God said, “Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and marvelous things that you do not know!” Jeremiah 33:3
Jeremiah was actually sitting in a prison cell when God said to him, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and marvelous things you do not know”. I’ve often wondered, would Jeremiah have heard God so clearly absent his dire and solitary circumstances? I’m not sure what your life looks like, but mine is filled with a thousand and one distractions competing for attention. Out of everything I can or have to do in a day, the single most important thing is to find an isolated place, quiet my mind, and
Spend Time Alone With God.
To those who might say, I’ve never heard from God, or, I’ve not heard from Him in a very long time, try removing the distractions all around you in the new year before you and call to Him. He will answer.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” 1 Corinthians 13:12
One hundred twenty years ago man could not conceive of what it would be like to fly. Fifty years ago the “internet” was a completely foreign concept in society. Thirty years ago we were trying to figure out the idea of a “smart phone”. Ten years ago self driving cars were unimaginable. Just think what may come tomorrow. At any point in time we have a very limited view of what tomorrow will bring. And yet,
God Knows Your Tomorrow.
As 1 Corinthians says, we can see only a fraction of God and His great plan. Just as a child fails to understand the complexities of our world, so we as adults fail to grasp the grand purpose God has in-store. God promises that someday all will be known. Until that day, take comfort that God has an amazing plan for you. Childlike faith is all you need.
From the moment we are born we are the recipients of a constant stream of information. Some is more than welcome. Others we could do without. Indeed, our cup does run over with our life experiences, both good and bad. When King David says in Psalm 23 that his cup runs over, what is he referring to?
David’s Cup Is Flooded With God’s Love.
David is saying that his cup, his life, are literally overflowing with God’s love. So much so that everything that was inside his cup; his hurts, his mistakes, his fears, his doubts, his insecurities have been overcome by everything that God is. Having such a cup overflowing is our choice. Have a little faith today. Prayer has a way of filling cups to overflowing very, very, quickly.
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32
Are you feeling a sense of lack in your life? God has a promise for you. Jesus said in Matthew 7, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be open to you.” The cynic would say, that doesn’t apply to my material and physical life, but I take the Bible at face value. The bible says,
Jesus prayed for us saying, “Father, let them be one, as You and I are one.” John 17:21
Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you that far and away my favorite Christmas movie is “A Christmas Story”. My family also knows that Christmas Eve is not complete without watching Ralphie opine for his beloved Red Rider BB gun. Through the years I’ve received as presents my very own Red Rider along with a miniature leg lamp for our Christmas tree (you have to see the film to understand that gift). If you are one of the few on the planet who have missed this little film give it a try. At one point the films narrator, who tells us what young Ralph is thinking, describing his father, saying, “some fathers are Baptists, others Catholic, but my father was an Oldsmobile man”. In thinking about this line, and the labels we put on ourselves, I once had a large audience all shout simultaneously their ‘religious affiliation’, either what it was now or sometime in their past. The response was a lot of noise as all the various “denominations” burst forth. Then I said, now all together just say the name of Jesus. As they did, saying the name of
Jesus Changed The Atmosphere.
Whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever your background, it all melts away when you place your hand in the hand of Jesus. This Christmas life can truly begin a new for you. Simply say the name of Jesus, then add to that, “I’m all yours.”
This powerful statement in Luke contains seven life changing words. I’ve often thought of the faith of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Some have described her faith as awesome or awe inspiring, and others as profound. Yet when I think of the faith of Mary only one word comes to mind: simple. Read further from this passage in Luke 1:28-37: “The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you! Mary was greatly troubled at his word and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” Modern translation – Are you talking to me? “But the Angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the most high.” Mary responds with only one question, “how will this be? The angel answered, the holy spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you….for no word from God will ever fail.” I love Mary’s next response. “I am the lords servant.
May It Be To Me According To Your Word.”
Mary accepts by simple faith that God has decided upon her as His chosen vessel. How foreign is a response like this in our every day lives? In a world where we question everything. Where every word we read, every statement told to us, every visual image we lay our eyes on is questioned a thousand times over. We say, is this really happening? That picture was doctored up in Photoshop; it’s not real, it’s a special effect; they don’t really mean what they are saying, what’s the real motive here! When God calls us for His purpose what’s your response? Am I imagining this? Do you answer back with doubt by saying, why would God choose me? I’m not worthy, God surely made a mistake by calling on me. There are so many others with a stronger faith than mine. Or, will you respond like Mary and say, “I am the Lords servant. May it be to me according to your word!”
“God said, Let there be light, and there was light” Genesis 1:3
Walt Disney once said, “Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a person who knows the secrets of making dreams come true.” You have an incredible capacity to dream for you were created in the image of God,
The Ultimate Dreamer.
For who, other than God, could look at a blank canvas and envision all that we see; the heavens, the waters, the landscape, the animals, and yes, you and I. When scripture tells us that God created us in His image, that also includes giving us the capacity to dream great dreams. The question for you today is, what would you do tomorrow if you knew for a fact that you would succeed? God has the power to craft your dreams into reality. Why not join forces with the Creator of the universe today and dream beyond what you think is possible. God is simply waiting for you to call upon Him.
God said, “you have stayed long enough at this mountain.” Deuteronomy 1:6
Why do we give up on our dreams? Does the road become too difficult? In 1879 Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb and it changed the world. Yet, along the way he failed, over, and over, and over again in trying to make that light bulb glow. He actually failed so many times that he famously quipped, “I did not fail, I just discovered 1,000 ways not to make a lightbulb…Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Indecision Is A Mountain That Will Keep You From Your Destiny.
In Deuteronomy 1:6, when God says, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain,” He was imploring the children of Israel to get up and start moving forward. “I have given you this land”, God says, “go and take possession”. Today, you have been camped out at the base of your mountain for far too long. God is saying to you, get up, your destiny awaits.
“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘do not be afraid’…” Luke 2:8-10
“Do not be afraid,” is a common theme you will find throughout scripture. Jesus said it 10 times alone in 10 verses in the book of John, saying,
“Do Not Worry And Do Not Fear.”
If we are honest with ourselves, we tend to play and endless loop of stress and worry and fear within our minds. Perhaps we might do better by actually following the “do not fear” advice so freely given in scripture. You can make the decision to change today by “trusting in the Lord with all your heart and leaning not on your own understanding,” as it says in Proverbs 3:5. These promises are real. They work! Why not give it a try for yourself. Send your worry and fear on vacation and set your sights on Jesus. All you have to lose is the worry and fear.
After thirty six years of marriage I have learned one powerful lesson. Love is enduring. I love my wife more today than the day we married. She is a part of me just as I am a part of her. Are we of the same mind on everything? That thought makes me smile because in some ways we are very different, and that makes me love her more. So, what’s our secret to enduring love? It’s simple, our hearts beat for Jesus. We love him first and that makes all the difference. Vows take on a different meaning when Jesus is Lord. We live for Him, and that knits us together in ways you cannot put into words.
With Jesus, Each Day Brings New Hope.
I’m not sure I really understood the meaning of 1 Corinthians 13 when the words were said at our marriage ceremony. I fully understand them today. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things believes all things, hopes all things endures all things.” Put Jesus first. It makes all the difference.
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