Many adults have the Lord’s Prayer, (Matthew 6:9-13) memorized and through time developed a good understanding of each phrase, but what about the kids?
For me, in the course of a day, I’ll recite these Words of God many times. Kids today will benefit greatly to have this great treasure of Scripture hidden in their hearts and mind.
Give a listen. Commit to share it with the kids and grandkids and sing along with them.
To commune with God draws us near to Him. He draws near to us as we seek Him in spirit and in truth.
He meets us right where we are.
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13.
This is an excellent and essential use of our time. Spurgeon is quoted:
“If there be anything I know, anything that I am quite assured of beyond all question, it is that praying breath is never spent in vain.”
Today, let’s take a moment and let a child’s voice speak Jesus’ model to talk to God. Let the melody and the Word stir up an attitude to speak with our Maker in an all-inclusive way, and not fret, worry, or lose heart over anything.
May the melody to the Lord’s Prayer with kids bring us refreshing and rescue, this day and every day.
“Just keep singin'” to Jesus and cast all our cares on Him.
“For His is the kingdom, the power, and glory, forever. “
Amen.
P.S. Let me know if your kids enjoy learning the Lord’s prayer with Kally, Graham, and Irelyn!
I’m working on a Bible Songs Alive Resource for Christian schools, churches, homeschools, and families to pull up kids singing wonderful Scripture memory songs.
Please pray for the Lord’s leading and blessing in this project I’ve been working on for over 10 years! — Toni
In a day where news clips and billboards seem to scream in our every direction, the Lord speaks in the sunrise of the morning and the sunset of the night sky, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth Psalm 46:10.
“As we walk forward, slow with the challenge of keeping steady, we pray and cry aloud to You ‘who are enthroned in the heavens!'”
To you, I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens.
“Psalm 123 is our prayer, word for word, dear Lord,
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
“As empty gloves on the table become alive in our hands, help us put the promise of Your presence to give us strength now, for what comes today, to stand. Your Word is our comfort in our affliction,” (Psalm 119:50).
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go Joshua 1:9.
It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed Deuteronomy 31:8.
“Help us remember Lord, our weakness as in empty gloves. To agree with You is surrender, yet this is our hope for strength in the battles. We are nothing on our own without You. Your Spirit gives us life.
Your promise to be with us wherever we go is repeated more than 18 times. Obviously, You don’t want us to forget this foundational truth. Keep us looking up, not all-around at every voice that speaks.
Your voice is not heard unless we are willing to hear:
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?‘ Hebrews 13:5,6.
Help us remember this. We are like sheep and forget the foundations of our faith.
Keep us faithful . . . to believe You . . . now, today!
…’ And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age‘ Matthew 28:20.
We know this, but we forget. Help us remember:
You were dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and Your name is the Word of God” Revelation 19:13.
If it had not been for the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us, . . . Our help is in the Name of the LORD who made heaven and earth Psalm 124. (Calligraphy, tonirypkema.com)
“Our prayers are Your Word, dear Lord:
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, Let Israel now say – ‘If it had not been the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us;
Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;
Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.‘
Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth” Psalm 124.
And the hymns and spiritual songs are our meditations:
Why should I feel discouraged Why should the shadows come Why should my heart feel lonely And long for heaven and home When Jesus is my portion A constant friend is He His eye is on the sparrow And I know He watches over me
Cevilla D Martin, His Eye is on the Sparrow
Renew.
Restore.
We walk with ears to hear Your voice today. In Jesus’ name.
We give praise and glory to God because He IS GOD.
His Word is “perfect, refreshing the soul,” Psalm 19 reminds us: “The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward” Psalm 19:7-10.
Are we going through a great trial? Yes, most people are challenged today, some are in crisis.
How is gold purified? Yes, fire.
And, there are times the Lord allows great trials that feel like a fiery furnace.
We must keep our eyes on Jesus, He draws near to the brokenhearted.
May we receive His Word and rejoice – even in hard times.
Why? Because God is faithful. He hasn’t left us, orphans. He is speaking. We must take time to talk to Him.
When we open His Word, we’re allowing Him to speak to us. What does He say about hard trial:
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” 1 Peter 1:6,7.
“Lord help us hear Your voice and block out all others. Give us ears to hear what You have to say to us. We need to know You more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Today, I pray that the Lord keeps us “rejoicing in Him” no matter what! God said, . . . and it was so! We CAN trust Him for what concerns us today! Amen!
“Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call on Him while He is near . . . “Isaiah 55:6,7.
What’s the greatest miracle of them all? Jesus healed the blind, He opened deaf ears. Jesus turned water to wine. Crippled people could walk and jump. The dead became alive again.
Jesus is the resurrected Lord, but none of them match this:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1.
There’s so many miracles in this very first verse of the entire Bible.
God is Creator of science. Here we have time, space, and matter. Let’s say it together: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1.
Do I believe this verse? To believe God is called “faith.”
Creator God, He’s all-knowing, all-powerful. God is love 1 John 4:8.
He gave us choice as one of His love-gifts. We can reject His Word or choose to believe and receive Him.
To love God is full of reward and promise to all who believe, (or have faith in Him).
We love rewards, don’t we? Guess what- when we draw near to God, and seek Him, He gives us eyes to see!
How do I know? The Bible tells us:
Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40.
Faith to believe God is a glorious miracle.
When we believe, we are as a blind man who can see. We become as one deaf who can now hear.
All of us have been hurt in this life and may have sad hearts that limp, yet the Lord’s love and miracle of faith help us to heal. He gives us power to stand again and walk forward today in good thoughts of His love and help.
The Bible tells us: Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see Hebrews 11:1.
And when we believe, we get understanding,
By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen Hebrews 11:3, NLT.
The Spirit of God was hovering over the darkness of the empty earth, in the beginning, and God said,
Let there be light” and there was light Genesis 1:3. We’re not talking about the sun here. This is light energy. This is the spectrum of color light energy.
Yes, God said let there be a spectrum of color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and all the shades in between!
At night when we look out, everything is a tint of gray. But in the day, color!
Blue skies, green grass, lots of colors found in flowers, brown tree trunks.
O LORD, how manifold are you works! In wisdom you have made them all: the earth is full of your riches Psalm 104:24.
The Gospel Huddle:
God said, “Let there be light.” How about you? Do you believe God and His Word?
This is a first step. God doesn’t want us to be in the dark. He doesn’t want our world to feel gray and full of dark shadows.
We feel that way at times. We feel separated and far from God.
Put your arms out far apart.
Yes, this is how we are to God, separated. But do you see your arms stretched far? That’s what Jesus did for you because He loves you so much.
Jesus willingly allowed men to stretch His arms out wide on the cross, even though He didn’t deserve any punishment. (Jesus had no sin). He took our punishment of sin on Himself as He was nailed to a cross and died for you and me.
We all deserve punishment because we all have sin. Every single one human being on this planet.
Sin is anything we think, say, or do that goes against His Word to us.
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 6:23.
God wants us to see His great love gift-Jesus.
When we believe Him and receive His love, our eyes are opened. We see a whole spectrum of color for all things new. A life with Him, forever. In forgiveness and hope.
Perhaps the greatest miracle is God’s gift of faith to believe.
Talk to the Lord as you listen to God’s Word in song about faith in Him:
It’s Time to Seek the LORD Song: Hebrews 11:6, Isaiah 55: 6,8,9.
This Scripture Song invites your heart to seek the Lord.
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
Do we live in a desert place at this time? With a breeze of heat, discouragement, and pressures all around.
Let’s open God’s Word for a present help. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit as rushing wind to blow through our being. And let’s put on a garment of praise and take off our heavy attire.
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it” Isaiah 30:21.
“Walk in my Word. Breathe in your dry bones, My Spirit and life,” God ministers to my weary heart through His Spirit alive in me. I must receive it. And I will . . .
because,
I can wake up from a night’s sleep completely discouraged. Before my feet touch the ground, I have to put off garments of discouragement and put on faith.
The battle begins before I get out of bed in the morning!
Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. Psalm 119:49,50 are my kick out of bed to face a day with faith not dreariness.
This world is not my home. I have to remember that. God’s Word is a complete guide to all my needs, this moment and for all my days. My problem is, I must walk in the Truth of the God’s Word and be filled with His Spirit.
“Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:14,15.
This is my intro to a heart of praise.
“Wake up and rise. Allow Christ to shine on you.” I have a choice to do this or not. Am I to look at the desert terrain or the heavenly sky of hope?
Life giving counsel from God’s Word exhorts:
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, . . . Ephesians 5 continues to instruct me in the way I must go for peace and joy in this day:
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.
Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, (Ephesians 5:17-19).
Am I moaning my dry prayers to the Lord? Yes. But can I sing a refreshing hymn of comfort as well?
Yes. Today, from 1905, Cevilla D. Martin’s Eye on the Sparrow. Let’s speak, (or sing) it aloud. Yes, aloud:
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Refrain: I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise, When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies, I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Now it makes sense. The Word of God must be obeyed. We can’t only read God’s Word on the page, we must act on what it speaks to me and you.
So today, I will think on a theme of hope. Speak a psalm or hymn.
Jesus is my portion. A constant Friend is He. His eye is on this sparrow. I know He’s watching me.
That’s how I can:
Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
No matter what the circumstances might be, whether we are on a dry and tough trail, His Word is comfort and refreshing, as a drink of life to me:
“Comfort, Comfort my people, speak kindly to the people of Jerusalem. Tell them that their time of warfare is ended…This is a voice of a man who calls out: “Prepare in the desert the way of the Lord. Make the road in the dry lands straight for our God . . . ” Isaiah 40 1-3.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” John 12:24.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
How can we bless the Lord at a time of trial or loss? We can . . . when we remember all His benefits as Psalm 103 reminds us:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Circumstances change continually. We’re tempted to fret. We try to figure things out. We become angry and impatient.
Will we remember our great and mighty Lord?
He forgives all (y)our iniquities, Who heals all (y)our diseases, . . .
The struggle is great, . . .
to fret, or choose faith?
God waits. He’s patient and kind. It’s one thing to be patient, but patient and kind? That is glorious. That is the Lord. Fret brings on a deaf ear. Faith opens the hearing,
“Look up. Let go. Turn around. Follow Me.”
The struggle is great. There’s a war in our spirit. We have a choice to make.
When we look into His Word, we’re reminded that He who is faithful and true, keeps His promises:
He redeems (y)our life from destruction, He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, He satisfies (y)our mouth with good things, So that (y)our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Emphasis mine).
What will I think on today? What will I remember? The losses, the hurts? Or the promises of God?
Do I choose to believe the Lord, this moment, this day? Who is my Lord? Is it my own understanding or God’s proven character:
The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water” Jeremiah 2:13.
Selfishness and a stubborn spirit steal and bring thirst to my soul. But to all who seek Him, Jesus, He gives benefits:
” . . . but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life” John 4:14.
If I’m aware that I’m full and overflowing with the Lord’s love and sufficient grace, then my eyes see the green pastures the Lord has made me to lie down in, ( even in the storm), then I understand He restores my soul, yesterday, today, forever. He is God.
Circumstances change, but God doesn’t.
Who is God that I should bless?
He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
He is a gracious and compassionate Lord whom we can trust at all times.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Is He “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name?” Do we agree and ask to surrender as His children under His will? As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more.
Do I bless the Lord and remember His Word? It is light and life to our soul when we choose Him, Jesus.
Yes, when we remember His benefits toward us, those who choose to be children, forgiven and free: But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
The battle is won in prayer and praise.
Dear Lord, with all that is within me, let us remember all Your benefits:
The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all Psalm 103: 1-19.
“There will be a cost for this service,” notifies a computerized voice.
“Who can I call to help me clean the messy house . . . of my heart? Who will listen to me?”
Pizza Note #5, reminds us, “Don’t Panic!”
Jesus knows the condition of the house of our heart. Psalm 139 helps us understand that.
God is full aware of the tangles in our minds. He’s the de-tangler.
He understands the losses of our soul. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up our wounds Psalm 147:3.
God doesn’t want us to run away in shame and regret, but instead, He desires we turn, be still, and call on Him.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble Psalm 46:1.
Pick up the phone of prayer and call Jesus. His number is Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name Jeremiah 33:2.
There was a man with leprosy who called on Jesus, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
He knew the Lord was able to make him clean, but was He willing?
Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him Luke 5:12,13.
Jesus is able, and He’s willing to clean our mess as well.
We must accept our need for a Savior,
believe on Him,
and call Him to help us in time of need.
No more excuses.
Do we want a heart-house where Christ is center?
Call Jesus. He answers. He transforms us by renewing our minds through the power of His Spirit to those who believe.
The best part about calling Jesus is, He cleans our mess and forgets, forever!
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Romans 8:1.
God gave the greatest gift to the entire world. We hear hymns of, Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. And we respond, as we choose gifts for those we love.
And we remember Easter. God’s greatest provision for us by sending His precious Lamb to earth, to die on the cross that He might pay our debt of sin, the debt we could never be free of on our own.
But we forget, He’s coming back again. And it is very soon.
We know how to clean up house for guests, but our we ready for the return and second coming of the King of Kings?
Jesus is coming soon.
We must let this awesome and fearful news wake us up and make preparations in our heart, mind, and spirit. Do we know Jesus? He came not to condemn the world, as John 3:17 reminds us, but Jesus came “in order that the world might be saved through Him.”
Don’t forget: Jesus loves you. He’s on your side. Don’t be tempted to turn your back to Him. He will never do that to you.
And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here Romans 13:11,12.
If your heart is touched by the soon arrival of the King of Kings, and you’re house is out of order, or you aren’t sure your door has been opened to Him, simply talk to Him, and pray a prayer from your heart, (along these lines, or perhaps not,) telling Jesus,
“I’m sorry for my sins. Forgive me of all of them.
Change me Lord.
Help me let go of my past hurts and losses, each and every one of them.
Help me believe You Jesus and know You more. Make me a new creation. Fill me with Your Spirit that I might have Your peace, hope, and resurrection power working in me to love in a true and real way.
“I would like to say that now that we have our degree, we will not run into problems that we can’t handle.
Truthfully, no matter the type of degree, the number of years of experience, no matter the location, support groups, family, or friendships,
there will always come a time when we just don’t know the answer. It’s inevitable.
So, I want to encourage you with a little anatomy lesson:
Did you know that there are 47 different structures that make up the human eye that all have a unique function?
Did you know that there are 6 extra-ocular muscles, 4 cranial nerves, and 1.2 million nerve fibers in each optic nerve?
Did you know that when light waves touch my eye, without even thinking about it, I blink.
I blink to protect my eyes from too much exposure.
And when the amount of light changes, my pupillary-light response reacts without a thought, that only the right amount of light is allowed into my eye.
Did you know there are four of twelve cranial nerves that work specifically for the eye? They allow me to focus on an object, read it, and also move in different directions.
There are 9 different structures that all play a specific role in receiving light messages before they even get to the brain!
And not until those messages get to the occipital lobe of the brain that I’m able to interpret what I’m actually seeing.
The eyes receive millions of light waves and messages everyday, but my brain has a specific area that let’s only the important and significant messages through so that the brain doesn’t get over-stimulated.
Did you know that the God who told me to cast all my cares upon Him,
and told me He will never leave me nor forsake me,
and that I should be anxious for nothing,
was the very One who designed this whole system and hundreds like it so that we can live and move and breathe every second.
Did you know that He didn’t have to lift a finger and didn’t sweat a drop to think of it?
He just breathed on one man,
and He said that He knit us together and formed us in our mother’s womb before you were even a thought in her mind.
So, what are you worried about?
What will you be worried about when you come up to those hurdles that are bound to cross you path?
Think of your eye and tell me, that your situation, your problem, your worry is too bigfor GOD who created you and the world you live in.”
This Best Graduation Speech was presented by Carolyn Rypkema at the Lamplighting Ceremony at PBAU, May 3, 2012.
I’m the proud mama, and not only that, May 3rd, the day of the greatest speech ever, was my birthday.
My dear Carolyn, the oldest daughter of our large family, I love you more than you will ever know. I am more proud of you than you can conceive in your very smart mind. I am so thankful of the unifying spirit within you, the encouraging spirit, the brave and courageous spirit that you possess. You are an amazing person.
I have failed as a mom so many times, but I have succeeded in one point, pointing you, and each my kids to the One Who Loves perfectly, the One Who knows everything, and the One Who never leaves us or forsakes us.
Isn’t God amazing? Thank you Carolyn for reminding me through your wonderful graduation speech that God’s watching and keeping us under His careful and perfect eye.
He will continually guide each of us continually with His eye!
Who’s following me? How quickly we forget. I’m not talking about all the friends on the internet.
It’s Goodness and Mercy that are following us, today, tomorrow, and in every last breath.
When we choose to let the Lord be our Shepherd, Goodness and mercy follow us. As if living and nearby. But we forget.
The Lord told us why. He likens us as sheep. We’re often too busy noticing that other people’s grass is green.
We’re minus the joy. Depleted of smiles. Our focus is not vertical, but searching for popular styles.
We forget to be thankful of God’s watchful eye. Not noticing the many gifts He brings. Our minds are elsewhere, we walk on by.
We fret on along. We lose our song. We wonder. We ask, “Where is the road to happiness?”
“Today.” Today.” The Lord cries to all.
The most important day of our lives is the day we answer His call.
We put it off, we wait for the day. “Who wants to be a Jesus Freak anyway?”
But the Lord calls again, “Today.” “Today.” And we know deep in our heart, He’s the Way.
“I hear. I believe. Jesus, come, make me new.” God hears. He comes. Forgiveness, Salvation, Comfort in all. Angels rejoice. The sky is the bluest of blue. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing,(1)
He patiently works in us, as we grow in our trust and believe, receive, and let go of the
stuff. He makes me lie down in green pastures,he leads me beside quiet waters,
Allowing, at times, disappointment to come, or sickness, or loss, . . .
but the good Shepherd promises, and
he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23 tells me so.
He promises to lead, to guide, to provide, to protect. Yes, He promises.
“My goodness and love will follow you all the days of your life.
Remember Me,” He asks at His communion Table.
“Remember my mercy poured out with My out-stretched arms. Remember my goodness to pay your debt for all of your wrongs.Eat this bread broken for you.
“Dear child of God, Remember Me, I love you.”
Is the Lord your Shepherd?
Ask Him to be “Today.”
Today—
Surely
your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.Psalm 23 NIV
(To be read for the children, both young and old, that our minds might be refreshed. Let a new picture unfold.)
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree, how richly God has decked Thee:
Christmas is here! Look at the tree.
Sit and be still.
Let us gaze, differently.
It sits on its stand so high and so grand.
Wrapped in light, what a glorious sight,
bearing ornaments of love from each branch.
But think for a moment, living trees are far.
Alive and growing in beauty,
then, we come in our car.
We search.
We choose.
Then we cut down the tree.
We open our door and let it in, happily.
Broken and dead the tree had become,
yet, now beautifully alive.
Does this make you think of Someone?
The Christmas tree can be a picture of Jesus.
He came down from heaven to die on the cross.
to be cut and broken . . .
for each one of us.
He rose again, in glory and light.
Just like the ChristmasTree that we now have inside.
What happens to a heart, much like the door, that allows the cut Vine a place on the floor?
No longer distant, but close.
Now near.
Jesus died that all of our guilt is cleared.
We ask Him in.
We believe in His love.
We call on Jesus,
for His promises of Love.
“I will never leave you.
I will never forsake.
I am your helper. You no longer need be afraid.
Call on Me.
I will answer.
I Am your Bright and Morning Star.
I Am your light,
your glory.
I make new all you are.
Believe.
And bring Christmas to others throughout the year.
I make you a blessing, a gift, each day.
Seek, to be still, . . . know Me . . .draw near.
And, I in turn, will draw near to you.
that you might shine for Me in all you do.
O Christmas Tree! O
Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,
And trust in God unchangingly.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
In our fast-paced days in this culture, I hope to help us learn to change gears and bring in some whole-hearted conversations about God as we go along the way.
Many people understand and agree The Bible to be the Word of God. Making time to seek God in His word is a daily challenge. And talking about the things of God a whole other test.
We face hardship and brokenness,
but in this greatest of all stories, “along the way,” perhaps we can be strengthened to see Jesus, not in our heads, but 18 inches lower, in the retelling of it:
News stories are often the talk of town, but there is one that had everyone in town talking.
Two men left Jerusalem sad and weary after a prophet of dynamic works and word, blessed by God and all the people around, known as Jesus the Nazarene had been betrayed and sentenced to death. They were talking and a stranger joined them,
“What’s the conversation about?”
They had no clue it was Jesus. They didn’t recognize Him, so one of them answered,
“Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?” (1)
“The One about to deliver Israel is dead. It’s been three days. And not only that, some women said they couldn’t find his body and they saw an angel that said, ‘he’s alive.'”
“And there were some friends that went and said they found it empty as the women did, but they didn’t see him.”
As they talked along the way, the stranger said to them,
“How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (2)
Can you imagine a 5-7 mile walk with Jesus sharing Himself in all of the words of Moses and the Prophets? The Alpha and Omega speaking the stories himself.
But even greater is when they saw it was He:
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. (3)
Let’s keep our eyes and ears open and may the Lord give us help to see Him as these two men did:
When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.(4)
We too, go along our way, not recognizing Jesus, but, as the bread is broken, God allows brokenness in our lives. It is then that our eyes are willing to see Jesus. Our hearts are opened to the blessings of God, far exceeding anything we can comprehend or attain on our own.
Children face times of discouragement and brokenness as well. How beautiful to retell this story where Jesus broke the bread and blessed it.
When we invite Jesus in to heal our broken state, He blesses us.
Our hearts begin to burn, and a hunger and thirst is kindled within us to know him more.
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (5)
Yes, our hearts burn, and we go to tell the story to anyone who has ears to hear, like these two men on their journey after Jesus had died.
They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled togetherand saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”
Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread. (5)
Jesus is the broken bread. He’s been poured out for us. His blood on the cross is what allows for our healed lives.
Can you see Jesus break the bread and bless it?
His Word is our healing, peace, and rest. His Story is Love for all who ask.
Empty wallet, distant feet, words that struggle to leave my heart to speak.
For each of my children, if you could take an imaginary ride through my veins, you would witness my mind reciting thankful strains,
a heart bulging with inexpressible love,
and through each vessel, your name resounding in your mama’s blood.
My child, you are knit to me.
With lack, and loss, and struggles, and pains, I seek to think on an abundant theme:
God the Father, Jesus, His Son, and the Holy Spirit—God is love.
He’s the Beginning, He’s the End. He saved me, remade me, fills me new, time and time again.
He’s my “same old” song on my one-stringed guitar. He’s my note that hammers and slides, with added harmonics.
The bread, His body, broken for me, the blood that was shed on Calvary, He bid me to come to His Table one day, that I might leave with Him every guilt and every stain.
The Table is where I gave Him my all.
He faithfully re-created me. He told me, “I will not let you fall.”
Following His grace notes, He’s added more strings.
God is blessed with family. The struggle for unity, harmony, and joy each one knows.
I give you Jesus. He’s the wine never ending, the Bread, the beauty a Rose.
The invitation comes from the King of all Kings. His word is true, He’s hope. He’s life. He’s deliverance. He’s rest.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–” (1)
Jesus is the name above every name. He never changes, never leaves, He forgives, He believes, . . .
in you.
Always.
He is faithful. Of Him only, this is true.
He’s your keeper, your healer. He breaks down every wall. He’s present. He’s patient. He’s power, and peace.
He was spat on, beat, abused. He was hated. He knows your every thought, good, bad, and weighted. He accepts you. He’s perfect,
so the best gift I could ever give to you my daughters and sons, (apart from the first birth, many years ago), I can offer you Jesus, for a new birth, right now, right here,
that daily we can share His world together with new eyes and new ears, and we grow in His grace and His knowledge for all eternity’s years.
Talk to Him now, read His word daily. Love floods in like a symphony’s song . . .
I love you forever, my sons and daughters, oh, but He loves you most, more than any other,
(When we sit to eat a meal, we hope to satisfy and fulfill. Today, many face great struggles and hard times. Perhaps we might read aloud to a child at our table, or, better yet, become that comforted child as we remember God through a weave of rhyme.
God News is needed to help enrich our day with food from His Word that is wholesome, sweet, trustworthy, and good.)
We can’t see God. We can’t hear His voice. But maybe we can, when we stop to be still and come away from the noise.
When times are filled with sunshine and laughter, it’s easy to praise God with joy inside.
But, when loss comes, or great sadness within, where can we go to start breathing again?
One vision will hold you and me at such times:
Imagine Jesus showing you His nail pierced hands. Yes, holding out His outreached arms, with marks from His scars. It’s so hard to understand.
Jesus has scars. He has suffered all we have, the same. And more.
He is able to know how you feel, He is Lord.
He was nailed to the cross, for you and for me. He was willing to suffer. And today, He says, “I love you. Do you believe?”
God speaks. Not audibly, of course, but He desires to comfort. He’s near when we call.
God spoke out loud, one day of Jesus His Son. His voice came with sound, straight down from heaven:
“You are my Son and I love you. I am very pleased with you.” This is what the Bible tells us in Mark 1:11.
God spoke again, at another time from a cloud, “This is my Son, and I love him. Obey him!”
The Bible tells us this in Mark 9:7.
We can see that God loves his Son.
But God, the Creator, the One in control, even though we don’t understand all that’s happening, and our feelings are low,
God gave His only Son to pay for our sin. Those marks on His hands are proof we’re forgiven.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you . . .” Jesus tells us in John15:9. These words should be repeated aloud at least three times.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I love you. God loved His Son so very much, but here He’s saying, with that same love, He loves us.
This is His remedy for sad times of loss.
No matter what, Jesus loves.
No matter what’s happened, He asks that we ” . . . remain in my love.”
“Now remain in my love,” This is Jesus giving us a job to do.
This is God’s remedy. This is how it’s done.
We remain close, giving God our pain and sorrows. And He comforts us. He carries us today.
And we can comfort someone else in their hard day, tomorrow.
He’s got a good plan for all who believe.
His scars healed. And He will help ours heal also.
“Help us dear Jesus, always remember Your great love. Help us stay close and read Your word, so we can hear Your voice and grow.
In God’s Word in Deuteronomy 11:18-20, we are encouraged:
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates . . .
So, I set out to write devotions to help families talk to their kids about good news, which I call God News. I hope these little devotions help in bringing up discussion. Let me know if they add content to your conversations.
Toni
A golden start, we will have with God News for Kids. We will talk of golden things.
Gold is a precious metal hidden away within the dirt and rock.
The stories go, that men sought out gold with shovels, a lot of sweat, and eyes and heart filled with hopes for a great find.
“Gold diggers” they were called from the wild West, looking for treasure to make them rich.
Well, what happens when dig out the letter “L” from the word “gold?”
What do you find?
G-O-D.
Yes, You find “God.”
Is finding God like finding gold?
We can find God by reading the Bible, His Word:
The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold.
(Psalm 19:9b-10).
More desirable than gold, even the finest gold?
“God’s laws? What does all that mean? Are they just rules and stuff like that?” You might be asking.
If they are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold, then God’s laws must be precious, and pure, and of great cost.
Yes they are, and Psalm 119 in the Bible tells us:
Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts, (Psalm 119:2).
How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word, (Psalm 119:9).
Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word. Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you, (Psalm 119:37,38).
I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments, (Psalm 119:45).
Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles, (Psalm 119:50).
Gold is the Word of God. Pure and bright, and even more—for our path, a light:
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path, (Psalm 119:105).
God is golden and His Word is a treasure. Kids, Let’s pray that we begin to “Love His law, (His Word, His promises, His stories, Old Testament, and New).
That we might have this promise from Psalm 1:
But they (who) delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do, Psalm 1:2,3.
Now this is gold. Yes, and Amen.
Delighting, or being happy to spend time with the Lord in His Word helps us have lives that are like trees full of fruit!
