Tag: bad news

No Smiles? Let a Child Teach

To give thanks can be hard. Especially during times of loss or pain.

Children are a gift. They are our teachers. I share a lesson from  a little child.

I heard about a very young boy who never knew his dad. His mom got very ill and died.

Relatives and friends expressed sadness around the boy.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months where the boy felt bad because everyone around him had unhappy faces.

He was sick of being sad and decided to do something about it. “People are happy when they get presents,” he thought, “I need to give presents.”

At first, he found things around the house and handed them to his relatives and neighbors saying, “This is a gift for you.”

The boy was changed, forgot his sadness and began to see smiles again.

The young boy asked if he could go to the dollar store to buy things he might give away to people.

“This gift is for you,” he would say to strangers in the park and hand them a little treasure. Smiles and thankfulness he received which made him very happy. Everyone he met was filled with thankfulness as they received his gift.

God holds out a gift, in this present, sad and dark day.

Our Father in heaven, Almighty God gave to whoever would receive:

 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.

Can we hear Him with our eyes and hearts? Can we see His hands spread wide, “This gift is for you.”

Are we critical of the gift? Are we wise in our own eyes?

It’s time to learn from the children:

Jesus said: Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me Matthew 18:1-5.

Children. Believe. God.

We suffer loss, stress, pain. Today, . . . can we see the gift that the Lord holds out to us? His Word is Living.  Comfort. Life. Hope. Peace.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day; Psalm 91: 1-8.

Is it time to decide to turn from the sadness? Is it time to turn to the Lord and let Him cover us in His love?

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly John 10:9,10.

   

It’s time for life, and that more abundant. Jesus gives . . .

His arms are wide.

The Gospel message is this: We’re all separated from God. Sin has ravaged all of human kind.

 . . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23. 

But God, sent His Son Jesus to die in our place.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Romans 6:23.

We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all Isaiah 53:6.

As John the Baptist spoke as the messenger to “prepare the way in the wilderness,” Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near Matthew 3:2. 

Eternal life begins the moment we believe:

 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd John 10:11-16.

Is today the first day of the rest of your life receiving the gift from the Son? Pray to the Lord. Do we have the Lord, but continue in stubbornness and pride?

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness 1 John 1:9.

Ask for His forgiveness in that we have all gone astray. Receive the cleansing of the blood of Jesus. And the Lord tells us we be new:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17.

If you have prayed to the Lord to receive His gift of salvation, let someone know! Amen.

Today, He has made all things new.

Continue reading “No Smiles? Let a Child Teach”

But 'weep no more' the Lord says…

Just as there are two sides to every coin, there are two sides to every story – especially, the Christmas Story! The angels sang in the heavens above: “Peace on earth, good will to men.”(Luke 2:14).  Yet out of the mouth of the ‘Prince of Peace’ Himself years later were the words: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth…” (Matthew 10:34).
In all honesty, every human being deep down can agree with the Lord’s words: “I did not come to bring peace but a sword. “For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.’ And a man’s foes will be those of his own household.”(Matthew 10: 34-36).
Many a parent understands these words, and many a daughter, and many a son who has made room in their lives and their heart for Him. When one finally can see that He is who He says He is, and makes the choice to ‘follow after Him’ –  oh yes, they know all about the sword.
And we can all agree that even our ‘flesh’ cries out and screams when the choice is made to be ‘lead in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake’. It’s hard to ‘die to self’! There’s a lot of screaming that goes on inside when we finally decide to control our tongue, or control our appetites, to make the choice to be merciful, to choose to give someone ‘grace’ even though they don’t deserve it! Don’t we all understand the ‘sword’ that Jesus is talking about? “I did not come to bring peace but a sword…”
Crazy – but this is consistent even with the Christmas Story! Yes, the angels sang their song of peace, but King Herod was ‘exceedingly wroth’ (KJV) about a new King of the Jews, and the death of Him was his plan! The Prince of peace was born and now comes a sword: “Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according tot he time which he had determined from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16, NKJV).
There was much weeping: “Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, because they were no more.” (Jer. 31:15).
And for this reason, the lack of peace, many don’t believe in the Prince of Peace. Christmas comes, and Christmas goes, but for many…life brings a sword. What can be said of all of this?
The Prince of Peace has spoken. He brings words of comfort. You’ve got to look at both sides of the coin! You’ve got to see both sides of the story! Jesus Himself has told us: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
We suffer the sword, we suffer trouble- yes, even after receiving the Prince of Peace in our hearts and in our lives – But there is a big difference ‘in Him!’ He doesn’t leave us ‘orphans’, He doesn’t leave us at all! In fact He draws ever near as we draw near to Him. We don’t have a monologue with God, no, He speaks plain and simple, (OK, not always easy to take, but plain and simple nonetheless,) in a dialogue: “Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…” (John 15:20). But weep no more…
“Why shouldn’t I weep? This is not good news like I thought? What else do we do with a theme like: “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children…”etc, etc? That’s why I don’t read the Bible. There is no peace on earth!” These might be your very thoughts – BUT THUS SAITH THE LORD! Hear this, don’t grow weary, don’t rely on your own understanding, hear the word of the LORD:
“Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. There is hope in your future, says the LORD, That your children shall come back to their own border.” (Jer. 31:16,17).
Thus saith the LORD: “Stop your crying! Don’t let the tears fall anymore. Yes, I say with My own voice, “Your work will be rewarded.” Can you hear Me speak words of peace to you? Be of good cheer, I have overcome.” (The words of God in my paraphrase).“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” Thus saith the Lord, Jesus, no paraphrase, clear and simple, John 14:1.
The other side of the coin, the other side of the story, bears repeating: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD…”(Jer. 31:16).  “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me!” (John 14:1), exclamation point, mine!) With each new day, may we make the choice to ‘believe also in Him!’
Do I hear an “AMEN?”