The Holy Spirit was upon (Simeon) and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah...(Anna) never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer.--Luke 2:25-26, 37
When Joseph and Mary took eight-day-old Jesus to the Temple for his circumcision, they had two unexpected but delightful encounters. Anna and Simeon--well-worn examples of patient waiting--met them. Both of these godly saints recognized Jesus' identity as the Messiah. Anna and Simeon give us a picture of godly expectations in an environment ripe with expectations.
Simeon was certain he would see the Messiah before he died. We don't know how surprised he was to discover the Savior as a baby in Mary's arms. We do know that he recognized Jesus and praised God for his faithfulness. When Simeon saw the baby, he considered his life complete.
Simeon's exuberance caught Anna's attention. She was another regular in the Temple. Anna's brief marriage ended in widowhood, and she had spent the remainder of her eighty-four-plus years serving as a prophetess. Anna overheard Simeon's prophecy about Jesus and immediately adder her own excited words of praise for the Savior.
Anna discovered that God can make every passage of life meaningful and useful. The long years of widowhood were also fruitful years of worship and service. Both she and Simeon dedicated their lives to God and were rewarded in ways we can fully appreciate only if we are willing to live the same way.
As you interact with people at various stages of life today, think about the development of your relationship with God. When you talk to a younger person, ask yourself, How was God involved in my life at that age? When you notice someone older, ask yourself, How do I want my relationship with God to mature by that point in my life?
Lessons from their lives:
- God does give to some of his faithful followers a deeper insight and clarity about his plans.
-There were those in Israel who did recognize Jesus.
-Advancing age does not invalidate a person's usefulness in God's purposes.
Remember today that age doesn't mean you have to be inactive in God's plans. God will continue to use you if you are willing. You can still change lives, bringing people to God no matter what your age because in the long run age is just a number. So go do God's work today, changing this world until you go home to the next.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Holiday Hospitality
As the holidays are FAST approaching and houses are prepared for guests, tables are set and food prepared, consider and pray for those who open their homes during this blessed time. Remember, hospitality is a fruit of the spirit. Just wanted to share what I read this morning with you and hopefully it will bring you the same peace it gave me.
This reading comes from My Daily Sanctuary reading out of my Bible:
Using The Gifts In Front Of You:
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. --Romans 12:6
Paul tells the Romans not only to figure out their gifts, but to concentrate on using them.
I looked at my first column (where I listed my interests). "Talking, Thinking, Asking questions, Journaling, Cooking, Welcoming unexpected guests, Feeling sympathy." It dawned on me that I already used many of these seemingly disparate attributes. Friends laughingly dubbed our African home "Hotel Van Reken" for the steady stream of people flowing through it. How many meals had I cooked? How many cups of water had I poured? But, again, these things didn't seem special. They were normal. Besides, I enjoyed talking with each visitor!
But now I saw that those people weren't unplanned interruptions in my schedule. Rather, they were God's assignments for me--and ones I could do at home while taking care of my kids! The lengthy conversations at my kitchen door, around meals, or late at nigh, were ways God used my gift of sympathy through "talking, thinking, and asking questions," to comfort and encourage others. Writing in my journal gave me practice for writing follow-up letters as people moved away....
Three years later, author and speaker Jill Briscoe came to our town. By then I'd begun using my gifts of "talking, thinking, asking questions" to lead a small Bible study. After one of Jill's seminars, I approached her. "Jill, we'd like to see our Bible study grow. How did you develop your groups into such a large network?" Jill looked me in the eye and said, "Ruth, just ask God what's in front of your face, and do it. You have eight women in your Bible study now. Prepare as though they were eight hundred. If they become eight hundred, great. If they don't, eight women will have been fed, and you never know what God has planned for them. Lots of poeple never do anything because they can't figure out how to do everything."
Powerful, practical, life-changing words--wherever you live.
-Ruth E. Van Reken
From Closer to God
As a child and into my teenage years, we had a family tradition that is still going on today. All my Grandpa's family, brothers, sisters and ALL their kids came to my grandparents for a family reunion on Thanksgiving Day. I love it. All those people we don't get to see a lot and all the kids running around, not to mention all the food. There is always more than enough to feed an army thanks to everyone bringing food and my Grandma overpreparing as usual. Good times. It got hard for me to enjoy Thanksgiving when I moved away because I couldn't always come home for Thanksgiving mostly due to working in retail. In fact, I missed more Thanksgivings than I attended. So when I got married I prayed and hoped and wished that one day my home could be the house that my family came to for Thanksgiving, kinda carrying on the tradition my grandparents started. Now, a lot of people would ask why I wished to have to cook and clean and do all that preparation instead of just going to someone else's house and relaxing but for me part of the joy of the holidays is providing a good meal and wonderful atmosphere just like my Granny still does to this day. Though we may not all be together, I feel like we are because of the tradition I have started in my own family. I still call Granny for advice on what to cook or how to cook something. It is such a blessing that I can do that. Hospitality is our family tradition. You have to just be careful what you wish for because God will give you exactly what you wish for. What A BLESSING! Today I am thankful for all the hard work and good food that my grandparents put out every year so that others can feel loved and enjoy being with family. THANKS GRANNY & PAPA!! LOVE YOU!!!
Hope you all have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I!
This reading comes from My Daily Sanctuary reading out of my Bible:
Using The Gifts In Front Of You:
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. --Romans 12:6
Paul tells the Romans not only to figure out their gifts, but to concentrate on using them.
I looked at my first column (where I listed my interests). "Talking, Thinking, Asking questions, Journaling, Cooking, Welcoming unexpected guests, Feeling sympathy." It dawned on me that I already used many of these seemingly disparate attributes. Friends laughingly dubbed our African home "Hotel Van Reken" for the steady stream of people flowing through it. How many meals had I cooked? How many cups of water had I poured? But, again, these things didn't seem special. They were normal. Besides, I enjoyed talking with each visitor!
But now I saw that those people weren't unplanned interruptions in my schedule. Rather, they were God's assignments for me--and ones I could do at home while taking care of my kids! The lengthy conversations at my kitchen door, around meals, or late at nigh, were ways God used my gift of sympathy through "talking, thinking, and asking questions," to comfort and encourage others. Writing in my journal gave me practice for writing follow-up letters as people moved away....
Three years later, author and speaker Jill Briscoe came to our town. By then I'd begun using my gifts of "talking, thinking, asking questions" to lead a small Bible study. After one of Jill's seminars, I approached her. "Jill, we'd like to see our Bible study grow. How did you develop your groups into such a large network?" Jill looked me in the eye and said, "Ruth, just ask God what's in front of your face, and do it. You have eight women in your Bible study now. Prepare as though they were eight hundred. If they become eight hundred, great. If they don't, eight women will have been fed, and you never know what God has planned for them. Lots of poeple never do anything because they can't figure out how to do everything."
Powerful, practical, life-changing words--wherever you live.
-Ruth E. Van Reken
From Closer to God
As a child and into my teenage years, we had a family tradition that is still going on today. All my Grandpa's family, brothers, sisters and ALL their kids came to my grandparents for a family reunion on Thanksgiving Day. I love it. All those people we don't get to see a lot and all the kids running around, not to mention all the food. There is always more than enough to feed an army thanks to everyone bringing food and my Grandma overpreparing as usual. Good times. It got hard for me to enjoy Thanksgiving when I moved away because I couldn't always come home for Thanksgiving mostly due to working in retail. In fact, I missed more Thanksgivings than I attended. So when I got married I prayed and hoped and wished that one day my home could be the house that my family came to for Thanksgiving, kinda carrying on the tradition my grandparents started. Now, a lot of people would ask why I wished to have to cook and clean and do all that preparation instead of just going to someone else's house and relaxing but for me part of the joy of the holidays is providing a good meal and wonderful atmosphere just like my Granny still does to this day. Though we may not all be together, I feel like we are because of the tradition I have started in my own family. I still call Granny for advice on what to cook or how to cook something. It is such a blessing that I can do that. Hospitality is our family tradition. You have to just be careful what you wish for because God will give you exactly what you wish for. What A BLESSING! Today I am thankful for all the hard work and good food that my grandparents put out every year so that others can feel loved and enjoy being with family. THANKS GRANNY & PAPA!! LOVE YOU!!!
Hope you all have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Your Thoughts...Build You Up or Tear You Down??
Today, I want to talk about thoughts. They are what drive our actions, compel our words and even control our minds. They can build us up one minute and tear us down the next, as they can also do to others if expressed.
So how do we wrangle our thoughts into control? How do we wrestle this bull to the ground? The only solution that I can find is this: God's Word and prayer.
Seeking truth about our thought processes in God's Word will show us that what we think about ourselves is not correct as least not all the time. It will also shed some light on how to change our perceptions of the negative thoughts and continually encourage us to grow the good and positive thoughts not only about ourselves but about others as well.
Prayer is the other piece of the puzzle. Reading about how to change our mindset is good and great and all but if we don't put into the action the steps we read about and ask for help along the way, then we are simply spitting in the wind. Prayer is our conversation with God, where we get a chance to sit down with God and tell Him all the tactics that have worked and all the others that have gone wrong as well as ask for His guidance in all areas of our lives. This special time is sitting down with your best friend and pouring your heart heart to Him, asking advice and seeking encouragement. It is PRICELESS!!!
So today, instead of letting your thoughts get the best of you, go to God and get the best out of your thoughts.
Verses about thoughts:
I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
II Corinthians 10:5
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
Isaiah 55:8
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine."
I Corinthians 3:20
And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless."
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Prayer for the Day:
Give us grace, O LORD, to work while it is day, fulfilling diligently and patiently whatever duty Thou appointest us; doing small things in the day of small things, and great labors if Thou summon us to any...Go with me, and I will go; but if Thou go not with me, send me not; let me hear Thy voice when I follow. Amen.
Christina Rossetti
You need not cry very loud; he is nearer to us than we think.
Brother Lawrence
Have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I. :)
So how do we wrangle our thoughts into control? How do we wrestle this bull to the ground? The only solution that I can find is this: God's Word and prayer.
Seeking truth about our thought processes in God's Word will show us that what we think about ourselves is not correct as least not all the time. It will also shed some light on how to change our perceptions of the negative thoughts and continually encourage us to grow the good and positive thoughts not only about ourselves but about others as well.
Prayer is the other piece of the puzzle. Reading about how to change our mindset is good and great and all but if we don't put into the action the steps we read about and ask for help along the way, then we are simply spitting in the wind. Prayer is our conversation with God, where we get a chance to sit down with God and tell Him all the tactics that have worked and all the others that have gone wrong as well as ask for His guidance in all areas of our lives. This special time is sitting down with your best friend and pouring your heart heart to Him, asking advice and seeking encouragement. It is PRICELESS!!!
So today, instead of letting your thoughts get the best of you, go to God and get the best out of your thoughts.
Verses about thoughts:
I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
II Corinthians 10:5
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
Isaiah 55:8
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine."
I Corinthians 3:20
And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless."
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Prayer for the Day:
Give us grace, O LORD, to work while it is day, fulfilling diligently and patiently whatever duty Thou appointest us; doing small things in the day of small things, and great labors if Thou summon us to any...Go with me, and I will go; but if Thou go not with me, send me not; let me hear Thy voice when I follow. Amen.
Christina Rossetti
You need not cry very loud; he is nearer to us than we think.
Brother Lawrence
Have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I. :)
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