Month: December 2021

Blessed

/ James Penner / 1 Comment

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. whose confidence is in Him.They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

This is the last day of another year and no matter who you are, or your station in life, it was a year filled with challenges, and surprises, and disappointments, and anxieties. At or near the top of the list was Covid deciding to introduce its cousins Delta and Omricon into our world, and with it a cornucopia of disruptive chaos. Many of us battled sickness, felt the financial strain, and lost friends near and far. At the end of such a year it’s very easy to say good riddance!

Yet if we really think about it, somehow we seem to say that every year with rare exception. In looking back at the year behind us, we do ourselves a disservice by not finding and reflecting on the bright spots. What made you laugh this past year? What event or encounter gave you hope or inspired you? Hopefully a smile came to your lips at some point in the year that was. Be thankful for that and build on that in the coming year.

I’ve had friends accuse me of “wearing rose colored glasses” or always seeing “the glass half full” rather than “half empty”. They are correct. That’s exactly how I see the world, and my life. Within each new day the possibilities are endless. This does not mean I’ve not experienced incredible loss or overwhelming grief. I have simply made a choice.

A new day = a new chapter = a new reason to hope.

There is a reason I think this way. My trust is in the Lord. Trust on our part comes with a promise from God, and God does not make promises lightly. A great example of what I’ll call the ‘Trust Promise’ is found in Jeremiah 17, but there are many more throughout scripture. In short:

Trust = Blessings

When we trust God, blessings come. Such blessings are different for everyone and every situation, but that’s where our trust comes in. Trust that God will meet the need you have in your life in His perfect way. Trust also means in the timing. You may be tempted to be like Veruca Salt in the “Willy Wonka” film and say, “I want my blessing, and I want it now!” Take a breath and simply trust. God created you, formed you, made you, and He absolutely does not make mistakes!

Step into tomorrow with a new outlook.

Your tomorrow holds incredible possibilities because you are royalty, a child of the Creator of the universe! And God has declared you blessed when you respond with one simple act: Trust.

Majestic

/ James Penner / Leave a comment

“On the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.” Psalm 145:5

As I was channel flipping the television not to long ago I landed on the epic original Star Wars film released in 1977. Immediately I remembered back as a twelve year old boy when the film was first released. I could still picture standing in line with my best friend at the majestic old Cooper theater on Colorado Boulevard in Denver. We could hardly wait for the doors to open. The buzz on the film was off the charts and the Cooper was an amazing place with a sense of grandeur. There was something about the lights dimming and the massive curtains opening at the Cooper that foretold something wonderful about to take place. We were not disappointed that day. I gazed with a sense of wonder during the opening scene as a massive spaceship flew overhead that seemed to be never ending. The effects where like nothing I’d ever seen before. Now, years later, after watching only a few minutes of it again I began to realize how desensitized we have become to what at one time seemed extraordinary. Things that used to seem awe inspiring with time have lost their luster. 

Today, I’d like to use just a few simple words to restore your sense of wonder in God. Just imagine:

No Hollywood special effects house can match the majesty of a thunderstorm.

No medical engineer can recreate the human brain or breathe life into a newborn.

No physicist can hurl comets across the sky.

No marine biologist can create a whale or calm the seas.

No entomologist can transform a caterpillar into a butterfly.

No medical technician can fill the earth with just the right blend of oxygen.

No wall street wizard can fill the earth with silver or gold.

No meteorologist can reroute a hurricane, or fill the sky with brilliant colors.

All I have to do is look at the world around me and I tremble at the awesome power of God. He is the Great I Am. The alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end. The fact that He wants a relationship with you and I should send a shiver up your spine and cause you to take a moment and look up.

Lighten Your Load

/ James Penner / 1 Comment

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

Are you feeling fear in your life today? Fear over a relationship? Fear over your finances? Your job? Your health? Your purpose in life? Your future? Losing your home? Your past mistakes catching up with you? Feelings of inadequacy? It’s time for you to take a deep breath. Calm your spirit. Now take one more breath and repeat these words:

Fear Not

The Lord is your light and your salvation; whom shall you fear? The Lord is the strength of your life, of whom shall you be afraid? These are not just words to say, they are the very essence of faith in God’s very real presence in your life. God is with you wherever you go, whatever you are going through. Repeat the line, “the Lord is my light and my salvation” until your fear subsides and is replaced by a lightness of God’s joy in your life!

Call upon the Lord in faith and joy will all too soon replace your fear.

I’ll never forget when was going through a very difficult time and felt the world closing in around me. I had no where to turn but prayer. I went for a run and spent most of it pleading with God for rescue. About a mile and a half into the run I stopped pleading and found myself saying, “forgive me Lord, I’ve spent so much time complaining that I’m not listening to you. Perhaps it’s time for me to shut up and see what You have to say”

I don’t really ever remember asking God in just this way, or while in such a fragile state of mind before. Yet instantly, in as loud a voice as if you were standing in front of me and talking to me I heard the words, “Be Still”. I literally stopped and turned around thinking someone was behind me, yet the street was empty. I shook the thought from my mind thinking I’m just hearing things, and I turned to start to run again when I heard an even louder voice say, “and know that I am God!” This time I turned and with incredible emotion started to weep. I had never literally heard the voice of God, not audibly, not like this. Several minutes passed before I was able to speak again and say with a shaking and tear filled voice, “Who am I Lord that you should speak to me.” Instantly God’s response came back with an even louder, “You are Mine.” A flood joy overwhelmed me.

Had my physical circumstances changed in those few minutes? No. Was my fear replaced with Joy? Yes!

I share this very personal moment with you to emphasize that God is ever-present in our lives. I don’t know what you are going through today but God is still God. He is your light and your salvation, of whom shall you fear? Call upon Him. Lift your eyes to Him. The Lord is your strength, of whom shall you be afraid?