Nehemiah 8:10

Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do no grieve, because your strength comes from rejoicing in the LORD.

When Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem finished rebuilding the walls of the decimated city, they dedicated it to the LORD in a ceremony, where Ezra read from the book of the law to the people. As Ezra read, the people began to weep and mourn because they were convicted of sin as they saw how God had graciously restored their city in spite of their sin. Their tears were both tears of sorrow and tears of joy as they experienced a touch of God’s grace.

Ezra instructed them to go and eat as if they were celebrating because this was truly a time of celebration for Jerusalem. They were to eat what was rich, drink what was sweet, and give to those who didn’t have anything prepared so all could participate because this was a holy day in God’s sight. This day was not a time to grieve but a time to praise Him and rejoice in His goodness toward them. In rejoicing, they would find strength.

When we realize sin, mistakes, or failures in our life, the worst thing we can do is to sit and grieve over it. This type of grief accomplishes nothing but to make us feel even worse about something that we can no longer change. To truly overcome such failure is to rejoice in the fact that God has covered it with grace and continue. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, and we cannot pay Him back. We turn from that sin toward Him and rejoice in the fact that His sacrifice is complete. In that celebration of grace, we find strength to continue in what God has called us to do. While we should always learn from our mistakes and turn from sin, wallowing in depression, regret, or self-pity will accomplish nothing.

If you have failed in some area, simply take it to Jesus. Ask for forgiveness and turn from that sin. Rejoice in knowing that His blood covers your past, present, and even future sins, and God still has a great plan for your life. Thank Him for His mercy and His favor toward you, and begin to walk in the way He has called you. God knew your weaknesses and your failures before He called you, yet He called you anyway. Learn from your mistakes and let go of any hindering thing that causes you to fail. The joy of the LORD is your strength, and you gain nothing by grieving over past mistakes. Walk forth in joy today, and experience God’s strength for your weakness.

Have a blessed day!

Jeremiah 31:2-4

This is what the LORD says: They found favor in the wilderness – the people who survived the sword. When Israel went to find rest, the LORD appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you. Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt, virgin Israel. You will take up your tambourines again and go forth in joyful dancing.

In the previous chapter, Israel had been turned over to her enemies, who defeated and plundered her. God allowed her to go into captivity because she had turned to idolatry. Her wounds were incurable, and she had become an outcast. God promised to heal her and deal with her enemies. In this chapter, God promised to restore her.

In God’s relationship with His people, we must remember that He is a jealous God. He will allow us to be ravaged by anything we accept as an idol. Today, we call idols things like addiction, habit, or weakness. An idol can be anything we turn for comfort or pleasure other than God. When we find ourselves depending upon anything other than God, it is an idol in our life. God will allow that thing to defeat and plunder us, leaving us with incurable wounds that only He can heal.

God never leaves His children defeated, however. The very reason He turns us over to our enemies is so we will see they are truly enemies and will turn to Him in worship. When we do, He goes to work on our behalf to destroy the enemy’s influence in our lives so we might be restored and rebuilt to display His glory.

God has loved us with an everlasting love. When we turn to Him, we find love, love, and more love waiting for us. In fact, when we go out looking for God, we find Him waiting for us. His grace and favor restore us to a place where we can resume our lives with joyful celebration. The tambourines and joyful dancing mentioned here represent the celebration of marriage and festival, indicating a promising future. We have a promising future in Christ, and we can depend upon His faithful love toward us.

Determine to find your comfort, strength, and joy in Christ and the work of the cross. Nothing else compares and will only stand to destroy you in the long run. Turn all your cares over to God today, and begin your healing process. He loves you with an everlasting love, and He wants to bring celebration to your life. Worship the God who heals, restores, rebuilds, and renews. His grace and favor are yours.

Have a blessed day!

Matthew 26:37-46

Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up on sorrow – to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with Me.” Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping! He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with Me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came again and found them sleeping because they could not keep their eyes open.

After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up; let’s go! See – My betrayer is near.”

As Jesus prayed fervently, asking the Father to let this bitter cup pass from Him, it may seem upon reading the text as if God were silent. Upon closer look, however, we see God was actually speaking in the garden that night. Every time Jesus returned to find the disciples sleeping, He received His answer.

Scripture clearly tells us they could not keep their eyes open. These were the men closest to Jesus.

            They were His community.

            He chose them to follow Him.

            He poured His life into them for 3 ½ years.

            They sat under His teaching.

            They watched Him perform miracles.

            They even learned to cast out demons in His name.

These were the most spiritual men on earth, yet they could not stay awake to pray under the darkness and oppression of the hour. If these men could not fight the temptation to fall asleep in the darkness of evil, neither could we. There was no other way. A sacrifice was needed. So, Jesus surrendered Himself to God’s plan and gave us the cross.

Because of Jesus’s obedience, God’s went to work on our behalf. Upon His death, the curtain of the temple that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, where the blood of the sacrifices was applied to the altar, was ripped in two. Thereby, His sacrifice gave us direct access to the Father, allowing us to become His children and heirs.

As if direct access to the Father was not enough, God also gave us the resurrection, signifying that He accepted the sacrifice of Jesus as pure, holy, and unblemished. With the resurrection came power! Jesus had defeated death and is now alive, sitting at the right hand of the Father and interceding for us! We now have an advocate against the schemes of the enemy and power to defeat Him in the here and now! We have victory in Christ not because of what we may do or not do but because of what He has already done! Hallelujah!

If you are facing a dark or heavy situation today, lean into the sacrifice that Jesus has already made for you. Do all you know is right to do, and trust God to go to work on your behalf to do what you can’t do. Find rest in knowing you are a child of God and an heir with Christ in His kingdom. You have power to fight the battles before you today because Jesus rose from the dead and is at the Father’s right hand praying for you – right here and right now.  His complete sacrifice made a way for us when there was no other way, and He is still providing a way for us when there is no other way!

Happy Easter

Luke 23:55-56

The women who had come with Him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how His body was placed. Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.

I love the Steel Magnolias of the cross! Just as M’Lynn couldn’t leave her precious daughter, Shelby, while she was dying, so these dear Steel Magnolias of the cross could not leave their Jesus as they watched Him die the most agonizing death imaginable. They continued to follow Him to the grave to see where He was buried and how He was laid in the tomb. They were women who truly followed Jesus as far as they could follow Him, then they rested on the Sabbath as was commanded.

True followers of Jesus would have rested on the Sabbath. As such, they would not have worked to steal the body, as some scoffers suggest. The Jewish leaders would not have stolen the body because of the Sabbath, and the last thing they wanted was an empty tomb to appear as if He had, in fact, risen. The Roman soldiers would have had no reason to want to steal the body, and a body has never been found to suggest it was ever stolen. His empty tomb still stands as reason enough to believe in His resurrection.

God gave the command to rest on the Sabbath, and that is what the followers of Jesus did. This rest was a means of honoring Him and the work of creation. The Sabbath rest is devoted to God. As they were resting, God was accepting the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin, and Jesus was conquering the Devil in hell. God fights wars on our behalf when we rest and honor Him.

Today is the Sabbath before Easter. Rest in honor of your heavenly Father. He is fighting battles for you about which you know nothing, and He will reveal this to you in due time. Until then, honor Him with the rest He commands. Place your full trust in Him. He knew what you would face and how you would fail, yet He chose to use you in His great plan. Expect Him to overcome what you can’t, and be ready to walk in your purpose when He reveals His plan to you. Sunday is coming!

Have a blessed day!

Luke 23:44-46

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three, because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the sanctuary was split down the middle. And Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” Saying this, He breathed His last.

On that day, as Jesus took the full brunt of wrath for our sins upon the cross, darkness seemed to prevail. What was good, right, just, and pure had just been falsely accused and punished, and it appeared evil had won. During this moment of darkness, however, something unthinkable happened in the temple as the curtain separating the holy place from the most holies split in two. In the very place where the blood was sprinkled on the altar for the sins of the people, the veil was torn, signifying the sacrifice was complete and final. No other sacrifice would ever need to be made. How ironic that the curtain should split while Jesus made His last statement from the cross. No man could have staged such a thing. This was truly an act of a divine God.

As Jesus breathed His last, He knew His spirit would move right into the hands of His loving Father. He would no longer have to suffer because His mission as the Lamb of God was finished. How wonderful to know as Christians that when our mission here on earth is finished, our spirit will move into the hands of the loving Father, where we will suffer no more.

Jesus’s sacrifice is complete. One day we will breathe our last, as well. If we have believed in Him as our Savior and surrendered to Him as Lord, we can rest assured that our spirit will move into the hands of the Father, but Jesus did not die for everyone. He died for those who would believe and follow Him. Unless we believe and receive Him as Lord, we are left guilty and must pay eternally for our sins. Jesus has already paid the price for our sins, and it is the only payment God will accept. Receive His gift of grace this Good Friday, and know that your sins are covered by His blood. Thank Him for the price He paid for you, and praise Him for the spotless Lamb of God He is for you and for me. Only He is worthy of all thanks, all praise, all honor, and all glory because of what Good Friday did for us.

Have a blessed day!

John 8:15

You judge by human standards. I judge no one.

These words are the words of Jesus, Himself. He did not come into the world to judge the world but to give His life for us. He came to take our judgment upon Himself so we might escape judgment and live eternally with the Father.

We either believe Jesus is the Son of God who takes away our sins and receive Him as Savior, or we reject Him. He is not our judge; He is our advocate before the Father. We must realize that the only way we can stand before a righteous God is in the righteousness of a perfect lamb, and Jesus is that perfect lamb sacrificed for our sins. He is our gift from God to escape judgment from our sins. Unless we freely receive that gift and follow Jesus, we will be judged by the ultimate judge, God the Father.

Our culture does not like to be judged. No one wants to be held accountable for wrongdoing. The best way to get away with sin is to cloud the definition of sin. If the culture accepts it, people won’t judge it. Jesus did not judge, but He did correct false teaching, especially among religious leaders. He preached the truth about God, and many did not like it. In fact, they detested Him so much that they plotted to kill Him, carrying out the very sacrifice needed for our sins. If the world rejected Jesus, they will reject His followers, too. We can only speak the truth and trust the Holy Spirit to lead those whose hearts are inclined to follow. Those who reject Christ are judged already.

Pray for our country. This world desperately needs Jesus, and the majority seems to be rejecting Him. They may reject us, but we still need to pray. Jesus did not come to this world to judge, and neither should we. He did come to proclaim the truth and reveal the Father, and we should follow His lead. As our leaders have rejected God’s word, they have fallen into darkness and cannot lead with wisdom. Pray. God still hears the voices of His people. Don’t become discouraged or dismayed. You belong to Him, and you have an advocate through Jesus Christ. Those who adamantly oppose Christian views have no advocate and will ultimately be judged by the Father. Choose to have a heart to love those who persecute the Christian faith. Their only hope lies in our prayers, but our hope is found in the resurrection power of Christ. He has promised us victory in the end.

Have a blessed day!

Genesis 21:3-5

Abraham named his son who was born to him – the one Sarah bore to him – Isaac. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him. Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

God did for Abraham just what He promised, and Abraham did just what God commanded. At the age of 100, Abraham began his venture as the father of many nations. His promise did not come through his own efforts but by God’s miraculous intervention in his life. He could credit the blessing of his son only to the work of God, and he gladly did what was commanded of him. When you know beyond any reasonable doubt that God has done a work in your life, your response is complete obedience.

Abraham was very conscious of the presence of God in his life. As a result, he obeyed God’s command. I dare say that for most of us, the reason we fall into disobedience is because we are not aware of God’s presence. We somehow feel as if we are struggling on our own or that we have to make a particular thing happen by our own efforts, and we move ahead of God or fall far behind. When we are fully aware of His presence, we obey out of reverence and trust.

Know for certain today that God is with you, and He is for you. He will fulfill every promise He has made to you at His appointed time. He expects you to follow Him in obedience and to give Him the glory when He does. When you realize His work in your life, worship and obedience will be your natural response. If for any reason you come to rely upon your own efforts, you have fallen into disobedience. Independent spirits like mine often have a hard time accepting this. God is with you, He is working in your life, and He wants you to respond to what He is doing. You don’t have to make it happen; you merely need to respond to the work He is already doing in you.

Have a blessed day!

Luke 19:41-44

As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, “If you knew this day what would bring peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.

Roman siege took the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD and destroyed it, killing even children. This came as a judgment for rejecting Jesus and crucifying Him. Jesus knew what they would do to Him, yet He wept over the city because He loved them. He hurt for their destruction, even though He was about to face His own. What a great demonstration of true love!

May we be women who will recognize our time of visitation and receive Jesus as King and Lord. May we honor Him and serve Him, assured of His great love for us. When we reject Him, He weeps over us because He knows the pain it will cause us in the long run. He overlooks offense to see where we will suffer, and He weeps for us. Give Him praise today instead of a reason to weep. His love for us is much greater than we can fathom.

Have a blessed day!

Psalm 116:7

Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.

In times of trial or difficulty, our tendency may be to worry. My own mind tends to look at the worst possible scenario and try to plan a strategy to prevent it or overcome it. When I do this, I’m expecting to handle the matter in my own strength, which will never get me very far. Instead, we should consider all the times our LORD has been good to us and return to a state of rest in our soul. We can expect God to be good to us because goodness is His nature, and He is in control.

Bad times are often compounded due to worry. If we would simply give our bad times to God, He will give us peace to endure and overcome whatever struggle we face. We may not be able to prevent the storm from coming, but we can take shelter and even sing and rejoice while the rain falls and the wind blows. Christ came to give us life and to give it more abundantly, which means we can enjoy the journey, regardless of how difficult the path may be at times.

Think of all the times God has been good to you today, and simply rest. He has not brought you this far and invested this much in you to just abandon you to the wolves. Even in your heartache, God has been good to you. Expect Him to be good to you today, tomorrow, and in the days to come. Thank Him and praise Him for His goodness, and return to your rest. You have the privilege of being His child, and He will take care of you.

Have a blessed day!

Luke 12:51

Do you think that I came here to give peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!

Do you ever get upset because everyone doesn’t like you? Have you tried to get along with everyone, but there are just still some people who won’t accept you? If Jesus didn’t get along with everyone, you certainly won’t either. While some people seem to think that as Christians we should always get along with people and bring peace to every situation, Jesus made it clear to His disciples that He did not come to bring peace to the earth. He came to bring division.

Jesus brought division because He did not agree with the standards and traditions of earth, especially among the Jewish leaders that claimed to be close to God. Jesus came to show the world what the Father was really like, and He was not like these leaders that lorded themselves over the people. Jesus brought division among the religious leaders while the sinful of the world began to follow Him and change from their ungodly ways.

Jesus, however, did not agree with the sinful, either. Those who were set in their evil ways wanted nothing to do with Him and saw Him as irrelevant. He didn’t try to force their belief. He simply lived a godly life and taught where He was accepted. Those with needs were ultimately drawn to Him. The religious leaders saw Him as a threat to their way of life, so they crucified Him. Jesus brought peace to those who were in turmoil, but He brought division to those who were happy and established in their sin.

To those who are determined to live an ungodly life, we will bring division, as well. To those who are seeking truth and experiencing physical and/or spiritual need, we will bring peace through the gospel. The only time we will see true world peace is when Jesus comes back to take charge, and there will be many who will not live in peace any longer when He does. He will divide the wheat from the tares and throw the tares into utter darkness. Once He has rid this world of evil, we will finally live in peace under His righteous rule. Until then, we can expect division in a world that does not want to accept Jesus as Lord.

Don’t worry about those who don’t like you or won’t accept you. Love those who do. If Jesus couldn’t get along with everyone, you certainly won’t, either. Establish your relationship with Him first, and all other relationships will flow properly from it. God didn’t call you to please anyone but Him. If you have His approval, you have all that matters. Our mission here is not a mission of peace as some may think, and we must realize that our message will often bring division. Rejoice in the Lord who loves you and grants you favor and new mercies every morning. What other people think will not change His plans for you, so focus upon pleasing Him, and He will change the minds of those who matter.

Have a blessed day!