Mindful....

 The moon has a giant ring around it tonight.  I am told this is the third night in a row for such a sight from our viewpoint.  I didn't see it on the other nights, but on this Christmas Eve, I have witnessed it.   

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:3-4)

Our Creator God, in all His divinity, capable of speaking into existence that same moon....cares for me. 

And you.

We are decieved sometimes when we believe the enemy lies that God doesn't see or care about our situations. 

But on this Eve of celebrating His birth, one look at that moon brings His truth and promise back to my mind. 

He IS mindful of me.
So mindful that He saw fit to speak into existence a Son. 

A Son born to die.  Not just His own human death, but the death due me because of my own shortcomings.  

 "..the wages of sin is death.." (Romans 6:23)
Oh Lord Jesus, when I look up and see the evidence of Your creative power and the evidence of Your sustaining power...

I am assured that You are able to "Create in me a pure heart.... and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  (Psalm 51:10)  "Your Hand will sustain me; Your arm will strengthen me." (Psalm 89:21 personalized by me)

As my eyes gaze up at the moon, I see evidence.

And as I reflect my life and the lives of those so dear to me...I see evidence. 

I see Your fingerprints and Your handiwork. 








 Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights above.
 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
  Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.
  Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.
  Let them praise the name of the LORD, for at his command they were created,
  and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away.

  Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
  lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,
  you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
  wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,
  kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,
  young men and women, old men and children.

  Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

And he has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his faithful servants, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the LORD. (Psalm 148)
Hallelujah















 

Reflections: Ponder...

Reflections: Ponder...: "Twas the night before Christmas, when all thru the house..." "...the time came for the baby to be born"(Luke 2:6 NIV) This Eve of C...

Reflections: Mary, did you know?....

Reflections: Mary, did you know?....: Mary, did you know? Again at Christmas time, I find myself trying to put myself in Mary’s place. Young, common, the future settled… Or s...

Occupy....

Occupy.... Webster says it means to hold.  To use. To take possession.

In Genesis 13, God pointed in all directions and told Abraham that everything he saw would be his.

"The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;  for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever."
(Genesis 13:14-15)  How could all that land be Abrams?  There were people living there. On top of that, Lot had gone in one of those directions, with all his belongings, and claimed part of that same land.


Lot had originally tagged along with Abram.  Abram had followed in obedience when God directed him to leave his homeland and go  "...to a place I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)

Lot followed Abram. (...and Lot benefited from following an uncle who followed God.)

Now,  Lot has the best pastures, and Abram has the promise of God. 

And Abram had instructions....  "Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you." (Gen. 12:17)

 


As I studied that passage, I thought about Jesus parable about the ten servants who were given ten pounds.  They were told to "...Occupy till I come."  (Luke 19:13 KJV)

Each of the ten servants were provided with equal resource to 'occupy til I come'.

Abram was given resources. 
Abram was given promises.
And Abram was instructed to walk out and into that promise. 
He was told to occupy what was given to him.

Today, I am given resources. I have the Holy Spirit of God, and His Sword of the Spirit, recorded in scripture.

I am given salvation.  Free for the taking.

I just have to believe it is mine, and walk in it. 

I purpose today to walk in the promised land of my salvation. 

Lips....

Lips….

I hadn’t really noticed that word in scripture before. Recently, I heard a radio speaker quote a passage that got my attention.

"There is gold, and an abundance of jewels; But the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing” (Proverbs 20:15)
What in the world are lips of knowledge? Whatever it is…it is very valuable. Obviously.

Well, let’s see…..

• Lips are attached to my mouth.
• Words come out of my mouth.
• Knowledge comes from the task of learning, either by exercise of mind and resources……or experience.
• What I learn from study or observation is stored in my mind….( granted, hard to recall sometimes. )
• What I learn by experience is never forgotten. (….especially the hard painful lessons…!! )
 
　
　
So…why the high value?

　
　
What I speak and communicate out of what I have learned is valuable.
What I speak and communicate out of what I know that I know I know…..is priceless to me. And valuable to others.

Those of us who understand the language of Christianese call it ‘testimony’

And those who listen to testimonies from those who know that they know that they know Jesus Christ….must find an audience. An audience who may or may not recognize the value of ‘lips of knowledge’.
 
Those of us who know that we know that we know Jesus Christ have something very valuable, and we must speak that valuable knowledge of Him, especially to those who do not know that they know Him.
　

             
(….and yes, I know that I know that I know that I know Him. Do you? )

Gimme.....

Gimme…

Yep. It’s a word. I Googled it.

It is a golf term, but unless you are a golfer, you define it as demanding material things. At least I do….

We live in a gimme world. Enough is never enough it seems. Christmas magnifies it.

　

Think about the ‘gimme’ mentality of the young man we call ‘the prodigal son’. Jesus tells the story in Luke 15.

"There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' "So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. (Luke 15:11-13)


An insult really. Inheritances are to be had AFTER the death of someone, and this young man can’t wait for his father to die. Gimme.
What is even more incredible is that the father did give. It causes me to wonder what I would have done. My mind plays out several scenarios, the first of them being an insulted hissy fit. (…if you know what ‘gimme’ means, you’ll know what a ‘hissy fit’ is….)


This father trusted God to deal with his son. In the face of rebellion and disrespect, he allowed the son to have his way. Really…what good would it have done to have refused? The desire was there in the son’s heart.

And only God can change a heart.

Trust...

Preparing to speak to 2 & 3 year old children, I found myself trying to find a way to communicate the idea of trust.

One of my most treasured Words from God is about trust. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding..."(Proverbs 3:5)

We speak of faith and trust.  We sing about trust and obedience.  But even when I am obeying, am I really trusting? 

I must confess that often, my obedience is not bathed in trust.  Sometimes my obedience is out of pure choice, hoping for the best...often after I've exhausted all my own resources.



Again, I thank God for showing me how Jesus deals with my issue.

"... if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!"   And Jesus said to him,

" 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."  Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief." (Mark 9:222-25)

This man had a problem he couldn't fix.  He knew Jesus had done some pretty awesome things, and asked for His help. 

That little word 'if' this father uttered brought him face to face with a crisis of faith.  He was challenged to believe that Jesus can do ANY thing....and trust Jesus.

Trust that He will do the RIGHT thing.

Oh Lord God, help my unbelief.