Time Change

Time passes quickly.  This tree had been full and green in September.  As I sat at my work station, charting, returning calls and reviewing lab and x-ray results, the tree outside my window turned to a yellow/orange hue.  The leaves fell away as the wind blew. It will soon be bare.  When did all this happen?  Had I done anything of consequence while the tree turned from green to yellow?

John 9:4

⁴ I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

Time is short.  Time for us is finite.  What have you been doing with your days?  Can you honestly say your days have been filled with witnessing, teaching, mentoring, worshipping or praising the Lord?  One day we will look up and the leaves will have fallen and the night will have come.  Be aware, every day.  Look for an opportunity to minister, to be a change agent to be the catalyst leading someone to Christ.  Use your time wisely, before time is no more.

The Guest List

 

Weddings are by invitation only.  The engaged couple and or parents extend the honor of witnessing the uniting of the couple in Holy Matrimony.  Host of both small and large weddings expect those invited to acknowledge the invite and attend but many times the list of attendees looks like the one above.  Names are missing.  The invited did not respond.

Psalm 69:28

²⁸ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

The Book of Life will have an infinite number of empty lines, names blotted out as a result of not answering the invitation.  Those who did not R.S.V.P. to “the call” will not attend the final marriage feast in heaven. They will not be among the righteous when the bridge meets the bridegroom. Respond to your invitation.  You would not want to miss the wedding of a lifetime.  Eternal life, that is. 

 

The Singe Life

Singleness is not a sin.  It is not a second-class state of being nor is it a sentence to be served. My departed Grandmother would beg to differ.  She called me when I turned 30 and asked me to come get the china she was saving for my wedding day.   It was taking up space in her cabinet so I might as well start using the stuff.  Still single at 30, she thought I was scarred for life.  I adored my Grandma Day. Although unmarried herself, vibrant in the community and a standard bearer at her church, she still considered singleness to be a burden.  Society, like my grandmother may consider singleness something to be scorned. .  God does not.

Jeremiah 16:1-2

16 The word of the Lord also came to me, saying, ² “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.”

God commanded the Prophet Jeremiah not to marry.  Judah was headed for destruction and exile.  God protects Jeremiah by sheltering him from the pain that would befall him if he had to endure the gruesome death of a wife and child.  Thus, God blesses Jeremiah with singleness. God’s commands are always for our ultimate good.  There is purpose in all His ways.  When we are obedient, God gets the glory.  Unhindered by the responsibility of a family, Jeremiah was able to speak boldly for God in preparation for the judgment to come.  Jeremiah’s singleness was a support and not a weight.  Consider singleness a blessing. The freedom to live a holy life, totally devoted to God is a privilege.  It is not a sin.  It is a precious gift.  Unwrap it and use it.

 

 

SINGLENESS

 

 

 

  

The Builder

 

Building a house can be an exhilarating yet arduous task.  Finding a realtor, a banker, a general contractor, a location, a floor plan and selecting the décor can overwhelm the best of us.  Choosing the right builder determines whether the final product will meet our expectations. 

Psalm 127:1

127 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Who’s your builder?  We are all working on a building be it our bodies, our family or the universal church.  There is a subtle arrogance that leads us to believe we are capable of pouring our own foundation and erecting our own frame.  Owners build houses and we own nothing.  We are God’s creation.  The church is God’s creation.  The family is God’s creation.  He does the building.  Allow Him to work in you as He works on you in the context of the family and through you within the body of the church.  There is only one Builder that produces a perfect product.  He not only builds the house, He provides security and upgrades are standard.  The best news of all, His houses are free!! Now, that's a deal you cannot pass up.

The Gift of Sleep

Soft music will not help.  White wine will not help.  Ambien, Excedrin PM, Melatonin or Valerian Root will not help.  After an exhausting day with every reason to fall into a deep sleep, you may stare at the ceiling all night. You can eat well, exercise and go to bed early and even that cannot guarantee a restful sleep. 

Psalm 127:2

² It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

 

Sleep is a gift from God.  But we take sleep for granted.  We expect it and feel entitled to a good night sleep.   The kind of sleep God gives comes by no effort on our part.  This kind of sleep brings contentment with what we have and who we are.  This kind of sleep brings comfort in whatever situation we find ourselves.  This kind of sleep is refreshing.  God gives this kind of sleep to those He loves which enables us to start each day with Him, working for Him as we worship Him.  You cannot get this kind of sleep anywhere else.  The music is relaxing, the medicines can offer aid and exercise is important but look to God for the gift of sleep.  Remember to thank Him for the gift.