Life. How do we measure up? Do we go about our business and not care what others think? Do we compare ourselves with others? Do we justify our circumstances with what we’ve done or not done? Think about your mode of travel through life as you listen to the music the Lord laid on my heart. The Lord gave me this music to play, and is yours to bless your ears and heart. To download this music file, right-click the graphic. I was recently at a school district-wide 5th grade track meet. It was the first taste of such a thing for most of the 5th graders. As I looked around, a few things struck me. As each child reported to the events they sign up for, they were excited. Some more than others. In the field events, each child had an air of, “I’ll do the best I can.” In the running events, the participants kept looking at each other, then down the track, seemingly saying, “I don’t know how I’ll do against them, but I'd like to win.” In the running races, I was struck by how some kids ran with their eyes on the finish line, their faces etched with determination. Some kids kept looking at the other lanes to see where they were in the race. Some of them gave up any hope of winning, or doing better if they got off to an unfavorable start. Some were determined to make up for a slow start. The kids that had their eyes on the finish line actually gained in speed as they approached it. The kids that kept checking the other lanes to compare their performance, slowed down. As I talked with some of the 5th graders, some of them were hungry most of the time, and ate accordingly. Some were worried about eating and running, and as a consequence weren’t going to eat anything. I told each of the kids I talked to that pacing and timing were good strategies. If you eat too much, you wind up feeling bloated and can’t perform very well. If you don’t eat enough, your body doesn’t get the energy it needs to perform, so your performance suffers as well. Our journey through life mirrors what I observed at the track meet. The end of our lives is a mystery to us, and we all start out with a certain amount of excitement. We don’t know exactly how we’ll finish our lives. The circumstances that come to us, both peaceful and painful, are brought to us to perfect us in the likeness of Jesus. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to people we know or have heard about. When we compare ourselves to others, it slows us down through distraction. Jesus calls us to fix our eyes on Him, our strengthener and perfecter, with perseverance. When we fill ourselves with too much worldly wanting or spiritual food, and don’t share with others or pace ourselves, we become bloated and can’t be effective in the plans God has for us. When we don’t get enough spiritual food, we don’t have the energy or hope to get through our bumps in life. It always helps to have a cheering section. The 5th graders were loud and enthusiastic in their encouragement of one another. We have the same thing in heaven. In Hebrews 12:1, it states that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Those witnesses are believers from ages past who have lived life here on earth, and know what we’re going through. They are cheering us on... those witnesses include some of the great people from the old and new testaments! Until next time... As we journey through life, and when our journey is through, we are cheered on to keep our eyes on the finish line. That finish line is Jesus. I bless you to have the faith that sees our Lord, who is not visible with our worldly eyes, to fix your eyes on Jesus. I bless you to wear His crown of victory over all of your life circumstances. Pray the following scriptures aloud. This will bless you and others. These scriptures will help you keep your eyes on the finish line... Jesus! Love, Holly Hebrews 12:1-3 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 1 Corinthians 15:57 Matthew 4:4 Proverbs 30:8
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What if you found an article of clothing that made you look amazing... All of your surplus bulges disappeared. All of your blemishes disappeared. What if it gave you the perfect shape... giving you mass and muscles in all the right places. You would be BRILLIANT to look at! The fashion industry wouldn’t be able to keep the garment on the shelves! It would be a piece of attire you would want to put on every day. As you contemplate such a thing, listen to what the Lord gave me. The Lord gave me this music to play, and is yours to bless your ears and heart. To download this music file, right-click the graphic. What would you say or do if I told you such an article of clothing existed? Would you go out and buy several before anyone else did? Would you call friends and/or family to share your amazing find? I’m reminded of the story of Joseph and his ornate robe. In Genesis 37, we are told that Joseph was Jacob’s favored son. Jacob lavished Joseph with a magnificent robe usually created and worn by royalty, or Lords of the land. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of their father’s attention to Joseph, and sold him into slavery. Joseph endured many years of slavery and imprisonment, but God raised him from all of that to become the Lord of Egypt. Everyone did as he told them, as second in command under Pharaoh. The story of Joseph is a shadow of the story of the Messiah. It’s also a shadow, or echo of who we are as God’s children, who we are with Jesus in our lives. As God’s children, we are favored. Our Lord loves to lavish blessings on us. He has also given us a fine garment to wear... God’s glory, Jesus. Jesus ministered to sinners. He taught and preached that all of us can have the dirt of our lives, our life’s blemishes, our life’s surplus bulges removed through forgiveness of sin, through believing that Jesus is our Savior. A Savior that took care of all of humankind’s sins by dying on the cross and being raised from the dead 3 days later by the power of resurrection. Jesus was glorified for His sacrifice and victory over sin and death. To have our sins forgiven, we don’t need a fancy ceremony with a high priest, sacrifice an animal or wait for a special day to do it. We simply need to atone for our sins by communing with Jesus, and ask Him to forgive our sins. Jesus came to this earth that we might live life abundantly. He knowingly came to earth to be our sacrificial lamb. He took on all of our sin as He was tortured and hung on a tree... the cross... that gave victory over sin. Through His glorification, Jesus gave us Salvation. He gave us true Joy. He gave us true Hope. He gave us true Peace. He gives each of us His glory to wear, as we embrace His grace, embrace Him as... The Way, The Truth and The Life Everlasting, The Messiah. To experience what Jesus gave us, we need to wear His ornate robe of glory, His Holy Spirit, everyday. It is a garment of brilliance that makes us shine from the inside out. It is a garment of salvation that takes away our iniquities. It is a garment we wear to proclaim to the world that with Jesus on our shoulders, we are victorious. With this brilliant attire, the Holy Spirit, we can courageously go forth into this world to bear witness to, and teach about the grace and salvation Jesus promises... because of His life, death and resurrection... He did it all for us. Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Until next time... I bless you to put on your brilliant attire, to shine the light of Jesus, throughout each of your days. I bless you in your going out and your coming in that you will know the deep love of Jesus, and that you will spread His love and His good news to your world, even in the darkest of places. Pray the following scriptures aloud to bless you and others. These scriptures will wrap you and others in the Lord's love. Love, Holly 2 Chronicles 6:41 Psalm 104:1-2 Isaiah 61:10 |
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