Excitement!

Do you ever have a really exciting day? i.e. leaving on vacation, friends coming to visit, etc. What about Sunday? Every Sunday you get to hear a message from a Friend. This Friend loved you enough to die for you and is now preparing your future home. This is exciting!

Try this, attend church today anxiously awaiting His message for you. The God of all creation is speaking to YOU today.

I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

Psalm 122:1 (NKJV)

Choose Life

Is it really that simple? Choose life. No, I'm not just talking about the abortion issue. It's something much broader than that. Choose life or choose death.

“For this commandment which I command you today

is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.

It is not in heaven, that you should say,

‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us,

that we may hear it and do it?’

Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say,

‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us,

that we may hear it and do it?’

But the word is very near you,

in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,

in that I command you today to love the LORD your God,

to walk in His ways,

and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments,

that you may live and multiply;

and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear,

and are drawn away,

and worship other gods and serve them,

I announce to you today that you shall surely perish;

you shall not prolong your days in the land

which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,

that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;

therefore choose life,

that both you and your descendants may live;

that you may love the LORD your God,

that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him,

for He is your life and the length of your days;

and that you may dwell in the land

which the LORD swore to your fathers,

to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (NKJV)

It really is that simple - choose life. Love, obey and cling to the Lord your God and He will grant you life. My fellow Christian, rejoice in the life He has given us today!

Thankful

Today I am thankful. God has been so good to me. No, my financial trial did not just immediately end but God has reminded me of my blessings. He will take care of other things in His timing. He has provided a job for me starting March 30. One that will allow me to take along two of my blessings each day. He is always so very good to me.

But it is good for me to draw near to God;

I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,

That I may declare all Your works.

Psalm 73:8

Thank you, Lord, for times to meditate on Your blessings.

On the Altar

I am tired. I am tired of this trial, this test, this burden. It has been hard to find that joy - that "kick up your heels joy" that Kay Arthur talks about. I'll be the first to admit, it's not easy to always feel thankful and joyful. And then I had to run an errand today and on the cd was "My God is Near" (by Mac Lynch). The lyrics to the chorus are:

When God is near, all the world seems far away.

When God is near, every fear is set aside.

When God is near, how can I stray? How can I falter?

I’ll stay upon the altar, I know my God is near.

God is near all the time but when we are going through a trial it seems we see Him more. When we respond correctly to that trial and submit to His will, we feel Him so close and the world does seem so far away. Then I started meditating on the phrase "I'll stay upon the altar". I'd heard the song before and never really thought about those words. What if that altar is not the altar at church, but the altar on Mt. Moriah where Abraham was commanded to offer his son Isaac to God? (Genesis 22) Would I like Abraham and Isaac, willingly travel to that mountain and STAY upon that altar? God didn't say to put Isaac on that altar for a few seconds. He said to leave him there to offer him as a sacrifice.

The second verse of the song says:

Make me know Your presence Lord, when I feel so alone.

You know each trial and testing pain, the hurt that is unknown.

Oh, why can I not see Your hand so firmly guiding me?

Oh how can I untrusting be, when You are very near to me?

And then it hit me, my trial is like that altar. I want my trial to be over. I want to move on with my life. I want things to be easy again, but God is telling me that I need to stay. This trial or testing pain is my sacrifice to God. My God has asked me to stay upon the altar for now. I must respond with obedience.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1 (ESV)

So, I can say tonight "I'll stay". For as long as He asks me to, I'll stay. And He will give me the grace to accomplish this task and any others He sends my way.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,

for my power is made perfect in weakness."

I Corinthians 12:9