Yesterday I was reminded of how our loving, Heavenly Father, gives us the privilege of working together with Him. Does He actually need our help? No, but He allows, even encourages our help. Why? For the same reason He offers forgiveness of sin with promise of eternal life in Heaven to all who receive His Son, Jesus as Savior. The reason is love.
When I was a little girl I have memories of helping my mother make the beds. She saw me watching her. “Would you like to help?” she asked. Eagerly I smoothed out the bedspread. “Good job,” my mother praised me. When I became an adult I just knew that bedspread probably didn’t lay neatly on the bed. My mother laughed and said, “It wasn’t the neatest, but it was beautiful because you were helping me.”
If an earthly mother or father can feel that way and react with pleasure at our efforts, how much more does our Heavenly Father smile upon us when we give our best attempts in our obedience to Him? He never asks for perfection; an impossible goal for our imperfect selves. He looks upon the effort of heart. Why have we done what we do? Sense of duty or sense of worship in our love?
Man can only look at the outward appearance and see a disheveled made bed. God looks at the heart and sees a rumpled and crooked bedspread of love, and He is filled with pleasure. Whatever He has put in your heart today, do it with gladness. It’s always the effort that counts.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. Colossians 3:23
Yesterday Americans celebrated Thanksgiving Day. It’s a time to share good food and fellowship with family and friends. It’s a time set aside to be thankful. It can be a time of sadness when there is an empty chair from the absence of a loved one. A year can bring grief, pain, sickness, accident, or financial upheaval. Many ask the question, “Why?” Why did bad things have to happen this past year? For the child of God, it’s the answer that brings peace and hope.
I spent years traveling, always keeping a suitcase on the ready. When I would visit my parents and it came time to make yet another trip to the airport, when I reached my destination, I always found a note from my mother tucked away someplace for me to find when I unpacked. She ended every note with I Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Such an instruction from God may seem unrealistic. Why be thankful for bad things that happen? This is a mistaken understanding of the verse. The wrong question has been asked.
The right question is: “Jesus, will you help me through this?” He answers with a resounding, “Yes!” No one can avoid pain in this world, but when we cry, our tears are so precious to Him that He holds them in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). When we can’t see which way to go, He gives us direction. When we feel the pain of rejection from those we love, He wraps us in His love and comfort; Jesus was rejected, too. He understands everything we ever feel. Therefore, in His immeasurable love for us, He gives hope and comfort, inner strength and peace, and fortitude to carry us through each day. He shows us joy in other things around us; perhaps friends or family, or the cheery hello from a neighbor, the laughter we hear from a child, the affection from a pet. No matter any pain or sorrow, Jesus is our everything to get us through anything. In that, we can be very thankful.
I hope Americans enjoyed the special celebration of Thanksgiving Day. I hope everyday for all will be one of thankfulness and joy. Jesus is always our light even in the darkest of tunnels.
Have you see on the news the videos of floods in various parts of the world this past week? One video particularly grabbed my attention. A dog was walking down a street carrying a bone in his mouth. He suddenly stops when he sees a wave of water rushing down the street! How unexpected! The dog had probably trotted down that street many times in safety, but now a torrent of water flowed swift and strong toward him. He stood frozen but when the water reached him it carried him along with its strength of flow. Amazingly the dog sees a wide window ledge and manages to take hold with his front legs. Grappling against the rush of water he pulls himself onto the ledge and sits watching in astonishment as the newly formed river keeps rushing along.
Later in the day, inflatable rescue boats were coming down the street, no doubt looking for people in need of escape. The dog was spotted. The boat came close and stopped. One of the rescuers managed to grab hold of the dog and bring him into the boat. When they returned to their headquarters the dog leapt out of the boat and followed them inside. A blanket was spread on the floor for him. The dog sat on it looking all around him. Whenever anyone approached he wagged his tail, appreciating any pats on the head and words of comfort. He had long ago lost the bone, but that now paled in comparison. All he then wanted was safety and comfort,
This reminded me of Job in the Old Testament. He suffered tragic loss in the death of his children, financial devastation, and painful illness. Even so, Job said of God in Job 23:10, He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come out as gold. James wrote about Job in the New Testament, Indeed, you have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. As the book of Job concludes we see that God blessed him twice as much as before. He suffered greatly, and some would say, unfairly, but he was blessed abundantly.
When we feel we are drowning in troubled seas, and all you can manage is to grab hold of a ledge of some hope, hold fast! The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). You will not be on the ledge forever. He will rescue. He will comfort. He will feed you with reminders of His love and help. Like the dog on the ledge who waited patiently, forgetting the bone once so important, may we also sit before the Lord, forgetting the tangible things here today and gone tomorrow, focusing instead on Him — just Him. When we know He will comfort, strengthen, and be our peace in the midst of any storm, all else becomes a bit trivial. Our Father truly does know the way that we take, and when we are tried and tested, learning that clinging to bones is temporary, but clinging to Jesus is for eternity, then indeed, we shall come forth as gold.
It was an ordinary afternoon when our dog, Jack, and I were having a stroll around the neighborhood. Just a few blocks away from where we live there is a community park with a children’s play area at one end. To one side is a wooded area where Jack loves to scout for squirrels. We wandered for a while along the paths beneath the trees, then made our way toward the children’s playground.
School had dismissed for the day so it was no surprise that many of the parents, who had collected their children from school, were now gathered together at the park before heading to their homes. The actual children’s area is fenced in. The parents were sitting together on benches nearby the swings and slides. Much laughter and happy chatter filled the air when suddenly a loud cry of alarm shattered the joyous sounds of children at play.
Jack and I stopped quick when we heard the cry. I saw every parent’s head turn but only one stood up declaring, “That’s my Jenny!” She ran to the crowd of children now standing in stunned silence. Jenny had fallen from the slide. Her mother quickly came to her little girl and tenderly moved legs and arms, no doubt, to ascertain if anything was broken. She gently brushed bits of leaves and grass from the little girl’s dress and gave her a hug. Soon enough all was well in Jenny’s world once more.
I rather marveled at Jenny’s mother. Out of all the children and noises galore, how did she know it was Jenny who cried out? Her mother’s ears knew her child’s voice. There was no mistaking it even amidst other noises mingling loudly in the air. Jenny cried out. Her mother came quickly to the rescue.
It reminded me of Psalm 34:17-18, The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. How are you feeling today? Are you hurt in body or heart? Are you feeling all alone? Are you feeling forgotten or betrayed? Are you feeling all hope is gone? Cry out! Cry out loud and wait. Wait in anticipation. Your Father has heard you. He cares. He loves you without measure. He knows how to soothe away what troubles you. He is able to hold you up when you feel too weak to face what lies ahead. The Lord is near. He hears. He rescues. Call now and be comforted in His loving and strong arms.
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