Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace,[a] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
The Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
One of the things my late grandmother used to say as I bade him farewell was “I’ll always be thinking fondly about you.” It always struck me as a strange thing to say. But by it she meant, “I will always care about how you are. I’m under the burden of praying for what you’re doing. I’m interested in where you’re going.”
Paul, here used similar phraseology when he wrote words like “feel,” “heart,” “yearn,” “affection” to the Philippian church.
The Greek word used Phronein, (Philippians 1:7) which means “to think,” is translated in the ESV as “to feel” because this verb is expressive not simply of a mental focus but also of a sympathetic interest and genuine concern.
PHRONÊSIS
Often translated as “practical wisdom,” the Greek word phronêsis derives from the verb phronein, meaning “to have understanding,” “to be wise or prudent.”
In its earliest uses the word is normative only in the sense that it signifies a correct cognitive grasp of some kind; only gradually does it come to be used in ethical contexts for a correct grasp of what ought to be done. For Plato and the other Socratics, phronêsis represents that aspect of our rational faculty that derives genuine knowledge about values and norms, that is, about our virtues …
Paul was communicating to the Philippians that although he was physically separated from them, they were very near and very dear to him and always remained in his thoughts and prayers. He was “thinking away” about them.
Paul—that man who had once been consumed by a hatred for Jesus’ followers—came to have this affection because Jesus gave it to him. He and his fellow believers were now bound together by God’s amazing love toward them.
The standard, source, of his affection was none other than Lord Jesus Himself.
As Bishop Lightfoot wrote, Paul’s “pulse beats with the pulse of Christ; his heart throbs with the heart of Christ.”[1]
1 Joseph Barber Lightfoot, Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians (Macmillan, 1898), p 85.
Because the Philippian believers were such an important part of Paul’s life, his love for them moved him to prayer, for Paul understood that prayer is one of the key expressions of love continuously being taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.
His love was not revealed in a cozy sentimentalism or in fine-sounding words.
Instead, he fervently prayed for his friends, and he did so daily.
When “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5), we will find ourselves immediately drawn to others who love in the same way. It is the love of family life, for we share the same Father—and one of the fundamental ways in which we will express that love is to pray.
How much do you love your family? Pray for them. Do you love your church? Pray for them. As Christ’s love expands your heart and flows through you, the affection you have for those you hold dear will move you to prayer. Be “thinking away” about those “families” you love—and be “praying away” for them too!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 92 English Standard Version
How Great Are Your Works
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.
92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, 3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep! 6 The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: 7 that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; 8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever. 9 For behold, your enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me[a] fresh oil. 11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, 15 to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about you, because [you have me in your heart as] I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the good news [regarding salvation], all of you share in [His matchless] grace with me. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus [whose great love fills me].
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
As believers in Christ, we are all invaluable parts of His Body.
As Christians in this age of grace, we are all members of the Church of Christ.
As fellow-believers who have trusted in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, we are all partakers of God’s heavenly grace.
We who were once dead in our trespasses and sins and estranged from God by sin, have been forgiven of our sins and brought near to His throne of grace by through faith in Christ Jesus our personal Savior.
Reality: God has begun a good work in each of his children, for we are all being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ, and we will all one day stand together in His excellent presence in our risen, ascended, and glorified bodies.
How important, therefore, that we too should have a godly measure of His love within our heart towards all our brothers and sisters in Christ, no matter where we find ourselves, and irrespective of what our present situation happens to be.
Philippians 1:7-8 Christian Standard Bible
7 Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart,[a] and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Commitment to each other is absolutely nonnegotiable in the Christian life.
We see this again and again in the life and writing of the apostle Paul.
As he wrote to the church in Philippi, he unhesitatingly wrote that he was unashamed of sharing with them just how he felt about them, because he was so appreciative of the fellowship he enjoyed with them.
Indeed, the word “partakers” in this verse actually comes from the Greek word koinonia, a word Paul frequently used to describe a sharing partnership.
Paul described the Philippian church as his “joy and crown” (Philippians 4:1).
His heart was filled with love for all the churches who were under his care, but he regarded these brothers and sisters in a special way.
They stood out, for they had stuck with Paul through thick and thin.
Separated as the Philippians were from Paul when he wrote to them while under arrest in Rome, they could quite possibly have been swept away by other lesser informed, lesser experienced teachers with far more impressive personalities, more striking characters, or more eloquent, glib use of their language skills.
But they, instead, took a stand for the Gospel, continued to stand with Paul.
Their depth of fellowship was strengthened by their constancy, which filled the apostle with joy and stimulated his outburst of affection.
The example of this early church is an interesting, quite a challenging call to contemporary Christianity, which, if we’re honest, often marked by fickleness.
Many Christians tend to be uncommitted when times are good and unreliable when times are bad.
We so easily treat the opportunities of fellowship, worship, and the hearing of God’s word with an arm’s-length approach.
If a teacher or a book appeals to our sense of need, scratches where we itch, or tickles our fancy, then we engage with them for a while—but if things go awry, or if we find our way of life challenged, or if being alongside another Christian becomes costly rather than easy, then the temptation for many of us is to head for new pastures where the harvest fields have already been, are being worked.
Paul shows us a better way—a more Christlike way.
We are called to choose commitment to one another through the ups and downs of life. The binding element between Paul and the Philippians is the exact same element which can bind our hearts – the Gospel of our Lord, Savior Jesus Christ.
In observing one another endure difficulties, in running to one another in the experience of loss, and in receiving from one another the enjoyment of real restoration, we will discover our hearts are actually being molded together in the bonds of the gospel.
Through such constancy, we will find God strengthening our fellowship and increasing our joy with other believers.
So, does commitment describe your attitude to those the Lord has placed in fellowship around you?
Do they know that you are there for them in the downs as well as the ups?
To whom could you write an encouragement, and for whom will you say a prayer, right now?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Psalm 16 Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord
A Miktam of David.
1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in you. 2 I[a] said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides you.”[b] 3 As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them. 4 The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply; I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood, and I will not speak their names with my lips.
5 Lord, you are my portion[c] and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who counsels me— even at night when my thoughts trouble me.[d] 8 I always let the Lord guide me.[e] Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely. 10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay. 11 You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
5 Then [a]the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent[b] of the thoughts of his heart was only evil [c]continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
This text is challenging.
Let’s try to break the text down ….
Genesis 6:6 Authorized (King James) Version
6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Heb: nāḥamto be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted
(Niphal)
to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion
to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent
to comfort oneself, be comforted
to comfort oneself, ease oneself
Ancient Greek philosophers imagined a perfect supreme being.
It would know everything and be in control of everything too. It could not be influenced by people or other creatures, because that would imply weakness or lack of control. It could not have any emotions, be truly responsive to humans.
The Greeks called this supreme being God.
The early Christian church slowly developed in a culture, in a society, that was heavily influenced by this Greek thinking. So Christian theologians often used those ideas to explain Christian teachings to the gentile Greek-minded people.
Even today, our concepts of God tend to be influenced by those perspectives.
So when we come to a passage like Genesis 6:6, we might think,
“What?! God regretted what he had done? He changed his mind? Human sin hurt God to the depths of his heart?”
That doesn’t fit well with our Greek-minded ideas of a perfect supreme being.
One can surmise that this verse would be a “gotcha” verse to counter Paul’s arguments when in Athens (Acts 16:16-31).
I am not a Greek Philosopher outside of what I learned well over 40 years ago during an World Literature class in my first days of College.
And I personally do not know any Greek Philosophers today.
This being typical in too many places…
We try to explain such verses away and not take them at any face value and leave such verses in higher academia for those with PhD’s to explain better.
But I know God wants us to realize that our actions—good and bad—affect him.
When I hurt a friend, that puts a barrier between me and that person.
Similarly, our wrongs against God set up a barrier between us and him.
As we confess our sins to God and receive his forgiveness through Jesus, let us give God a healthy sacrifice of pause, realize that those sins have truly hurt him.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 42 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 42
To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.
1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. 7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. 8 Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
I’ve always pondered why Jesus wept.
My confusion about this nugget of information is very telling.
When I examine my confusion, I realize it’s because I don’t believe God to be particularly compassionate even though the Bible tells us that He is.
Many scriptures describe God as compassionate, but the truth is, it’s difficult for me to believe.
I don’t believe God is unnecessarily cruel; He has shown His love to me and others countless times that I can witness and testify to.
I have my doubts of His compassion because He’s perfect and omniscient. If you already know how it all comes about, what is the sense of writing Jesus cried?
My ‘opinion’ on the matter is dead wrong, but I was inspired to write this piece because I am confident others share similar doubts about God’s compassion.
God Keeps Track of Our Tears
The Bible tells us that when we cry, God cares by keeping track of our tears (Psalm 56:8).
We know Jesus was moved to tears when his friend Lazarus died (John 11:35), but Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead, so why shed tears?
It has legitimately puzzled me for many years now. The death of a loved one is excruciating, but for Jesus to cry has always been odd to me. Not only was He going to raise up Lazarus body, but He was the conqueror of death itself.
The only logical explanation I can come to is that Jesus wept because He has compassion for us.
He is a compassionate God, and His compassion is deeper than I’ll probably ever be able to fathom.
We know that if Jesus has compassion, so does God the Father because He and the Father are one (John 10:30.)
Even though the Bible describes God as compassionate, it can be difficult to see between all the wrath and slaughtering in the Old Testament.
This is the second reason it’s difficult for me to believe He is compassionate.
The evidence is there, but to see it, we need the right lens.
It’s much easier to see God’s compassion in Jesus when He walked on earth, and because of that, many Christians will separate the much older, harder to grasp, text of the Old Testament from the New, which gives us an incomplete picture.
Since it’s more difficult to see God’s compassion in the Old Testament, we’ll start there.
God Is Compassionate
The word compassion shows up 41 times in the Bible.
The first time we see the word is in Exodus 2:6 when Pharaoh’s daughter takes pity (chamal, in Hebrew) on Moses. She spared the baby; she took him in.
She felt bad for Moses and was moved to action. That is what compassion is, feeling for others in their tragic situation and being moved to action.
That action could be a prayer, a hug, an act of service, or, like Jesus, we are moved to tears.
In Exodus 34:6 God is described as compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth. The Bible tells us that God is 100% compassionate (Psalm 32, Psalm 103), but can we see it in these stories?
When I learned about the Hebrew word chamal, it made me remember God’s regret in Genesis 6:6-7 (NASB) when He destroyed the earth with a flood.
The scripture says, “The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.’”
I looked up the word “sorry” to see if it meant pity or compassion in Hebrew just like the word chamal.
The Hebrew word used here is nacham, and it often means regret.
The idea, the thought, that God regretted making humans is extremely disturbing because it may lead people to believe that God makes mistakes, which is why we know that can’t be the true meaning because if God makes mistakes, He wouldn’t be the perfect God.
As I suspected, the word can often mean pity or compassion, and that certainly changes things.
I believe that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose (like Romans 8:28 tells us), but in times of suffering, can be mighty difficult to believe in the existence of that compassion.
There is a lot of destruction in the Old Testament, as I mentioned, but when we apply the lesson about destruction in Genesis and see the earth was flooded out of pity and compassion, it begins to change the colors of the lens from which we see compassion.
God is the Creator of all things. He is the one who defines everything.
To see things correctly we must find what is true in His Word.
God’s compassion or pity shown in Genesis is a great example of how it can appear confusing from the surface. But other examples of compassion make more sense to us.
One of those examples is in Jeremiah 14:17-18.
God says to Jeremiah:
“Now, Jeremiah, say this to them: ‘Night and day my eyes overflow with tears. I cannot stop weeping, for my virgin daughter—my precious people—has been struck down and lies mortally wounded. If I go out into the fields, I see the bodies of people slaughtered by the enemy. If I walk the city streets, I see people who have died of starvation. The prophets and priests continue with their work, but they don’t know what they’re doing.’”
In this passage, God feels sorrow for the state of His people being mortally wounded and defiled, even though it was the consequences of their actions.
This example feels extremely similar to Jesus weeping for Lazarus. God knew how things would work out for Israel, yet He took the time to feel sorrow.
I find this comforting.
Sometimes we must suffer because we are called to it like Christ.
Sometimes it’s because we’ve made the wrong choice.
Either way, God has compassion for us, He feels our pain, just like the scripture suggests in Psalm 56:8 (NLT): “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
Christ Cares for Us
God sees our life in the context of creation: beginning, middle, and end, yet He takes time to feel sorrow for us and with us.
It’s still a difficult concept for me to accept, just like His love for us is difficult for me to accept, but through faith, we believe it.
When you break faith down it seems insane, but it’s by our faith that we have salvation in Christ!
It’s in our best interest to believe in God’s love and compassion for us.
As I’ve already admitted, I struggle with it through painful times, but God tells us to have faith and not doubt Him.
Jesus weeping is supposed to make us pause—and for very good reason.
The fact that He wept over his friend’s temporary death is shocking because Jesus knew Lazarus would be back, but He wept anyway.
I believe now more than ever that He visibly wept to show us how much He cares for every one of us.
He wanted us to see His compassion and trust in it so that we would lean on Him in all things and thereby teach and model for others to aid in recovery.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 13 New King James Version
Trust in the Salvation of the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13 One day Job’s sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house. 14 A messenger came to Job and said: “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys were grazing nearby 15 when the Sabeans took them and killed the young men with swords. I alone escaped to tell you.”
16 While this messenger was speaking, another arrived and said: “A raging fire fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and devoured the young men. I alone escaped to tell you.”
17 While this messenger was speaking, another arrived and said: “Chaldeans set up three companies, raided the camels and took them, killing the young men with swords. I alone escaped to tell you.”
18 While this messenger was speaking, another arrived and said: “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 when a strong wind came from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It fell upon the young people, and they died. I alone escaped to tell you.”
20 Job arose, tore his clothes, shaved his head, fell to the ground, and worshipped. 21 He said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb; naked I will return there. The Lord has given; the Lord has taken; bless the Lord’s name.” 22 In all this, Job didn’t sin or blame God.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
A messenger came to his door … your livestock has just been stolen and their tenders were found dead – about a hundred yards away – they put up a fight.
Another messenger follows the first about an hour later. Marauders had also struck where your sheep were being sheered for their wool and your goats are being milked – these marauders stole all of the animals, took all of the wool and milk you were going to sell at the market next week. The workers were killed.
Then while that messenger was talking, another messenger came running to the door with the news that a sudden wind storm destroyed the home of your children while they were celebrating the arrival of another child – all now dead.
The Lord Giveth … The Lord taketh Away … Blessed be the name of the Lord?!?
What is Job talking about …
Bless the name of the Lord when I have suddenly lost literally everything, up to, including my children and grandchildren? What is all that supposed to mean?
I would not be the first person to walk up to Job to repeat that line with my hand upon his shoulders – this just seems to be adding more grief, pain at a bad time.
Praise God or Curse God…What Comes Next?
Asking the Question; What comes next … praising God or cursing God begins a monumental self examination of the strength versus weakness of their faith?
Psalm 139:23-24 Common English Bible
23 Examine me, God! Look at my heart! Put me to the test! Know my anxious thoughts! 24 Look to see if there is any idolatrous way[a] in me, then lead me on the eternal path!
From here, I am going to back away because what needs to take place here is not subject to even 1% manipulation through my wisdom and personal experiences.
This is where we are to engage God with all hard questions we want to shout.
This is where you and God can authentically, honestly, come together eye to eye face to face, heart to heart, in full weakness strengthen what’s left of your faith.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 119:25-32 Common English Bible
ד dalet
25 My life is stuck in the dirt. Now make me live again according to your promise! 26 I confessed my ways and you answered me. Now teach me your statutes! 27 Help me understand what your precepts are about so I can contemplate your wondrous works! 28 My spirit sags because of grief. Now raise me up according to your promise! 29 Remove all false ways from me; show mercy to me by means of your Instruction. 30 I’ve chosen the way of faithfulness; I’m set on your rules. 31 I’m holding tight to your laws, Lord. Please don’t let me be put to shame. 32 I run the same path as your commandments because you give my heart insight.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
3 I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers. 4 I’m thankful for all of you every time I pray, and it’s always a prayer full of joy. 5 I’m glad because of the way you have been my partners in the ministry of the gospel from the time you first believed it until now. 6 I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
I’ve often been reminded that the gospel message is all about people being in community, people supporting each other in community, ministering to the people in community, partnering with people in community (Acts 2:43-47).
I have to agree, but only if it is first of all about three Persons: the triune God—God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Paul reveals that his own memory of Philippian believers leads him right back to their Creator, Savior, and Counselor.
The gospel begins with the Father, God for us. God revealed his loving character to Moses: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people … I have heard them crying out … and I am concerned … So I have come down to rescue them” (Exodus 3:7-8).
The Father then sent Jesus, God with us (John 3:16-17). Because he deeply loves his people, Jesus offers the invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Today we receive God’s love through the Holy Spirit, God in us! The Bible asks, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” Then the Bible also affirms for us, “You were all bought at a price. Therefore honor God” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
The Christian gospel reveals the unrelenting compassion of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit toward all people.
Therefore, we can declare;
John 10:26-30 English Standard Version
26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me,[a] is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
Therefore, we can ask, with Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us”? This God does not need explanation so much as he deserves our joyful adoration.
Therefore, we can dare to emphasize;
Romans 8:37-39 English Standard Version
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
How about partnering, being in mission and ministry with the churches in your neighborhood?
How about partnering, being in mission and ministry with the churches in your community?
How those prayers about partnering, being in mission and ministry with the new church plants, the struggling, smaller Churches in your communities?
In the name of God, the Father, and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 133 English Standard Version
When Brothers Dwell in Unity
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
133 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity![a] 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
32 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 Let my [a]teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass. 3 For I proclaim the name of the Lord: Ascribe greatness to our God. 4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.
5 “They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation. 6 Do you thus deal[b] with the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?
7 “Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you: 8 When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the [c]children of Israel.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father; There is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Refrain: Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand hast provided; Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]
3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. [Refrain]
Whether we are young or old, new to faith in God or lifelong believers, we can be mightily inspired by the trails of God’s faithfulness in long-past generations.
Those generations may include our immediate families, neighborhoods our churches, communities, and various peoples around the world. They can reach back to our spiritual ancestors in the Bible.
Evidence of God’s faithfulness has always been with us. We may recall past stories of joy and pain, gain and loss, light and darkness. We may also write books and articles, set up memorials, make movies, have family reunions, and celebrate anniversaries to mark our history. All of these means of grace can help us reflect on God’s unbroken trail of faith, grow to know God, ourselves, others.
God wants us to keep our long past in view so that we can better, more maturely understand our the best, our worst, our most tragic, most catastrophic present.
Learning from our bibles helps us to acknowledge what God has always done for us, to look ahead in hope, be trusting that God’s goodness will follow us always.
With God’s help, through the pages of God’s story, His own living words, we will pray to remember, tell, and explain our story to others who have not heard about the Lord. May the Spirit unite us for intergenerational conversations with our family members, neighbors, friends, and others in our church, school, and other community settings. May we have grace, the humility to listen, to recite, share God so that we can see and tell of God’s faithfulness to all generations.
In the name of God, the Father and God th Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 92 New King James Version
Praise to the Lord for His Love and Faithfulness
A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.
92 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night, 3 On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound. 4 For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.
5 O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep. 6 A senseless man does not know, Nor does a fool understand this. 7 When the wicked [a]spring up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever.
8 But You, Lord, are on high forevermore. 9 For behold, Your enemies, O Lord, For behold, Your enemies shall perish; All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
10 But my [b]horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. 11 My eye also has seen my desire on my enemies; My ears hear my desire on the wicked Who rise up against me.
12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be [c]fresh and [d]flourishing, 15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
5 We have freedom now, because Christ made us free. So stand strong in that freedom. Don’t go back into slavery again. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you start following the law by being circumcised, then Christ cannot help you. 3 Again, I warn everyone: If you allow yourselves to be circumcised, then you must follow the whole law. 4 If you try to be made right with God through the law, your life with Christ is finished—you have left God’s grace. 5 I say this because our hope of being right with God comes through faith. And the Spirit helps us feel sure as we wait for that hope. 6 When someone belongs to Christ Jesus, it is not important if they are circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Many of the apostle Paul’s letters to the early churches describe the difficulties that the 1st century church was struggling with. In his letter to the Galatian churches, Paul rebukes them for getting caught up in rules and regulations.
They were so concerned with following the letter of the law that their legalistic attitudes and their judgmentalism overtook their desire to live by the Gospel and share in the love of Jesus. Paul wrote this letter to sternly say it was not the way of life he taught to them, the way of life in the church was supposed to be.
Living and modelling and teaching a life of obligation and requirements and trying to live into the strict expectations of others is a heavy burden to bear—even if those requirements and those expectations have very good intentions.
The joy of the resurrection life in Christ frees us to live with love for God and neighbor without the burden of legalistic expectations. No one will ever get it right all of the time. But with the Spirit of Christ guiding us, we aim to live our ministries, missions, by grace and love in Jesus’ name, following his example.
Do a biblical study reflect on what it looks like to live in the freedom of Jesus Christ. In this freedom we are released from the effects of sin and death so that we can live as God intends us to: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
Freedom is difficult to describe. Poets use images to communicate its essence. Freedom is a new butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, and flitting among the flowers in full bloom. It is a wild mountain river roaring over the rocks. It is a bird uncaged. Freedom feels like flying over cities over mountains – no plane.
Many commentators have said the book of Galatians is at its heart “a call to Christian freedom.” And chapter 5 verse 1 is its central theological thesis.
In chapter 1, Paul wrote of the power of Christ’s sacrifice to free the Galatians from evil. In chapter 2, he addressed the false teachers who were trying to enslave the Gentile converts. And in chapter 4, Paul contrasted the sons of the slave woman with the sons of the free.
Try it for yourselves …
For example, using biblegatway.com, do a word search using the word freedom.
Use several different versions and translations and make your observations.
How is the word ‘freedom’ used in both the Old and New biblical Testaments?
How does Jesus model, use, teach, reveal, the word ‘freedom’ in the Gospels?
How does Paul model, use, teach, reveal, the word ‘freedom’ in his letters?
How do Luke, Peter, John, James, Jude incorporate ‘freedom’ in their writings?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 118:24-29 Amplified Bible
24 This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 O Lord, save now, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; We have blessed you from the house of the Lord [you who come into His sanctuary under His guardianship]. 27 The Lord is God, and He has given us light [illuminating us with His grace and freedom and joy]. Bind the festival sacrifices with [a]cords to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I give thanks to You; [You are] my God, I extol You. 29 O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
22 Adonai said to Moshe, 23 “Speak to Aharon and his sons, and tell them that this is how you are to bless the people of Isra’el: you are to say to them,
24 ‘Y’varekh’kha Adonai v’yishmerekha. [May Adonai bless you and keep you.] 25 Ya’er Adonai panav eleikha vichunekka. [May Adonai make his face shine on you and show you his favor.] 26 Yissa Adonai panav eleikha v’yasem l’kha shalom. [May Adonai lift up his face toward you and give you peace.]’
27 “In this way they are to put my name on the people of Isra’el, so that I will bless them.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
“May the Lord bless you and keep you.”
Considered to be one of the most beautiful blessings in the Bible, and perhaps the most widely used benediction in churches, the verse,
“The Lord bless you and keep you,” is found tucked away in a book of the Bible that many believers may not actually be too familiar with or even want to read.
The book of Numbers was written by Moses, and in this book is found the narration of about forty years of Moses’ life. It is titled Numbers because two censuses are included (see Numbers chapters 1 and 26).
Though the censuses taken are unique to this book in the Bible, it also has inspiring, overarching themes beyond just the numbering of the Israelites.
In Numbers, we find the concepts of being in the wilderness, God’s faithfulness, and human disobedience – God’s response to that disobedience, our response to God. It is in the early part of this book we come across the noteworthy blessing.
Numbers 6:22-27 Authorized (King James) Version
22 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24 The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: 25 the Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
“The Lord bless you and keep you” is the first line of the larger blessing passage.
This verse is important because it comes directly from the heart of God. God spoke to this directly to Moses, who was then to teach it Aaron, who was Moses’ brother, his sons (the priests), the way they should bless the children of Israel.
This blessing has become known as the High Aaronic Prayer, blessing, because God taught Moses who in obedience to God, taught to Aaron and the priests as the blessing they were to use. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
It was a highly significant prayer blessing given from God then, and it is still an imperative blessing today. Today, In obedience to God’s ancient instructions we can continue using this as a prayerful blessing for all God’s beloved followers.
The entire blessing demonstrates the great love that God has for all his children and His express desire for us to have goodness and peace in our hearts and lives.
What Does ‘May the Lord Bless You and Keep You’ Mean?
The Hebrew word in this verse, which is translated in English to “bless,” is bârakh.
This word has a deeper meaning in the Hebrew language – a meaning that it alludes to God’s respectful provision. This word imparts to readers that God will provide his children what they need.
The Hebrew word in this verse which is translated in English to “keep” is shamar.
Shamar means to guard and protect. This word communicates to us that God will place His personal hedge of protection around his children.
Overall, the first line in this blessing means that when God will “bless and keep you,”He will provide for and protect you.
What an amazing blessing!
When we say this blessing over someone, we know that we are speaking God’s good provision in their life and God’s defense over them. This is an indelibly powerful blessing that calls upon God in His mighty ways to meet our needs.
Beyond the first line of this blessing – the Lord keep you and bless you – which communicates and asks for God to provide for, protect his children, we discover more about who God is.
When God makes his face shine upon someone, it is a receiving of God’s favor.
God wants his children to have his favor in their lives.
Further, this blessing requests and speaks over someone, our prayers, God’s grace, and peace, and that God would 100% remember the one being blessed.
This blessing was spoken by God and shows us exactly what he wants for his children; their prayers for His peace, and grace, and goodness all of their days.
What an amazing God who desires to bestow this great many blessing on his followers.
This blessing is a remarkable indication of how deep God’s love and care for believers goes. (Psalm 23, John 3:16, 15:13-16, Romans 8:31-35, 1 Cor. 13)
What Is the Context of Numbers 6 and May the Lord Bless You and Keep You.”
In the sixth chapter of Numbers, God was speaking to Moses and giving him guidance on what to say to the Israelites. Most of this chapter is spent laying out the laws of those wanting to take the vow of a Nazirite. A Nazirite was an Israelite consecrated to do the work of God. God spoke these Nazirite laws to Moses, and Moses in turn relayed these Nazirite laws to the children of Israel.
It is at the end of the sixth chapter, following the laws of the Nazirites, that this blessing is found, “The Lord bless you and keep you.”
At this point in the chapter, it is once again the Lord who was speaking to Moses with the instructions that Moses would tell Aaron and his sons (or priests) that this was the way they were to bless the children of Israel (see Numbers 6:23).
The exquisiteness of this blessing is it came directly from God as a way to bless His treasured followers.
Specifically, this was a way to invite God’s blessing on them.
Why Were the Israelites Blessed?
This blessing was given by God so that Aaron and his priests would “put God’s name on the children of Israel and bless them” (see Numbers 6:27).
The Israelites were blessed so they would be marked as God’s children and that they alone would receive his goodness in their lives.
The rest of this blessing calls for God’s grace, peace, and countenance. The Israelites were blessed because they were God’s chosen people.
This blessing is still used in Judaism today.
Jewish people use this blessing in a variety of ways. It is recited at Shabbat, which is the weekly Sabbath, and other holidays, as well as important events and milestones in the life of a Jewish person. This blessing remains close to the heart of Jewish people and a central part of their spiritual lives and traditions.
This blessing is also widely used in Christianity.
It is found in liturgies, worship songs, devotionals, and is used as a benediction in many services and ceremonies. It is a God centered, God focused prominent blessing that continues to minister to, impact the lives of believers yet today.
What Is a Benediction?
This verse is commonly used to conclude a service as a benediction.
A benediction is a blessing used at the end of a ceremony. This one particular blessing, found in Numbers 6:24-26, is a significant blessing we still use today.
Many pastors or deacons or laity will use this blessing at the close of a Sunday service, or at the end of a wedding ceremony, or to complete a baptism.
It is an appropriate blessing to use as we declare and pray for God’s blessing, provision, and protection over believers. This high Aaronic blessing used as a benediction is a reminder of God’s never ending 100% faithfulness and how he lovingly takes care of those who follow him. (Psalm 8, 23, 40. Psalm 104, 107.)
“The Lord bless you and keep you” is a striking blessing that has been used by Jewish people and Christians throughout history.
It is a way to invoke and call upon God’s blessing of provision and guarding of those who believe in him and follow him.
This blessing – that comes directly from God – reminds us of his love, his care, and his desire for goodness in the lives of his beloved children.
This blessing is not for everyone, it was given by God to Moses and Aaron specifically for God’s children, and it is a blessing that was meant to be used moving forward.
It shows us God’s desire to bless, protect, provide for, and grant peace and favor to those who follow him.
It’s a blessing that helps all of us experience, understand, the vast love of God.
Christians and Jews all over the world will still gather to worship God. Many will receive a closing blessing in worship through the words that Aaron and his sons spoke over Israel: “The Lord bless you and keep you. . . .” “make His face shine”
What is this blessing that God puts on us?
First, we receive the blessing of God’s protection and keeping.
This is something we all absolutely need in the shadowy wilderness of our life.
Life is full of trials, heat, hunger, and valley’s abysses, shadows of death.
How good it is to hear God say that he will keep us!
Second, we receive the blessing of God’s pardon. Another way of saying that God’s face shines on us is to say that his face lights up with delight.
This is true because of Jesus.
His face shines on us in grace.
Third, we receive the blessing of God’s peace.
When our face is turned away from someone else, it is often a sign of tension.
But when our face is turned toward another, it is a sign of peace.
God’s blessing on us is that his face will be turned in our direction so that we will know peace with him. (Psalm 16, 23, 23, 27, 67:1-2, 80, 104, 105, 119:135)
We must remember that these are not wishes but blessings.
In other words, they are true for us because of Christ.
In Jesus Christ, we are kept, forgiven, and restored to peace with God.
Receive and believe and share His blessings today!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 27
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And the Lord smelled a soothing aroma. Then the Lord said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination[a] of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
I am a native born Buffalonian and I would not change a thing – I would not, will not, ever dream, desire, I was born in Hawaii or anywhere else warmer.
It was by God’s own design that I was born where I was born, to learn the life lessons I needed to learn that propelled my life to where and when I am now.
Let it snow, Let it snow! Me and My Shovel are always at the Ready
Yes, I still dream of a white Christmas just like the one’s I shoveled through.
No! that is not me in the photograph … but at the tender age of 15, it was this order of magnitude of snow, wind packed snow drifts in below zero temps and wind chills in the neighborhood of -60 degrees or more that I shoveled us out.
No! Snow Throwers were not of much use – getting them started in that level of cold was nearly impossible and one could not wait long outside for a hair dryer to defrost the starter and the engine to try and get the thing started to clear it.
The only option was to grab the snow shovel and quite literally, dig deep into snow banks and snow drifts that were all very much taller than our front door.
Yes! I would not hesitate to do it all over again…should it ever return to be done.
I love the snow!
I love Creator God who brings it around in whatever volume He sees fit to bring.
No! I am not crazy to feel that way…while ugly and heavy to dig out from, it sure did, looking to the trees, have a very unique beauty to it before it was shoveled.
Yes! I absolutely love the snow God brings …
Ways to See the Beauty of God Through those Dreary Winter Snows
When most of us think about Winter, we think of cold, dark, long months. Even though this is true for many places across the globe, what might change if we stop viewing Winter and all the winter snows in such a negative light?
While it is definitely cold and the days are shorter, Winter is still a beautiful season created by God. It can reveal to us God’s beauty of His wonderful uniqueness. It can remind us of God’s faithfulness to His promise as written in Genesis 8:22. God is known for remaining true and faithful to His promises.
This Winter, we need to challenge ourselves to view Winter in a new light.
In light of being reminded every year that God is forever true to His Covenant.
Genesis 8:20-22 Complete Jewish Bible
20 Noach built an altar to Adonai. Then he took from every clean animal and every clean bird, and he offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 Adonai smelled the sweet aroma, and Adonai said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, since the imaginings of a person’s heart are evil from his youth; nor will I ever again destroy all living things, as I have done. 22 So long as the earth exists, sowing time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”
No longer ought we need to hate Winter or see it as a season to rush through.
Even though Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s are over doesn’t mean that Winter doesn’t have more abundant and beautiful blessings to offer us.
As believers, we need to try to see the beauty of God, the beauty of His Creation, beauty of Winter while it is here before replaced with the first blooms of Spring.
Winter shows the beauty of God.
1. Brings Us Back to Him
Without a doubt, Winter brings us back to God.
For someone who struggles with depression, especially in the Winter months, I often find myself coming back to God.
Since times are hard and my depression is not lacking in any sense, I tend to turn to God, express my pain, and rely on Him more often than I do in the other months of the year. Depression too often gets the best of me during the Winter months, yet this is when I thoroughly believe I see God most clearly in snow.
God doesn’t think less of me when I’m struggling with depression in the Winter months nor does He withhold His comfort from me. Instead, in the white of the snow, I experience His comfort, grace, and presence even while I’m struggling.
The same goes for you. God is present with you this Winter, and every Winter.
Whether you are also prone to suffer from depression during the Winter months or not, know that He always reveals Himself, that He is with you.
Allow this truth to bring you back to Him. God can surround you with His love and bring hope back into your heart. Depression doesn’t have to be full of doom and gloom if we turn to God. He can help us to see beauty in the darker months of the year. The twinkling stars, the fresh air, and the first fall of snow are all but the smallest abundance Winter brings to us, which are all because of God.
2. His Uniqueness
The uniqueness of our wonderful God is shown through Winter.
No two snowflakes are ever exactly alike.
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is Uniquely ONE.
Even if we may be someone who doesn’t particularly like Winter, we can still appreciate God’s unique creativity in this season. Winter are the only months where we have shorter days, longer nights of stars, and snow.
While the latter can be debatable depending on where you live, most people only experience snow during the Winter months. All of these things are unique to Winter and they don’t need to be overlooked.
Maybe we don’t like the cold, but the snow won’t fall unless it is cold enough.
In the same way, maybe we don’t like the short days, but the dazzling stars wouldn’t be out as much if the sun stayed up longer. When we view things from this perspective, we can see that Winter is unique and beautiful all by itself. And ultimately, this is because God created it and everything He created is beautiful.
3. Stepping Away from Our Normal Everyday Routine
Sometimes Winter causes us to change our normal routines.
For reasons, such as snow or below freezing temperatures, some of us have to change what we normally do on a given day.
For example, I really love being outside and taking walks; however, when it is sub-freezing temperatures, it is not safe to go out. On these days, I try to do something else I enjoy, such as reading or doing bible study. If it wasn’t for Winter, I probably would have never re-discovered my love for these things.
In this way, we are shown the beauty of God in the ordinary.
Although it can still be hard to get out of our normal routine, Winter calls us to stop and step away from normalcy. By having to step away from our normalcy, we will be more prone to seeing, seeking God. His love, grace, and beautiful blessings are shown to us in Winter and helps us to see the world in a new light.
Rather than growing frustrated when we are out of our normal routines, we give thanks to God, giver of every perfect gift for the opportunities to do new things.
4. Invaluable Gift of Time to Seek God and Reflect Upon Our Life
As the days get shorter and the nights longer, we are also blessed with the gift of having time to reflect upon life. Since everything tends to move a bit slower after the holiday season and because of severe weather, we have time to sit with our bibles, the Word of God to pray to God thoughts and reflect upon our lives.
Psalm 139:23-24 Complete Jewish Bible
23 Examine me, God, and know my heart; test me, and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is in me any hurtful way, and lead me along the eternal way.
Sometimes this can be a great opportunity to be brought before the Lord in prayer and repentance and to bring our sins to Him. Other times, this might mean asking God for His exclusive leadership, guidance, direction on life.
Still, other times, we might find ourselves crying out to God because we don’t know what has gone wrong in our lives.
Regardless of your feelings, bring them to God. Ask Him to help you with your life going forward. He is faithful, and He can be fully trusted with the future (1 Corinthians 1:9; Psalm 33:4). Reflect upon your life this Winter and fully rely on Creator God to help you cover any missing puzzle pieces, loose ends, or regrets.
1. For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
104 Bless Adonai, my soul! Adonai, my God, you are very great; you are clothed with glory and majesty, 2 wrapped in light as with a robe. You spread out the heavens like a curtain, 3 you laid the beams of your palace on the water. You make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind. 4 You make winds your messengers, fiery flames your servants.
5 You fixed the earth on its foundations, never to be moved. 6 You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they rushed away, 8 flowing over hills, pouring into valleys, down to the place you had fixed for them. 9 You determined a boundary they could not cross; they were never to cover the earth again.
10 You make springs gush forth in the vadis; they flow between the hills, 11 supplying water to all the wild animals; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12 On their banks the birds of the air build their nests; among the branches they sing. 13 You water the mountains from your palace; the earth is satisfied with how you provide — 14 You grow grass for the cattle; and for people you grow the plants they need to bring forth bread from the earth, 15 wine that gladdens the human heart, oil to make faces glow, and food to sustain their strength.
16 Adonai’s trees are satisfied — the cedars of the L’vanon, which he has planted. 17 In them sparrows build their nests, while storks live in the fir trees. 18 For the wild goats there are the high mountains, while the coneys find refuge in the rocks.
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set. 20 You bring darkness, and it is night, the time when all forest animals prowl. 21 The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God. 22 The sun rises, they slink away and lie down to rest in their dens; 23 while people go out to their work, laboring on till evening.
24 What variety there is in your works, Adonai! How many [of them there are]! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creations.
25 Look at the sea, so great, so wide! It teems with countless creatures, living beings, both large and small. 26 The ships are there, sailing to and fro; Livyatan, which you formed to play there.
27 All of them look to you to give them their food when they need it. 28 When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are well satisfied. 29 If you hide your face, they vanish; if you hold back their breath, they perish and return to their dust. 30 If you send out your breath, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. 31 May the glory of Adonai last forever! May Adonai rejoice in his works! 32 When he looks at the earth, it trembles; when he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke. 33 I will sing to Adonai as long as I live, sing praise to my God all my life. 34 May my musings be pleasing to him; I will rejoice in Adonai. 35 May sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more! Bless Adonai, my soul!
Halleluyah!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 