Waiting … Anticipating … Rejoicing

“Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

Zechariah 2:10-13

Zechariah penned these words inspired by the Holy Spirit an estimated 470-480 years before the coming of the Messiah. If I were Zechariah, I think I would’ve asked a few follow-up questions, maybe tried to pin God down on a date for the fulfillment of all these promises.

Wouldn’t you?

“Will you marry me?” A high-pitched squeal. “Oh, of course, you hunky stud! This is the happiest day of my life!” Six months go by. “When are we getting married?” “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in Heaven …” (O the trials of the bride of Christ!)

And so we wait. And wait. And wait. For the fulfillment of promises. For the return of Christ. For the marriage supper of the Lamb. For the perfection of Heaven. 

But here’s the interesting thing about this text: It tells us to shout and be glad (present tense - now!) because he is coming and will live among us (future tense). The wait God gives us is not one of drudgery, but one of anticipation and excitement.  

So shout for joy, my friend! For you are loved by the God who created the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them! You are the bride of Christ, and he is coming for you! Every tear shall be wiped from your eye, every provision shall be made for you, and you will dwell in the presence of God forever!

Rejoice today in your tomorrow!

Lamp to my Feet

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 

I have a tattoo on my right foot.  It is Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  It was a Mother’s Day present.  It’s a reminder to me on what keeps my faith strong.  God’s word.  I love God’s word.  I have spent years studying the reliability of his word. There are so many outside sources that corroborate the truth found in the pages of scripture, that I get giddy when I read them. 

God’s word is perfectly true and as hard as it is to read a rebuke meant to pull me back on the path, it is equally wonderful when I read words such as the ones in Daniel 12.  “But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life…”

I just love that! The promise of everlasting life.  This was actually the first time the reference to everlasting life was used in scripture.  How comforting it is to read that things are going to get hard, real hard.  A time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations hard, but there is hope.

Everlasting life. It is promised for God’s people.  This world is not the end.  All the trouble, disease, evil, and deception are not the end.  God has a plan.  It was rolled up in a scroll and saved for the exact right time, but it will come to pass.  His word says it will, so I believe it.

Promises of a 24 Year Old

Genesis 50:15-26

“Debbie, with these friends and with God as our witness, I make these promises to you: That I will love you as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. That I will take the responsibility of making decisions concerning us and that these decisions will be in the best interest of our relationship with God. I will not impose my will over yours, but God’s will over both of ours. To Him we will both submit that through our relationship others might see Christ’s love. That I will love you, and be concerned for you all of our lives together. I will never leave you, for as God commanded “Whoever I have joined together let no man put asunder.”

 

These were the promises that I made to my wife over 41 years ago. I’m pretty sure I haven’t kept them all. But Joseph lived his life based on a promise. It was a promise that he never saw fulfilled, but he knew that it would be fulfilled someday because he knew that God was faithful. Let’s see what today’s passage has to say about this.

First we read that Joseph’s brothers asked for his forgiveness. And what is Joseph’s response? ^20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives”.

 Later Joseph makes reference to God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. ^24 “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.

 Joseph was 17 when his brothers sold him into slavery. This passage took place shortly before his death at the age of 110. Joseph did not live an easy life, but for 93 years he knew that God was faithful; he knew that God would fulfill His promises.

 Jesus made promises to his bride, the church. He promised that he would return for her. He promised that he would leave his Spirit to strengthen and comfort her. He promised that he would make her holy without blemish. He promised that nothing could separate her from his love. These promises still hold true for us.

 “Debbie, I love and need you, but we must both first love Jesus. All these things I can promise you not through my own strength, but through the strength of God’s Spirit, by whom all things are possible.”

 

This is the final paragraph of my vows. Pretty idealistic for a 24-year-old, but I did get one thing right. God is faithful, and it is through His strength that we remain faithful, not only to our spouse but also to Him.

The Promise

Genesis 24:1-9

 

 

There comes a time in every person’s life when they look back to see what they have accomplished; how they got to where they are today; how they will be remembered.

 

This past week I turned 65, so these are the thoughts that came to my mind. Ultimately, it has to do with how has God worked in my life, and how has He used me in the lives of others. In the final analysis, all that matters is what is eternal.

 

In the passage today, it states that “Abraham was now very old”. He had just buried his wife who had born their only child Isaac. He was living in a land that belonged to others. In fact, he had to buy a field with a cave in order to bury his wife. He was a foreigner; an alien in the land. He was alone with his son and his faithful long time servant.

 

So it was natural for Abraham to look back on his life and remember the promise that the Lord had made to him. When Abraham was a young man God had called him to a life of faith with these words from Genesis 12:

 

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

 

Abraham believed in God’s promise and faithfulness. He wanted to make sure that the

Lord’s promise continued through his son Isaac. So Isaac was very much a continuance of that promise from God to Abraham... as are we.

 

Therefore, as I look back on 65 years of living, I can see how God has been faithful; how He has always been at work in my life; how He has always been with me; how He has always loved and forgiven me. He has kept His promise.

 

I hope and pray that you can see God at work in your life as well, and that His promise and faithfulness are evident to you.

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2024%3A1-9&version=NIV;TLB
https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Gen.24.1-Gen.24.9

 

 

 

 

Genesis 21:1-8

The beginning of each year brings with it a new focus word for me.  This is a word I have felt God prodding me with, a word that comes up in conversation, in reading time or even in song.  A few years ago the word was perseverance and God kept dropping it in my quiet time with Him.  (read James 1:2-4) He was calling on me to keep moving forward with the plan He had been revealing to me.

"Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised." (Genesis 21:1)

Does God do this for you?  Do you stop long enough to hear His voice?  I found that to be a key for me.  I had to learn not to let my agenda collide with His plan and His promises for me.  Perseverance was a challenging word for me to practice and I am still practicing it today.

There have been many words over the past few years and my current one is "relentless".  When I first discerned the word I thought it was a negative word, but now know it is not.  It is the way He wants me to be this year.  I have spent too much time grieving and then vacillating between decisions. My indecisiveness even irritated me.  God has been telling me that He is in control, I am not.

His promises are real and I can depend on His Word and so he is telling me to be relentless. Just as He promised Sarah would bear a son in her old age and He fulfilled that promise, I must believe too.  I must be persistent in my study of Him, unyielding in my writing for Him, insistent in my relationships with others.  I am sensing it is time to take God at His Word and move forward with a relentless spirit and heart.

Read the Genesis 21:1-8 text here.  Listen to an audio of Genesis 21:1-8 here.

Promises - Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16

The verses we have to read this week are preparing us for things to come, good things.  The stories in Genesis and in Hebrews herald the coming of a King, a redeemer and they are filled with promises of a wonderful life when lived in harmony with God's Word.

"and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:18)

I have to admit that my life, even when I wasn't living in harmony with God's Word, felt pretty good at the time.  When I read these words I can't quite relate, as I was not always a faithful follower, but I didn't go around with tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart, like I do some days now.  Do these words shock?

Let me put it another way.  Abraham and Sarah were happy before Isaac came along.  They loved one another and must have had good times together.  Then when God's promise was fulfilled and Sarah gave birth they were happier than before, they felt like they were closer to each other and to God.  

"The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed." (Galatians 3:16)

I was happy, then I began a personal relationship with Jesus and I became happier than I had been before.  There was a missing piece in place.  God's promise of peace and hope filled my life.  The fulfillment of God's promise makes all the difference in our lives.  For me, that is why Christmas is so special, why I cling to His promises every day and why you should to.

Read the Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:16 texts here.

Colossians 4:2-6

PRAY!

Pray alone with your God! Pray with a congregation of other believers! Pray with a small group! Pray with one other Christ follower! Pray with and for non-believers!......and when you have finished, Pray some more!

Once again Paul reminds us of his suffering for the Lord, and how he was in chains for proclaiming the mystery of Christ. Then he says, "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." He doesn't ask for prayer to be freed of those chains, but that within his bondage God's message is made clear.

Our lives on this earth are filled with great suffering and bondage as well. God was up front about this with us right from the get go. He did not promise us that following His Word would bring us a wonderful life here. He clearly offered an honest view of what it would be, using words like persecution, suffering, and pain. Though there are many happy moments in our lives, the older we become the more we realize the reality of his claim. Through our trials however, the importance of maintaining a relationship with Him becomes even greater. Prayer is key. We have been directed many times in the Bible to pray, because prayer is powerful!
Please click here and listen:

Genesis 12:1-3

There is a Kids Sing Praise song that goes "Father Abraham had many sons. Many sons had father Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you, so let's just praise the Lord......." My children and I used to sing along with this and many other songs as we drove from place to place when they were young. Because Abraham did what God called him to do, God made good on his promise, and still today we are blessed through Abraham. Throughout the bible there are promises God has made to us, and he follows through on every one of them, provided we do our part. What does he ask of us? Well, we have the Ten Commandments. Besides that, he instructs us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength." "Love one another as I have loved you." "Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." His Word is saturated with directives and promises. God fulfills them all whether large or small and we often don't even realize it. What promise has He come through with for you lately?

Last Sunday I mentioned a friend named Karen who has been a faithful child of God. She and her husband recently traveled to Kentucky for her to have a very dangerous but possibly life saving surgery after undergoing months of chemocherapy and being offered little hope for a medical cure. She has had the support of family and friends that she calls her "prayer warriors" lifting her up to God throughout her ordeal. Following is the most recent entry on her Caringbridge website:
We are home!!!!! And we don’t have to go back…for a while. The follow ups can be done here at home. Yeah! There’s no place like home and I love you all!

Did I tell you Dr. Martin saw NO RANDOM NODULES PEPPERED THROUGHOUT MY ABDOMEN?? Everybody shout IT’S A MIRACLE! ALL PRAISE TO GOD AND HIS HEALING POWERS! She trusted in God's promises, and He has followed through......just as he said he would.

Rebuild for Remnants and Nations - Amos 9:11-15

Life is very tough, don't you agree?  Some days or some seasons are filled with pain, indecision and disappointment.  Recently I was experiencing doubt and wondered if I was really where God wanted me to be.  I felt alone, bored, and without purpose.  These feelings were probably a result of my having been so busy in my previous life that I did not know how to experience "retirement".

I called upon God and all the promises He had made during my years of praying and journaling and seeking His Word for me.  Just that quickly, God found a number of projects I could be working on; things I enjoy and know are not just busy work.

Have you ever noticed how many promises God makes?  His Word is filled with assurances of His faithfulness and His love.  When He promises something you can count on it and trust it will be just what is needed.  The Amos text as read in the Message I found to be very exciting, counting off the promises God made to His people and how they were going to be fulfilled.  Like this from Amos 9:13: "Things are going to happen so fast your head will swim, one thing fast on the heels of the other. You won't be able to keep up. Everything will be happening at once—and everywhere you look, blessings!

I can testify to the 'everywhere you look, blessings' part of the verses.  When I feel low and lost in my memories of what was and what should be now, God has provided me a special blessing.Without fail I was see a deer or a number of them cross my path, stand in the road looking at me or just grazing alongside the woods.  I see numerous deer each and every day.  Many of them in my own yard.  I know, those who live in the north woods of WI might consider this just a normal part of life, but I know it is God saying, "There you go my child, I am with you always."

Read the Amos 9:11-15 text here.
Note: This picture was taken last night just outside my door.

The Virgin Shall Conceive - Isaiah 7:10-15

In a previous reading we learned that Judah's King Ahaz, an evil king, is about to be attacked by the kings of Israel and Syria. God sends Isaiah to King Ahaz to give him a message of comfort. King Ahaz doesn't expect God to intervene for him and his people, but God promises Ahaz He will protect and save Judah.

The Lord tells Ahaz to ask for a sign to verify God's promise. Ahaz refuses. So Isaiah, impatient with Ahaz, tells him of the sign he will receive from God Himself, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (v 14). The virgin’s son is God who will come to earth in human form. He will be born as a descendant of David, the most famous king of Judah.

Through this promise God will be faithful to the line of David. Judah's future will be established through the birth of “Immanuel.” This was the sign, given to king Ahaz, that Judah would continue as a nation.

Today's reading shows God is faithful. He keeps his word. God's promise to King Ahaz wasn't realized during Ahaz's lifetime. It took many generations until Immanuel was born of a virgin and came in human form to be with us on earth.

This is the birth, the Son of God coming to earth, that we celebrate at Christmas. His gift of peace and hope comes to all who follow Him. He is Joy to all the world!

Read today's text on Biblegateway. Use the return arrow to come back to this page.

Your Word is Truth - John 17:8-19

Do you feel concern over family and friends? I do. When we are apart, or I haven’t spoken to them for a while, I call them.

Jesus is concerned about His disciples. They are His family on earth. He knows God cares about them too. So Jesus prays for His disciples.

Jesus will soon have to leave. His purpose on earth accomplished, He is going to join His Father in heaven. Jesus has protected and kept the disciples safe. He is leaving them in a world that hates them. They belong to God, not the world. Jesus knows he can ask and God will protect the disciples from evil. He knows God will give them the Truth of His Word.

God's Word is the same for us today. We are set apart from the world to do God’s work and to live obediently to Him. We cannot avoid the problems of the world. God doesn't want us overwhelmed and lost. We have God's promise that He will guide and strengthen us in the fight against the evil forces of the world.

Reading, studying and praying His Word daily allows Him to bless us through the Truth of His Word.

Read today's text, John 17:8-19, on Biblegateway. Use the back arrow to return to this page.