Devotions

Separation

Published on by Joan

The account of the fall of man is one of the saddest stories in the Bible, if not the worst.  Stop and think about it.  Had Adam and Eve not sinned, nothing else bad in the Bible would have occurred.  We could still be enjoying the Garden of Eden, meeting and walking with the Lord in the evenings.

Let’s read the account:

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”  Genesis 2:15-17 (NIV)

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Let There Be Light

Published on by Joan

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.   And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.  And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.”  So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so.  God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.  And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.  God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.  Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.  The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.  And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.  God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.  God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.  Genesis 1:1-19  (NIV)

Have you ever read a certain passage of scripture hundreds of times and then all of a sudden, when you read it again, you notice something new?  I love it when this happens.  I’m not a Bible scholar so I may not always catch on to things like some do.  Though I have read the creation account many times, one day I noticed the order of the creation was not what I had always envisioned.

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Have a Joyful Christmas

Published on by Joan

Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to be such a busy time.  I have often wished there were a few more weeks in between the two holidays.  I spend time planning the big Thanksgiving meal I prepare for my family and then Christmas seems to sneak up on me.  Unfortunately, I’m not one of those organized persons who starts preparing for Christmas before Thanksgiving even arrives.  I find myself in a rush to complete all the “things” that go with Christmas.  The decorating, the shopping, the cooking, the church events and family get-togethers all compete for time.

But while I was thinking about all of this, I began to think about those who have other more important issues to deal with.  There are some that are struggling with the loss of a loved one.  They are facing the holiday with sadness because it will not be the same for them with that special person gone.  There are those who are struggling with major illnesses and their time is spent receiving treatments, going to doctor visits or unable to get around at all.  There are some who have no family and will spend the holidays alone.

There are some who are financially unable to provide basic needs for their families, much less extravagant gifts.  Our church recently had an event called Clothing the Community.  The public was invited to come in and pick out free, gently used clothing.  There were people of all ages who were so appreciative of the items they were able to get.  Young families with small children were there and it was obvious they really had a need.

Why do we spend so much time on planning and worrying about the holidays instead of observing in our hearts what the holidays are really about?  Maybe I’m asking just myself this question, but with all of the emphasis on Black Friday (that now even starts right in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner time) and the commercialization of Christmas, I feel like I’m not the only one who struggles with a balance.

Consider Thanksgiving.  People will tell each other “Happy” Thanksgiving.  For some, the holiday is not happy.  People will say “Merry” Christmas.  It’s not always a merry time, either.  I am always so pleased when some cashiers or people you meet will say, “Have a blessed holiday.”  Those people seem to get it.  We are a blessed people.  It’s time we count our blessings instead of the presents under the tree.

I recently completed a group Bible study on the book of Philippians.  This book has often been referred to as the Joy book.  Paul wrote the letter while he was in prison.  Yet he stressed that his joy and contentment was in his relationship with Christ, not in his circumstances.

I can’t change society.  I can’t slow down the pace at which the holidays race by.  But I can, and I encourage everyone, to slow down our hearts and minds.  Whether we have plenty or are struggling, whether the holidays are happy and merry or not, we can have joy because of Christ.  And also think about this.  For some people, they may be happy and merry, but have no joy because they do not know Christ.  If you fit in this category, I hope that you will accept Christ as your Savior so that you can really experience the joy that He places deep down in your heart.  Joy that is present even in the midst of whatever struggle is being experienced.  Joy that goes beyond the “happy” and “merry” the world offers.

Out Of The Depths

Published on by Joan

Psalm 130 (NIV)

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;

2 Lord, hear my voice.  Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

8 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. 

 

Do you ever feel like you are as low as you can get?  Like you are in a pit with no way out?  I’ve heard some people say they would get right with God once they get some things straightened out in their life.  I think we sometimes feel like we have to clean ourselves up before we can come to God.  But the truth is that we can do nothing in our own strength to prepare ourselves to come before God.

David knew that he had to call on God from the “depths,” from the place where he found that he had fallen.  It’s not like we have to climb out of the pit to a certain point before we ask God to forgive us.  God already sees us where we are.  He already knows the condition we are in.  Even when we are feeling like we have messed up too much, if we will turn to God, He will lift us up.

In verse 3, David recognized that if God didn’t forgive sin, no one would ever be able to come to Him.  Even the person we may think is the most moral person we have ever met cannot stand before God without sin.  However, David went on to add verse 4.  God does forgive.  He cleanses us from every sin, no matter how bad we think we have messed up.

Then once we are forgiven, we should be like David said in verse 5.  Our “whole being” should be longing, desiring to be as close to God as possible.  After all, apart from God we are worthless.  But with God, with the blood of Christ covering all of our sins, we are as righteous before God as Christ.  So if we can go from worthless to royalty by receiving the wonderful gift of salvation, how can we not want to give all of ourselves to Him?  God’s love is unfailing and His forgiveness is complete.  All we have to do is say, “Out of the depths I cry to You, Lord.”

A Salute To Veterans

Published on by Joan

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our United States Veterans.  I appreciate the sacrifice and service that they have given and are still giving to our country.  I have to admit that since my daughter is a veteran, I now have a greater appreciation of anyone who has given themselves to the cause of protecting our country than I did before she joined the military.  I think when we personally know someone who has been or is still a part of the military, there is a better understanding of the sacrificial decision they made to join.  They took an oath to completely give themselves to our country and to obey the ones in authority over them.  I whole-heartedly admire and respect the men and women who are a part of that distinguished group of American citizens.

Here is a short article giving the history about this important day.

 “A Brief History of Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislation that was passed in 1938, November 11 was “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.'” As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.

In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress — at the urging of the veterans service organizations — amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill ensured three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on Oct. 25, 1971.

Finally on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of Nov. 11, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on Nov. 11.” [1]

 

The word veteran can also be applied to someone who has had a length of time in experience in a certain occupation or was in some specific office or anything else for which they are known.  As I was thinking about the meaning of this word, I began thinking about how I would like to be thought of as a veteran for Christ.  If you read Hebrews chapter 11 (see below), you will find a list of Old Testament men and women who were used mightily by God.  Each time in this chapter when one of the individuals is mentioned, the verse starts with, “By faith..”

It is because of their faith that these people were recognized in this “hall of fame” listing.  They were not living in the time of Christ, yet they still lived their life in obedience to God without the aid of the Holy Spirit living within them as He does in believers today.  (See Hebrews 11:13 and 11:39 below)  I wonder how faithful we could be today without the aid of the Holy Spirit and the written Word of God giving us strength to remain steadfast?  Do we really, without any reservations, sign our lives over completely to Christ?  We often find it hard to be faithful even with the Holy Spirit and the Bible to guide us.

I want to have the kind of steadfast faith that those great saints of God possessed.  We are told in 2 Timothy that we can stand faithful by the grace of God.  We are to be soldiers of Christ.  We do that by not becoming too concerned about things of this world and by striving to please Him by obeying His Word.  Isn’t that like the ones who are a part of the military?  They give up living their lives for themselves and they do what they are told to do by those in command.

I want to make that oath to fully surrender to Christ. I want to be obedient to Him to the point of death.  And I hope someday that when I am “discharged” from this life, I can hear the Commander in Chief tell me, Happy Veterans Day.

 

 

[1] http://www.military.com/veterans-day/history-of-veterans-day.html; accessed 11/11/14

 

Scripture References

 

Hebrews 11 (NKJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.  3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.  4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.  8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.  13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.  17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.  20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.  21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.  22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.  23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.  24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.  27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.  29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.  30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.  32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.  Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.  39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

 

2 Timothy 2:1-4 (NKJV)

2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Lights On, Lights Off

Published on by Joan

The older I get the more I feel like technology is maybe taking over too many activities in our daily lives.  Some things, of course, are good; some others, maybe not so much.  I guess a lot of how much it’s appreciated depends on whether it is reliable or not.  I don’t trust the auto-correct on my phone’s texting feature.  It puts words in my message that I don’t intend to say.  I’ve learned to always re-read my message before I send it.

Other technological advances just simply take the fun out of doing things the old-fashioned way.  My Dad has always burned firewood.  It’s a lot of work to have to go out and cut down a tree, cut it up into pieces small enough to fit into the stove and haul it to the shelter.  Then someone has to keep the wood pile stocked, ready to put in the stove.  It’s a lot of work but worth it.  The fire burning in the stove always seems to me to feel warmer than other types of heating systems.  When the power goes out, the stove not only provides heat but can be used to cook on.  Now, people just push a button and flames magically start burning fake logs.  What fun is there in that? 

The office I work in recently moved to a new location.  One of the new and modern features is the motion sensors on all of the light switches.  You simply have to walk into a room and the light comes on.  Sounds good.  When it works.  Since it is a new system, a lot of the timers are not set right.  I was standing at my filing cabinet and since I was standing still as I was thumbing through some files, the light kept going off every few seconds.  I’d have to wave my arms to get the light to come on.  It would stay on a couple seconds and go off again.

There were some lights that would not go off at all unless you turn them off at the switch.  And there are some that won’t come on at all without touching the switch.  We figured out that on some we even had to turn the breakers in the electrical box off and back on to get them to work.  Everyone is still trying to work out all the bugs. 

When I am sitting at my desk working on the computer, the monitor is in between me and the sensor on the light switch.  The timer is now set on 20 minutes before it will go off, so if I sit there working for that long the light goes off.  I’ve decided that’s my cue to get up and move.  Best ergonomic office feature yet – a reminder to move.  If I don’t want to stop working at that moment, once again I have to wave my arms around to get the light to come back on.

I remember when I was small that my grandparents lived in a house that had a single light bulb in the middle of each room and to turn the light on you had to pull the chain coming down from it.  If it was dark when you entered the room you would just walk to where you thought the overhead light was and start waving your arm around until you finally felt the chain you needed to pull.  The motion sensitive lights in my office remind me of that.  I guess I just need to think of it as getting exercise when I have to wave my arms around.  It just feels silly having to do it.

When I get ready to leave for the day, I walk around and turn the lights off at the switch.  Yes, I know they will eventually turn themselves off, but I’m old-fashioned enough that I don’t like leaving lights on if there’s no reason for them to be on.  However, once you manually turn the lights off, if you re-enter that room before the timer has reset, the light doesn’t come on automatically anymore.  You have to turn it on at the switch.  I just don’t understand why someone wants to make something as simple as turning a light switch on and off so difficult.

Jesus said that we, as believers, are to be the light of the world.  We are to live our lives in such a way that it directs people toward Christ.  Sometimes I think we act like those high-tech lighting systems.  We “come on” when someone is around, but when we sense no one is looking at us any longer, we “turn off.”  We are not supposed to be on again, off again Christians.  We are supposed to be consistently shining our light, showing others the love of Christ.

Some Christians are like the lights in my office that are not working correctly.  They rely on others, a friend or preacher or music, to get them going or “turn” them on.  It’s like they are not connected properly to the Source of light.  We need to make sure our spiritual “breaker box” is in proper working order.  We need to keep our hearts in tune with God through communion with Him in prayer and Bible study.

Some are like the lights on the timers.  When something gets in between me and the sensor on the switch, the light goes off.  When we allow the things of the world to bog us down, to get in between us and our Lord, our light cannot be seen.  It takes us getting up and moving back toward God to once again to be able to shine for Him in this dark world.

The lights at my grandparent’s home are like the unbeliever.  When the Holy Spirit starts drawing them, they have to respond.  They need to go before God waving their arms in surrender and reaching toward Him.  Christ then puts His light in their hearts and they will “stay on.”

Then there are those who do consistently live a godly life, striving to allow God to always shine through all they do.  That’s what I want to be like.  I want to live so that the light always shines until God, at His appointed time, decides to “turn off” my light here on earth and allow me to live forever where there is no more darkness.  And no more light switches.

Matthew 5:16  (NKJV)

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Revelation 21:22-24  (NKJV)  (The Glory of the New Jerusalem)

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. 24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

Labor Day Rest

Published on by Joan

I enjoy the Labor Day holiday.  A free day off of work where I can do whatever I want to do.  For some reason to me it feels completely different from being off on a Saturday.  On Saturdays I do all the house cleaning and grocery shopping and it really is not a very relaxing day.  I always feel like that is a day that I have to catch up on all the work I can’t seem to get done during the week.  Then Sundays are a day or worship.  A time to join with fellow believers at church to hear God’s word and enjoy a spiritual refreshing.  Before I know it, the weekend is gone and it’s back to work.

But Labor Day seems like a bonus.  The house work is done and I get to choose to do something enjoyable.  It’s a day for cook-outs and get-togethers with family and friends.  Did you know God also initiated a Labor Day?   It was a day the people were to do no work.  Now, many are probably thinking that the day of rest I am referring to is the Sabbath, or now, our Lord’s Day.  Yes, God commanded people to remember the Sabbath because He had created the world in six days and on the seventh He rested.

However, there are other times that God told the people not to work. If you read in the Book of Leviticus, God gives in detail a list of festivals the people were to observe.  To be honest, I never really liked the book of Leviticus because I would think I didn’t really need to know about all of the laws the people had to observe.  There were specifics about everything and frankly, I found it difficult to keep my mind on what I was reading.  Until a certain phrase suddenly started to get my attention.

“You must deny yourselves and do no work.”  Leviticus 16:29 NIV.  The KJV says, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all.”

I had to read that a second and then a third time.  I know some people really love their jobs, but me, if I’m told I need to take a day off, it doesn’t feel like I’m denying myself of very much.  “Deny yourselves,” to me would mean not having that bowl of ice cream that I’d really like to have.  So I thought that passage deserved a little more contemplation.

I read chapter 16 and chapter 23 of Leviticus and then the same thing is mentioned again in Numbers 29.  These passages, as I have already said, talks about various feasts the people were to observe.  The first festival was for the Day of Atonement.  The whole chapter of Leviticus 16 is devoted to this event.  This festival was when the people gathered together and offered blood offerings for the forgiveness of their sins.  But there was so much more to it.  This is what Leviticus 23 says about the Day of Atonement.

26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 27 “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. 28 And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. 30 And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.”  Leviticus 23:26-32 NKJV

It was a very serious and solemn occasion, not to be taken lightly.  Verse 27 says it’s a holy time.  When it says to “afflict your souls,” the people were to come before a holy God, with a spirit of deep repentance and in fasting.  Also, because this was considered a holy time, the people were to treat the say as if it was a Sabbath and not do any work.  God also gives a warning in verses 29 and 30.  Those who did not come in deep repentance or the person who performed work, which would signify they did not consider the day holy, would be cut off, or killed.  It wasn’t just the offering of an animal, but the offering up of themselves in repentance.  Then as they repented, the sacrificial offering of blood was made.  Sound familiar?  It’s not enough for us to come before a holy God with an offer to follow Him.  In order to really be forgiven, we come in complete brokenness and repentance, and then the blood of Christ will cleanse us of our sins.

Some of the other feasts written about in Leviticus 23 were feasts to commemorate and celebrate various events.  Such as the Passover, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Tabernacles and a couple more.  Even though these were more of a time of celebration, God still told the people that they must deny themselves of any work and take the day to rest and reflect on the provisions and faithfulness of God.

When I stopped and really studied on the requirement from God to rest from the labor of work, I realized it was more than just a day off.  Just like our Sundays should be more than just a day to go to church.  God created us and He knows the need for us to have physical rest.  But He is also wanting us to take time to dwell on His goodness and graciousness.  To remember the times that He has faithfully provided for all of our needs.  To praise Him for the gift of His Son and the forgiveness of our sins.

But there is one more great, big Labor Day coming.  Just as God rested from His labor of creating the world; and just like Christ completed His task on earth and now lives with the Father, one day we will enter into that rest, too.

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.”  Hebrews 4:9-11 NIV

Those of us who are Christians will one day have a day of rest that will last for eternity.  A day when all of our cares and problems will be no more.  And feasting?  There will be a wonderful supper that we will share with Christ that we cannot even fathom in our human minds.  I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to that day off of work.

A Child’s Prayer

Published on by Joan

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I shall die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen. [1]

Do you remember this little children’s bedtime prayer?  I remember saying it when I was a child and then I taught it to my children when they were young.  It was wonderful listening to their young voices saying the prayer, yet I wondered if they really understood what they were saying.  Then as they matured and began to understand what God had done for them through Christ, their prayers also matured.  No longer was the child-like prayer said out of habit, but their hearts truly started communing with their Savior.

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

One day as I was reading in the Psalms, I came across a verse I had never really seen.  Isn’t it amazing how you can read the Bible over and over and still see something new after reading a passage for the hundredth time?  The verse that stood out to me was Psalm 3:5. “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.” (NKJV)  I immediately thought of that children’s prayer when I read that verse.  Another verse is Psalm 4:8 says, “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

When we have a personal relationship with Christ, we can lie down in peace, knowing that He will take care of us.

Proverbs 3:24 (NKJV)

“When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.”

And the reason we can have that assurance is because our God never sleeps.  Notice this Psalm.

Psalm 121:1-8 (NKJV)

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.”

I Pray The Lord My Soul To Keep

Not only can we lie our heads down in peace, we can be assured that He is the keeper of our souls.  We don’t have to be anxious of what may come.  We can rest knowing that the God that watches over our night, is the same God who patterns our day.

Psalm 62:1-2 (NKJV)

“Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.”

 

Psalm 94:19 (NKJV)

“In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.”

 

Psalm 116:7-8 (NKJV)

“Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.”

If I Should Die Before I Wake

One of the blessed hopes about being a Christian is knowing that we don’t have to fear death.  Not that any of us are in a hurry to experience it, but we can have the assurance that when we die, we will spend eternity in heaven.  Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we are His forever.  Nothing can keep us from going to heaven, so we can lay our heads down at night knowing that God could bless us with another day here on earth, or He will bless us by allowing us to wake up in heaven with Him.  Either way, we win.

John 10:27-29 (NKJV)

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

 

Psalm 116:15 (NKJV)

“Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.”

 

I Pray The Lord My Soul To Take

The older I get, I find myself many times longing for heaven.  It seems to get harder and harder to live in this sinful world.  God’s favor has really been on the church I attend.  Many times, especially on Sunday nights, the presence of the Holy Spirit is so strong that the congregation will stand and sing praise song after praise song, truly worshipping the Lord.  I love those moments of real worship, but I also realize that those times here on earth are not even a drop in the bucket to what being in the actual presence of the Lord in heaven will be like.  It’s in those moments that my heart is “praying the Lord my soul to take.”

2 Corinthians 5:1-8 (NKJV)

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

 

Revelation 14:12-13 (NKJV)

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

 

I think as adults we think that those simple little prayers that we teach our children to pray are only prayers for childhood.  After we grow up we are supposed to have grown-up prayers.  Right?  Yes, our prayers can be more in depth, more encompassing, but the value of the children’s prayers are the simple, amazing truths that the words convey.  We don’t need to have a lot of words or flowery language.  God just wants us to commune with Him.  So as we lay down our heads tonight, may we simply pray with simple child-like faith, knowing He hears every word.

 

White Exteriors

Published on by Joan

I have a white car.  I have always heard people say that white cars do not show dirt as well as other colors.  I have never really thought that, but I guess from a distance the car still looks white even when it’s not clean.  However, on closer inspection, the dirt can clearly be seen.

I washed my car this past Saturday morning.  I had not washed it in several weeks and after the rain and storms we had for several days, it looked quite unclean from all the dirt spraying up off the road.  I generally keep the inside clean.  I make sure any trash I have in the car is cleaned out every time I return home.  I even use towels to cover the seats to protect them if I have worked out and have become dirty and sweaty.

As I washed the car and began to see the big difference between the brightness of the white, clean parts and the dirtiness of the unclean parts, I began to think about spiritual things.   As Christians, when we have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, He washes away our sin and we become white as snow.  Our hearts and souls are forever sealed.  He is continually sanctifying us, just as I continually keep the inside of my car clean.  His blood covers and protects us just as my towels protect my seats.

But the outside is a little different.  We still have our sinful nature that we have to deal with every day.  We still sin and get dirty.  Storms come and when we have to fight the attacks of Satan, we can get “muddied” up.  That’s like my white car.  It’s always going to be white, but it gets dirty through daily travels and storms that cause dirt to splash on it.  From a distance, we may appear to others that we have things all together, just like my car looks clean from a distance.  But up close, we know when things are not right, not clean.  It’s then that Christ can wash us as we keep returning to Him for cleansing.

Peter was taught this in the following passage.

John 13:1-11  (NKJV)

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.  2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”  7 Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”  8 Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”  Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”  9 Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”  10 Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”

Scofield’s Reference Notes says this about verse 10:

[1] “So the believer is cleansed as before the law from all sin “once for all” Hebrews 10:1-12 but needs ever to bring his daily sins to the Father in confession, that he may abide in unbroken fellowship with the Father and with the Son 1 John 1:1-10. The blood of Christ answers forever to all the law could say as to the believer’s guilt, but he needs constant cleansing from the defilement of sin;”

(The verses referenced above are at the bottom of the page.)

Once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we are His forever.  Our insides, our hearts, are covered in His blood and when God the Father sees us, He sees His Son’s blood.  Therefore, we are free and clean from our sins before Him.

But on the outside, we still get dirty.  We have to continually come before Christ asking for forgiveness.  It’s an on-going process, just as I have to keep washing my car to keep it clean.  So the next time you see a white car, stop and ask yourself – “What does my exterior look like?”

 

 

Hebrews 10:10-14 NKJV

10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

 

1 John 1:5-10  (NKJV)

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Job – Blameless and Upright

Published on by Joan

Job 1:1-3, 6-8 (NKJV)

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”  So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”  8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

I have often been fascinated with the Book of Job.  Every time I read through it, I find more lessons to learn. 

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