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What If He Hadn’t Come?
Have you ever thought about that?: What if He hadn’t come to earth? Picture with me a world today without Jesus in your life.. Does it look bleak? Hopeless? Not worth living? Now, how does it feel knowing He did come? Hopeful, purposeful, bright even on dark days? Does your heart overflow with gratefulness? We just celebrated Jesus’ birth and are looking toward a new year, but let’s consider before we do, what if He hadn’t come. In week 2 study of the Joy to the World from LifeWay Women, I pondered this question. Immanuel, God With Us, did come, changing everything. It gave us not just joy, but unending joy. …
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Where Are You Looking?
As I continued my study of Joy to the World from LifeWay Women, we looked at Simeon’s and Anna’s time with Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem. Imagine being in the temple night and day serving God and waiting for the Messiah. Both Anna and Simeon were looking for and recognized Jesus, the Messiah, as soon as they laid eyes on Him. They rejoiced and thanked God aa they worshiped Him. Simeon said to the Lord, Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have seen your salvation (Luke 2:29-30) Anna’s words are not recorded but scripture says, At that very moment, she…
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The Joy You Need
In preparing for Christmas a friend and I are studying Joy to the World from LifeWay Women. The very first day of the study I was made aware of a connection between Genesis 1 and Matthew 1 that I had not ever noticed. This is also the opening of the Old Testament and the New Testament! In Genesis God created. In Matthew, the genealogy of Jesus, who existed at creation, shows the Old Testament connections to the New and reveals how God fulfilled all the prophesies about the Messiah in the Old. The writer of this day of study said, Jesus’ birth was not God’s backup plan. We see in…
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Rejoice!
May you rejoice as you look back over this past year and as you look ahead to the new year. Thank you for sharing my journey with Jesus! Merry Christmas! Blessings to you and your loved ones as you celebrate the coming of our Savior! Inset photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
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Christmas Joy
This past week my advent study focused on joy. If you missed the last post, you can read Christmas Peace here. As believers we should know that true joy is not based on circumstances but on our position in Christ. I can trust Him and bear His fruit even when my heart is breaking. It’s through surrender this happens. As we stay surrendered to Jesus, he allows our fruit to bring Him honor. The second thing the writer mentioned as a part of this joy was obedience. I’m sure you know that joy is not what we experience when we are disobedient. God will not allow His children to continue…
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On That Day
As I was reading Zechariah 12 this week in my Bible in a Year reading plan, I came across this phrase, “on that day”, over and over. This refers to Judah’s eventual restoration under the Messiah’s rule when He comes back again. Verses 10-14 describe mourning over the pierced Messiah. We know this becomes reality but it also refers to how our disobedience will also cause us to weep and calls for repentance when we do. God taught the nation of Israel this over and over…and often they just didn’t get it. Often neither do we! From judgment to blessing, from being scattered to being restored, Israel would return to…
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New Year’s Blessings
Thank you for reading my posts in the past. I am so grateful if anything the Lord is teaching me ministers to you. Truly, what you read is not what I’ve mastered, but what He is teaching me, often for the hundredth time! I pray that this coming year, the Lord will use me to continue serving and encouraging you. No matter what we face in the months ahead, glorious joy or the depth of despair, Jesus will walk with us through it all. We will be changed, and we will become stronger in our faith, if we will trust Him completely, even in pain and fear. We will learn…
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My Soul’s Longing
Something occurred to me recently regarding why I want others to know Jesus and why my heart for discipleship has been a calling now for about 40 years or so. Because it was quite a few years between my salvation and the first time someone personally discipled me and showed me how to grow in Christ, I do not want that to be the story for other new believers. Some days, even during difficult seasons, my time with the Lord just causes my soul to soar and all I can think is, “I so want others to experience this satisfying joy.” A joy that transcends earthly concerns and pain. The…
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Who Hates Disruptions?
Task oriented people like me! You know, gotta get the job done…today…now! No matter what. What about you? All of us have experienced them. Most of us do not like them. Over 2 years ago the entire world experienced disruption to life as we had known it. In addition to the pandemic, many others also experienced a disruption in their good health, close relationships, face-to-face community we relied on, satisfying jobs, and income that goes with that. And this is the short list. Some experienced continual losses, one after another, along with, and in the middle of, the pandemic. But, what if, for whatever reason, this was God’s plan for…
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Getting the Job Done
I bet many of you reading this post are “get’er done” types. You know, you have a vision, hear a suggestion, get an idea, or see a need and right away, you start strategizing how to get a desired job done. As a believer, our goal is to hear from the Lord daily to get our marching orders rather than just put together our own agenda to accomplish for the day. Being BIG on to do lists and crossing things off, I find myself sometimes doing just that. It’s my idea, worked out in my power. And you know what, it often just feels like a job, not a way…
