What If No One Notices?

When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward. When you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:15-18

 

Ever wonder why you do the right thing and try so hard when it doesn't seem as though anyone notices?  It really is frustrating, at times, when you are doing your best and no one seems to care.  Let me offer a bit of perspective: Should we slack off just because we don't think anyone notices or cares?  And here's one more nugget of perspective: If you are reading this, then I presume you are a believer, so ask yourself 'who am I trying to impress?'

 

You see, we can spend all sorts of time and be as inventive and creative as DaVinci, but that doesn't mean we will please everyone.  In fact, we will usually tick someone off!  Investing yourself wholeheartedly has a reward and a toll.  That toll may be your family or your health.  Before trying to impress people, count the cost and see if the reward is worth the toll.

 

You see, in reality, we are working for God.  And God makes it very clear that if we work to impress people, then we have our reward and it is fleeting.  But when we work for God, we aren't showy with it, we don't seek publicity or notoriety or recognition.  When we do God's work we just do it humbly, quietly, and remembering that God sees us whether anyone else does or not, and God's rewards last a lot longer than anything people can bestow.

 

Now for a confession.  I realize this may shock most of you, but I like being quiet.  I like quiet places that spark my mind to think. I rather believe I would have made a good Hobbit at some point in life because I like the peaceful quiet found in introspection and, being an introvert, the ability to ponder and contemplate in secret.  You see, when we do God's work remembering that we are working for God, then we are doing it in secret and God sees us in our secret places and rewards us openly.

 

Psalm 91:1-2 "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  

 

Think on that.

 

Are You UNAFRAID?

Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Matthew 6:32-33

Every day we are challenged to worry and be afraid of what may or may not happen.  Did God create us to worry and be afraid?  How many times in Scripture does God remind us to "Fear Not"?  How many times do we see in Scripture where God supplies the needs of His people?

How much time and energy do we expend worrying about things we can't control or really don't pertain to us?  We worry about what other people are doing or saying, but can we control any of that?  We are afraid of what in our past may suddenly come to light, yet can we change it?  We lose sleep over whether or not we will make it until the next paycheck, yet doesn't God honor a plan?  We fear losing our jobs; we worry about getting sick; we are full of fear, worry, anxiety and anguish...why?

Don't worry, I'm right there too.  I pray a lot about these things and God constantly reminds me that He's got everything under control.  This morning I was prompted to actually pray this prayer: "Abba, thank You for loving me and putting up with me.  Today, help me stay out of Your way and to be grateful as I witness Your care for me.  PLEASE keep me from trying to do Your job!"  And I have not felt such a peace as in that moment!

Adopted

God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.

Galatians 4:5 

 

I don't like the photos and advertisements with all the sad animals who have been neglected, abused, and abandoned.  I just don't.  They break my heart and I just want to adopt them all!  If I could, there would never be another abused, neglected, or abandoned dog ever because they would have a home with me.  I don't believe my Sweet Bride would be so willing, but I want to adopt them all. 

 

God is the same way with us. He wants to adopt us all as His children.  Yet He also knows that not all of us want to be adopted by Him.  Some of us choose not to become His child.  Some believe getting adopted means lots of rules and regulations, (grace and forgiveness aren't considered).  Some believe God is a hard taskmaster who just wants to punish us and make us miserable.

 

Fact is, that's exactly what the Pit Dweller wants us to believe.  God is not harsh.  God is the epitome of love and caring, that doesn't mean our life here will be smooth and easy, but when we leave this life, we will live as perfect children of the Most High King!  

Fearful?

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Philippians4:6

"Don't worry" they said.  "It's going to be all right" they said.  But "they" were wrong!  I did worry and it didn't turn out all right.  I thought back through the process to see if I missed anything.  All my boxes were checked, so why did it not work out right and why am I not afraid! What should I have done different?  After looking through my list again, I realized that I had missed the very first item of any project: pray about it and leave it with God.

Fear triggers one of two responses: despair (this will never work, why even bother) or prayer (Abba, this will never work unless You decide it should work.)  Jesus reminds us to "Keep asking, Keep seeking, Keep knocking" (Matthew 7:7) because there is NO uncertainty in that promise.  Jesus promises that when we keep asking, seeking, and knocking, then God WILL answer us!  And if you don't ask, you cannot receive....so ASK!

Whose Idea?

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
    They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
    they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
    you are still with me!

Psalm 139:17-18

 

One of the things I get to do is listen.  I listen when people tell me things and sometimes I overhear things people are saying.  Guess what the number one category of the conversations I have had or overheard?  NEGATIVE!  That's right, we say things like "I can't"..."I'll never"..."Nothing I do makes a difference"..."No matter how hard I try, no one seems to notice or care"...

 

Why do we think like that?  "Because it's true"?  Says WHO?  Let me give you a nugget of wisdom:  Anything you do for 10 days in a row becomes a habit.  This includes the way we think, act, speak, and the way we treat each other. 

 

 So why do we focus so much on the negative?   Could it be we have been influenced by negative people?  Those who only seem to notice you when you make a mistake; those who simply refuse to acknowledge a job well done; those who simply find some reason not to like you and take it upon themselves to find fault in everything you do; those who play favorites and aren't shy about letting you know that you are not on the "favorites" list.  

 

When we rely on the opinions of others, we condemn ourselves to a negative outlook and that is the outlook we pass on to others.  Let me ask you something, are these negative people the ones who looked down through time and created you specifically for their purposes?  NO!  Do these negative people care enough about you to number the very hairs of your head? NO!  Do these negative people love you enough to die for you? NO!  So why do we put so much validity in what these negative people think about us?

 

Listen, Psalm 139:14 reminds us that we are "skillfully made" by God for His purposes.  Psalm 139:17-18 reminds us that God loves us so much that He cannot stop thinking about us.  Why does God love us so much?  Because YOU are HIS idea...And God only has GOOD ideas! 

 

Taking Time!

Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Luke 5:16 

Jesus has the right idea.  We need some time to just relax and do nothing. Jesus got away from the crowds of people every chance He got and I must follow suite.  

If I don't take better care of me, how can I possibly help take care of others.  My phone is off and my computer will only access my email IF I decide to allow it.  

I shall be returning from my vacation on Monday, April 23rd.

 

It's All In The Strategy!

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 

General George S. Patton was one of the most feared opponents faced by the Germans during World War II for a number of reasons.  First, he was never afraid to fight!  Second, look at his quotes above...the Army was a living organism to him, and he made sure his soldiers knew that HE was no better than THEY!  In fact, General George S. Patton stood on a box in the mud after the D-Day landing directing traffic!  Why? To keep the Army moving and keeping it from getting bogged down!

One of the reasons the Germans feared Patton so much is because Patton studied the history of war.  Patton understood his enemies better than they realized.  Patton adapted his tank strategies to defeat Erwin Rommel's plans because Patton had read Rommel's textbook on tank strategies and tactics!  It is in understanding the enemy's tactics and strategies that contain the information we can use to defeat that enemy.

Consider this:  Throughout Scripture, our enemy reveals his tactics and strategies.  Do we pay attention to them, develop defenses, and thereby defeat the enemy?  Or do we simply scan through the information believing (falsely) that this part of Scripture doesn't really apply since Jesus died to win the ultimate victory.  Yes, Jesus won the ULTIMATE victory.  How are your every day victories adding up?  Are you LIVING the life of a victor or existing in a world of confusion because the enemy's attacks just won't stop coming?

God reminds us that WE do not battle an enemy who fights fair!  "We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do."  If we want to live victoriously we have to fight to win!  God gives us every weapon we need to fight this fight.  Are we going to use them or let them rust and wonder why we seem ineffective?  We are in this daily fight to win it!  Study the enemies strategies and tactics! Study the weapons the enemy uses (lies, whispers, deception, subtleties such as "what's one 'white' lie going to hurt?"  "It's okay...EVERYBODY does it.").  

Fight the GOOD fight!   

But It's Only One Light

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14

I remember, as a small child (stop laughing, I was young once), hiding under my covers with my flashlight and read books.  Took me a long time to understand how my Dad figured out what I was doing.  After all, I was hidden under the covers...how did he know I was reading after lights out?

Here it is years (and years and years) later and I'm beginning to understand a little bit more about light.  

Think about this, when people go into places so dark that they cannot even see their hand right in front of their face, what do they do?  First, I don't know what anyone would want to go somewhere they can't see, but that's another discussion.  But think about this people bring a light.  How do we describe a person's face when they have that "Ah-Ha moment" and the smile grows? We say their face just "lit right up!"  

So when we are faced with the darkest moments in our lives, who comes in to make us feel a bit better?  The person who comes like a light in the darkness.  Jesus reminds us that WE are that light in this ever darkening world.  Light shares its warmth.  Light shares its light.  Light is SHARED!  And those who bask in its glow are happier.  We are called to BE the light in the lives of others!  We are called to share our light with others that they may also see the path.  You see, darkness hides many things, but it can NOT hide a light no matter how hard it may try.

BE someone's light today and see how their life changes!

The Poison of Worry

²⁵ “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. ²⁶ Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. ²⁷ You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? Consider how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. ²⁹ But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. ³⁰ God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! 

Matthew 6:25-30

WOW!  We worry A LOT about things that steal our joy for life from us.  Did you get that?  WORRY is a THIEF!!!  WORRY robs us of our joy!!!  WORRY is keeps us from enjoying life!! We worry about every point of our lives and guess what, we aren't the ones in control of every aspect of our lives.  We interact with others and in so doing we include another integer into the equation!

How do I know?  Because I worry too!  Have you ever noticed that Worry and Sorry are only 1 letter different?

Think of all the things we waste time worrying over:  Where will I eat lunch?  What should I wear to this even?  What if I say something stupid? (Who hasn't said something they thought was stupid?) 

We spend so much time worrying about what would happen if...  

*  What if the ground opens up and swallows me whole? If it does swallow you whole, how is worrying about it going to help you?

*  What if my tire goes flat?  How is worry going to stop your tire from going flat?

*   What if I buy tickets for this concert and I get stuck behind some obnoxious person?  Unless it is currently happening, how is worrying about it going to prevent it?

Two things we need to use to deal with Worry and remove its venom from our lives:

First....LOOK
²⁶ Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. ²⁷ You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

I have never seen a sleep deprived bird, nor have I ever seen a bird concerned about their schedule, where they will have lunch, or any of the other myriad of inconsequentials we fill our minds with every day!

Second.....CONSIDER

Consider how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 

The word "Consider" here means: "to think carefully about, especially in order to make a decision; contemplate; reflect on"

Have you ever seen a flower filled with the venom of worry?  You never see flowers thumbing through catalogs or perusing the internet searching for what to wear.  

You see, when we let the poison of worry into our lives, we lose the truth that is all around us.  Next time you are tempted to worry (and I'm talking to myself as well), take a moment to look at the birds and consider the flowers.  Look and Consider!   

 

Anxious?

Being full of pain, Jesus prayed even harder. His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Luke 22:44 

 

Have you ever found yourself wide awake at 0200 because your mind is anxious about upcoming events?  Everyone else in the house is sleeping and your mind is clanging like a church bell falling down a mountain.  No matter how hard you try to calm your mind, nothing seems to work.  

For the last 10 days, I have been involved in a sleep study.  While that sounds simple enough, my mind was wide awake with anxiety.  For one thing, the apparatus I had to wear was extremely uncomfortable and the only way I could keep it from slipping out of place was to lie on my back.  Well.....I found out way back when I had heart surgery that I cannot sleep on my back!  Wanting to do well in this study, my anxiety levels increased because I could not sleep with this conglomeration of devices which was supposed to measure how well I slept.  Fail!

The other part of the study involved putting a rather short strip of sensors under the fitted sheet and I had to position myself so that my heart was on the strip.  Sounds easy enough.  Did I mention that I am not a "still" sleeper?  I tend to roll over every so often.  Again, to my dismay, I found that I apparently had rolled off this strip several times during each night of the study.  Again....FAIL!

Now, I am in NO WAY comparing my minor issues with the stress and anxiety that Jesus dealt with.  Jesus was under so much stress that His sweat was red like blood.  Jesus actually was experiencing Hematidrosis which is a condition in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood, occurring under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress.  Now THAT takes a lot of stress!

And yet, Jesus prayed through it and didn't insist God change His mind or plans because Jesus knew what needed to be done.  Jesus set the example for us when dealing with anxiety.  Take your anxiety to God and ask for His help.  And if necessary, KEEP ASKING! 

On The Turning Away

⁴⁶ Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. ⁴⁷ When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁹ When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!”  
⁵⁰ Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
⁵² And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Mark 10:46-52 

 

I've rediscovered a song by Pink Floyd entitled "On The Turning Away" which has a haunting quality that replays itself over and over in my mind.  The more I listened to the lyrics, the more I came to realize that, like so many others before me, I had ignored the suffering of others.  There is one part of the song which says:

Don't accept that what's happening

is just a case of other's suffering

or you'll find that you're

joining in the turning away

 

To say that this pierced me to the very depths of my soul would be the understatement of my life.  To add to this verse, my devotion this morning was about blind Bartimaeus, and the writer asked a very poignant question: "How many people in the lifetime of Bartimaeus turned away from looking at him, deafened his pleas for mercy, and simply ignored him?  How many times in our lifetime to we do the same thing to the Bartimaeus' around us?"

 The punch to my forehead was almost audible!  I also read about a man who carries with him "Peanut Butter Kits" which consist of two loaves of bread, a large jar of peanut butter, and some sturdy plastic utensils.  When he encounters someone begging for food, he gives them a "kit" so they may eat several times.  

I also know of a police deputy who, when he knows he will be transporting someone to jail, will stop and purchase a hamburger, fries and drink.  When his transport is ready to go, the deputy will give them the food.  By the time they reach the jail, the one being transported is docile and cooperative.  And to think, a single act of kindness makes a HUGE difference.

Remember what Jesus asked of Bartimaeus?  "What do you want ME to do for you?"  At this point, Bartimaeus could have said any number of things which would give momentary pleasure.  Instead, he told Jesus, "I want to see."   Think about this, we have eyes yet we choose not to see.  We have ears yet we choose not to listen.  We have means yet we choose not to help.  We have become part of the turning away!  It's time we change that, don't you think?

 

 

Pray For Each Other?

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 5:16 

 

Why would James tell us to confess our sins to each other and pray for each other?  Permit me to offer an explanation from "The Gospel According To St. John (me being the St. John)":  I advise all of the new hires for the Sheriff's Department to get to know their coworkers (squads for the deputies).  Why? So you can help each other; so you can know when something is bothering your coworker; so your coworkers will know when something is amiss with you.  

 

I admit it...I'm not comfortable letting people get too close to me right away.  I tend to take this aspect of human relationships fairly slowly.  I do this on purpose: If someone gets to know me quickly then they may be stunned into insanity by what they learn.  The last thing I need is to have to explain why "Dave" is curled up in a corner babbling and drooling.  The other reason is one we can all understand...we've been burned by people whom we have trusted too soon.  

 

Now look at what James is telling us.  Does he REALLY expect me to confess my sins to someone else against whom I have no sin to truly confess?  NO!  What James is saying is that we need to be open and bare with each other.  Let's face it, when we have nothing to hide from each other, we have nothing to fear from each other.  When we have nothing to fear from each other, we are FREE to join together and make a positive difference in this world.

 

Let me ask you something...when was the last time you prayed for someone else?  Was it the generic "Father, be with 'Dave' and bless him in all he does"?  Or did you pray specifically, "Abba, thank you for bring 'Dave' into my life.  You know he is struggling financially with the birth of his daughter and his wife is not strong enough yet to return to work.  Please allow me to be Your servant to them and to show Your love and care to them.  Thank You for their daughter, 'Eileen', and for his bride, 'Barbara', for the joy and happiness they bring each other because of You..."  You see, when we are open with each other, praying specifically for each other is a privilege and an honor.  Not only that, we will ALWAYS have things to talk with God about because there are nothing hidden from each other.

 

Here's my challenge for each of us: Get to know each other so we can pray for each other, care for and about each other, and so we can be of service to each other.  One of my nuggets of advice is this: "If I don't know what's wrong, I can't help you". And guess what?  That means I also won't know how to pray for you!  The only way I can know what's going on with you is if you tell me OR if we are so close to each other with nothing to hide that we can tell when we need to pray for each other, and reach out to each other.

 

Think about that please.

How Could I Forget You?

¹⁴ Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us;
    the Lord has forgotten us.”

¹⁵ “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
    Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible,
    I would not forget you!
¹⁶ See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
    Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins.

Isaiah 49:14-16 

I am convinced that God placed animals on this Earth to teach us.  For example, Elephants...I like elephants!  A baby elephant weighs, at birth, 200+ pounds and is already 3 feet tall.....right out of the shoot.  The Mom carried this baby for 22 months and only gives birth once every two to four years.  The mother elephant will fiercely protect her child, but will also discipline her child without hesitation.  The love of the mother is evident in the fact she is in her child's life until that child is old enough to be self sufficient. She doesn't try to be her calf's friend or buddy, she takes her motherhood VERY seriously.

Now...in today's passage, Israelites are saying that God has forgotten them.  Guess what?  God never forgets us!  EVER!  Even when we tell Him that we don't want to be around Him any longer, He's still there.  God asks the question, can a mother forget her nursing child?  Think about this, do you think a mother elephant can forget her 200+ pound infant? 

God has written their names on the palms of His hands.  Why is that significant?  Have you ever written something on your palm?  You see it every time your hand is in eyesight so you can't forget.  I've seen Deputies do this a lot!  They write things on their hands so they don't forget and it's always in their eyesight.

God's love and caring is something we can not get away from.  True, He will allow certain things to occur in our lives that make us question whether or not God still loves us.  Truth be told, there is no way God can ever forget us because we are His! 

Sin is Fun!

Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
    Don’t let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
    and innocent of great sin.

Psalm 19:13 

 

Let's consider sin for a moment.  Why do we do what we should NOT do?  Because it's fun!  Because it is pleasurable!  I heard a radio announcer just yesterday say, "The more you tell people NOT to do something.....they want to do it even more!"  And he's right!  There's something about doing what we aren't supposed to that seems to call to us and draw us in.

 

Let's face facts: if sin wasn't fun, we wouldn't bother with it and we wouldn't have to ask for forgiveness.  Look at some of the viral stunts we see....eating Tide pods....snorting condoms...  We can sit back and talk about what idiots these people are, but hang on a minute, what about the stupid stuff we do?  Criticizing instead of encouraging....having an affair....how about that entire "hold my beer and watch this" list of scenarios...

 

David, in today's passage, is asking God to protect him...well from himself!  Protect me from the things I might do because I think they would be fun but destructive to me, my reputation, my relationships....  Isn't this a prayer we should make every day?  "Abba, protect me from myself today.  Help me not to embarrass You."  Think on that.

Secrets

How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
    Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

Psalm 19:12

 

As we go through our day, are we aware of the things we think, say, do, or neglect to do which are sinful?  Honestly, I can't remember everything that's included in each day.  David had the same problem, but he knew that God knows everything.  So David wanted to make sure his heart was clean before God.  

 

Then again, there are some things we know are sins, but we don't want to admit them to anyone else...especially others and God!  Let's think about this: what would happen to our reputation if it became known that we were angry with a coworker but pretended everything was fine?  What would happen if it became known that you got too much change back and kept it?  What would happen if it became known act one way in public but are a beast at home, terrorizing our family into silence?  What would happen if it became known.....?  So many places to take this question.  But remember, no matter what we try to hide, God knows.

 

What can we say then?  Is there no relief?  No grace? No forgiveness?  The answer is God is willing to cleanse us and we must be willing to be cleansed.  Remember to ask God to cleanse us from our hidden faults.

 

Purpose Is In The Details

⁶ And there was Jacob’s Well. Jesus then wearied in the journey, sat thus on the Well: it was about the sixth hour.

⁷ There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said unto her, Give me drink.

⁸ For his disciples were gone away into the city, to buy meat.

John 4:6-8

Believe it or not, Jesus always had a purpose for everything He did regardless how seemingly insignificant.  In today's passage, Jesus and the Disciples walked to Samaria to Jacob's Well.  It was then that Jesus told His Disciples that He was hungry and they needed to go find something for Him to eat.  What's the significance of this?  Jesus needed the Disciples to be out of the way so He could talk with the Samaritan woman without the Disciples freaking out because Samaritans and Jews did not usually interact or even like each other.

The Disciples went off into this "foreign" land in search of something kosher for Jesus to eat (and good luck with that search.  That's like sending the newbie mechanic to find a left handed ratchet set.)  Once they were off on their mission, Jesus sat on the well.  Now, here's where a bit of controversy comes about; many of the older translations of this passage have Jesus sitting ON Jacob's Well, while the later translations have Jesus sitting near or next to Jacob's Well.  What does it matter?  Good question.  If Jesus sat beside Jacob's Well or near Jacob's Well, He could have been easily brushed off and ignored.  However, since He sat ON the well, He had to be acknowledged (being "in the way").

Therefore, when the Samaritan woman came to get water from the well, she HAD to interact with Jesus.  Now it's also interesting that this woman came in the heat of the day to get water when most of the others came early in the morning to get their water.  This is an indication that this woman wasn't particularly accepted by the others. And Jesus was at the well at the precise time this ostracized woman came to get her water, just so He could talk with her.  

It's also noteworthy the reason Jesus sat on the well, scripture tells us that Jesus was weary from His travels.  Jesus, being human and prone to the same human limitations as we, was tired of walking and stopped to sit down and rest a bit.

And here's the good part: Jesus knows all about our human frailties because He was just like us when He was here, so He gets it.  But Jesus also has a plan for us and will make sure that the plan is completed in our lives before we are called home.  To be honest, that brings me a lot of relief (from trying to be perfect) and comfort (knowing that Jesus knows ALL about my struggles).

Daddy

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

Galatians 4:6 

 

Have you ever tried to pray and you stumble and fumble, "umm" and "uhh", and you just don't think your prayer was one God wanted to hear?  Ever feel as though your prayers weren't articulate enough; or your posture was not "prayerful" enough?  Do you feel self conscious about the way you pray?  Well, God, who hears your prayers by the way, is your Daddy.  You don't need to "WOW" Him with proper posture or polished words.

 

As a matter of fact, remember Jesus said, "Don't ramble on like heathens who like to talk a lot" - Matthew 6:7.  When Jesus taught us to pray, He made it very simple with no big words.  Jesus did not teach us a ritual of prayer!  Jesus taught us the simplicity of prayer.  We don't need to recite polished well-worded prayers from a book.  God has no need to hear recited prayers which we may or may not actually mean.  Parroting back a prayer from a book is easy and wooden...Talking to the One who knows more about you than you could ever hope to know is to speak in love to your Daddy!

 

When a child crawls into Daddy's lap, what would you expect that child to say?  Would you expect to hear, "Oh Father, thou art the giver of all things.  Thou hast given unto me thine blessing of good fortune.  Deliver me, Oh Father, from mine enemies...."?  Absolutely not!  A child simply tells Daddy what's on their mind and in their heart.  They talk about everything and anything.  When did we get to the point that we somehow believed that we had to follow a particular rules of ritual to talk to our Daddy?  

 

You see, God is not impressed with our "educated" vocabulary.  Nor is He impressed by the ritualistic posture.  Think about this, the bowed head began as the sign of humble submission.  Isn't that the same way we should bow our head?  Remember when Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector praying?  The Pharisee was all about being heard, seen, and praying without the slightest hint of humbleness.  Yet, the Tax Collector was so humbled that he couldn't even lift his eyes to Heaven.

 

We worry too much about praying the correct and proper way.  Let me ask you something, can a child hug you wrong?  Can a child love you incorrectly?  In the same way, our prayers to God, when they are from the depths of your soul, are always acceptable.

 

You see, prayer really IS that simple.  Prayer is having an ongoing conversation with your Daddy who loves you beyond all understanding. As a matter of fact, we have the right to call God "Abba" which is Aramaic for "Daddy."

Spoiler Alert

He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying.

Matthew 28:6 

What would you think if you came to visit the grave of someone you loved only to find the grave not only open, but empty as well?  Once your recovered from the initial shock and outrage, what would you do?  Suppose a caretaker was there and told you that your loved one had risen from the grave?  Given that the Walking Dead has become such a popular show, perhaps your thoughts would go toward the idea that your loved one is now a zombie.

Well, Jesus isn't a zombie, but He did rise from His grave.  So what's the big deal about Jesus leaving His grave?  Because it proves that Jesus defeated Death itself!  And because we are His brothers and sisters, forgiven, adopted children of God, we will also follow Christ's example and defeat death as well when Jesus returns to call us to Himself.

The Spoiler Alert is simple, Jesus, who had died on the cross, got up from His grave and lives again.  And He has claimed those who choose to believe.  So in the end, Jesus wins and the Pit Dweller loses.