May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Genesis 24:42
When I came to the spring today, I said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, if
you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come.”
Who is on your journey?
The other day, Tim and I took a road trip. We traveled to three
bookstores in the Cincinnati area. The first stop we made was to a little shop
in Madeira. The owner had kindly kept my books on the shelf for several months,
a few had sold, but she was ready to return the others to me. After we picked
those up, Tim drove to Mason, and I visited the lovely Belong Christian
Bookstore. In case you aren’t aware, Christian bookstores are few these days. I
chatted with the owner and showed her my books, with hope of a possible
connection in the future. On our last stop, I browsed a Barnes & Noble,
found a few stocking stuffers, and discovered they only do author events every
six months or so. Some might say I didn’t have success promoting my books, but
I made connections.
On the drive, Tim and I noticed a semi on the highway with the
word JOURNEY imprinted on the side. That got me to thinking. Who travels on my
journeys with me? On our trip, Tim and Rosie (she loves to ride) were in the
Jeep with me, and the Holy Spirit buckled up and rode shotgun. The Holy Spirit
led us to Belong Bookstore at the exact time the owner stood behind the
counter. Due to illness, she isn’t there often. I’m thankful for the
opportunity to meet her and talk about my books, and I call that success.
In Genesis, Abraham asked his head servant to travel back to
Abraham’s homeland to find his son, Isaac, a wife. Concerned he might fail, the
servant turns to the One who brings him hope. He asked the Lord to grant
success on the journey. I love the servant took God on the journey with him, and
if you read the rest of the story, he found Isaac a wife, the beautiful Rebekah.
When I travel through this life, I want God with me. The
Holy Spirit dwells with me day and night, and I know on my journeys, He stays by
my side.
Who goes with you on your journey? Have you asked God to
join you?
Matthew 6:22-23
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your
whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are
unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light
within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me;
place in my hand the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, ears, and heart,
illumine me, Spirit divine!
Even though my second cataract surgery is complete, I won’t
know for three to four more weeks if I need to wear glasses again. Although my
vision is clearer, and I can mostly read my laptop and phone, I need readers for
the smaller print. My distance vision is much better in my left eye, but due to
an astigmatism in my right eye, I still have blurriness. So, I wait.
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus spoke about how important
the eyes are. When they’re healthy, they let in the light. By healthy, Jesus is
referring to spiritual health.
At times, the brokenness of this world paralyzes me. I want
to hide away from the darkness and tragedy, the unfairness and constant
bombardment of distraction from God. But because Jesus’ light shines into my
life, I can face every day and be a light for Him. As a believer, I’m fighting
back against the darkness. Through my sight I see His lantern glowing brighter.
When I was young, our church sang Open my Eyes, an old hymn written
by Clara H. Scott. I love the stanza that asks the Spirit to “illumine me.” The
Holy Spirit walks with me each day and opens my eyes to what Jesus wants me to
see and do. I pray the light always fills my soul.
Seek Jesus’ light. He will guide the way.
After Levi Swenson and Charlotte Mercer share months of promising texts and phone calls, Charlotte returns to Abbott Island for Christmas with her family. Will her dysfunctional family scare Levi away or will he and Charlotte meet under the mistletoe?
2
Corinthians 13:14
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
The other
day, I walked Rosie on the little hill behind our condo. Vibrant, red leaves
tumbled to the ground from the maple tree. I’m not sure why my mind works the
way it does, but I stopped and grouped three of the beautiful red leaves
together to take a photo. They reminded me of the trinity—God, the father—Jesus, the son—and the Holy Spirit.
I imagine
God knew I could use a reminder of who He is, for He is not a God of
randomness. He’s a God of order and plans. There is no such thing as
coincidence with Him.
He has
mapped out what I would need in this fallen, broken world. First, I need God.
He’s the love and hope of life. The one who protects and guards my heart. Second,
I need Jesus. He’s grace. The One who covers my sins with His blood. He’s the
son of God who took the sorrow and sadness of the world on His shoulders. Third,
I need the Holy Spirit, the one who fellowships with me. He hangs out with me
on a daily basis. He communicates with God when I can’t and guides me as I seek
help.
I love God,
Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and thank the Lord for His work in my life. I can’t
think of a better way to begin November than with a grateful heart for the One
who created me, redeemed me, and fills me with His joy and peace.
Let’s spend
this month thanking and praising the One who loves us more than we understand.