Honest Reflections

One-minute read.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Matthew 5:6

Divine justice comes from the Lord. When we experience an offense, God will act on our behalf in some way somehow. Everyone wants people who hurt us to suffer. Even the most grace-filled person desires justice. Leaving the situation in the Lord’s hands will bring the best satisfaction. And I do know that waiting on God takes effort.

With permission from our HOA, I teach tennis to children on the local courts. The community installed six pickleball courts with a number code lock beside my teaching area. Non-residents have taken over the courts because people share the numbered password and feel entitled to what they don’t own. Working through this process causes my patience muscle to grow as I endure harassment. But I must follow the proper protocol and wait on management and the Lord to take action.

After I reported the last episode to the manager, they posted signs to keep the pickleball players at bay while changing the gates to a key system that gives access to residents only. None of these happened on my timeline, nor how I would have done it. So I must wait.

In the same way, the Lord brings justice in His time and His way. When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, God brings satisfaction. But in the meantime, we must wait.

Application:

Divine satisfaction comes from the Lord.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for bringing justice in unfair situations. Please help us wait well for Your divine satisfaction and strengthen our muscles for patience. As we strive to follow You, give us the necessary grace to handle stressful situations.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

Amid grief, writing about comfort challenges me. Experiencing the loss of a dear child in my life and walking through the tragedy with one of my best friends brings me to my knees like nothing else. Trusting the Lord at times like these and placing my hope in Him helps me persevere; knowing His grace comforts us. Through the darkness of these days, God’s light continues to shine in the warm embrace of friends, the quiet moments when He speaks to our hearts, and the strength we receive to take the next step. Although we can’t understand why, we can trust God knows the answers.

“I would never have experienced grace to such a depth if it wasn’t for this experience,” said a grieving father, speaking about his son’s murder. After the horrible event, he sought God’s strength to persevere, which the Lord provided. Listening to my friend’s message, delivered at church, I will never forget his words. Often, he speaks of the grace he encountered in the depths of his pain.

God comforts those who mourn in myriad ways, each personal to the individual. The Lord walks with us at our darkest moments, providing our needs and helping us persevere. With grief comes divine comfort. In my situation, I have felt God’s arms around me at pivotal moments, comforting me in ways that only He can. When you mourn, the Lord mourns with you and comforts you.

Application:

God comforts those who mourn.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for comforting our aching hearts and giving us heavenly comfort. Please help us persevere amid our heartaches. We ask You for the strength to keep going, especially when we struggle to get out of bed.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God,

Luke 12:8

Walking into the pro shop for our couples league, the staff clapped as we entered. “There they are, the couple responsible for this,” the Pro said. Uncomfortable with praise, I immediately started blushing. Due to circumstances outside the league coordinator’s control, the golf group unexpectedly lost their home. Helping our leader find a new course to play, I put him in touch with the Pro at our local course, and eventually, the league decided to move to it. As a result, the staff appreciated and acknowledged our efforts.

When we acknowledge Jesus before men, He will acknowledge us before the angels of God. Like the staff clapping their hands for us, Jesus will cheer us joyfully as we enter their presence, pleased with our efforts. But we must put Christ before men. God calls us to honor and serve Him, not taking credit for His work.

In all honesty, I did nothing but give the league coordinator a connection. He did all the work moving the couples group to a different course. Our leader deserves the praise, not us. In the same way, Jesus deserves acknowledgment for the work He does in our lives. When we give the Lord His due, He, in return, gives us ours. Acknowledge Jesus before men, and enjoy the Savior acknowledging you before the angels of God. What a glorious day when Christ commends us for our efforts here on Earth.

Application:

Acknowledge Jesus, and He acknowledges us.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for Your divine acknowledgment when we give You credit for the work You do for us. Please help us speak boldly of Jesus, sharing the Savior at every opportunity. Let us speak of Him to men, and have Christ speak of us to You.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

John 10:27-29

Once protected, always protected. Nothing can snatch us from the fold when we enter it, becoming part of Jesus’s flock. God’s sheep recognize the Shepherd, obeying Him with their actions and aligning their hearts with His. In return, the Lord grants us eternal life and permanent protection from the evil one. Our Almighty Father commits all His resources to protect us, and Jesus’s actions on the cross confirm that truth.

The thin veil between this world and the next becomes more real during times of difficulty. As we seek God amid our heartache, especially the loss of a loved one, we realize this truth. Peace comes from knowing their eternal address has a room in God’s mansion and that we will see them again one day. Our eternal life began the moment we left our mother’s womb. Placing our faith in Jesus brings us into His flock, where He has an everlasting hold on us, never letting us go. Leaving our physical bodies, we’ll join Him in heaven. 

God loved us before we ever loved Him.  Christ came to rescue us from our sins and give us new life. Placing our faith in the Savior assures us of our eternal address, which waits for all Jesus’s followers when they leave their earthly homes.

Application:

God has an eternal hold on His children.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us Your divine protection, never letting us go, holding onto us for eternity. Please help us rest in the promise of Your salvation as we face the trials of this world. Let us live fully, knowing You hold us in the palm of Your hand.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Matthew 19:29-30

Following Jesus, despite the conflicts it creates in our families, will not leave us orphaned. Within God’s family, He gives us people who will love us as their children, connected by the blood of Jesus. During my younger years, my Sunday school teacher loved me as one of her own, introducing me to the Savior. As an adult, when I struggled to find my way back to God, an older woman in our church took me under her wing and loved me like her granddaughter, helping me discover Christ again. One pastor, in particular, loved me like his daughter, knowing God had called my Earthly father home.

Not only do we find eternal rewards as we submit our lives to God, but we also find a family bond with His children. A friend sent me a message thanking me for encouraging her on her journey. The Lord gives us family on Earth to help us on the journey, moving us forward when life knocks us down and lifting us when we fall to our knees. The Creator designed us not only for eternal rewards but also for eternal family as we come alongside each other and fill in the gaps our Earthly family leaves in our lives.

Jesus gives us eternal life and a family to help us live to the fullest as we follow Him. The first will become last, and the last first, but we all end up together in the loving arms of our Savior. Living for God will cause friction in some relationships. But take heart: the Lord gives us a new family when we give Him our lives.

Application:

God gives us eternal rewards and an eternal family.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us eternal life through Jesus and people to fill in the gaps of what we don’t have. Please help us continue to seek You daily, following Your commands as we strive to live our lives for Jesus. Let us serve and honor You in all we do.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!

Psalm 116:2 NLT

My friend Claire has this Psalm as a signature on her emails. She introduced me to this verse, quickly becoming one of my favorites. I picture my grandfather bending down to me as a small girl so he could hear what I had to say. Now, the memory represents the Lord drawing close to me and listening to my prayers. My mind’s eye sees God leaning into me, not wanting to miss a word I have to say. And He does the same for you.

We all have different ideas of God, formed from our life experiences and relationship with Him.  Some of us didn’t have grandfathers who bent down to listen to us, making it difficult to envision a Heavenly Father doing the same. Picture someone who leans in to hear what you say, and imagine God doing the same thing. The Lord loves you; He created you and knows everything about you. When you speak to Him, He listens attentively, not missing a word you say, wanting the best for you.

Just because the Lord doesn’t answer the way you want doesn’t mean He didn’t hear you. God’s ways differ from ours, as do His thoughts. Our limited view closes our eyes to the whole story. But the Lord knows the end game, and His answers help us reach His goals. God bends down, hears our prayers, and answers them according to His sovereign will. We may not understand everything now, but one day we will. Until then, we trust and pray, knowing God bends down to hear us.

Application:

God bends down to listen to us.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for bending down to listen to our prayers. Please help us believe and trust, even when we don’t understand. Give us faith to take the next steps in our journey, knowing You hear our prayers and guide our paths.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5

Along our back fence, square, self-watering planters hold vincas in various colors. Hardy flowers persevere in Virginia’s heat well with plenty of water. Continuous watering keeps their blooms vibrant, but they quickly wither if I forget to check the H20 levels. In the same way, when we stay connected to the living water of Christ, we bloom and flourish, but if we drift away from the vine, it won’t take long for our light to dim and our fruitfulness to cease.

I forgot to water my flowers during a 10-day dry spell in June. Letting the dogs out for a potty break, my eye spotted the withered petals and browning leaves. What once filled the planter now looked shriveled and dead. Grabbing the garden hose and turning the sprinkler head to shower, I watered my plants and prayed they would come back. Their rejuvenation didn’t happen immediately, but when I checked a few hours later, the stems had gained strength, and the flowers stood tall again.

Without a constant connection to God’s word, prayer and supplication, and the watering of the Holy Spirit, we will wither. We can’t withstand dry spells without a solid attachment to the vine; God’s living water strengthens and helps us flourish. Flowers rely on the stems for nutrition to make them bloom; we rely on the Lord’s nourishment to make us fruitful and help us draw others into His garden.

Application:

Staying attached to the Lord makes us fruitful.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for making us fruitful when we abide in You. Please keep us securely attached to the vine as we seek You daily. Nourish our souls and help us draw others into Your garden as we let Your light shine brightly.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

Psalm 119:159-160

Life needs constant renewal, and we get it from the Lord. In His word, we find truths that help us persevere on the darkest days. Applying God’s precepts to our lives teaches us about His love and promises. To know Jesus, we must know scripture. In the pages of the Bible, we learn about the Savior and how He dealt with the world, which didn’t differ much from the one we live in now. Political upheaval, false teachers, and betrayal by people all existed, just like they do today. And instead of responding from a human perspective, the Lord applied divine tactics to create a movement that lasts for eternity.

God promises never to leave nor forsake us. He guides us on how to have relationships, handle finances, and experience life to the fullest despite our sufferings. Tested for thousands of years by millions and millions of people, the Lord’s instructions prove true. When all else fails, God’s precepts don’t. Amid our heartache, we can find comfort in the Creator’s arms as we seek Him through His word.

Find truth in scripture. Apply God’s directions to your life and experience His faithfulness. Discover the peace that surpasses all understanding as you learn to trust Jesus more and more. Each day, the Lord will transform you as His precepts guide you on the journey that will one day take you to His glory. We struggle for a short time before reaching our eternal home that has no tears, no heartache, only love we can’t begin to imagine.

Application:

God’s word gives us truthful instruction.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for giving us Your word to guide and direct us. Please help us apply Your precepts to our lives and experience the joy that comes only from You.  Let us serve You well, honoring You in all we do. To You, we give the glory.

IJNIP. Amen

One-minute read.

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the Earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Matthew 24:30-31

Jesus will gloriously return on the clouds of heaven. Angels will blast the trumpet, and the Lord will gather His people together. Only God knows when, but without a doubt, the Savior will come, as promised. Christ fulfilled over 300 prophecies when He entered the world, the mathematical odds so extreme that it proves His identity. Only the Creator’s Son could accomplish that feat; if Jesus did it once, He will do it again.

God keeps His promises, every one of them, And the Lord will keep this one as well. One day, the Almighty will blast the trumpet, and those who went before and those still living will come together for a heavenly reunion. Our minds can’t comprehend the events that will take place, but we will experience joy like never before. 

Gathering His people from the four winds, the Gospel will have reached the ends of the Earth. Every place under the sky will have heard the good news of Christ’s birth and resurrection, having the opportunity to place their faith in the Savior. What a glorious day awaits those who choose Jesus. Although life on Earth comes with hardship, the few years we spend here will diminish as we experience eternal glory with Christ.

Application:

One day, Jesus will return and reunite His family.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for keeping Your promises and giving us the hope of an eternal future with You filled with no more tears and no more heartache. Let us wait well for the day You call us home and show us Your glory.

IJNIP Amen

One-minute read.

Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes. Great is your mercy, O Lord; give me life according to your rules.

Psalm 119:155-156

Only God can deliver and redeem. People look for salvation in many places, but only Jesus can save us. Many movements take root, but only the Lord’s lasts. Over the past four years, false teachings have led people astray as they look for artificial solutions. Humans make horrible saviors because they always have an ulterior motive.

Jesus has one motive: to save us from our sins and reconnect us with our heavenly Father.  God loves us in our muck and mess, but He doesn’t want us to stay in it. As a result, He sent His Son to give us a way out of the pit and a new way to live.

God’s word has guidelines to apply to our lives and become more like Jesus. Applying His rules to our actions will make us people of integrity, trustworthy, loyal, and faithful. We will discover a fullness to life we can’t find any other way as the Lord strengthens our character as we take steps of faith, doing what He tells us to do.

Following Jesus and living according to His rules helps us become the best version of ourselves and more like Christ. Change can happen anytime; with the Lord, you can always begin again. God gives us fresh mercy every morning and the opportunity to try again.

Application:

God offers new mercy every day.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for new mercies every morning. Please help us accept the grace You give us and change our ways, one day at a time. When we falter, give us the strength to try again, confessing our sins and allowing You to renew our hearts.

IJNIP. Amen