In His Praise

“I lift up my eyes to the hills—- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 “A little help here” is a phrase we might use when we get in a tight like trying to carry a heavy piece of furniture. Hopefully there will be someone close by that will lend a hand. Sometimes my granddaughter will call for help while playing a game or putting a puzzle together.  We find help on the internet when we are researching a particular topic. When we are sick , we look to doctors for help and we expect teachers to help our children learn. Our lives are filled with times for which we need help for one reason or another.…

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 God spoke this wonderful blessing to Moses and instructed him to pass it on to Aaron and his sons (the priests), who  were to speak it over the people of Israel. God intentionally wanted to bless His children.  How thrilling it must have been to hear these words for the first time! How  humbling it had to be to hear that God Almighty wanted to bless  and protect them; and that He wanted to shine His love upon them and surround them with His peace!  God loved His children very much. As God’s children today we are…

As we close out 2023 and welcome 2024 we will, no doubt, send and receive many well wishes. We wish for our friends and acquaintances a happy year, with good health and success in business and life. We wish them peace and joy, but most of all, we wish them blessings from our Father in heaven. Psalm 20:1-5 is a fitting message for us to share with everyone for the coming year. “1.May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. 2.May he send you help  from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. 3. May he remember all your sacrifices  and accept your burnt offerings. 4. May he give you the desire of your heart  and make…

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 For the people of old this was great news! The long awaited Messiah, Redeemer, and Savior had finally been born. Angels announced His birth, shepherds ran to see Him in a lowly stable and later wisemen traveled many miles to visit Him in an humble home. But still others did not accept Him or want to know Him. This and every Christmas season, the story of Jesus’ birth is told anew. Two thousand plus years later the message is still the same. God’s Son still calls people from all walks of life to come to Him. Those that will accept this invitation receive the free gift of salvation. Jesus came…

“Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 These were the words of the angel as the birth of Jesus was announced to the shepherds. Shepherds were considered to be a lower class of people, but God  sent His messengers to make sure that they knew that this Savior that was coming into the world was for them too. Jesus came to save everyone, not just the rich and powerful, not just the elite and famous, not just the well educated — no, Jesus came for everyone — even the lowly shepherds. This angelic message is still true today. Jesus still offers salvation to all that will come to Him.  Our station in life does not matter…

“Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf.”  Psalm 66:5 Psalm 66:5  should be the message of every Christian! Believed to be written after a military victory, Psalm 66 reiterates the many miracles that God had poured out upon His people. In verse 5, the writer calls for all to “come and see what God has done”.  “Come and see” was echoed hundreds of years later when Jesus invited two of John’s disciples to follow Him; and again when Philip shared with his brother Nathanael that he had met the long awaited Messiah. (John 1:35-46) We too should be inviting others to come and see the mighty works of our God. We can do this by sharing the peace, joy and contentment that God…

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1 Faith is a common word that gets applied to many situations. We say we have faith in our relationships, our investments, or our plans for the future. What we are really saying is that we hope these things will work out the way we want.  It is good to believe in our relationships with others. It is not bad to hope that our investments will pay off and it is a good idea to plan for the future. But these are all temporal things. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we receive much more than momentary joy or temporary success. Our faith in Jesus assures us of a…

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30 It is almost Thanksgiving Day. A day set aside to commemorate the faith of the Pilgrims as they braved their first harsh winter in the new land; and then celebrated with their Native American friends that had helped them. That first winter in the new land was more than rough. Some lost family members due to sickness, there was not enough food to sustain some and the winter was bitterly cold. But they remained faithful to God and God sent help through the friendly natives that lived nearby. The very first Thanksgiving meal was truly a celebration of praise and gratitude. Many probably retold their  story of survival for generations to come. But over the years,…

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up …” 1 Thessalonians 5:11  Paul, Silas and Timothy sent words of encouragement to the church in Thessalonica. In doing so they showed love, care, compassion and hope that these early Christians would continue to serve the Lord, even in times of struggles. We too, need to be encouraged from time to time, and, we need to be encouragers. We never know what burden another may be carrying. A friendly smile or a word of appreciation seem like small gestures, but they may be just what someone else  needs to keep going.  Being aware of those around us is not difficult, but in our fast-paced lives we sometimes forget to notice. May we strive to show God’s love and care as we…

“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.” John 3:16 Today was Youth Sunday at our church. Among other things, the children lead the congregation in singing “We are the Church.” Some of you may be familiar with this  tune. One line in it says, “I count if I’m nine or ninety or even just a baby…” It was a good reminder of how important each of us are to our Heavenly Father. Jesus gave His life for you and me and every person ever born, past and present. We don’t have to meet any special qualifications or pass any special tests, God loves us anyway. We count so much to God…