In His Praise

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1 The season of Advent has begun. Advent is a time of anticipation and preparation for the coming Savior. During Advent we remember all the events leading up to the birth of Jesus and on Christmas Day we celebrate that holy birth. When Jesus came to earth everything changed. He brought light in the darkness. He brought hope that people had never had before. He brought healing for those destined to a life of misery and most of all He brought salvation for all that would accept it. Jesus truly was and is the “light of the world”. As we prepare to once again celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, let us remember…

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men…” Psalm 107:8 As Thanksgiving Day approaches, let us all remember the One from whom all blessings flow. Let us give thanks for His goodness toward us, not just on this special day, but everyday of the year.  God’s love for us is boundless and He works in our lives in ways we do not see or cannot even imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)   Surely, He is worthy of all our praise and thanksgiving!

“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of  Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:3 Every American owes a debt of gratitude to every soldier that has ever served our country. The different branches of the military ensure that the United States stays safe and that the freedoms that we all enjoy are protected. We find in Paul’s writings to Timothy that he used the words “good soldier” to describe workers for Christ. In fact, Christians are like soldiers for we are in spiritual warfare  everyday that we are on this earth. Just as soldiers are called to serve and must follow the orders of their commander, we too must be ready to listen  to our commander (Christ).  Just as soldiers must prepare and train for battle, we must be prepared…

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” Psalm 139:7 Have you ever heard the saying, “You can run, but you can’t hide”? Usually we are talking about someone that is in some kind of trouble, and is trying to escape punishment. People may even move to another town or change their name or their looks in order to avoid being caught. We want to believe, though, that wrongdoers are always found and receive the justice they deserve. The Psalmist asks the question of God, where can I go to run away from you?  The writer of this passage eloquently speaks of the many places he might go, but God is always there. The answer to his question is that there is NO PLACE…

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness., but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 Light is important to us. It helps us see better; with a flip of a switch we can illuminate a dark room. Light helps things grow and sustains life. That’s why we plant our gardens in sunny locations,  the sun-light helps the seeds grow and feeds the green leaves. Without the warmth of  sunlight planet earth would cease to exist too. All life forms need light to flourish. Studies have shown that being in sunlight helps lessen depression; it also seems to gives more energy, and, it just makes us feel better.  What did Jesus mean when He called Himself “the light of the world”? The…

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7 God’s Word has a lot to say about hearts. We are told if we give God first place in our lives then we will receive “the desires of our heart”. (Psalm 37:4) In Psalm 51:10 the writer pleads for forgiveness and asks that God  give him a pure heart. In Ezekiel 36:26 God promises to give His people a new heart. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 that whatever we treasure the most will also hold our hearts. Then in chapter 22:37 also in the book of Matthew, Jesus said that we are to love the Lord with all our heart… Yes, the condition of our hearts is very important. Jesus explained it to His disciples like this: It…

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  1 John 4:9-10 Somebody loves me, and you, and everybody in the world! That somebody is Jesus and He proved it when He gave His life on the cross to pay for our sins. He paid a debt He never owed, a debt that we could never repay, and He did it out of His great love for us.  What a blessing! When we repent and accept this free pardon for our sins, we then begin a new life. We begin…

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.” Psalm 145:13  We hear  and see so much sin in today’s world and we sometimes think that no one knows God anymore. We worry about our children and grandchildren growing up in such a world. We are concerned that the evil that seems to be everywhere will affect our loved ones in terrible ways.  But encouraging words are found in Psalm 145:13. There is hope in our Mighty God. His power is for eternity and His love is for all generations. He alone has dominion over this world and the next. God alone can deliver us from the evil that tries to overtake our lives. Christians are instructed to “put on the whole armor of God” in…

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone…” 1 Timothy 2:1 This has been a horrific week for those in the path of Hurricane Helene! We have all seen the news reports of trees uprooted,  homes being washed away, roads crumbling, dams breaking and unprecedented flooding. People and animals have been injured, lives have been lost and there are many that are unaccounted for and/or cannot be contacted. Helene has been a terrible disaster. First responders, linemen and others from different states have been called to service; agencies of all kinds are helping in anyway possible. People are doing all they can to alleviate the pain and fear that victims are suffering.   We cannot all go to the center of this disaster…

“I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,” Psalm 139:14 Our great God has uniquely created each person. Before we were even born he gave each of us a personality, talents, interests, strengths and desires. Verse 13 of Psalm 139 supports this when it says “For you created my inmost being”. God made each person special in His sight when He created us — body, soul and mind. That same chapter goes on to say, in verse 16, that all of our days were known to God before we even came to be on this earth. How great is that?! God has known all our lives what we were going to experience and He lovingly prepared us for it when He “knitted us together”…