Experience the wonder of our savior

12 / 5 / 18

Have you ever experienced something so spectacular that you had to share it with everyone? That’s what the shepherds did on the night Jesus was born. After being told by an angel about the birth of the Savior, they traveled to Bethlehem to see the baby.

For years the Jews had been waiting for the arrival a Savior. The shepherds had the glorious opportunity to see Him with their own eyes. From that moment on, the shepherds became witnesses to what they had seen.

When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child. Luke 2:17 (NIV)

Like the shepherds, we have been called by God to spread the news of the Savior of the world who was born in the little town of Bethlehem and ultimately died on a cross for our sins.

Today, I encourage you to be like the shepherds and share your excitement of our Savior to everyone.

God’s unfailing love always saves us

4 / 6 / 17

God is faithful. His unfailing, everlasting love is always ready to save us.

The birds are chirping outside my window. It’s a sunny day with a blue sky and white clouds. The air is not too hot and not too cold. It’s a perfect day.

At least, outside it is.

Inside my life, a different weather system is brewing. A storm of sick loved ones is raging its fierce winds. It threatens to overwhelm me with tall waves and bury me in a sea of worry.

If I let myself focus on the overall situation, questions circle my head: What if? How will I?

I go in circles pondering these questions. Over and over like the pounding of the waves. They want to drown me.

[biblegateway passage=”Matthew 14:31 ” display=”Matthew 14:31″](NIV)
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, cried out “Lord, save me.”

As long as Peter focused on Jesus, he was able to walk on the water. But as soon as he turned to the wind and water, fear set in, and he began to sink.

I can relate to Peter. It’s easy to become distracted by things that are constantly trying to win our attention. Sometimes the distractions are out of our control like traffic, a sick child, or a broken appliance.

Other times, we choose our distractions. Video games, social media, television, money, relationships. The list goes on.

When we let them take over, we miss out on following Jesus.

But…

This is where it gets good.

[biblegateway passage=”Matthew 14:31 ” display=”Matthew 14:31″](NIV)
Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

Did you read that? Jesus did not say “Hold on a second.”

He immediately reached out for Peter. I bet he was standing close to Peter the whole time. All Peter had to do was reach out for him.

And he stands close to us.

We only have to focus on Jesus.

There is a song from contemporary Christian band, MikesChair. The lyrics remind me of Peter in the storm.

I will swim in the deep
Because you will be next to me
You’re the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You’re never out of reach

Do you think Peter’s faith was lost when he began to sink? Not at all. He knew Jesus would save him. And he saves us.

Jesus is our lifeguard. He is waiting to save us. All we have to do is ask.

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Maintain a Christ-like Attitude in the Midst of a Mess

3 / 26 / 17

Some days are hard, and having an attitude like Christ is not always easy.

Ants. They were everywhere.

The cat was covered from head to tail in ant spray.

My husband was on the phone with the local pet salon to get a professional bath for the cat.

And me? I was standing the middle of all the chaos wondering where to begin cleaning.

It all started twenty minutes before when my husband and I woke up to find ants marching all over the floor in our living room.

My husband quickly doused the ants with an entire can of ant spray. When he was done, our hardwood floor had turned into a puddle of sticky spray that began to permeate the house.

We were standing side by side staring at the mess when we first heard a noise. By the time we realized what it was, it too late. The cat had run from the back of the house, down the hallway, and into the living room where he slid and tumbled his way across the room.

By the time we got to him he was dripping wet with the toxic spray.

We had just moved into our new home a few months before and were quickly learning the “not so joys” of owning a home. A few weeks after moving in, the hot water tank gave way to water all over the finished basement. Not long after that we had to purchase a new dryer. The list went on and on.

Now I was standing before a messy floor with ants and a cat that needed a bath. How was I going to clean all of this mess up and make it to work on time? How much was the pet spa going to charge for this emergency bath?

We have all had days when things spin out of our control. But we get to choose how we handle days like these.

[biblegateway passage=”Philippians 1:27 ” display=”Philippians 1:27 “](NIV)
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only heart about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.

Paul wrote this in a letter to the Christian church in Philippi while sitting in a prison cell. If anyone should have had a bad attitude it was Paul. Instead, he chose to continue his mission right there in that cell.

Unexpected things will happen. But we can respond to those events with a Christ-like attitude. Paul was a living example of what he wrote to the Philippians.

Why is it taking so long to see your dream come true?

6 / 21 / 167 / 20 / 16

I have a dream to write a book. For several years, I have been praying and working towards this goal, but sometimes it’s hard to determine if I am any closer to seeing this happen. I often wonder if it’s even worth pursuing.

I pray and wait. Pray and wait.

Why is it taking so long?

When will I ever see my dream come to fruition?

I was pondering these questions recently while visiting the zoo. Before entering an indoor exhibit, I had to walk a pathway lined with tall, green bamboo on both sides. It made me feel as if I was in another place far from the city that surrounds the zoo. The bamboo trees were tall and reminded me of the beanstalk that Jack climbed in the story Jack and the Beanstalk. I wished I could climb to the top of one and see my future – as if that were possible.

There was something about the bamboo trees that intrigued me. I did some research and found some amazing things. The Chinese Bamboo grows throughout Asia and is the largest member of the grass family.

This tree is pretty amazing because it is very strong. In fact it is stronger than brick or concrete. Because of this amazing strength, it can hold large amounts of weight. In China, footbridges and homes are built from the Chinese Bamboo.

The usefulness of the Bamboo doesn’t stop there. It can also be used for cooking, clothing, musical instruments and writing tools. It is even used as a medicine to treat minor skin conditions.

Here is where we get to the good part. This versatile tree that stands tall and strong and can be turned into just about anything, starts as a tiny, delicate seed. It cannot care for itself, must be tended too daily and needs water, sunlight and a lot of time.

The farmer who plants this tree must be very patient because this little seed will not show any signs of life for five years. That’s right. Five years. But when the first signs of life do emerge from beneath the ground, it grows fast and furious. Within four months the tree will be at its full height of 90 feet.

[biblegateway passage=”Colossians 2:7″ display=”Colossians 2:7″] (NIV)

Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation of your life.
So why does it take so long for it to grow? It’s actually preparing for its entrance into the world.

The seed knows its job is to grow strong and tall so it prepares by focusing on its roots first. The seed takes those first few years growing roots deep into the earth. Without this stability and foundation, it cannot grow into the tree it is supposed to be.

Farmers know that if they continue watering their seed, it will grow in time. The same can be said for our own bamboo dream.

Before we can accomplish our goals, we must water our seeds in faith and let God prepare our roots.

With our perseverance in faith, we will one day see signs of life coming up through the ground. Books are written, marriages mended and the battle with weight is won.

What is your bamboo tree? Go ahead – water it today.

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Fighting the spiritual battle

6 / 15 / 16

Have you ever noticed that when your relationship with God deepens, the enemy tries to take you down? That’s what happened to me his past week when I found myself in a spiritual battle.

I had been deepening my prayer life and relationship with God when out of nowhere, the enemy attacked me with his arrows of lies. He told me I am not a good wife, friend, sister and daughter. He tried to plant jealousy in my heart along with insecurity, fear and doubt.

The arrows flew fast and hard. “You’re overweight,” he said. “You were not kind enough to your husband yesterday,” he continued.

One after another, the arrows headed straight for me. I tried to dodge them but they came faster. My mind clouded and I could not think rationally. The walls of his lies were closing in. I could see no end to this attack.

[biblegateway passage=”Ephesians 6:10-11″ display=”Ephesians 6:10-11″] (NIV)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes.

Priscilla Shirer says in her book Fervent, “In spiritual warfare, as we detect enemy activity and deploy the various pieces of armor, our prayers need to be fervent and specific, strategic and personal, tied to the specific needs arising at the specific occasion.”

I opened my Bible and read. I prayed. I recited scripture out loud for the enemy to hear. With my armor on, I strategically prayed to destroy the enemy’s plans. Those arrows of lies quickly fell to the ground – useless to do any harm.

This battle with the enemy is not a one-time thing – it’s lifelong. He wants me stuck in a cycle of fear and insecurity and to keep me from accomplishing the plans God has for me.

[biblegateway passage=”1 Corinthians 15:57″ display=”1 Corinthians 15:57″] (NIV)

But thanks be to God. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I don’t have to fear though. I have already been given victory through the blood of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for me – for you.

[biblegateway passage=”2 Thessalonians 3:3″ display=”2 Thessalonians 3:3″] (NIV)

The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

And I don’t have to fight this battle alone. I have access to the one who is greater than the enemy. And so do you.

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The cost of following Jesus

5 / 11 / 165 / 11 / 16

A friend and her family had recently moved to a new city. Their new home is hours away from the place she had lived her entire life. She was comfortable in her hometown, surrounded by family and friends, and had no intentions of ever leaving.

When her husband brought up the subject of moving, she immediately dismissed it. Her mind and heart were closed to any thoughts or discussions of the idea. She couldn’t bear the thought of moving away from loved ones.

How could she pack up her family and move to a place they have never been to? Where would they live? What were the schools like? There were so many unknowns.

She had committed her life to Christ many years ago and was passionate about following him wherever he would lead her. But she never imagined the cost of moving far from the only life she knew.

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” – [biblegateway passage=”Luke 9:61-62 ” display=”Luke 9:61-62 “](NIV)

In Luke, we meet a man who had a choice between two paths. His left foot rested on one path while his right foot was situated on the other. He wanted to follow the path Jesus was leading him on, but he also wanted to stay on the path that was familiar to him – the one that kept him home with his loved ones.

Maybe, like my friend, he was afraid to leave his comfortable and safe life. Or maybe he thought he could ease into being a disciple by following Jesus part-time. When Jesus asks us to follow him, he wants our whole heart and willingness to go where he leads.

After a few weeks of praying, my friend opened her heart to the move. It was not easy for her. She was afraid of what lie ahead, but her faith in Jesus carried her on this new path of life.

She could have stayed on the path she was already on, but she chose to take the one Jesus was calling her to. If she had remained closed to following Jesus, she would have missed out on wonderful opportunities to serve him.

Like my friend and the man in scripture, we are all called to be a disciple of Christ. This may mean leaving the comforts of life to travel to unfamiliar territory, but when we follow Jesus in faith, we receive many blessings that will last for eternity.

Jesus is calling. Are you ready?

Discover the beauty of following Jesus where he leads in Suzie Eller’s book Come With Me . As you journey into the lives of the twelve disciples, you will discover how they were changed by accepting a personal invitation from Jesus to follow him. Suzie will speak straight to your heart and challenge you to live life as the thirteenth disciple.

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