blessings – Page 2 – Cultivating Faith

RESPECT

Regard (treat with honor, due obedience, and courtesy) your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you. (Exodus 20:12 AMP)

Long before Aretha Franklin wrote a song about it, God was instructing the children of Israel in how to live a long and happy life. Honor or respect your parents. Honor and respect are synonyms. They mean to treat someone with high regard or place a higher value upon them.

Working in healthcare, I come in contact with many families. There are families of various cultures, ethnicity and dynamics. The situation that often breaks my heart the most: hospitalized parents facing difficult health situations alone. They share that they are estranged from their children for various reasons. To be alone after a stroke, or cancer diagnosis just seems to increased the stress the patient feels. They are utterly alone and facing many medical trials and quality of life issues. They are often overwhelmed. Medical professionals can only assist so much and will not be there daily after discharge from the hospital.

I recognize that not everyone has had great experiences with their parents. Parents are just as falliable as each one of us. It is maturity that helps us recognize our parents are just people: full of hopes, dreams, heartbreak and failures. Their experiences may have had influenced some of their behaviors and actions during our upbringing. Previously, I have shared that my birth father basically abandoned my mother, my siblings, and myself. He formed a new family and other than cards for birthdays and holidays, there wasn’t much contact. Honestly, it took me years to forgive him for the pain resulting from his abandonment and other things I experienced in my early childhood. Although I don’t have a relationship with him, that was by his choosing. If I were to meet him today, I would still treat him with respect.

I don’t always agree with my parents. However as an adult, I understand that not being in agreement does not negate the instruction of God. He doesn’t say, “Honor your parents when your thoughts and actions are in alignment.” Our instruction is to offer them respect because it is the way righteous people act. If my parents do not believe everything I do about the Bible and the Word of God, I will still show them honor, because honoring them shows honor to my God. I am obedient to Him.

Although our culture in the United States has drawn away from the extended family model, it doesn’t mean that we should not remember our parents and provide love and support in their times of need. In Colossians 3:14 we are called to “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Or in Roman 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” If we are called to love our neighbor and our enemy, how much more honor should we be willing to give our parents.

We are to be set apart from this world, and that includes how we treat even those who hurt us. We are too used to hearing, “Respect is earned.” This is not in the Bible. We are called to love and love unconditionally. That is the way God chose to love you. Even when you were His enemy (Romans 5:10 ESV). I am not saying it will be easy, but obedience often isn’t. However, it is God’s instruction on how we are to live, and He always equips us in all He calls us to do.

Bridges of Grace

Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God’s unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. (Hebrews 4:16 AMP)

Imagine standing on the edge of a cliff and looking out across a vast canyon. The other side is miles away and the gorge is miles below you. There is no way for you to get from the side you are standing on to other side. This is how it feels to be separated by our sins from the God who created us. Our sins and shame keep us separated from all the promises and blessings of God. We know that we cannot climb down safely, and all our efforts to search for a way to get across are in vain. Our works, our plans, and our efforts will always fail to get us closer to God. Our faith is what makes that relationship possible.

Our faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ is the bridge that connects us to our Heavenly Father. It isn’t something that we earn, it is a gift given from a loving Father. His love for each of us is so fierce that He willingly gave His own son to take our place and die on a cross. It supercedes any mistake that we have ever made. The chasm of our sins can no longer separate us from God, because Jesus paid the price for us. God’s mercy was poured out on us that we did not receive the penalty for our mistakes.

Understanding that we have been given such a precious gift sets us free. We don’t have to rely on our own abilities, but can trust in the word of God. His promises and provision have built a bridge across the canyon that kept us apart. We now enter His presence with all boldness. In fact, God has made His home inside us as 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” Jesus said that he would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit so that we would always have a direct connection with our Father. The bridge of grace that God built cannot be torn down. No mistake, no matter how big we think it is, overcomes the power of the work Jesus did on the cross. Once we have repented from our sin, and choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are forgiven. Don’t let the shame of your past mistakes make you think that Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough. Let go of the past and look toward the One who purchased your future. Don’t dishonor all He has done to set you free. Walk across that bridge and choose freedom. Amen.

Casting Stones

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down a d wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued to ask Him, he raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. ” (John 8:3 – 7 NKJV)

When you continue to read the rest of this passage, all of the Pharisees were convicted and left. They could not condemn her because they could not say they had never sinned.

I wish I could say that I have never judged someone, but that would be a lie. However, as a person who has been saved by the grace of God myself, I need to look at others through a lens of compassion. Compassion is the very heart of God. We see it Jesus’ life and in every aspect of His ministry.

We need to recognize that we can not look at someone and see their heart – only God can. We will never walk in their shoes or fully understand their experiences. We can not see the parts of them that are broken or that are healing. We as Christians are called to love everyone, even those who are not our friends but who might persecute us (Matthew 5:43-48).

I have heard people say that Christians are hypocritical. That means that we often behave or talk in the direct opposite way our moral standards indicate. I am the first one to say that I am working on looking more like Jesus every day, but I am not there yet. So how can I expect others to be perfect? But we also shouldn’t deceive ourselves and forget about where we were before our Salvation. If you gossip, envy, choose unforgiveness, or are jealous, then you are not living like the new creation you are supposed to be (2 Cor. 5:17). We are called to live like Christ, which means walking with love and compassion. We can use our lives to help people grow into their true potential, or we can keep them in chains. I know which type of Christian I want to be – so I put aside the sin that so easily entangled me (Hebrews 12:1), renew my mind, and reset my heart to do the work that God has placed before me. Amen.

Big Blessings in Little Packages

Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more that food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?” (Luke 12:22-24 NKJV)

“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all thes things shall be added to you.” (Luke 12:29-31 NKJV)

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about our state of mind and choosing to focus on our blessings. This week I want to show you how God shows up and blesses us even in the tiniest of ways. Remember that often times, God uses us – His children to send blessings, but sometimes He will surprise us. The blessings may come from people or places we couldn’t imagine.

Several years ago, I started keeping a vegetable garden. Whether starting it from seeds or purchasing the plants, I have grown a variety of vegetables every season. Some years have met with success and others a mixture of successes and failures. Gardening is such an expression of love and joy to me, because I always learn something new and many people in this area garden and love to share their ideas with me. This year I had decided I would start my garden from purchased plants. I have had a busy ten months and didn’t have the extra time to start from seeds this year. The problem was that we had a lot going on all through April and the month of May. Every time Alan and I would discuss the garden, some other barrier would come up and we just couldn’t figure out when we would get the garden started. I basically decided that I wouldn’t have a garden this year. I would just appreciate that some of the herbs I had grown in containers last year had burst into fabulous growth again this year. But God!!!

Last week I was driving home, and turning into our neighborhood, I saw a box at the edge of the road saying, “free plants”. I didn’t stop right then, because once I got home I had to run out again and I wanted to keep to my time schedule. As I was getting ready to leave the house again, I kept thinking about those plants. So we stopped as we were leaving the neighborhood and I ended up with several tomato plants – more variations, than I have ever tried growing before. We left some plants, because I wanted someone else to be blessed. However, the following day driving by the same house while running errands another box was there stating again, “free plants”. Stopping to look, there were several varieties of peppers. Again, there were more varieties than I have ever tried growing before. Then this week, while working outside putting up our greenhouse, our neighbor offered some broccoli and cucumber plants. I went from having no plants for this season to having an abudance of plants! We quickly went to work getting them transplanted into our garden.

I know many people will read this and think – that was just luck. But I don’t believe in luck, I believe in the goodness of my God. He is so good that He cares about everything that matters to me. It is His love and good character that drives Him to care for each of us. In the Epistle of First John, it states in chapter 3, verse 1, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” God loves to bless those who are in His family. He understands all our needs and not only fulfills those, but often times desires to give us things that give us joy. Keep looking for God’s big blessings even in the tiniest of packages! Amen.

RECOGNIZING THE FATHER

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. (John 5:19 – 20 NLT)

During a recent conversation, the subject turned to the Bible and discussion of the Old Testament God. The person commented that the “God of the Old Testament is an angry God.” I really understood why they might have that perspective. In fact, I often preferred reading the New Testament over the Old Testament for years, because it was difficult for me to reconcile the God of the Israelites and God manifested through the life and actions of His son Jesus Christ.

In reading the New Testament, we have a clear lens of God as love. Jesus gave us the ultimate expression of love in not only laying down his life for his friends but for everyone (2 Peter 3:9).

In the Old Testament, God continued to demonstrate His faithfulness in keeping His promises to the Israelites as His chosen people, but honoring that they had free will. They often turned away from God. He remained steadfast. His position and faithfulness never shifted but man’s did (Lamentations 3:22-23). God was always working His plan for redemption for all mankind through His only Son. The laws established during the time of Moses was a way to demonstrate that without grace all mankind was lost.

Lord thank you for a love that is steadfast and unwavering. I see your deep love for all your people in both the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures. Thank you for revealing your heart and plan, to restore us to an intimate relationship, with you through Jesus Christ. When I read about his ministry it unveils your heart. Keep helping me see You throughout the ages as Holy, Mighty, but also full of grace and mercy. I love you Abba. You are so good. Amen.

Beyond Blessed

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV)

Listening to conversations happening around me, lately I have been hearing people spend a great deal of their time complaining about first world problems. They complain about the weather, when they have a roof over their head to keep them dry and warm. They complain about their health, but they have access to medical treatments and doctors – unlike many people in other countries. They complain about feeling alone, but they are only interested in the phone they hold in their hands. I have found myself often complain about traffic, but fail to recognize the vehicle that I have is a convenience and many others do not have access to the same.

As a nation, we have been so blessed, but we choose to complain instead of rejoice. We have become like spoiled children, undisciplined and ungrateful. Today, I need this reminder of how blessed I am. I will recall, with wonder, the goodness of God in my life. He has provided me with so many blessings: family, friends, a home, a job, and my health. Why do I have any right to complain about the goodness that God has poured into my life?

Maybe you see your blessings too, but the negativity that surrounds you from within the world, has twisted your thoughts and speech. Now is a great time to get on top of it. We do have control of our negative thoughts and emotions. We are told in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” When we spend time in God’s word and with Him in prayer it becomes harder to see anything but His goodness and His love. He is the perfect embodiment of love.

Next week, let’s start our mornings reflecting on how good and loving God has been to us. Before our feet even hit the floor for the day, spend time thanking Him for your blessings. Then our armor is in place (Ephesians 6:10-19), and we will be able to withstand the negativity of those around us. We will be able to throw off the shackles of their disappointments and tap into the joy of the Lord – maintaining our strength and our purpose to bring light into the dark places of this earth. Amen!