans! Dragging us halfway across the country just so they can count us.” However, no matter how inconvenient, he and Mary had no choice.

Many times life throws us a curve. Our sights are fixed on the goals we’ve set, but we get forced into a detour. Sickness, a job change, divorce, or some other disruption of our carefully made plans, force us into a course correction. Frustrated, we grumble, “Why is God letting this happen?”

At times like these we need to remember Isaiah 55:8, where God reminds us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” (NIV)

God had a reason for diverting Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. It was essential that Jesus be born there, so there would be no doubt of his royal lineage and to fulfill the prophecy that out of Bethlehem “will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” Matthew 2:6.

Likewise, God has a reason for allowing the detours in your life. He who makes “known the end from the beginning…” (Isaiah 46:10), has plans for your life, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

One thing is certain. There will be detours ahead in your life journey. When they come don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled. God promises “I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Joshua 1:5) Like Joseph and Mary, move forward in faith, trusting the One who journeys beside you. If you let Him He will lead you through safely through to a brighter tomorrow.

God bless and enjoy the journey – detours and all!

One of the frustrating things about getting older is the print keeps getting smaller! I don’t know if this is a diabolical trick publishers use to get us to buy expensive large print books or what, but I don’t like it. Thankfully, there are these wonderful things called “cheaters”, better known as reading glasses, which magnify the words and bring things back into focus.

Most of us, at one time or the other, have had trouble seeing God clearly. Like the tiny print on a pill bottle, He seems out of focus, just a vague, sometimes scary, concept. Our view of Him is blurred by our preconceived notions and limited perception. After all, how can you love a God you cannot see?

Thankfully, God has provided us with “cheaters” so we can read Him better. The most effective “cheater”, of course, is God’s Word, but there is another way God reveals Himself to us – through His people.

Of course we Christians often fail to represent Him very well, but when we fully surrender our lives to Him we become more and more like Him. Through our loving words and kind deeds we help bring God into focus for others, giving them a clearer picture of what He is really like.

In the beautiful Song of Mary, recorded in Luke 1, Mary declares, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” That’s what I want my life to be like. I want to magnify the Lord for everyone I meet. Like “cheaters” help me see the words on the page, I want my words and deeds to help others see Jesus in a whole new light.

This Sabbath morning take a moment and ask God to help you magnify Him by the way you live. Pray that when people look at you, they will see Jesus a little better in some way and learn to trust Him more. Then together, we can all look forward to the day when we can see Him face-to-face – no “cheaters” needed! May that day come quickly, is my prayer!

Have a Happy Sabbath!

God’s word is full of amazing promises. He promises to protect us, prosper us, and guide us. He also promises to forgive our sins, to give us eternal life, and to take us home to live with Him someday soon.

Bibleinfo.com estimates there are 3573 promises in the Bible. With all these wonderful promises, what do we have to worry about? But worry we do! We worry about our jobs, our health, our children, our finances… The list goes on and on.

Mary, when Gabriel announced she would “conceive and give birth to a son” could have freaked out and begun to worry. What would people think? Would Joseph break their engagement? How would she survive? What if she didn’t do a good job raising the child?

However, instead of worrying, Mary chose to believe God’s promises, to trust Gabriel’s assurance that “no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37 NIV) Putting her faith in God, she replied, “I am the Lord’s servant…May your word to me be fulfilled.” (v. 38). And God blessed her because she “…believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (v. 45).

This morning don’t waste your time worrying. Instead, put your trust in God. Remember “The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.” (Psalm 145:13) “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)

When tempted to worry today, open God’s Word instead and claim His promises as your own. Follow Mary’s example and believe the Lord will fulfill His promises to you too!

I remember one winter back in New York when we were all sitting around swapping stories. We’d recently been through a major winter storm and a friend told us about his experience driving in the midst of it.

My friend said the wind was howling and the snow was swirling and all he could see was a fence running along the edge of the road. Using the fence as his guide, he slowly creeped through the blizzard. Soon other cars were lined up behind him, following his lead.

Suddenly, my friend realized something wasn’t right, so he stopped and got out of his car to investigate. Imagine his surprise when he discovered he’d followed the fence line right off the road into the middle of a field! Even worse, the other cars had followed right after him!

The other drivers were furious with him, but my friend just shrugged his shoulders and said, “I didn’t ask you to follow me.”

As we travel through the storms of life we must be very careful whose lead we follow. No matter how wise another person seems or how influential or powerful they may be, we are certain to end up in the middle of a field (or far worse) if we blindly follow their lead.

The truth is the only one we can safely follow is Jesus Christ. He promises, in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This morning make sure you know who you are following. Jesus is the only One who will never lead you astray. Today He says to you, “Come, follow me.” Mark 1:17. Put your trust in Him and He will lead you safely Home.

As I sit in my home office, the snow outside my window is coming down fairly hard. We have about 2 inches on the ground right now and we’re supposed to get several more. The roads are supposed to be pretty slick and my tires aren’t the best. It’s a good day to stay inside and rest and read.

Unfortunately, I’ve got appointments to keep, new tires to buy for my car, and a church board meeting to attend tonight. This storm has come at an inconvenient time, like most storms do. I don’t have time to slow down.

Life can be like this. We’ve got plans, a schedule to keep, places to go, people to see, things to do. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a storm hits, throwing all our carefully laid plans into disarray. A job loss, an illness, a broken relationship, all can send us reeling, struggling to stay on our feet.

It’s in times like these when it’s good to know God is in control. He promises, in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you,…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

We may not understand why storms get in our way, but we don’t have to. Our job is not to understand, but to trust. God knows what He is doing. He’s got a plan and He will bring it to fruition if we will but put our trust in Him.

This morning, if you’re in the midst of a storm, remember there is sunshine on the other side. Don’t give into despair. Don’t lose hope. Trust in God. Cling to the hand of Jesus and He will lead you through the storm into a new and brighter day!

I love the first real snowfall of the season. Last evening it snowed a good portion of the night and I awoke to a world transformed. The hills, a dirty brown yesterday morning, are now a brilliant white, the dead leaves on the ground are covered by a frozen blanket, and tracks go off in different directions where rabbits and deer had wandered. The air is crisp and clean and it just feels good to be alive in such a beautiful place.

God wants to work a similar transformation in our lives today. No matter how dark our past, how dry and barren the landscape of our lives, how loathsome our sin, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

This morning God offers you a new life, a new beginning. He promises, “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

This is why Jesus came, why He was born in a manager and died on a cross, so that you might live, not just today, but forever. This morning accept Jesus as your Savior and, just as the snow transforms our valley, He will change your life forever. Give Him your heart today and He will make you too “whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7.

God bless and Happy Winter!