God's Everything

"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness."  Colossians 2:9-10a

The Reverend Ron Dunn used to say,  "Jesus is God's everything!"  The earmarks of our Christmas celebration highlight some of the major needs of man, and they are fulfilled in Jesus.

We string lights on our Christmas trees and our houses in an effort to counter the darkness of a sinful, painful world and the starkness of our everyday existence.  Jesus is the Light of this dark, evil world, and He brings goodness, brightness, and cheerfulness to our day-to-day lives.  Just as we use bright colors in ribbon, wrapping paper, and decorations, Jesus colors our lives with hope, peace, and joy.

Think of the wonderful, familiar music of Christmas.  Jesus brings music to the souls of those who walk closely with Him.

We give gifts in an effort to express recognition, appreciation, and love in a tangible way.  God has given us the greatest Gift ever given to show us how high and deep and wide His love is for us.  At Christmas we give generously to those who are less fortunate materially, and God gives to us, not only generously, but lavishly.  In fact, all good gifts ultimately come from God.

During the holidays we gather with family and friends with a desire to be loved.  Just as we are born into a physical family when we are babies, when we become Christians, God places us into His forever family with many brothers and sisters.  The fatherhood of God presupposes the brotherhood of man.  And Jesus is our Best Friend who sticks with us through all the parts of life.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the supernatural, the miraculous entered this natural world.  When we light the Christ candle on the Advent Wreath, or as we ponder how we have celebrated the coming of Christ into the world, let us remember always that He is our Light, our Hope, our Peace, our Joy, our Love, our Gift, our Best Friend, and our Miracle--our Everything.

Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus and everything You have given us with Him.  Amen.

Love in Action

"Greater love has no man than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  John 15:13

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8

The world thinks of love as a sentimental, mushy kind of feeling.  Often worldly love is love because--you are attractive, etc., or love if--you do what pleases me, etc.  But Biblical love is love in spite of.  I loved my husband in spite of the fact that he was messy.  He loved me in spite of my tendency to pout when I was not pleased.  We loved each other in spite of all our shortcomings.

Biblical love is an action verb.  Biblical love forgives.  Proverbs 10:12 says,  "Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs."  Ephesians 4:32 instructs us to "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."  Notice the actions, both what to do and what not to do, in the familiar passage of 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,  "Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, 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."  Biblical love is tough.  It hangs in there when the going gets rough.  If you want to know how you are doing in loving Biblically, put your name everywhere these verses say "love" and read this passage.  Are all these things true of you?

Biblical love encourages.  There are givers and there are takers in life.  Those who love Biblically are primarily givers.  Love is unselfish.  It focuses on others and sincerely cares about them.  Jesus told us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  1 Corinthians 8:1b says, "Knowledge puffs up while love builds up.” Hebrews 10:24-25a has this message,  "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another..."

Biblical love sacrifices.  "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8.  The highest expression of love man has ever known occurred when Jesus left heaven with all his glory and honor there to come to earth in the form of a man, subjecting His deity to humanity's limitations and dying on the cross for us.  That's what love looks like in action.

Father, since You have loved us, make us willing to allow You to love others through us with Your love.  Amen.

Jesus Gives Us Joy

"But the angel said to them,  "Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."  Luke 2:10

The coming of Jesus into the world is an event which brings us joy deep within our hearts. Jesus told His disciples,  "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11) What did Jesus tell His disciples that brought them such joy? The verses that precede John 15:11 answer our question. They say,  "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love." (John 15:9-10)  This is great good news--the omnipotent God who created and sustains this vast universe loves us. These words of Jesus are for us as well as for His disciples.

How should we respond to such a great love from God Himself? Scripture gives us direction. Psalm 47:1 says, "Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy..."  Verses 1-2 in Psalm 66 say, "Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious." Isaiah 12:5 exhorts us to "Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world."

Not only do we rejoice and worship and praise God, but we pass the wonder of it all on to others. Paul said to Philemon, "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people." (Philemon 1:7) Is there someone who needs your encouragement today?

We walk in obedience to God's commands because He loves us and we love Him. John wrote in 2 John 1:4, "It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”

The book of Jude closes with a beautiful doxology of praise which stems from the joy Jesus gives to those who are His. May it lead us in our worship of the Lord today.

Jude 1:24-25, "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy--to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore.  Amen.”

Maintaining Peace

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful."  Colossians 3:12-15

Peace is an elusive commodity in this old world.  From suicide bombers and all the other terrorist acts overseas to fractured relationships with other people to the tragedies of life that may befall us, it seems that the disturbance of peace lurks around every corner.  Is there anything we can do to keep peace in our lives?

There are several aspects to peace.  For instance, there are many calamities of life which we are helpless to prevent, but trusting God through the ones that come to us helps us go through them with peace in our hearts.  God promises to give His perfect peace to those who put their trust in Him. We need to keep our peace with God by obeying His commands and confessing and repenting right away when we sin.

One of the most painful disturbances of our peace comes when we quarrel with someone we love.  It helps us maintain a peaceful life when we deal with love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness to the people in our lives.  We are particularly exhorted to keep the unity and the peace which Jesus has given to His body, the church.  We have some important bonds with our fellow believers.  D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said,  "We are all equally sinners...We are all equally helpless...We have all come to one and the same Savior...We have the same salvation...We have the same Holy Spirit...We have the same Father...And finally, we are all marching and going together to the same eternal home.  It is a knowledge and appreciation of these things that will draw us together."

So, not only do I wish you a Merry Christmas, but I wish you a Christmas filled with God's peace in your heart and in your relationships.

Father, thank You for that peace that passes understanding that is available to us.  What a precious gift.  Amen.

Threat or Promise

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

I recently passed a billboard which said,  "When you die, you will face God."  Let me ask you a question.  How do you feel about that statement, that "When you die, you will face God"?  Do you consider it a threat or a promise?  Those who are threatened by it most likely have never trusted Jesus to be their Savior, so they are without His help, without hope for the future, and without God in their lives.  Their future prospects are worse than dismal, and the only resources they have are the ones they themselves can generate.

If, on the other hand, the promise of meeting God fills you with great anticipation at being face to face with your heavenly Father who created and adopted you; and with your Savior, who died so you could be forgiven and become a member of God family; and with the Holy Spirit who guides, comforts and empowers those who belong to God, you are greatly blessed.  Your life is infused with God's supernatural power and wisdom.  Regardless of your circumstances on earth, you have the hope of a glorious future.  The Baby of Bethlehem, whose birth we celebrate during the Christmas season, has brought help for the helpless, hope for the hopeless, and lives in the hearts of all who belong to God through Him.  And the invitation to come to Christ is open to all who want to do so and will put their faith in Him.

    

Father, today I pray for all those who do not know You through your Son.  May they realize that a threatening future can become the precious promise of God when they trust Jesus as Savior, and may they act on that knowledge.  Amen.

We Would Like to See Jesus

“…we would like to see Jesus.”  John 12:21

One year, several days before Christmas, I put a manger scene on the table in my entry hall.  Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus were placed inside the stable.  The wise men and some shepherds were gathered closely around the stable, worshipping the baby.  Some camels, a cow, some sheep, and a goat completed the grouping.

My granddaughter, Mary Frances, who was 3 years old, walked over to see the crèche.  She took one look and began rearranging the figures, pulling the animals, the shepherds, and the wise men back away from the manger.  When I asked her why she was doing that, her reply was God’s Christmas message to me.  She said, “So I can see Jesus.”

This was a reminder to me of how easy it is to allow other things to obscure my view of Jesus and how important it is to move aside anything that blocks my sight of Him.

Hebrews 12:2, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”

Lord Jesus, may I never allow anything to keep me from seeing you.  Amen.

Appreciation

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."  James 1:17

Everything we have and everything we are has come to us as gifts from God. Jesus reminded us of that in the last part of John 15:5, when He said, "Apart from me you can do nothing." Think about it. Apart from God we would never have been born. Apart from Him, our hearts would cease to beat and our lungs would stop breathing. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are completely dependent upon the God Who created us to sustain us.

I have seen this question two or three times lately,"If today you had only what you thanked God for yesterday, what would you have?" Just how appreciative are we of all that God has done for us and given us? A little chorus says, "God is so good," and then "God is so good to me!" If God has been good to us, He is certainly due our appreciation, our gratitude, our praise, and our worship. It is a good thing to set aside one day a year to give thanks to God as a nation, but surely we should thank Him everyday and often more than once a day, because He lavishes His blessings upon us, not only daily, but many times during the day. Lamentations 3:22-23 says,  "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Challenge: Try thanking God every night when you go to bed for five specific things He has given you or done for you that day.  Caution: this may be habit forming. I hope it is. Happy Thanksgiving!

Father, thank You for life and salvation and all of Your multitudinous blessings.  May we live in a constant attitude of appreciation and thankfulness for all You have done for us and all You have given us.  Amen.     

Joshua and the Battle of Jericho

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.”  Joshua 6:2

Joshua probably needed some extra encouragement when he heard God’s unusual battle plans for Jericho. Certainly no other city has ever been conquered that way.  Even so, Joshua obeyed God explicitly, and God honored his obedience by giving him victory over the city.

Jericho was a well guarded city.  It was built on a mound, which made it harder to attack.  It had two walls.  There was a six foot thick wall around the edge of the mound.  Twelve to fifteen feet inside the first wall was a second wall which was twelve feet thick and possibly as high as thirty to thirty five feet.  The city was crowded, so people built houses in the spaces between the two walls.  Rahab’s house may have been one of these.

God loves to use plans that seem foolish to the world.  Then God gets the credit for what He has done. We find the plan in Joshua 6:3-5, “March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

If you had been Joshua, what would you have thought of God’s plan?  Much to Joshua’s credit, he had the people do exactly what God had instructed.

James Montgomery Boice, “The thing that most honors God and that God most delights to honor is obedience...Not only is there no substitute for obedience to God, there is no substitute for obedience in all particulars--to the very end.  And when God does not act as quickly as we think He should or precisely in the way we are convinced He should act, we are still not justified in pulling back or adopting an alternative procedure.”

Joshua and the Israelites followed God’s instructions exactly.  Joshua 6:15-16, 20 tells us the result of their obedience, “On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times.The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, ‘Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!’...When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.”

Before the wall of Jericho collapsed, God had given some specific instructions.  He said that only Rahab and all who were in her house were to be spared.  Joshua sent the two men who had spied out the land to rescue Rahab and everyone who was in her house.  They kept their promise to Rahab and rescued Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her.  As God is faithful to us, He desires for us to be faithful to others.

Father, great is Your faithfulness to me.  May I be faithful to my family, my friends, and most of all to You.  Amen.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."  I John 4:10

The word that comes to my mind on Veteran's Day is sacrifice. One definition for the word "sacrifice" in Webster's Dictionary is: "the surrender or destruction of something valued for the sake of something else."  

    

Mothers sacrifice time, energy, and good nights of unbroken sleep for the sake of their children. Daddies sacrifice their time and energy and things they would like to do for themselves in order to provide financially for their families or toss a football or baseball with their kids. Soldiers, sailors, marines, and members of the Air Force sacrifice time at home with their families and put themselves in danger. They may be wounded or killed for our freedom.  

Of course, Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice. Imagine leaving the glory and splendor of heaven where He was omniscient, all powerful, sovereign, worshiped by angels, and adored by all in the heavenly realm, and coming to this old earth as a helpless baby. Imagine rubbing elbows with sinful people all around. Imagine having no home, walking dusty roads, and being tired, hungry, and thirsty for the sake of others. Imagine being stripped of clothes, being whipped, mocked, and crowned with thorns. And imagine being nailed to a cross and being left there until death eased His intense pain and humiliation.  Imagine choosing to do this for all of us. That's what love does. It sacrifices.

Father, thank You for all the people who have sacrificed for us.  Thank You for Your sacrifice in giving Your Son.  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth and dying for us.  May we be willing to sacrifice with love for others.  Amen.

(reposted from May 2014)

Rahab and the Spies

"Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim.  'Go, look over the land,' he said, 'especially Jericho.'"  Joshua 2:1a

It is good military strategy to know the enemy and what to expect before going into battle.  Joshua sent the spies out privately, and they reported to him privately.  He didn't want to run the risk of frightening the people with an unfavorable report.

The spies went to the house of a prostitute.  Two strange men could enter there without being particularly noticed.  It was a good place to get information and hide.  But there was a much more important reason why Rahab's house was chosen.  Both Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25 indicate that Rahab had put her faith in God before the spies ever came to Jericho.

Rahab hid the spies and helped them escape from the city, but she asked that she and her family be spared when the Israelites attacked Jericho.  She gave words of confirmation which surely encouraged Joshua when she told the spies,  "I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.  We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.  When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone's courage failed because of you," [and here is Rahab's confession of faith] "for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below."  Joshua 2:9-11.

The spies promised to save Rahab and her family if she would gather her family into her house and tie a scarlet cord in the window  to identify it during the invasion.  Rahab met both conditions.  Rahab exercised faith in God and followed up that faith with actions that showed her belief.  James says true faith will be accompanied by works, by action.

The scarlet cord represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  It reminds us of the Passover when the Jews who had believed God and marked their door frames with lamb's blood were protected from the death angel.

Rahab's family could be saved only if they met the conditions of the spies by gathering in the house and hanging the scarlet cord in the window.  People can be saved spiritually only if they meet God's conditions by placing their faith in Christ and taking Him as Savior.  All who come to God by faith are accepted equally.  There is a saying,  "The ground is level at the foot of the cross."  This Canaanite prostitute appears in the genealogy of King David and of Jesus.

Thank You, Father, that You accept all people who come to You by faith in Your Son and take them into Your forever family.  Amen.

Complainers

"Do everything without complaining or arguing."  Philippians 2:14

Have you ever gotten tired of hearing someone's complaints?  Did you ever have a child who whined often?  Have you ever asked someone how they are, and they told you in great detail, giving you much more information than you wanted to hear and none of it good?

The Israelites were world class complainers.  And God grew weary of hearing them grumble the same old tired phrases.  Numbers 21:5,  "They spoke against God and against Moses, and said, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?  There is no bread!  There is no water!  And we detest this miserable food!'"  Same song, umpteenth verse.

God had heard enough!  He sent poisonous snakes into their midst.  Many of the people were bitten, and some of them died.  The Israelites came to Moses and confessed that they had sinned.  Then they asked Moses to pray that God would take the snakes away.  God did an unusual thing in answer to Moses' prayer.  He instructed Moses to make a snake and fasten it to a pole.  Anyone who was bitten could look at the snake and live.  Moses made a bronze snake and put it on a pole as instructed.  Those who had been bitten lived if they looked up at the snake.  They had to believe what God had said, and look to prove their faith in His words, in order to be healed.

The bronze snake on the pole foreshadows Jesus on the cross.  The complaining of the Israelites represents our sins.  We are helpless to escape the consequences of our sins, but, just as God made a way for those who had been bitten to live, He made a way for sinners--and that means all of us--to be forgiven and have eternal life.  If we look to Jesus in faith, all our sins will be forgiven, and we will escape the punishment we are due.

Jesus recognized the connection between the bronze snake on the pole and the cross when He said,  "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him."  John 3:14-15

Father, thank You for providing a way for people to be forgiven and have eternal life through the death of Your Son on the cross.  Amen.

Trust and Obey

From the song, “Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Swindoll says, “Numbers tells the story of a tragic pilgrimage where people who knew better didn’t do better and suffered the consequences.”  An 11 day journey stretched into 38 years because the Israelites failed to obey God when he told them to go in and occupy the land of Canaan.  They did not trust God to give them what He had promised. God was very angry with his people. Again, Moses interceded for them and again, God answered Moses’ prayer and spared them.  But He told them that all the people who were 20 years old or older would die before the Israelites could enter Canaan, all except Joshua and Caleb who had trusted God and urged the people to obey Him.

The people mourned because of God’s words.  The next morning they got up and decided to enter Canaan after all. Moses warned them not to go.  It was too late for them to obey God and go in.  They went anyway, but the Amalekites and Canaanites defeated them because they took matters into their own hands rather than obeying God.  

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron.  They were jealous of Moses’ authority and leadership position, and they accused Moses and Aaron of exalting themselves.  Moses and Aaron appealed to God.  The next day God caused an earthquake to swallow up the rebels and their families and fire to consume some of the rebels’ followers.  God takes sin very seriously.

The Israelites came to Kadesh in the desert of Zin and there was no water for them to drink. They complained to Moses and Aaron as usual.  Moses and Aaron took the problem to God, and God pointed out a rock.  He told Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock in front of the people.  Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, but they disobeyed God’s instructions.  Moses didn’t speak to the rock; he hit it twice with his staff instead.  And Moses said to the gathered crowd, “Listen, you rebels, must WE bring you water out of this rock?”  Moses was planning to take credit for what God was going to do.  God was very displeased.  Many acts of obedience do not make up for any act of disobedience.  God did not allow Moses and Aaron to enter the promised land as punishment.  Leaders are held to a stricter standard because they are role models, and their punishment serves as an example for others.  It doesn’t matter who we are or what we have done for God or what excuses we have; God always expects obedience.  No one is exempt!

Father, may we always trust and obey You.  Amen.

A Majority Report and a Minority Report

“They gave Moses this account…”, Number 13:27a

As the Israelites drew near to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, God instructed Moses to send 12 men, one from each tribe, to spy out the land and bring back a report.  The men were chosen, and they spent 40 days traveling throughout Canaan. When they returned, they brought a cluster of grapes so large two men carried it on a pole between them. All twelve men agreed that it was a very fertile land. Numbers 13:27, “They gave Moses this account:  ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey [as God had promised them].  Here is its fruit.”  So far, so good.

Ten of the spies reported that there were many people there and that the cities were fortified.  They said that the men of Canaan were so large that they felt like grasshoppers beside them.  The majority report concluded that the Israelites would be unable to take over the land they had seen.  These men operated out of fear, and this fear spread to all the Israelites.  They had left their all powerful God out of the equation.

Joshua and Caleb took God into consideration and gave a minority report.  Numbers 13:30, “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it.’”

What can we do when we are faced with what appears to be an overwhelming challenge?  Does it help to turn away in fear?  Fear limits our lives, putting constraints on our actions and preventing us from expanding our lives.  2 Timothy 1:7 in the NASB tells us, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline.”  Who do you suppose wants us to cower with fear?

Probably you have heard the saying, “God and I are a majority.”  It is true.  With God on your side, you can venture forth with courage--which is doing whatever even though you are afraid--and become victorious over the giants of challenge in your life.  We can either quake with fear and draw back or trust God and march forward.  Which will you choose?

Elizabeth Cheney wrote,

Said the robin to the sparrow,

"I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

rush about and worry so."

Said the sparrow to the robin,

"Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no Heavenly Father

such as cares for you and me."

Dear God, thank You that you are a Heavenly Father Who cares for each of Your creatures including me.  Amen.

The Strong Should Help the Weak

"We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves."  Romans 15:1

     My pastor Mat wrote me,  "Once when I was dealing with a difficult person, my father-in-law encouraged me with these words,  "It's the job of the strong to take care of the weak."  His words made Mat feel that his father-in-law understood his situation and that, in that case, Mat was the stronger party.  As such, this behooved him to be patient and caring toward the other person.  God has given us strength and wisdom and other resources to use in helping others.  What a joy to have this perspective on what otherwise might be tedious, trying situations.
     There is a great example of the stronger helping the weaker in Numbers 12.  Moses' brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, began to criticize Moses.  They talked against him because of his Cushite wife and his position of leadership among the Israelites.  Number 12:2 tells us that they said,  "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses....Hasn't he also spoken through us?"  They were jealous of Moses.  Numbers 12:2 also tells us that the Lord heard what they said.  We can hide nothing from God.  He hears every word we speak, sees every action we take, and knows even our every thoughts.
     God was not pleased with Aaron and Miriam.  He came down and visited them in a pillar of cloud and defended His servant Moses.  When God left, Miriam's skin had become leprous.  Aaron quickly apologized to Moses for what they had said and begged him to help his sister.  If you had been Moses, what would you have done?  Moses could certainly have said,  "That will hush you two up.  She's getting just what she deserves."  But Moses had great strength of character.  He cried out to God on Miriam's behalf, asking Him to heal her, and God did.  When we are the stronger party in a situation, God wants us to help the weaker person as Moses did.
     We all like to be the strong one, able to give needed assistance.  But the truth of the matter is we are sometimes the weaker one, needing assistance and understanding.  How deeply we should appreciate the strength, patience, help, and encouragement of those who have come along side us and lifted us up and spurred us on!  May we be grateful for those helpers when we are the weaker, needy one, and may we pass along that helping attitude toward others when we are the stronger one.

Father, how we thank You for helping us so many times in our weaknesses.  We thank You for all those people who were Your channels to give us assistance and encouragement.  May we seek to help others, kindly and patiently, in their times of weakness.  Amen.

Offerings

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2

In Leviticus God gave the Israelites laws including the ten commandments and instructions about various feast days and offerings which were to be made.  The whole Jewish sacrificial system pointed to Jesus and the sacrifice He made for the sins of everyone in the world when He died on the cross.  “Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people.  He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. “  Hebrews 7:27

Many of the instructions God gave the Israelites in Leviticus applied to them at that time.  The ten commandments are still valid guidelines for us today, but the sacrifice Christ made on the cross has an eternal application for all people.  He gave himself so that those who choose to do so may take Him as Savior and become God’s children.  Because of what Jesus has done for us, we have forgiveness of sins, peace and power in this life, and a future home in heaven.  

Jesus has given Himself for us and to us.  Our appropriate response is for us to, in turn, give ourselves wholly to Him, placing everything we have and everything we are completely in His hands.  Christina Georgina Rossetti wrote:

What can I give Him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;

Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.

Have you given Him your heart?

Father, you gave your only Son for me.  Lord Jesus, Savior, you died a torturous, humiliating death for me.  Precious Holy Spirit, constant companion, you live in my heart and guide and empower and comfort me.  For all you, my God, have given me, I give you my heart.  Amen.

Jesus Loves You and Me

"I praise you because I am wonderfully and fearfully made."  Psalm 139:14a

I went to a dog show in Ft. Payne, Alabama.  It wasn't a show for professional handlers, although one trainer and his dogs put on an impressive performance.  But I was more fascinated by the variety of dogs and the looks of pride and affection on the faces of the dogs' owners.  There were dachshunds, poodles, beagles, border collies, labs, and dogs of many other breeds as well as some dogs with a probable mixture of ancestors.  There were long haired dogs and short haired dogs of all sizes and ages, from puppies to old timers with gray hairs in their muzzles.  They came in different colors--black, brown, reddish, golden, white, and all sorts of mixed colors.  And I thought how we have a God of infinite variety.

One dog was carried in a sling, and another was rolled in a baby stroller.  Most were on leashes.  Regardless of their mode of transportation, the look on the owner's face told you that each dog was super special and very greatly loved.

Our God has also made people in different sizes, shapes, and colors.  He has made each one of us super special, and He looks at us with tremendous love and overwhelming affection.  I hope you will bask in how much He loves you and how special He thinks you are.

Father, it is so true, as the song says, that "Jesus loves me.  This I know.  For the Bible tells me so."  Thank You.  Thank You.  Thank You!  Amen.

The Aroma of Christ

"When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.'  Acts 4:13

Moses went back to Mt. Sinai, and God wrote the Ten Commandments on two more stone tablets.  He gave the Israelites a second chance to obey Him.  Have you ever needed a second, or third, or fourth, or fiftieth chance?  Do you know anyone right now to whom you might give another chance?  The Christian life is a matter of beginning again over and over.  When we sin, if we repent, God forgives us and wipes our slate clean, giving us a brand new beginning.  What a gracious, merciful Heavenly Father we have!  May we be as gracious and merciful to the people in our lives!

Moses asked God if he could see His glory.  God didn't allow Moses to see His face, but He hid Moses in a cleft of a rock and passed by, partially revealing His glory.  Moses wanted to be as close to God as he could possibly be, to see God more clearly than he had ever seen Him before.  Is this one of your goals--to become as close to God as you possibly can and to know Him better and better?

When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the two new copies of the Ten Commandments, "his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord."  Acts 4:13 tells us this concerning a time when Peter and John were brought before the Jewish authorities to be questioned, "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."  II Corinthians 2:15,  "For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."

At a conference the attendees had free time in the afternoon, and one of the men elected to visit a rose garden in the vicinity.  When the attendees came back together for the session that night, one of them said, "I know where you have been.  You visited the rose garden this afternoon.  I can still smell the roses."

Does God's glory shine through us as it did through Moses after he had spent time with God?  Do people see a difference in our lives because we have been with Jesus?  Is there the sweet aroma of Christ in our lives wherever we go and whatever we do?

Father, may people sense a difference in our lives because we belong to You.  Amen.

Our Mediator

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men...."  I Timothy 2:5-6a.

The Israelites had vowed that they would obey God on several occasions.  But, before Moses had come back down the mountain, they asked Aaron to build them an idol.  Aaron didn't hesitate.  He told the people to bring him their gold earrings, which they did.  Scripture says,  "He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool.  Exodus 32:4a.  Yet when Moses confronted him, Aaron blamed the people as though he had no choice in the matter, saying, "You know how prone these people are to evil.  They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us.....So I told them, "Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off."  Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire and out came this calf.'"  Exodus 32:22b-23a, 24.  That's not exactly the way it happened.  Aaron yielded to the temptation to change the truth in an attempt to make himself look better. From time to time we face that same temptation.  Do we always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth regardless of the consequences?
     Moses was so angry about the idol that he broke the stone tablets on which God had written the Ten Commandments.  Yet when God threatened to destroy the people, Moses interceded for his fellow Israelites.  Moses acknowledged the immensity of their sin but asked God to forgive them.  So God relented and did not destroy the people.
     We, too, have a Mediator who asks God to forgive our sins.  I John 1:1b says,  "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One."  My husband, John, was a lawyer, and this was  one of his favorite verses, because an advocate is someone who pleads our case.  John won some of his cases and lost some of them, but he was convinced that Jesus would never lose his case, nor ours.

Father, thank You that Your Son, our Savior, intercedes for us on the grounds that He has already paid the penalty for all our sins.  Thank You for forgiving us because of His sacrifice.  Amen.