Day 205 – Let’s Focus on the Good!

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 50 – 54

“How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7.

Alright, let’s face it, we all know a “Debbie Downer” or 2. And no matter how pretty they are, their attitude brings their outer beauty down a few notches.

These days many people are focused on the negative world, and to be frank, negativity breeds negativity. And I’m done with negative talk.

But what’s also true is Joy breeds Joy, and Joy is found in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Those people are the ones that you can’t take your eyes off of, that you are trying to find the bad in them, but they are always looking towards the good.

So what makes them so different?

They not only know Jesus, they not only believe, but they are walking by Faith with beautiful feet! Their faith will scale the mountains, they trust in and love Jesus so much that it breeds Joy all around them. Does bad happen to them? Absolutely, Yes! But God is in control of it all, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and they choose to focus only on the Good News.

Over the past week I’ve been able to travel across England and France with some amazing people. I’ve made new friends in such a short time, but God has also blessed me with beautiful friendships back home. These friends speak truth to me and make me laugh, they bring Joy and Happiness to me in the good and the bad, and they can speak of the Good News with me without ever being awkward or afraid. All of my friends both new and old encourage me, surround me, and love me well. To me, my friends are more beautiful on the outside because of the beauty they exude from the inside. I can affirmatively say today, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, peace, happiness, and salvation on the mountain.” Because those feet belong to my friends.

Day 204 – What is it that God wants from us?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 47 – 49

Isaiah 48:13 “My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they all stand up together.”

God’s greatest commandment is to first love Him and second to love one another. Lately, I’ve truly been torn up inside. Not because of the terror and evil across the nation and world, God said that would come, but because of the Church, Christ’s Church.

How can a church RISE up if we can’t stop judging one another? How can we expect love across a nation if that nation sees “Christian’s” gossiping about one another? How can we expect equality, if we don’t think every Christ following, Bible teaching Church is equal? How can we expect people to forgive if we the church are holding grudges against each other? How can we preach Grace if we practice Legalism? Are we reverting back to the Pharisee’s or the Sadducees? Aren’t we supposed to be followers of “The Way”, Christians?

Church, Let us love one another as Christ Loves the Church! There is no way for us to rise up if we are holding each other down. The only down I want to get is on my knees daily because I hurt for our nation, I hurt for our children, but most of all I hurt for our brothers and sisters in Christ because we aren’t acting like God’s children! We are being selfish, judgmental, hateful, jealous, truly un-Christlike. So what do we need to do?

Colossians 3:12-15 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Some of the greatest blessings we can experience is friendships reunited, families healed, and the church working together….this is LOVE….this is Christ! This is what God wants most.

Day 203 – What do you desire most for your children?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 44 – 46

Isaiah 44:3-5 “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and will take the name Israel.”

One of Brett and my greatest desires is that our children have an even deeper relationship with Christ than ourselves.

Isn’t that what we should all desire most? God promises to those that He has chose, He will pour out His Spirit and blessings upon their children. Each one of His chosen’s offspring will claim His Name, and that brings me an abundance of Joy! That confirms the Faith I already have, it gives me the greatest Hope for my Future.

This one truth makes my life in Eternity so worth the wait. It makes my work here on this earth even more important to me.

This week I’ve had the opportunity to spend some true quality time with my oldest child in Europe, discovering the hidden treasures of our faith in the architecture and stories of those who have gone before us. As we walked through the cemetery at Normandy, I watched my son, amazed at the virtuous young man he has become. I could look at him and see the work God is doing in his life and it brought me Joy.

The Lord’s Spirit is being poured upon my child, and my hope and desires for him are overflowing.

Day 202– Have you ever witnessed the sunset?

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 41 – 43

Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.”

Once you’ve seen the sunset you will never forget it. You will be drawn back to it night after night and year after year. All shades of colors shoot across the evening sky, bouncing off the waters edge, as the red ball of fury hits the ocean’s end in the West and falls deep into the other side of the world. Truly it will bring amazement to your mind, light to your eyes, romance to your heart, a smile to your face, and a complete change to your attitude.

Being a witness of this wonder of creation changes you for the better, so just think what being a Chosen witness of Christ will do.

One Summer when my children were young, we went to the beach for a quick Florida vacation. One evening as everyone was winding down, dinner was cleaned up, a cake was in the oven, I was outside enjoying a good read, and my son’s exhaustion had gotten the best of him and his attitude, so I took him on a walk to see the sunset. His heart began to melt as he raced me there. We watched the sky and all of its beauty, we tucked our feet in the soft sand, and enjoyed the time, his attitude changed to reflect what he saw. When we are witnesses of Christ, God makes us into what He sees us as, a precious child of God.

Isaiah 43:4 “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”

It’s not always quick to see this, but with time, He will do something completely new within us and through us.

Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

God will change our attitudes and appearance, our speech and how we love one another, the way we carry ourselves and how we live. He will stop us from being Selfish and make us selfless. We will be more joyful in giving then receiving. When others see us they will see the reflection of Christ. We should be shining out His Glory and reflecting Him to the World!

Day 201 – What do you know that you know that you know?

Today’s Reading: 38 – 40

Isaiah 40:21-23, 28-31 “Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

We are always learning. The world is always changing. There are new things, new ideas, and new ways of doing the same old thing. But out of all these things that we learn, what of it is truth? What can we rely on, who can we trust, what can we undeniably confess with our mouths….

His Word!

It is everlasting, never changing, magnifier of His Great Name. These verses tell us 2 things that we can know forever:

1) God is ruler over all creation. He has control over all the rulers of the earth, including, all that bring harm and all that do good. If you want REAL change, honest to goodness change, then take to your knees, bow your head to the ground, and in reverence and humility PRAY BIG to the one that can effect change for GOOD!

2) God is more everlasting than the Energizer Bunny. He doesn’t need batteries to keep going and going and going, His Power and Strength never runs out. Our Father in Heaven doesn’t just ignite change, He produces the energy behind change and continues it to completion. Those that wait on Him may grow weak, but He will come to them and re-strengthen them until they soar on wings like eagles.

So Know Him, Trust Him, and Fly!

Day 200 – Let nothing deter you from finishing the masterpiece.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 35 – 37

Isaiah 35:3-4 “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Have you ever put a puzzle together? If you are not a veteran to completing an 1000 piece puzzle it can be very overwhelming. Those pieces poured all over a table with no end in sight, wondering how it will ever turn out?!

Every Summer vacation as I was growing up, we would grab a new puzzle or 2 and put them together before the end of our trip. It was a family tradition that I loved. There was a process, together time, and in the end a completed masterpiece. This Summer we might not have gone to the beach, but we still brought out the puzzle to be completed.

After pouring out the pieces there’s always steps to take and a guide to follow to keep you on track until completion. First, find all the edges, draw out the boundaries so you know the main outline is done. Make sure to always keep the picture in front of you, so you always have something to turn to incase your eyes play tricks on you or you get distracted and need to know what’s next. There should always be good lighting, whether natural or a lamp, this will keep all the colors bright and matching the colors you’ve already laid out. Lastly, it’s always good to have other eyes looking at each of the pieces because so often they may see something your eyes have just missed.

As we go through this journey called Life, it’s like God is putting us together like a puzzle to form a mighty masterpiece for Himself. At points it may feel defeating or like a complete mess, but if we keep our eyes on the light which is Christ we will stay focused and steady on the path that’s laid before us. We have to know where our boundaries lay, keeping the guide of life, His Word, always before us. Lastly, we need to keep other believers around us so we stay focused on completing the masterpiece. And when we are done we will hear, “Well Done!” You are His Masterpiece!

Day 199 – Happiness will come to those who sow love!

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 30 – 34

Isaiah 32:20 “Happy are you who sow beside all waters, who let the feet of the ox and the donkey range free.”

Nothing does my heart more good than bringing a smile to someone’s face.

Did you know a smile is a sign of happiness? Joy itself I cannot give, that is a gift from the Lord when you are saved, but happiness can be achieved by sowing and receiving love from others. You will be the Happiest when you show love to all people wherever you go.

As I run down the street or walk in a crowded mall, as I meet with a friend I haven’t seen in so long, I sow love and feel Joy manifesting itself into happiness. When I see a frown turn into a smile I know I’ve done the job the Lord has given to me. He has asked each of us to sow His love all over at all times.

Acts 1:8 says “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The love of Christ pushes out all fear, strips away evil boarders, and expresses The Gospel in the purest of Forms. When we are sowing His love, not only are we genuinely happy, but we are also helping to plant Joy in the hearts of those we sow into. We are showing each other that the world is wrong, Hate doesn’t Win, and Justice will only come from the Lord.

When we experience the change in another or just the ability to share with another, happiness will come more often than tears because God will be hearing our plea and wiping them away. The greatest place we can sow this love is into our children by being an example to them in our words and actions. Our children are the next generation and at this point are the ones being most affected by the Hate and Evil around us because it’s becoming the new normal. But if we can sow into them Christ’s love, they will see how happy we are and want to sow it into others as well. It is up to each of us to spread the happiness and sow the love. So, sow as you go and change the world!

Day 198 – Make sure your feet are on solid ground.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 25 – 29

Isaiah 28:16 “So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic.”

Some years back, we were on vacation with some friends at one of our favorite beaches. The evening had turned out to be a wonderful ending to a wonderful day. We walked to the nearest ice-cream shop. We each had a double scoop of our favorite flavors. Went across the street and had a playful stroll on the sandy beach, and took picture upon picture with the painted sky, magnifying God’s glory. Then my oldest child begged me to climb the rocks with him. They moved just a tad when jumping and stepping from rock to rock, but I carefully climbed across them. These definitely weren’t unmovable rocks and so my friend told her kids they were not to climb on them and I agreed for my twin girls. Yet my husband decided to join my son and I on our adventure. Brett kept rocking the larger rocks and as if it were slow motion, he lost his balance, grabbed ahold of me, and 1, 2, 3….I was down on the rocks with a bloody backside. I’m a tough girl, but this definitely hurt and left me a nice bruise and gash to remind me of my decision.

Those rocks weren’t steady, they needed a lot of care if ever wanted to be climbed, however, the Lord’s Cornerstone is solid, unmovable and will keep you from falling. When you stand upon his stone you will never lose your footing, you will stand firm in your beliefs, and keep to His ways.

Jesus Christ is this precious cornerstone. We can put all our faith in Him and we will never waver and we will never fall. What type of ground are you standing on right now? Is your path rocky? Have you fallen and been hurt? Set your feet on the cornerstone given to you straight from God.

Day 197 – In time, God can and will work all things out for Good.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 22 – 24

Isaiah 23:17-18 “At the end of seventy years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes.”

Truly, the Lord can make anything Beautiful.

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like there have been more deaths, more disasters, and more danger all around. But there is one thing I see and one thing I know first hand to be true, the Lord is using all of these things that we see as negative, evil, and fallen, and makes them into something beautiful.

This beauty will bring Him Glory.

Amid all that we see that is bad we should be looking for the Beauty of Christ’s love, His touch, His presence, and we need to keep our eyes on Him. The Lord will reveal His glory in time, one way or another, possibly in an unexpected way and we will see GOOD.

However, if we focus on the bad, our hearts will harden to the good and we will miss it among the chaos. But looking for the good will bring us Hope for the amazing, Eternal, God-filled future we’ve been promised. The death, the disasters, and the danger around us will no doubt continue to grow, but I pray, as it does, your HOPE will grow even more for the Glory and Beauty that is yet to come.

Day 196 – Shame will come to those whose Hope is not in the Lord.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 19 – 21

Isaiah 20:5-6 “Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be dismayed and put to shame. In that day the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

There is only one place for our Hope to be and that is in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Israel began to worship with the Assyrians a god that wasn’t their God. They were led astray by those of Egypt and those of Cush and the Assyrians shamed them.

Like the Israelites, many people today put their Hope in money, fame, a leader, a job, a spouse, children, a pastor, or something else, but these things fail them. And then our dreams are crushed, and our souls ashamed.

Some hide their face, others may lose their friends; we may find ourself in a place we never dreamed we would be, feeling all alone even with people around.

These other things we put our hope in don’t last, they are flawed and part of a fallen world. So what should we do?

Put your Hope in the Lord.

Let Him be our sanctuary and safety net. Make all of your decisions AFTER seeking His Wisdom; trust His Word above everyone else’s. Lean on Him when everything else seems to be falling apart and He Will Get You Through!

My Hope is in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and I am Not Ashamed!!