Consider the lilies

Luke 12:27 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
(NKJV)

This year I decided to grow Petunias from seed. They are finally starting to bloom. Yesterday as I went out to my garden to look at what is growing there, I was awed by the beauty of my Petunias. I have lavender, light pink and dark pink ones blooming now. They have such delicate markings on them. They are truly a work of the Master Artist. I just had to get my camera and take a few pictures!
Jesus talks about the lilies, and I think any flower can fit here, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. We worry and fret about what we will wear, what we will eat and yet Jesus says, God clothes the flowers and feeds the birds. Why can't we trust that He will do the same for us?
"Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) Our worrying can't change a thing, but God can.

Dear Father, We humans are so prone to worry! Help us to look at the flowers and be reminded that you are God and You will look after the details of our lives. Amen.

"That Good Part"

Luke 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

I recently read the account of Mary and Martha in my daily Bible reading.  Mary chose to sit at the feet of Jesus while Martha rushed about fixing a meal.  Martha got peeved with Mary because she was having to do all the work while Mary sat at Jesus' feet.  When Martha confronted Jesus and asked Him to make Mary help her, Jesus told her that Mary had chosen that "good part".  

A home-school article by Marti Peiper  on this scripture, made an acronym of the word part.  Here it is:

Prayer--don't neglect communication with God
Assessment--assess your children's strengths & weaknesses
Response--be open to changing your schedule to respond to the needs of others
Trust--keep your trust in the Lord

On a personal level, we could define that good P.A.R.T. like this:

Prayer--don't neglect communication with God
Assessment--assess your spiritual strengths and weaknesses-ask God to show you where you
 need to change
Response-- take action with God's help to change those areas of your life that He shows you need
 work
Trust--trust in the Lord for His strength and help in your life

How are you doing with choosing that "good part"?  Are you so busy like Martha that you don't have time to choose that good part...to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him?  There is nothing wrong with slowing down your pace of life so that you can take this time in His presence.

Dear Father, We run from one activity to another at break-neck speed.  Sometimes we don't even take care of our physical needs, let alone our spiritual needs.  Please help us to choose that "good part" like Mary did.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

They Call Her Blessed

Proverbs 31:28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
(NKJV)

Mother's Day was coming and my friends were talking about what their families were getting for them for Mother's Day. I sat and said nothing because I knew my family couldn't afford to buy me anything but lunch at a restaurant and a card. I remember the days when I wondered if I would ever be a mother and how Mother's Day only served as a painful reminder that I was not a mother.

And so, Mother's Day dawned and I made my way to the breakfast table and found a nice card from my husband. He wrote, "You are a great mother to our kids and special wife." Later, I saw my son bringing a homemade card upstairs that said simply, "Happy Mother's Day". It was his special way of remembering me and I appreciated his thoughtfulness. As I passed by the dining room table I saw a piece of paper laying there that said, "Happy Mother's Day!" I turned it over and found this:

"I know I've said I'd run away
And I admit, I've screamed and cried
But please don't take it that I hate you
'Cause I really do love you deep inside!

I never called the taxi to take me from one friend's house to another
Who could be better qualified than a kind and loving mother?
You'll cook 'n clean all day, without a penny of pay
I've got 4 words to who'd do all of this: Hip-Hip-Hip-Hooray!

You clean up the whole basement and one day later it's a mess
Who do ya suppose did that? I know just the two people to guess.
Whoever wrote that children should be seen & not heard I thought must surely be mistaken
But then again, why else would your poor head be so badly achin'?

And this concludes my poem, a tribute to my mother
Your the best mom I could ever have, I'd trade you for no other!"

My friends talked about the expensive gifts they got for Mother's Day, but I was given the best gifts of all.

Dear Father, It is indeed a blessing to be a wife and mother when so much of the world scorns those roles. Yet at the same time I am aware that there are those who desperately long to have a child. I pray for them that you would grant them a special blessing. Amen

The Greatness of Our God

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.
I read these verses in my morning quiet time on Saturday. Sunday we had a guest speaker at church who spoke on the topic of God's relationship to time. He brought out some of the following points:

God is self-existent.

God's time signature is "I AM" Exodus 3:14, John 8:58

God is not bound by time, space and matter as we are. Psalm 90:4

God created time. Genesis 1:1

God is sovereign over time. 1 Timothy 1:17 (King eternal=literally, "King of the (eternal) ages." or King of time)

God does not exist in time, therefore He has never learned anything and never gains anything. Nothing is new to Him. He knows it all. Psalm 102:25-27

God does not change. Malachi 3:6

God inhabits eternity. Isaiah 57:15

God who created time understands it and fully comprehends it even though He is not limited or bound by time.

God already knows the future.

For God, past, present and future are all equally vivid. Revelation 1:4

As I pondered on these things, the verses I read the day before became more meaningful to me. Our God truly is great and these things should make us want to fall down and worship Him for Who He is. The word LORD means Jehovah or self-existent One. God's ways are perfect because He sees past, present and future all at once. He knows exactly what He is doing and why. Everything God does is done in justice, truth and righteousness. When things don't go the way I think they should sometimes I feel He is being unjust. That is because I am bound by time. I can not see what His purposes are for what He has allowed to come into my life and so it seems unjust. God on the other hand sees the whole picture all at once...past, present and future. He knows everything that is going to happen and is not surprised by anything. His way is perfect and I can take comfort in knowing that whatever He does is for a good purpose. ( Romans 8:28)

Is your life uncertain right now? Are you worried about your future? Take comfort in knowing that God is already there. He goes before you into the future and nothing takes Him by surprise.

Dear Father, I can't wrap my mind around Your awesome greatness. You are the Creator and I am the creature. No man is worthy of the worship that You deserve. Help us to see You as You really are. Amen.

What do I Wait For? My Hope is in You.

Psalm 39:7  ¶ And now, Lord, what do I wait for? my hope is in You. (NKJV)

The Psalmist in this chapter comes to the conclusion that every man at his best state is but vapor. (Psalm 39:5)  He says in verse 4, "LORD, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.  Indeed, you have made my days as  handbreadths; and my age is as nothing before you:"  He goes on to say in verses 9-11 "I was mute, I did not open my mouth; because it was You who did it.  Remove Your plague from me: I am consumed by the blow of Your hand.   When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity, You make his beauty melt away like a moth: surely every man is vanity."

For those of us who deal with chronic health problems on a regular basis, the meaning of this passage of Scripture becomes very clear and meaningful.  When I was young and healthy I thought I was invincible and God was only needed if I got in trouble.  As I have gotten older, health problems seem to collect like snow on a rolling snowball.  I see how frail I am and that my life really is but a vapor.  I also see that God in His sovereign plan is the One who has caused these things to come into my life.  I could become bitter against God for what He is doing or I could realize as the Psalmist did, that my life is dependent on Him..."what do I wait for? my hope is in You."  

The Psalmist was a shepherd.  He would have known that when a lamb insisted on wondering away from the shepherd that he would break the leg of the lamb and then carry the lamb close to his heart while the leg heals.  The lamb then learns to be dependent on the shepherd for everything and when his leg is healed he isn't prone to wonder away from the shepherd.  It is for the lamb's good that the shepherd breaks its leg.  So it is with God, our Good Shepherd.  He often "breaks our leg" in order to keep us close to Him.  I can say that some of the sweetest times of fellowship I have had with my Lord are times trouble abounds either with my health or within my external circumstances.  It is times like these that drive me to my knees and closer to my Lord.

Has God been showing you the measure of your days and how frail you are?  What do you wait for? Put your hope in Him.  

Dear Father, You are the sustainer of all life.  You are the giver of eternal life.  "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."(1 Corinthians 15:19)  Our eternal hope lies in You, and this life is but a vapor.  Help us, Lord to keep our hope in You and look forward to our eternal reward and home in heaven with You.  Amen.