Wednesday, November 20, 2024
A Warrior of Light
Saturday, November 16, 2024
Them Bones
Ezekiel 37: 1-6
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he
brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the
middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth
among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that
were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to
them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the
Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter
you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make
flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you
will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
And he did.
On one of our walks at the park, I glanced up. Branches of
the white birch bark on the bare trees shone against the brilliant blue sky.
The white birch branches reminded me of the story in Ezekiel where God sent him
to the valley of the bones and asked him to prophesy to the bones. Ezekiel may
have wondered why, but he obeyed. God knew in His sovereignty that the bones
would rise again in new life. Ezekiel witnessed a miracle.
On days when it’s hard to put one foot in front of the
other, I hang on to God’s promises of hope. Some days my fibromyalgia flairs
and my body doesn’t want to move. On those days, I feel like the dry bones in
the valley. Other days, the fibro stays calm, and you’d never know I had any
health issues. Those days I thank God for the breath of life.
When my eyes caught sight of the beautiful bare branches and
the blue sky, God reminded me to rest when I need to and engage in life when I
can. You see, I still have work to do on this earth. So did Ezekiel. He had a
story to tell and bones to raise. On the days I feel like I’m in the valley
with the bones, I’m reminded of the breath God breathed into the bones and the
breath He breaths into me.
Thank God for all days and know He is with you.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Contemplate
Saturday, November 9, 2024
Stand Strong and Courageous
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do
not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go.
I salute the men and women who serve in the military.
My dad
served in World War 2. He never talked about his time overseas, much. I know he
was stationed in the Philippines and New Guinea for a time. After he had passed
away, my sister discovered a letter written to our mom where the commanding
officer stated dad had received a Soldier’s Medal for saving the life of a fellow
soldier. I’m proud of my dad for having the courage to rescue the man.
I thank the
Lord for men and women who choose to stand strong and courageous for our
country. So many have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to keep
American soil safe. I thank the Lord for the families who stand beside the
military folks. The children who miss their parent or both parents, the spouses
who hold the home together, the parents of the enlisted all need our prayers.
Moses handed
the leadership to Joshua to lead the people into the promised land. They had to
be prepared to take the land and win the battle. God commanded Joshua to be
strong and courageous.
I may not be
in the military, but I am in a battle zone. The war between good and evil
surrounds me every day. God calls me to be strong—His strength fills me—He
calls me to be courageous—To not be discouraged. The best news is—God goes with
me wherever I go!
This Veteran’s Day, pray for our military, thank our service people, pray for peace, ask God for strength and courage and fight the spiritual battles with faith and hope.
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
A Matter of Perspective
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Need Rest?
Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take
my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light.”
"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." -Anne Shirley
This week the leaves on the deciduous trees burst with
color. Autumn shone her glorious scarlets, golds, and ambers. God’s paintbrush kissed
the sky with azure blue. What a lovely time.
As I look at the trees and think about their preparation for
winter, I know they will rest. Each oak and maple will shed their leaves, and
their systems will slow as they slumber through the cold months. Sometimes, I
envy the trees. They have a cycle that guarantees time for respite and refreshment.
In the busy world we live in, rest seems like a bad word.
Stopping to admire the trees and renew the spirit is often overlooked. Maybe
because I’m older now, I value slowing down and sitting with Jesus more than
ever.
In Matthew 11, Jesus is speaking to a group of people in
Galilee, and I’m guessing He’s also addressing his disciples. The folks He
preached to experienced weariness. They were in the midst of the friction
between those who believed Jesus was Messiah and those who ridiculed Him. Jesus
invited them to come to Him. When he mentions his humble and gentle heart, it
feels like a warm hug for my weary soul. Jesus’ yoke is easy, and His burden is
light because Jesus shares our needs with God, who hears our prayers.
What a beautiful cycle the trees experience and what an
amazing cycle we have when Jesus takes our burdens and carries them to Father
God. Our load is eased, and we can rest.
Take your cares to Jesus, find rest in Him, and value the
time to slow down.