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
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.
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.
Philippians 1:3-6
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of
you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the
gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he
who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day
of Christ Jesus.
Teach children they have a purpose.
My friend, Bev, and I pulled into the parking lot at Truist
Arena on the Northern Kentucky University campus. We looked forward to watching
For King and Country perform their songs. As we filed in, and found our seats,
I looked around at all the people. Folks united, not just to hear the music,
but to worship God.
We were not disappointed. Joel and Luke Smallbone and their
band poured all of their energy into leading us in a time of rejoicing. In
between the songs, they told their story. Their family had traveled from
Australia to America, but when they arrived in Nashville, their father’s job
fell through. The children were young. They’d moved to a new country from a
beautiful home, and now they had nothing to speak of. No furniture, no car, no
job. The beautiful thing about their story is that their parents gathered those
youngsters together and asked them to pray. They gave them specific items to
pray for, and the kids witnessed answered prayers. They involved them in the
work they needed to do to make ends meet. They gave them responsibility.
The Smallbone children grew into adults with purpose. Doors
opened for them as they trusted God with their lives. No, we won’t all be in
the limelight, but whatever we do for God is important. Know you have purpose
in whatever you do. Seek God’s guidance and let the Holy Spirit lead.
Share God with children. Teach them God gives purpose to
every person, teach them to pray and trust the Father, then lead by example.
