Month: February 2020

Happy Valentine’s Day!

This may be a special day for you with gifts of flowers, candy, or dinner out. On the other hand, it may be a day of loneliness and longing. Whatever your situation God has a Valentine for you!  He loves you for sure!

VICTORY

 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).

ATTENTIVE TO OUR PRAYERS

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 5:12).

LOVE

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

EVERY GOOD GIFT

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

NEW CREATION

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

TRUTH

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6).

INSEPARABLE

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? . . . .For I am convinced that neither death nor life neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 39).

NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH

“But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” ( 2 Peter 3:13).

EVERLASTING LOVE

“The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3).

You are loved!

I completed a puzzle last week. Not just any puzzle – a 2000-piece puzzle! I also have to say I did finish it, but I didn’t do the whole thing. My daughters started it when they were home at Christmas. Then, they, of course, went home leaving it for me to finish. I worked a little on it almost every day and as I got closer to finishing, it became an obsession. I had to get that thing finished and off my dining table.

The process was a bit frustrating. I’d put in a piece that matched in shape, color, etc. I’d turn it over to check how snug it fit. Sometimes I’d leave it, but other times I took it out. Many of those pieces I left in place, thinking they really did fit didn’t fit later when I tried to fill in around them.

Life is a little like that isn’t it?  I think “I’ve got this. This is working for me.” Then, later it doesn’t. Other times it seems like I can’t figure out what to do about a certain situation. I get impatient and want answers when God wants me to wait. God may have “other pieces” to put in place first. 

I think of Jesus’ disciples. In the first chapter of Acts Luke records that Jesus had commanded the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. They asked Jesus if He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel? Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7-8).

The disciples didn’t just sit around waiting for God to send the Holy Spirit. They prayed (Acts 1:14) and they took care of business that needed to be done by choosing another man (Acts 1:21-26) to take Judas’ place. They were busy doing what they knew to do. So, should we.  We should continue doing Kingdom work even if we’re unsure of the next step. We can still love our neighbor, care for the lonely, teach that Sunday School class, whatever “pieces” we know will fit. When answers don’t come on our timetable we keep working. As I worked on that puzzle, I eventually got all the wrong-fitted pieces in the right place. I trust God to eventually fit all the pieces of my life into His perfect plan.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10).