Gratitude...

 

Read Luke 17:11-29 : the healing of the 10 lepers

v.15 "Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice."  (AMP)

When we truly see and understand the healing Jesus does in us we will feel gratitude.  Understanding has to go deep within us and be attributed to the only Healer---our God.

Sometimes we see the effects of God's love in our life but don't really recognize them as such.  We just attribute them to luck, natural causes, coincidence.  It is only when we really understand that it is Jesus and not some other source, that we can really express deep thanks and gratitude.

One in ten?  That's a pretty poor response ratio.  We can probably apply it to ourselves.  Only 1 in 10 times do we really see God's hand at work in our daily life.  Only 1 in 10 times do we take time to stop and really thank God for his blessings and his healing.  

We are healed every day in countless large and small ways.  We need to turn and praise the one who brings healing and wholeness to our life each and every day.  Thank you, O LORD! Thank you, Jesus!  Thank you, Holy Spirit!  My life is healed every day in your presence.  Praise to your holy name!

Peace...

 

John 14:27  "I leave behind with you---peace; I give you my own peace and my gift is nothing like the peace of this world.  You must not be distressed and you must not be daunted."  (Phillips)

Distressed and daunted---that is what fear, anxiety, worry, lack of peace do to us.  They weigh us down like a pile of rocks sitting on our backs.  We must seek Christ's peace!  He readily offers it, but we have to wait quietly in his presence to receive it. 

We have to trust and rely on his peace and believe that we will receive it if we seek it.  We have to believe on Christ himself and his love for us.

It's hard to stop acting like Martha, who was trying to deal with the days problems with her own strength and control.  Instead we have to try to be like Mary and put the problems aside long enough to listen to Jesus, to sit at his feet with our attention focused on him.

Problems have to be dealt with sooner or later, but if we can absorb Jesus' peace first, the problems will seem easier.  We have to invite him into our problem solving and allow him to guide us.  It isn't easy, but it is necessary to find his peace.

Thank you, Lord for the peace you freely give us when we trust and hope in you and wait quietly in your presence as you join us in our problem solving and our many anxieties and worries.  Peace will come when you come into our lives. 

Hope always...

 

Lamentations 3:32-34  "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion so great is his unfailing love.  For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men." (NIV)

I should have added this verse to yesterday's writing.  God isn't to blame for man's inhumanity to others.  An act of terrorism is not an act of God, but an act of evil and hatred.  Those who know God will cling to his compassion and his unfailing love to get them through the worst of times.  

He is always our hope.  He is always our salvation.  If we seek his face, he will bring us through the grief and sorrow that other people inflict upon us  Thank you Father God for your unfailing love and your comfort and healing in bad times.

Lamentations 3:21-23  "Yet this I call to mind and therefore have hope:  Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  (NIV)

God always brings a new dawn after the darkest night.  We are "not consumed" by our trials and tribulations.  God's faithfulness never ends and never fails.  His love and compassion are forever.

It's odd to read such words of hope in the middle of one of the saddest most depressing books of the Bible---Lamentations.  It's name alone describes it's content---lamenting over the fate of the Israelites and the destroyed city and the great horror of their loses and conditions.  A great deal like how we felt in the aftermath of 9-11 and other horrible tragedies.  

But the words of hope are there and they turn us to God and his faithfulness even while we are suffering and confused.  If we lose our hope in God we lose everything.  As long as we have hope and remember his past faithfulness, we will rise up again from the midst of our troubles.  God is faithful!  God is our refuge and strength!  Thank you LORD!

Joy after sorrow...

 

Psalm 90:14  "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."  (NIV)

9-11 will always remain a sad day for Americans.  The terrible act of terrorism that struck our country so took us by surprise that we never quite ever feel safe again.

You are our refuge and our strength, but on that terrible morning we faced horror and felt shaken.  We are completely helpless and depend totally on you.  Your unfailing love is all we have to cling to.  Our trust in your love gets us through each day.  We can't let the troubles of the world shake our faith.  If we loses our trust and faith in you, we have nothing left.  

We must choose to remember your unfailing love and call upon your mercy.  We must choose to find joy in knowing you are our faithful God---always---even on the really bad days.

Thank you for your unfailing love, and that we know there will always be joy to follow our sorrows as long as we trust in you.  amen