NUGGET Today's Devotional

When Circumstances Point in the Wrong Direction...
By: Lyn Chaffart
-----------------------------------
February 11, 2022




So often we hear about -- and experience! -- what seems to be such an unfair set of facts: All the doors seem to be opening in one direction, every message you get from God seems to indicate that what you seek or plan is His will, you have total peace in your spirit, circumstances all seem to point to one outcome... and then the doors slam shut... What? How can this be?

There seems to be only two explanations: God didn't come through with His promise, or we haven't quite mastered hearing God's voice and following His directions! And since God keeps all His promises, including the one of Isaiah 55:11: "It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it." (NLT), we tend to understand the latter -- We don't know how to follow God's lead!

Or is there, perhaps, a third explanation?

The day we got turned back at the US border was one of those days for me. We had already driven over 5000 km from home, pulling our little travel trailer. Our ultimate destination was California, and our goal was to lay my mom's remains to rest beside my dad's grave. The entire family would be gathering in just over a week, and the urn was with us, in our car...

This trip had been turbulent from the beginning. I knew in my heart that this was the right thing to do, but it was during the time of COVID, and the US/Canadian land border was still closed to non-essential traffic. But surely they would consider a burial "essential", and with this hope, we had set out from home. Our trip to Alberta had been uneventful, but as we spent a week and a half with our youngest son and his wife, we couldn't help but worry. Besides the border situation, we were driving an electric car and towing a trailer. We hadn't had problems to date, but the Rocky Mountains still stood between us and our ultimate destination, and there wasn't yet a great system of electric charge stations available to us. Especially through the Rockies. And given the facts that all cars consume more power when towing and when in the mountains, this was a major potential problem. Besides this, it was a summer of fires to the west of the Rockies. Our roads were closed, and the only town we could stay at, given the car charging needs, was under evacuation orders.

So we began to pray, and we received message after message that God would make a way. Godly friends also received confirmations of this, and we set out with peace in our hearts.

And God did make a way. It was like we were being "pushed" through the Rocky Mountains. We used less energy on the long climbs than we had used on the flat prairies. As for the fire, God sent a bit of rain, opening a window of opportunity for us. The town where we needed to stay went off evacuation orders for a couple days, but went immediately back on the day we left! The closed roads opened up, and we made it through to the US border. Only to have our trip deemed "unessential" and to be ushered back to Canada...

Wait. What? Didn't I hear from God right? Why would He miraculously bring us this far only to have the door slam shut in our faces?

To say I was upset was an understatement. We had to scramble for a place to park the trailer, buy last minute plane tickets and arrange for COVID testing, etc (for whatever reason, although the landborder was closed, you could still fly to the US). Where was God in all of this?

My dear husband had the answer: "God must have something for us to do here in British Columbia," he said. And he must have been right, because God opened up all the doors for our trailer situation, the plane tickets, even providing for our COVID testing...

So was God not in charge? Not at all. He was very much in charge.

Had I heard wrong? Not at all. God fully intended for us to drive to British Columbia.

So where did I go wrong?

I went wrong because I understood that our ultimate outcome would be crossing the border, when God meant for us to drive to British Columbia and then fly to California. God didn't let us down, He knew all along what needed to happen and He made all those arrangements. The only problem was that I hadn't seen things from His point of view!

I still don't fully understand why God wanted us in British Columbia, but it did give us several days of rest and relaxation from a stressful trip, and while there we connected with friends and acquaintances, and we even had a few distinctly God-led encounters. These didn't seem earth-shattering to me, but who knows? We did what God asked us to do, we can only believe that this was His ultimate will.

So does it seem the door has just been slammed in your face when you were doing your best to follow God's will?

Be encouraged: God hasn't defaulted on His plan, and there is nothing wrong with your ability to hear His voice. Rather, He simply had a different outcome in mind than you did, and somehow, His outcome will bring blessing where yours might not have! Just put it all back in His hands, sit back and watch. He will come through with a plan "B", and that plan "B" will be so much better than your plan "A"!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries


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Number One
February 7, 2023




Then the Lord said, 'Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will never again pass by them; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.' Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, 'Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, "'Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.'" And Amaziah said to Amos, 'O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.' Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, 'I was no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. But the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, "'Go, prophesy to My people Israel."'" (Amos 7:7-15 ESV)

Amos the prophet is in a difficult spot. God has sent him to warn Israel that they are about to face major judgment. They have set up idols and loved and worshipped them, instead of following the real God who made and saved them.

So picture Amos, standing right there in Bethel where Jeroboam first set up his idols, saying all these things God has sent him to say. It isn't easy. It isn't safe. The king has ears everywhere, and Amos could wind up in jail or dead.

Amaziah the priest comes to tell him this. "Just take your prophesying somewhere else," he says. "I'm sure the land of Judah would love to have you, and you could make a good living. And it would be safer."

But Amos sets him straight. "I'm not a professional prophet," he says. "I'm not trying to make a career for myself. I'm here for one reason only—because God commanded me to be here."

Now that's awkward. Amos isn't an idol worshipper. He doesn't put anything before the Lord—not his career, not his safety, not even his own life. And that puts him in direct conflict with the leaders of Israel, who are idol worshippers.

There will be times in your life when you stand where Amos stood. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you put Him first—the One who loved you and laid down His life for you. But that will bring you into conflict with others around you—those who are still chasing glory, or power, or money, or safety. It will be scary.

What can you do? Only one thing, the same thing Amos did. Keep your eyes on the Lord. Remember the one who saved you—who died and rose again to make you a child of God. Let Him draw you near to Him and keep you close. Like Amos, you may be nothing more than a herdsman or a gardener, but you are God's. And through you, He can do great things.

Prayer: Lord, make me faithful to You, even when I'm afraid. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reprinted with permission from Lutheran Hour Ministries

Reflection Questions:
1. How much do you worry about your own safety?
2. Have you ever been pressured to do something different than what God wanted?
3. How did God get you through that time?


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Of Smokey Skies and Fervent Prayers...
By: Lyn Chaffart
-----------------------------------
February 4, 2022




Canadian summer of 2021 was one of the smokiest in my memory. With the hundreds of wild fires burning out of control in British Columbia (BC), how would we ever be able to make our necessary road trip to California to bury my mom?

There were hundreds of deadly fires to the east of the Rocky Mountains as well; but as our intended path led through the heart of the worst of the BC interior fires, and even within a few kilometers of the deadly fire that completely wiped out the town of Lytton, BC, somehow the eastern fires didn't impress themselves upon my mind...

And I'll have to admit that had our road not required us to drive through the BC interior, I might not have given more than a half-hearted prayer for the people of Lytton either! But since our itinerary required that we drive right through the heart of BC's fire woes, my eyes were constantly on the news and my prayers were full of requests for God to send rain to the BC interior...

Isn't that so like humanity? We only worry about things when they touch us personally? There may be millions of people starving in the developing world, but we only become concerned about world hunger when we lose our jobs and are forced to begin visiting the local food pantries! Steeped in self-pity, we don't even consider the fact that there aren't even food pantries in the developing world! Or with millions in the world not only without running water but without even fresh water available to drink, we only get excited about the clean water issue when some kind of a contaminant works its way into our own water systems, rendering our tap water unsafe...

When I look at it like this, my own problems seem so undeserving of the degree of prayer I put into them! What if we were to turn our prayers to the people of the world without food or clean drinking water? What if we were to set aside even half the energy that we spend on our own needs to pray for others?

God is indeed gracious and good. Even when our prayers are selfish!

Why?

Because, "The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. He knows...Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die... But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!" (Ps. 103:13:15,17-18 NLT)

While I thank God for a loving Father who understands that I am only dust, that my prayers are often going to be self-focused, here is an interesting thought: What might have happened if I had prayed just as fervently for those who had lost their homes? For the wild fires all across our country to be put out? For the rains to come? For the thousands of people who were evacuated from their homes because fire was near?

I don't know for sure, but I suspect I know the answer: Those fires could have been completely out long before we needed to pass through the region!

How do I know this?

Because of all the times I've seen people pray unselfishly for others while their own needs were so great, only to see God supplying their needs as well!

Did I just make that up?

Not at all. It’s a Kingdom principle: "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. 'For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.'And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." (2 Cor. 9:7-8 NLT)

Are your needs great? Why not consider shifting the topic of your prayers to the great needs in the world around you? You might be amazed at how God answers those prayers ... and … provides for your needs as well!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries.

Timing
February 2, 2023




"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV)

"He told them, 'You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.'" (Acts 1:7-8 MSG)

Timing is everything.

This is a common expression that is frequently used, particularly if something has happened that we find favourable.

Occasionally, we hear of someone who has been innocently hurt because that person was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Garrett Hedlund recorded a song, "Timing is Everything", the first four lines of which read:

"When the stars line up
And you catch a break
People think you're lucky
But you know it's grace."

From the time we enter this world, we continually try to get matters in line to meet what we desire. Babies want to be fed and have their other needs met. Young children quickly learn how to make things happen their way.

As we age, we do everything that we can to orchestrate what we consider to be the best set of circumstances to achieve what we want. Only when we come alive in Christ do these considerations centre on the honour of God.

The current coronavirus pandemic has certainly disrupted our timing in many ways. This may be a good thing, in that it could cause us to re-examine our priorities and the underlying reasons for our striving to make everything line up.

Recently, one of my granddaughters telephoned to tell me that her fiancé had just asked her to marry him. After offering my congratulations, I asked what I considered a normal question: "What are your plans for the wedding?"

Her response brought me back to today's reality: "Given the current pandemic situation, it's virtually impossible to make concrete plans. We'll have to wait to see how things unfold."

Suddenly, I thought that what we would consider normal has now been upended.

It led me to realize that we have a special opportunity to challenge ourselves to think about whether we are chasing the right set of stars lining up.

As I struggle to make things happen my way, am I doing so out of my love for God and my desire to serve Him through love for others?

Perhaps this pandemic can help you and me to re-examine our actions.

Prayer: Dear Father, in the midst of upsetting activities caused by this current pandemic, help us each to consider the basis of our actions. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Vincent Walter
Toronto, Ontario, Canada


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Foot in Mouth
By: Sharon Cook
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January 31, 2023




Every time I read about the apostle Peter's early life, I feel that we must be related. Poor Peter, always putting his foot in his mouth over one thing or another. I remember many times in my life when my mouth opened, seemingly of its own accord, and words came out that I longed to grab and stuff back in.

Soon after declaring that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter rebuked Jesus when He told the disciples that He must be killed and raised to life on the third day. Rebuking Jesus! I can just imagine his chagrin when he realized the enormity of what he'd done, especially when Jesus quickly turned to him and said, "Get behind me, Satan." (Matthew 16:23 NIV) How he must have grieved — as I have grieved over sins during my life.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter rashly offered to raise shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, turning a glorious gathering into a mundane moment. So typical of his — and my — personality, to offer unneeded solutions on the spur of the moment to those who don't need or want them.

He's probably best known for denying that he knew Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest, especially after he had stoutly declared just a few hours before, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." (Matthew 26:35a NIV) Scripture records that he went outside and wept bitterly. I can, unfortunately, remember times when my actions or words have not shown that I am a child of God.

Soon after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples as they were fishing. Still the impetuous Peter, he jumped into the water (leaving his friends to take care of the net full of fish), and waded to the beach. Jesus met him on the beach, and forgiving all, He gave Peter his life's task: "Feed my sheep." (John 21:17c NIV) Because of this, Peter later wrote:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." (2 Peter 1:3 NIV)

God's grace abounds. I've experienced that grace, as I hope you have.

After being filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter was a changed man. He had a personality transformation — foot-in-mouth Peter became stand-up-for-the-Lord Peter, courageously and boldly preaching to the Jewish leaders, enduring prison hardships, and accepting the Lord's challenge to get out of his comfort zone to witness to Gentiles.

I have discovered that as I spend more time with God in His Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other Christians, I, too, have experienced God's grace and forgiveness and am learning to control my Peter-like tendencies. Have you discovered that this is true for you, as well?

Prayer: Father, thank You for putting Peter's life in the Bible to show us Your grace and forgiveness for a life that is so much like ours. Thank You for Peter's testimony of his transformation and witness, to show us that we, too, can be transformed into Your image. Amen.

Copyright 2021, by Sharon Cook , first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Apache Junction, Arizona, USA

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author's permission


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Learning to Walk Properly
By: Shirley Moulton
---------------------------------------
January 26, 2023




"One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13b-14 NIV)

After having knee replacement surgery in January, 2020, I began the physiotherapy appointments, and quickly realized that I needed to re-learn how to walk. Over the years, my disintegrating knee joint and the resulting pain had caused me to use my hips to move my legs rather than bending the knee. With the new knee implant, I had to unlearn the wrong way of walking, purposefully and intentionally training the muscles and joint to work together again.

This experience has made me consider what it means to leave behind my old, instinctive ways, and to press on to grip the new flexibility and spiritually healthy way of the new life in the Lord Jesus. His saving work for me is perfect, but the Spirit's sanctifying work in me is not yet perfect, but goes on day by day, just like physio exercises, for the rest of my life. As for me, there is only one option: not to return to my old way of doing things, but to press on to Christian maturity.

The apostle Paul knew that to forge ahead was to do God's will, not his own. He made the choice of grasping and holding onto the things of God, to become a new creation, made in the image of Christ, with a testimony to share and to win over more for Jesus our Lord. Being willing to press ahead even in suffering, he could share fellowship with Jesus in that, too — looking forward to resurrection and the bright hope of heaven.

As we leave behind the distractions and the old ways of coping, let's press on together for what God is calling us to. We are running a race, willing every nerve, fibre, and muscle to win our heavenly prize. This high calling is from God's heart and is worth every ounce of effort!

"Jesus replied, 'No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'" (Luke 9:62 NIV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, now that we have decided to follow You with no turning back, help us as we press forward to hold onto Your high calling. Amen.

Copyright 2021, by Shirley Moulton , first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author's permission


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Connected
By: Vincent Walter
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January 24, 2023




"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:5-6 NIV)

Computers! Computers! Computers! They are everywhere and an integral part of almost everyone's life. This has all happened within my lifespan, and probably within yours also.

It may be that, like me, you feel less knowledgeable about computers than your children and certainly less so than your grandchildren.

Recently, I was unable to get my computer working properly. The message kept coming up telling me that I wasn't connected to the Internet.

I quickly checked the many connecting wires from the back of the central processing unit (CPU) and all seemed to be in order. But again, the same message.

I then tried the old faithful activity and turned off the main power source. After leaving it to rest for awhile, I turned the main power source on. But still no success.

On the advice of my daughter, I then carefully disconnected and reconnected the many wires from the back of the CPU. When I reconnected the Internet wire, I heard a click that indicated a firm connection.

Suddenly, all worked perfectly. Previously, I had thought that I was connected, but I was not! Because of a careless examination of my connections, my computer was useless!

That experience brought to mind two lessons that I believe Jesus taught us in today's illustration of the vine.

Firstly, without our connection to the source of our power we are useless. The main power source for the computer is electricity. Whether it be through the wall plug or a battery or solar power or whatever, it must be connected. Similarly, as a branch showing the love of Jesus, we must be strongly connected to Him so that His love can flow through us.

Secondly, we can be fooled into thinking that we are connected to Jesus when we are not. We can be going through the motions of doing what we think is right, but if we are not firmly connected to Jesus, our Power Source, we will soon be like a separated branch. In time, we wither away, and in God's time, like the withered branch, we will be cast away and die.

The first lesson of the necessity of being connected to all my power sources came easily to me.

The second lesson, however, was more subtle but perhaps even more important. It is relatively easy to behave as if one is properly connected with Jesus. We can sometimes fool others, and perhaps more importantly, even fool ourselves into thinking that we have firm a connection.

But to be fruitful, you and I both must be firmly rooted and completely connected to our true source of power. Fortunately, we have been provided with two powerful tools to maintain a firm connection: regular study of the Bible and consistent time spent in prayer.

Prayer: Dear Father, help us to see clearly the strength of our connection to You through the gift of Your Son, and help us to maintain that connection. In His name, we pray. Amen.

Copyright 2021, by Vincent Walter , first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author's permission


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Of Wild Turkeys and Fall Irises...
By: Lyn Chaffart
---------------------------------------
January 21, 2023




God is real.

He is very, very real!

And more than that, He is personable and approachable; and He loves nothing more than to shower us with blessings: "Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!" (Ps. 31:19 ESV); "blessed is he who trusts in the Lord." (Proverbs 16:20b ESV)

Are His blessings always the same?

Absolutely not. He knows us so intimately that He can "tailor make" each blessing to be something that speaks directly to each of our hearts.

Don't believe it?

A friend who lost her husband a couple of years ago shared this story with me recently: She loves turkeys and she and her husband always raised turkeys on their property. The turkeys loved her husband and would follow him around. When my friend returned home from the hospital the day her husband passed away, a wild turkey was sitting in front of her garage. My friend took great comfort in this. Months later, when the grief wasn't as raw and she could see beyond it a bit better, she realized that this was God's way of reaching out to her to comfort her in her hour of greatest need. She then shared that she had been going through a very rough period of time over the past few days, and that every day a wild turkey has come onto her property where she could see it.

Now I might not have put any meaning to this, because I'm not a turkey enthusiast. Rather, I love irises. One of the first things I did after coming to my new home was to plant an iris bed. Unfortunately, they don't usually bloom their first year; but I had a real treat this past spring when 5 of my 6 irises burst into vibrant bloom. The 6th had only been put in the previous fall, so I wasn't surprised when it didn't bloom. This past summer and fall season were, indeed, incredibly stressful, and this culminated in a week of stress so high that I was constantly feeling on the verge of tear. Imagine my astonishment to go outside -- in the middle of October! -- and find that my 6th iris was in full bloom! I realized that this was God reaching out to me in a personal, special way that only I would understand, to tell me how much He loves me and wants to help me through the stress.

I could go on with countless other true stories of God reaching out to people in the hour of their greatest need with a message of comfort that only they will understand... The problem is, we don't often even recognize these little "miracles" as God's blessings. After all, my friend lived out in the bush. Wild turkeys frequent that area of our region. And my irises are supposed to be "reblooming" -- not that any of them have ever had a fall crop of flowers, but technically that are supposed to bloom in the fall. Maybe my fall iris was simply that it was too young to bloom in the spring!

And so we reason away each and every sign of God's loving hand on our lives. We forget that, “"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17 ESV)!

Another problem is that we often don’t even see these gifts. When our focus is so pinpointed on whatever problem is overwhelming us, it can be hard to even see the "turkeys" and "fall irises" that God places in our lives!

January is now well upon us. The festivities of the Christmas season are past, and much of the north is covered in layers of snow. Besides the winter "blues", each of us is also encased in our own problems and stresses. Maybe they are financial in nature. Perhaps we don't have adequate shelter or clothing. For some, there's been a death in the family... Whatever our struggles may be, I challenge you to open your spirit to God. He knows what you are going through, and He is there, pouring out blessings upon you: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction..." (2 Cor. 1:3-4a ESV).

Remember, no matter what it is you’re going through: God knows how to speak comfort into your heart and is doing so with every opportunity. I challenge you to watch for His blessings. Maybe it will be the blue jay that comes to your feeder. Perhaps it will be finding a lost photo that means the world to you. It could possibly be a surprise phone call or visit, or your neighbour dropping by to shovel your drive. Whatever it is, recognize the hand of God reaching out to bless and comfort and encourage you. Accept the gift as such, and praise His holy name for loving us in such an individual, personable way!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries.


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Looking Up
By: Kenn Stright
---------------------------------------
January 19, 2022
 
 

 
"I look up to the mountains — does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!" (Psalm 121:1-2 NLT)

It's the end of the sailing season, and it has been a long summer of looking up. I am the Main Trimmer, which means that I look up to ensure the mainsail is contributing everything possible to our overall speed and performance. That means keeping an eye on the halyard tension, the leech and the luff, the cunningham and the boom vang and the draft and … the list goes on and on. But the crucial point is that I need to keep looking up. The rest of the crew have their duties and concerns, and they often ask about the performance of the mainsail in relation to the jib and the spinnaker and all the rest that contribute to boat speed. We work together in close cooperation, but it is my job to keep looking up.

Actually, that was my job for 40 years in full-time Christian ministry. I worked with many people on many projects both inside and outside the church. Upon reflection, it was always my task to "look up", no matter what was happening, to remind others where our true source of strength and power comes from. I had to depend on that wind, that breath, that Spirit to direct and empower any and every thing that I did in the church and in the world around me.

As you begin another day, I invite you to trim your sails by looking up and realizing that, after all you do, it is God's "ruach" (the Hebrew word for wind, breath, or spirit) Who will empower you throughout the day. Happy sailing!

Prayer: Living God, our refuge and strength, even the wind and sea obey Your voice. Send Your wind to take us on our journey of faith. Fill us with great faith, and save us from the surging seas, so that we may look up and be guided by You. Through Jesus Christ, Who sails the seas with us, we pray. Amen.

Copyright 2021, by Kenn Stright , first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
West Petpeswick, Nova Scotia, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author's permission

 
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Anchors
By: Kari Vo
---------------------------------------
January 17, 2023
 
 

 
"And as He was setting out on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' And Jesus said to him, 'Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: "Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother."' And he said to Him, 'Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.' And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." (Mark 10:17-22 ESV)

This is one of the saddest stories in the Bible. We see a young man who is very interested in the things of God—he seeks out Jesus because he really wants to know about eternal life and how to have it. He is not playing games with words when he asks Jesus for advice—he is sincere, and he is ready to do whatever Jesus tells him. He has already spent many years trying to serve God. And Jesus loves him. He offers him a priceless opportunity—to become yet another disciple, to be with Jesus daily, living in the freedom and joy of God's children. And yet ...

It turns out the man has one tremendous anchor holding him to his present life, preventing him from following Jesus freely. In his case, it is riches. The man has wealth, land, maybe businesses. He is weighed down by these things. His heart is in them. When Jesus calls, he cannot bring himself to answer.

What a terrible grief! We may think to ourselves, "Well, I'm safe from that. I'm not rich." But there are other anchors—or things that could become anchors for our lives, if we allow them to. For some people it is a career or treasured position. For others, it is friends or family or relatives. For others, it is reputation, prestige, power. Their hearts are so entangled in these things that when Jesus calls, they cannot free themselves and follow.

This is not to say that jobs or family or riches are bad things in themselves. They are good things that God creates and blesses us with. And yet, good as they are in themselves, they become deadly traps the minute they come between us and Jesus. "I am the Lord your God," He says. "You shall have no other gods before Me." Not because God is envious, or wants to cause us pain or trouble. Because anything that comes before Him in our heart is a false god, and in the end it will drag us down to death.

Does that mean that we should stop loving family or friends or work or possessions? No, it means that we should love God more—that we should put Him first—that, whenever God and one of these things come into conflict, we should give the preference to God. As long as the other things stay subordinate to God, they can safely stay.

We can ask Jesus for help with this, because He knows what it's like to leave things behind. He Himself is the One who left all glory and honor in heaven—left safety and power and happiness—in order to be born into our world of grief and trouble. He did it because He loved God the Father first, and that was what He asked of Him; and Jesus did it also because He loved us, and wanted us to be His forever. Love makes the difference—and His Holy Spirit can plant that love in our hearts, so that Jesus Himself becomes our anchor forever.

Prayer: Lord, help me to love rightly—You above everything, and then all the good things You give to me. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved

Reflection Questions:
1. Have you ever tried to go somewhere in a boat with an anchor down—or in a car, with the emergency brake still on? What was it like?
2. If you had to guess, what is the one thing in your life that is most likely to come between you and Jesus as a rival for His love?
3. How can you get to know the Lord better and grow in love for Him?

 
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Where is the "prosperity" that is the Christian's due? The answer can be found in the book of Job. Check out "The Prosperity Doctrine Exposed," a mini-series by Lyn Chaffart

 
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But the Wind Is STILL Blowing!
By: Lyn Chaffart
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January 14, 2023
 
 

 
The story begins on the sea of Galilee. It is recorded in three of the four gospels: John 6:16-21; Mark 6:45-52; Matthew 14:22-33. The disciples were in a little boat when: "...a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves." (Matthew 14:24 NLT). When this had happened before, Jesus simply rebuked the wind and the waves: "Silence! Be still!” (Mark 4:39 NLT). But Jesus wasn't in the boat this time, and the disciples had to once again face a terrible storm, without Jesus!

The Bible doesn't actually say they were afraid this time. It simply says that they were, "...in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves." (Mark 6:48 NLT). They learned their lesson from the former time. Instead of cowering in fear, they were simply doing everything in their power to stay ahead of the storm!

And the result?

Jesus came to … them! "About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water." (Matthew 14:28 NLT).

That's what Jesus does when we take a step in faith, when we push aside our fear and do everything in our power to survive our storms of life: He comes ... to us!

Interestingly, the gospel of Mark records a tiny detail overlooked by the other two gospel records: "He intended to go past them..." (Mark 6:48B)

Wait. Why would Jesus walk out to them, only to pass them by? Where's the comfort in that?

I used to try to encourage my kids to be independent in solving their problems. Many times, however, I would hover in the background, always there in case they needed me. Why? Because the kids needed to learn that if someone is always there to rescue us, we will never learn how to fight the battles! Was this why Jesus had intended to pass them by? Just like me with my kids, was Jesus simply "checking up" on them, letting them know He was there if they needed Him?

Interestingly, the disciples didn't immediately recognize HIm. All three gospels record: "When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified.” (Matthew 14:26 NLT See also John 6:19; Mark 6:49) In fact, they thought He was a ghost!
Our loving Jesus sensed their fear and called out to them, but it was still a tough sell for those poor disciples, battered and exhausted by the storm. Can we blame Peter? “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” (Matthew 14:28 NLT)?

Jesus will never deny anyone who wants to come to Him, and He will do the miraculous for us to reach Him! "Yes, come...” (vs. 29a NLT).

Here is where the story gets very interesting: Peter did get out of the boat. He did start walking, like Jesus, on top of the waves; But the waves didn't stop roaring and the wind didn't stop blowing!

Wait a minute. Peter is trying hard to take that step in faith! He's even gotten out of the boat! Yet the storm continues! Isn’t the moment we take the step in faith when the storm should stop?

Unfortunately for Peter, the storm caught and held his attention: "But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink." (Matthew 14:30a NLT)

Before we start faulting Peter, let's put ourselves in his shoes! Haven't we all been there? We've tried to take that step in faith, but the storms of life continue around us? And despite the fact that we've stepped out of the proverbial boat, we begin to sink?

Herein lies our problem, and Peter's as well! When we take a step in faith, we can't expect the storms to stop! Our job is to simply fix our eyes on Jesus as we navigate them! "'Save me, Lord!' [Peter] shouted." (Matthew 14:30b NLT), and "Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him." (Matthew 14:31a NLT)

That's our Jesus! We may stumble and fall, but He is always there to pick us up the moment we reach out to Him!

These situations do call for a mild rebuke, however: “'You have so little faith,' Jesus said. 'Why did you doubt me?'” (Matthew 14:31b NLT).

Yes, we all deserve the rebuke. How many miracles has our Lord performed around us and throughout history? Plenty for our faith to be rock-solid. Therefore, while always there to pick us up when we fall, Jesus is also there to lovingly show us the better way: "Why did you doubt me?"

I have a storm in my life right now. My husband has an eye problem. We prayed for healing, and from the moment the eye doctor put drops in his eyes to dilate his pupils, he didn't have any further eye problems for the rest of the day. We declared him healed in the power of Jesus!

The winds and waves continued to storm around us, however. The next morning, he began experiencing mild issues again. Wait! How can this be! God healed his eyes! God's healing is permanent! Why ...

That's when God gave me this message. I realized that our step out in faith didn't mean the wind and waves of eye problems would just disappear. What it meant is that the eyes were healed, whether we saw it in the natural or not! Our job is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, despite the wind and the waves!

That second day, he only had a couple mild episodes of a problem that had been happening significantly all day long. The following day, only one episode. Will he have other episodes? I don't know. But I know one thing: our job is to keep our eyes on Jesus, no matter how heavy the storm!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
 

 
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Contagious Joy
By: Kathy Keller
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January 12, 2023
 
 

 
"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11 NKJ)

"A person finds joy in giving an apt reply, and how good is a timely word." (Proverbs 15:23 NKJ)

We had a guest speaker at church this weekend. Though he and his wife are more like family than guests. He was ministering to one of our members yesterday and said "contagious joy."

That got me to thinking. What is contagious joy?

Well, let's break it down. Google defines contagious as, "An emotion, feeling or attitude likely to spread to and infect others." Google defines joy as, "A feeling of great pleasure and happiness." So if we put that together, we can define contagious joy as a great feeling that will spread to others. That is the Kathy translation.

What a nice thought, to be so full of joy, that it bubbles over onto others and fills them with joy. That sounds like a good place to live. Especially with the world going crazy. But how do we get there? How can we we be so full of joy when joy is a scarce commodity?

There is actually joy everywhere. Kids, for the most part, bring me joy. Reading my Bible, praying, a beautiful sunrise or sunset can all being me joy or just talking to a friend.

You know what goes hand in hand with joy? Peace! If you have joy, peace tags right along with it. It's like that annoying younger sibling that always wants to be with you. But I welcome peace. Because it works right along with joy. I am happier when I have peace.

So let's all find our joy and go out and infect people with it. Give people a transfusion of God's brand of joy! His supply never runs out. Always remember that God loves you and so do I.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Kathy Keller
Writer and Prayer warrior with Answers2Prayer Ministries
If you would like to receive daily inspirational messages from Kathy Keller, click here  and put “devotional” in the subject bar. 

 
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John the Baptist said, "The time has come...The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark 1:15). But what exactly is the Kingdom of God? Check out "Basics of Basileia", a four-part mini-series by Brother Suresh Manoharan designed to help us have a better understand of God's Kingdom!

 
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Why?
By: Vincent Walter
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December 22, 2022
 
"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" (1 Corinthians 2:16a NIV)

Perhaps, like me, you periodically wonder why God Almighty takes actions like He does. At this time of the year, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, why did God decide that the best way to show His love for us was to send His Son as a baby?

That is a big question! We know that Jesus had to be human to give His life on the cross as payment for our sins, but He could have materialized as a grown man, or instead, God could have simply decided to forgive us. Instead of guessing "the mind of the Lord" on this, we should instead think about what babies remind us about our human spiritual condition.

First, a baby is essentially helpless and totally dependent on others. Some babies are stronger than others. My oldest grandson arrived at more than ten pounds, and we sometimes joked that Michael was almost ready to play hockey from the time that he was born! In reality, however, he was like other infants, totally dependent on his parents and others to survive.

Reading this devotional, you may feel that compared to others, you are relatively strong or weak. But in the all-important spiritual realm, however, you and I are both totally helpless to save ourselves. Like a helpless baby, we need a Saviour!

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23 NIV)

Secondly, babies need to be fed and to grow. Some of us grow faster than others. Certainly, we develop differently, but grow, we do. The baby Jesus spent thirty years growing before His final three years of ministering here on earth. We also need to be spiritually fed to grow in Christlikeness. The apostle Paul complained about this to his friends in Corinth:

"I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly — mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready." (1 Corinthians 3:1-2 NIV)

Thirdly, one of the earliest acts performed by a baby (after crying) is to give us a smile. Just a smile, but possibly with a little "coo", expresses so many positive things. Likewise, all through life, a smile on our part can be such a positive means of showing kindness and helping others.

Even in today's pandemic world, where our smiles are often covered by a mask, we can still show loving, helpful expressions by our eyes.

Perhaps then, God sent our Saviour as a baby to remind us that we are helpless to save ourselves, that we need to be fed and grow spiritually, and that we need to show love and kindness in simple ways!

Prayer: Dear God, we don't understand why You do things as You do, but as we consider how You have provided for us by sending Your Son as a baby to be our Saviour, may we sincerely accept that gift. We know that we are like helpless babes in need of a Redeemer. Thank You! Amen.

Copyright 2021, by Vincent Walter , first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author's permission

Announcements
You are frantically running around, trying to get everything done on time. Press “Pause” for a moment. Go find the Creche you have set up in your home. Bow before it and worship the baby King. Only then will you be equipped to finish your tasks!

Advent Devotions: Upon His Shoulder?
By: Kari Vo
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December 20, 2022
 
"For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end." (Isaiah 9:6-7a ESV)

Isaiah's words sound really weird to me. I am thinking about the newborn Jesus, such a tiny baby lying there in the manger—and suddenly Isaiah says, "the government shall be upon His shoulder." What? How can those tiny shoulders carry any weight at all? And what exactly does he mean by government, anyway?

Read verse 7: "Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this." (Isaiah 9:7 ESV)

It looks like when Isaiah says "government," he doesn't mean the bureaucracy we usually think of. Instead he means the action of governing, ruling—what we call "being in charge," "taking care of things," or "making sure that everything happens the way it's supposed to." That is the government Jesus' shoulders will carry. He will do the work of a good shepherd, of a manager, of a king—of God.

That work includes all of us, with our sins and our troubles and our griefs—all the things that need to be set right. Only God's shoulders are strong enough for that. That's why Jesus can carry it—because He is God and human, too. And because He loves us, He will carry that weight gladly—all the way to the cross and beyond.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for carrying the weight of our care now and forever. Amen.

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved

Reflection Questions:
* Have you ever been in charge of something?
* How heavy was the weight of the "governing" you did?
* In what ways do you see Jesus governing your life?

 
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What burdens are YOU carrying this Christmas? Why not give it to the One who can make a difference in your circumstances? And don't just give it, surrender it! That is, after all, one of the important reasons He came... And you'll find that your Christmas will be so much more special if you do surrender!


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The Reunion: Christmas Revelations, Part 2
By: Lyn Chaffart
-------------------------------
December 3, 2022
 
 

 
On Thursday, we began to take a look at how the book of Revelation, and specifically the first chapter, can enrich our celebration of Jesus' birth this year. We saw that the entire book of Revelation is just that: A revealing of who Jesus Christ truly is; and what better way to celebrate the greatest birth in history than by meditating on Who that birth signifies?

Today, as we continue to work through Revelation 1, I would like to take a couple of things into consideration.

First of all, let's remember that at the time John was given this book, Jesus had been gone from the Earth for quite some time. Many sources indicate that the book was written towards the end of the 1st century, often pinpointing 96 AD. Keeping in mind that Jesus was crucified and raised to life around 33 AD, and that He ascended to Heaven before Pentecost of that same year, this means that at least 60 years had gone by since John had seen Jesus in the flesh.

Secondly, let's remember that John refers to himself in his gospel 6 times as "the apostle Jesus loved". We also know that John was a member of Jesus' inner circle of three disciples. John was one of the three shown Jesus' transfiguration (Matthew 17), and while on the cross, Jesus even asked John to take care of His mother. It would be safe to say that while Jesus was on this earth, He and John were very close friends!

Thus, with these two things in mind, we can say that the vision John received while on the Isle of Patmos was, among other things, a reunion! It was the bringing together once again of two very close friends, separated by a span of 60 years.

Can you imagine what it might be like to be reunited with a childhood bestie after 60 years? And what if that childhood bestie was now a great, beloved and powerful leader? And that BFF has just taken the time from his or her busy schedule to seek you out! It would be a time of celebration, for sure! One that would definitely make it to your social media page! And I suspect that those posts would say some pretty nice things about that childhood friend! You'd want the world to know about your wonderful friend, and especially that you have been reunited!

Should it be any wonder to us that John had so many beautiful things to say about Jesus? After all, not only is Jesus worthy of all those things, but it was one of His best friends, separated by 60 years, who received the vision! Let's look at what John has to say: "Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 1:4-6 NLT).

That sounds like cause for a major celebration to me!

Unlike John, we have never walked with Jesus in person. We've never talked to Him face to face. And chances are, most of us will never receive a vision of Him in the near future. We do experience Him, however, and for most of us, the reason we don't experience Him more often has nothing to do with Him not being there. Rather, it is because we don't seek Him. Or when we do seek Him, it is with a proud heart or a demanding spirit with selfish motivations. It certainly isn't always with total humility that we fall to His feet. Perhaps what all of us need is a reunion with Jesus! Maybe we need to seek Him until we find Him, and when we do, we need to lay aside everything that we have for Him! “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." (Matthew 13:44 NKJV).

When we find Jesus, when we are the recipient of His miracles, when we feel His presence and receive His comfort and peace, shouldn't we, like John, be proclaiming it to the world? It is, after all, perhaps the most important reunion we could ever have!

So what does this have to do with Christmas, the celebration of Jesus' birth?

Just this: What better way to celebrate the greatest birth in History than to seek a reunion with the One whose birth we celebrate? Let's seek Him with all of our heart, mind, soul and spirit this Christmas, and then let's proclaim to the world of His goodness! Let's let Christ become the centre of our celebration. Not just in name, but in spirit! Remember that you wouldn't pass up a chance to see your childhood BFF who you haven’t seen in 60 years. Take the opportunity this Christmas to connect with Jesus as you've never connected before. Then you, too, will be able to declare, in the words of John after his reunion with Jesus: "All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us....All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 1:5b,6b NLT)! 

In His love,
Lyn


Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

 
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With Christmas just a few weeks away, why not seek new ways to worship Him this Christmas? He is, after all, not only the reason for the season, but the reason for hope and future and ... well, life itself!

The Revealing: Christmas Revelations, Part 1
By: Lyn Chaffart
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December 1, 2022
 
 

 
It is here once again: The season in which millions of Christians around the world celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour. Also the season where billions around the world celebrate the arrival of Santa Claus in his sleigh with all his reindeer.

As I was praying about an appropriate series to set off the Christmas season, God placed in my mind something I've been impressed to read over and over again over the past few days: Revelation 1. 

I can already see you in my mind's eye scratching your heads and saying, "What does Revelation 1 have to do with Christmas?"

Plenty, actually! Enough for a 20 part series! Some of you might feel relieved, however, when I say this series won't be that long....

But let’s delve in.

First of all, why would Revelation 1 even make us think of Christmas?

We need to look no further than vs. 1 to answer that question: "This is a revelation from Jesus Christ..." (Revelation 1:1a NLT)

We're going to hit the "pause" button here. Most of us think of the book of Revelation as being a picture of end-time events. And you are right. It is. In fact, you can divide the book into 4 parts, and by far the largest section is the part that focuses on end times (See chapters 4-20). The last two chapters gives us a description of the Earth made new (See Revelation 21-22). The second section, comprised of chapters 2-3 are the letters to the churches. And that leaves us with chapter 1, the first part, and also the focus of this series. It serves as an introduction:

“This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world.” (Vs. 4-5 NLT)

But chapter 1 is also so much more.

The word "revelation" comes from the Greek word, "apocalypse", a great revealing that can be defined as such: "making interesting or significant information known, especially about a person's attitude or character."*

Thus, the primary purpose of this book is to make known significant and interesting information about the attitude and character of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!

Isn't this the whole purpose of celebrating Jesus' birth? To receive more and more glimpses of the attitude and character of our beloved Jesus?

Let's make Jesus happy this Christmas season by spending time meditating on some of the many attributes recorded in this first chapter of Revelation. Here is a list of a few that I found:

1. "...the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come..." (vs. 4b, see also vs. 8b)

2. "...the faithful witness to these things..." (vs. 5a)

3. "...the first to rise from the dead..." (vs. 5b)

4. "...the ruler of all the kings of the world..." (vs. 5c)

5. "...to him who loves us..." (vs. 5d)

6. "...and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us." (vs. 5e)

7. "...has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father." (vs. 5f)

8. "...I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end...” (vs. 8)

9. "...the Almighty One.” (vs. 8c)

10. A description of Jesus: "...someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance." (Vs. 13-16)

11. "...the First and the Last." (vs. 17b)

12. "...the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever!" (vs. 18b)

13. "...And I hold the keys of death and the grave." (vs. 18c)

There are probably more, and as you read through the book of Revelation in its entirety, you will find many other descriptors of Jesus. My challenge to you is this: Take one of these descriptors every day between now and Christmas and meditate upon it. I can guarantee that you will come up to the Christmas celebration with an entirely new concept of the baby whose birth we celebrate!

Please join us on Saturday for another look at how this powerful chapter from the book of Revelation can give us perspective on the upcoming Christmas season!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

 
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Please join us on Saturday to see what else the book of Revelation can teach us about Christmas: "The Reunion: Christmas Revelations, Part 2"!

Forgiving Your Regrets...
By: Paul Smyth
-------------------------------------
November 29, 2022
 
 

 
Are there events in your life that you have trouble forgiving yourself for? Things you wish you could change? In other words, do you have regrets? I think it goes without saying, that if you’re human, you most assuredly do. In the book of John, Chapter 16:33, John says, “Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows.” (NIV) Well, suffice it to say, I believe John was bang-on.

I’m 60 years old at the time of writing these words. Six decades of life and living, and yes, I’ve notched a few regrets along the way. As you know, our lives resemble a wonky teeter-totter. Jubilant one minute and then WHAM; heartache, pain and worry the next. It’s a truly vicious cycle. I’ve read that it takes nine positives to outweigh one negative. In other words, we tend to ponder on the negative aspects of our lives, instead of all the wonderfully positive things we’ve done and accomplished for ourselves and for those we love and care about. 

Speaking from experience, I’ve said things in my life I wish I could take back. I’ve gone down paths that lead nowhere. I’ve lost my job, twice, and more recently I fulfilled a life-long dream of publishing a novel—a 7-year writing journey and a story I’m very proud of. Over the past few weeks, a book reviewer published a review of my book and stated that he loved the narrative, but the words inside harbored grammatical imperfections, which for me as a perfectionist, was a very bitter pill to swallow. I came down hard on myself for allowing this to happen, when all along during writing and editing, I dreamed of launching an error-free book.

By nature, we are flawed and sinful. “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23) But the coolest part of John 16:33 says, “But take heart because I have overcome the world.” (NIV) Jesus is truly all that matters. His love for you, and me, regrets and all is all that matters.

If you suffer from self-reproach, lay it all before God. Ask Him to heal your wounds and to swap out your imperfections with heavenly peace. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 NIV)

Paul Smyth 

 
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Showcasing Jesus: Unveiling the Song of Solomon, Part 11
By: Lyn Chaffart
------------------------------
November 24, 2022
 
As my "journey" through the Song of Solomon approached its end, I realized that once again, God had worked His miracles. He had taken me through a book that I really don't care to read and had made me not only excited to read it, but disappointed to arrive at the last page!

As I think back over this "journey", I am impressed that there is perhaps one more lesson worthy of noting from this wonderful piece of poetry that so beautifully describes our relationship with Jesus Christ, the Lover of our souls. You see, as I made my way from verse to verse, one theme seemed to stand out to me more than any other: The woman was "showcasing" her lover!

This nearly-hidden underlay of meaning begins in the first chapter. The stage is set in verse 4, when the young women of Jerusalem, who represent the ones who do not know our Lord, call out:

"How happy we are for you, O king. We praise your love even more than wine." (Song of Solomon 1:4a NLT).

The woman, who represents followers of Jesus Christ, responds like this: "How right they are to adore you." (Song of Solomon 1:4b NLT). Although this is addressed to her lover, she then turns to the women and says, "I am dark but beautiful, O women of Jerusalem…. Don’t stare at me because I am dark…" (Song of Solomon 1:5a,6a NLT).

It would seem that even in ancient Israel, racism existed. Yet the woman’s response seems to say, "The only important thing here is that my lover thinks I'm beautiful!"

Let’s jump now to Chapter 2, where we see the young women, the onlookers, saying: "Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!" (Song of Solomon 2:15 NLT). Were they taunting her? Maybe, but take a look at her response to them: "My lover is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies." (Song of Solomon 2:16 NLT). It is as if she is retorting by reminding the women of how faithful her lover is!

In Chapter 3 we see the on looking women asking questions: "Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness like a cloud of smoke?" (Song of Solomon 3:6a NLT; See also verses 7-10). The woman is quick to respond, to take the opportunity to share her lover: "Come out to see King Solomon, young women of Jerusalem." (Song of Solomon 3:11a NLT).

Jumping forward to chapter 5, we see that the woman can't find her lover; yet she doesn't turn from him or fault him in anyway. Instead she says to the on looking women, "Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem—If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love." (Song of Solomon 5:8 NLT)

The women seemed to be a bit puzzled at this. Why would she say this when she couldn't even find him? What was there that was so special about this lover? This is reflected in their next question: "Why is your lover better than all others, O woman of rare beauty? What makes your lover so special that we must promise this?" (Song of Solomon 5:9 NLT)

She then responds in the following 7 verses by expounding on his wonderful attributes:"My lover is dark and dazzling, better than ten thousand others!...His mouth is sweetness itself; he is desirable in every way. Such, O women of Jerusalem, is my lover, my friend." (Song of Solomon 5:10,16 NLT; See also Vs. 11-15).

Jumping forward again to chapter 8, we see the woman interacting with her brothers. Their comments don't sound overly complimentary to me, but she responds, once again, by showcasing how wonderful her lover is: "When my lover looks at me, he is delighted with what he sees." (Song of Solomon 8:10b NLT)

There are many other parts of this piece of poetry that also make me think that she is proud of her lover and wishes to showcase him; but as I think about all of this, I am overwhelmed with the idea that the woman simply doesn't care what other people think! Every response drips with love for her lover. She praises him continually, and every remark she makes is one that would make someone who didn't know him want to know him more.

Is this how I respond to those who may be looking out over my relationship with the Lover of my soul? Do I look for every opportunity to showcase my Lord and Saviour? To answer their questions? To entice them into wanting to get to know Him too?

What if I were to look for every opportunity to showcase my Jesus? What if my #1 goal were to entice them into wanting to get to know Him? What if...What if I were to act as if I were proud of my Jesus?

As we close this short series on the Song of Solomon, remember this all-important lesson: Be proud of the Lover of your soul! Live in such a way that people will notice something is different about you! Take every opportunity to showcase Him, and follow the commands given to us in the Word of God: "And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." (1 Peter 3:15b NLT).

Hey, I believe it could be said that the Song of Solomon gives us some clues as to how to go about completing the Great Commission!

If you have missed any part of this series, you can access the entire series by clicking here. God bless you as you grow in your relationship with the Lord. Don't forget to showcase Him, and then always be ready to answer the questions that will ensue!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Associate Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries. 

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Alternatively, you can email me and I will send it to you! God bless you as you draw ever closer to Jesus Christ!

Survivor? Or Overcomer?
By: Kathy Keller
--------------------------------
November 22, 2022
 
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:3 NKJ)

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37 NKJ)

One definition Google gives for a  survivor is, "A person who copes well with difficulties in their life."

Webster defines overcomer as, "One who succeeds in dealing with or gaining control of some problem."

So pretty much the same thing? Not really.
If you are surviving,  you are coping well with the circumstances. But to overcome you have succeeded in getting whatever under control and moved on. At least that's the "Kathy" version.
  
Zach Williams sings Survivor. Here is the chorus:

"Now I'm alive and born again
Rescued from the grip of sin
God your love came crashing in
And pulled me out of the fire
I'm a survivor."

See? It doesn't matter. If you are just surviving, God will crash in and rescue you. And once you have overcome that problem, God will walk with you to make you a victorious overcomer.

I have had bad days. Days that came crashing down around my head. Days were I don't want to be around anyone. Those days are few and far between now. God makes sure of that. Oh, I'm not saying the devil doesn't sneak in and try to pull a trick now and then. Because he does. It seems the more I am doing for God, the more the devil acts up. But I outwit him by laughing. He hates laughter.

So when you are just barely holding on, start laughing. Let God take hold and pull you up and make you an overcomer instead of just a survivor.

Have a great day.

Kathy Keller
Writer and Prayer warrior with Answers2Prayer Ministries
If you would like to receive daily inspirational messages from Kathy Keller, click here  and put “devotional” in the subject bar.

 
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The Transport Truck
By: Lyn Chaffart
------------------------------------
November 19, 2022
 
"The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm." (Proverbs 19:23 ESV)

We need to be happy for what we have.

This is a Biblical concept, for one thing. The above proverb outlines this for us. Notice it doesn't say that a trouble-free life leads to satisfaction, and neither does it say that being rich or having a good job will gives us that rest we crave. Rather, when we fear the Lord and make Him our focus, we will be satisfied.

So often in ministry we are corresponding with very needy people. Many of these people have significant need in their lives. It is interesting, however, to note that only some of these people are unhappy. Most of them understand the truth of Proverbs 19:23: When we make God our focus, when we look to Him in everything, it doesn't matter what our circumstances are, we have satisfaction.

It had been a long day already, this first day out on our trip west. After spending an extra 2.5 hours in a parking lot waiting for someone to come and move their car from in front of our trailer (See Forgive? But I Wouldn't Do Anything Live ... That!), we finally found ourselves back on the road. That road, however, appeared to be frozen. I was already very uptight about losing those 2.5 hours: Would we make it to the campground before dark so that we would have light enough to set up the trailer?

There was absolutely nothing that I could do about the situation, however. Google Maps indicated the slowdown was only 2 kilometres long, and in the end, they were right. Unfortunately it took us an entire hour to traverse those 2 kilometres to arrive at the source of the problem: A burned-out transport truck. The firefighters were, in fact, still working on putting out the flames, and my heart jumped to my throat when I realized that the worst part of the burn was the cab, where the driver would have been. Was that the reason for the ambulance on scene?

I immediately began praying for the driver of that truck. It was amazing, but after just a few seconds of unselfish prayer, the weight of my own problems just up and vanished. I found myself content with my own situation. I realized that no matter what I had going on in my life, there were those who were in far more need of help than me. Besides, I had God with me at all times, and He was -- and is -- all I will ever need.

No matter what we are going through, there are some truths that we must keep in mind.

First of all, what if we spent less time complaining and more time praising God for His blessings? Yes, I realize that it might be hard to see the blessings amidst the problems; yet no matter what we are going through, God's blessings still abound, and meditating on these will go a long ways towards changing our attitude towards our problems. After all, we are told: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8 NKJV). Remember that if the good Lord, in His wisdom, put this command in the Bible, it was for a very good reason!

Next, remember that what you are going through, no matter how big, is not too big for God to carry you through. God has promised a "way out" (See 1 Corinthians 10:13); but this only comes by strict reliance on Him. The apostle Paul, when telling about significant trials that he underwent, went so far as to say, "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God…On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us..." (2 Corinthians 1:9-10 NIV). Give your problems to Him. Surrender them, and remember that sometimes God is allowing these things to happen in order to increase your reliance upon Him!

Finally, going back to the burned-out transport truck, what if we stopped praying so fervently for our own problems, and instead, focused our prayers on other people and their situations? I can tell you from personal experience that this results in total peace of heart about our own problems! The super thing about God is that when we stop worrying about ourselves and start worrying about others, He usually takes care of our own problems! I've heard numerous stories about how this person or that began praying for someone else instead of for themselves, and only when their focus was no longer on their own needs, those needs -- even the significant ones -- were met! 

So what does all of this have to do with satisfaction in life?

Just this: Focusing on our problems makes us unhappy. It robs us of our joy and satisfaction. When we turn our focus, however, onto God's provision and His blessings, when we surrender our own needs to Him and begin to pray for others instead, our needs will seem more trivial; and many times, they will also be met! This clears our hearts for true satisfaction in life, that satisfaction that comes from fixing our eyes upon Jesus.

I never learned what happened to the driver of that transport truck, but I thank God for this vital lesson in being content.

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Associate Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

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THE NUGGET 
"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Galations 6:10 NKJ)

"Be sober minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8 NKJ)

As the saying goes, "Another day, another dollar." Or in todays economy another fifty cents. I look at it this way, another day, another opportunity. Another opportunity to get it right. Another chance to better serve God.

God is into do overs. So don't worry or stress if you mess up. We all do. Just repent and start again. If you woke up this morning, then God isn't done with you. If you are breathing, you still have work to do. You still have an opportunity to get it right, you can still get others saved. You can still lend a helping hand to someone.

There is still time to put the devil in his place. Still time to take a stand against his evil in the world. There is still time. But don't wait too long, time is running out. But as long as you are here you can make a difference in someones life.

The holidays are coming up. Send an elderly neighbor a plate of food for Thanksgiving. They may not have close family to celebrate the day with. Adopt a resident at a nursing home. As a former nursing home employee, there is always a few residents who doesn't have family so they don't get a card, much less a gift at Christmas.

As for me, I have started sending cards to two different nursing homes for the residents. I hope I might have brightened someone's day a little. I plan on it again this year. By the way, I sign them from the youth group at my church. I figured it might mean a little more from the church kids. Those are ways to make a difference. There are others.

Don't let an opportunity pass by. Make a difference in someone's life.

Have a great day!

Kathy Keller
Writer and Prayer warrior with Answers2Prayer Ministries
If you would like to receive daily inspirational messages from Kathy Keller, click here  and put “devotional” in the subject bar.
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Smelling the Coffee ... And the Roses!
November 14, 2022
God is our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

~ Psalms 46:1 NIV ~

I love the smell of roses, but I far prefer the aroma of coffee!

My love for coffee began at a very early age, although it wasn’t until I was in my teens that I began to jug the black stuff. None the less, I grew up loving the smell of java, and whenever my mom can-opened a fresh tin, I remember asking her if I could be the one to pull off the metal lid. As a junior-grade coffee lover, nothing beat that first waft of factory-fresh ground coffee. Bless my mom because she always allowed me that initial, sensory-overload sniff.

“So,” you ask. “What’s coffee got to do with God?” I’m glad you asked!

With our daily lives so busy, chances are that you’ve neither the time nor the energy to smell the coffee, let alone the roses. Pot-holes of life can leave us too exhausted to slow down, and as hard as we try, everything in our path smells like burned coffee, decayed roses, and for dramatic effect, let’s add dirty socks! Just because we place our faith in Jesus Christ, doesn’t mean we’re exempt from difficulty. Jesus tells us in John 16:33. “In this world you will have trouble.” Indeed, we do.

So, where is your sanctuary from expired coffee, wilted roses and stinky socks? How do you find the power of endurance to brew a fresh pot, or clip new blooms from the garden, or launder drawers of locker-room grade socks? I’ll tell you! Psalm 46:1-3 is one of my favs! “God is our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” And this one from Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (NIV)

Both of these verses deserve your time and utmost attention when life closes in around you and your nose goes on the fritz. What else can you do? You can find your bible, dust it off—read and pray. Being a disciple of Jesus isn’t always a get-out-of-jail free card that allows you to ‘Pass Go and Collect $200’ But, what I can tell you with every assurance is this; God is with you—always and forever! He’s at your side no matter what you’re going through. God may even have different plans for us than we have for ourselves, and that’s okay when you understand this. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)

God may even have different plans for us than we have for ourselves, and that’s okay when you understand this. “'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'” (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV)

I don’t currently have any roses in my home, but I do have coffee, a bible and knees to bow upon. With all the business in my own life, I’m good to stop a moment, slow the pace and start sniffing!

Are you with me?

Paul Smyth

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HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FALL!
With Autumn already showing her colours throughout the Northern Hemisphere of our planet, with the children all back in school, let's all take a moment to reflect upon the blessings that God has granted us throughout this past summer. May God bless you abundantly and with abundance this fall!

Forgive? But I Would NEVER Do ANYTHING
Like ... THAT!
By: Lyn Chaffart
--------------------------------------
November 12, 2022




It was a day of firsts: the first day of our trip west; the the first trip with an electric vehicle; the first time to drive said vehicle with a trailer; the first experience at a charge station… Surely we wouldn’t have to unhitch the trailer to charge!

When we pulled up to that first charge station of our trip, however, and saw it was in the middle of a very, very busy mall parking lot; when we saw that there weren't any pull-through chargers and too many electric cars charging to be able to block one to charge, my heart sank. We would have to drop the trailer. But where?

A brief trip around the mall found an unexpected but welcome sight: One of the back parking lots for the mall was ... empty! Thank You, Lord! Imagine our horror when we returned after charging to find that this "empty" parking lot was now packed full of cars, and one of them was parked right in front of our trailer. We wouldn’t be able to rehitch until the owners came to move their car...

I'm not proud of the thoughts that began swirling through my head: Why would someone intentionally park in front of a trailer? What were they thinking?

The sun beat down, bringing the temperature in that parking lot to 40 C (105 F), but that was nothing compared to my mounting ire. Especially as 30 minutes turned to 60, and then 90, with no sign of the belligerent owners of that vehicle! I knew I needed to forgive. That's what the Bible teaches us to do. But these people intentionally did something to hurt us! I would never do anything like this!

But wait. I was busy excusing myself for not forgiving this person, wasn't I? My belief was that if I wouldn't do something like this, then there was no way that I would be expected to forgive it! I was comparing this person to my own "perfection"... but I am not perfect, am I? And if I'm not perfect, how could I expect these people to be perfect? Maybe I wouldn’t park in front of a trailer, but I've unintentionally done myriads of other thoughtless things. How could I possibly judge this unknown person against my own, imperfect self?

The Bible teaches us that we must forgive just as we have been forgiven: “...be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT) and "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." (Colossians 3:13 NLT). Wait. Jesus looks out and sees what I've done. He compares it to His own sinless self, and He sees that I have committed something that He would never do. Nonetheless, He forgives me!

That's when I realized that I needed to look at forgiveness with the backdrop of the cross. Even though I did things that Jesus would never do, He forgave me, and so, I must also forgive when people do things that I wouldn't do.*

But how was I supposed to forgive these people who had just cut 1.5 hours out of my day? If I forgave them, I would be “enabling” them to be even more thoughtless.

But wait. When Jesus chose to forgive me all of my sins, it didn't mean that what I had done was right…

I had to make a similar choice. Forgiving this thoughtless person didn't make what she did right; it simply meant I would no longer carry my anger towards her.

And I made that choice. Then and there.

I wish I could say the owner of that car came out right away after that, but no, it was another hour before she finally appeared. I had plenty of time to get angry all over again; but each time I remembered to look at what she had done through the backdrop of the cross. Each time I forgave. As I watched her finally get into her car, I realized something: She didn't even realize she was blocking my trailer!

In the end, I laugh about this incident. You see, although we did get into our campground after dark, another camper brought us a big light to use as we set up camp. When I returned the borrowed light, I learned that the lender was currently seeking the Lord. In that brief 5 minutes, I was able to share my Jesus. God had permitted that lady to park in front of our trailer because He wanted me to share my faith with the light-lender. He had been behind it all along: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (Romans 8:28 NLT)

As this realization swept over me, I couldn't help but thank God for helping me, back there in that hot, sticky parking lot, to forgive. Not because what she did was right, not because she had done something that I might have also done, but because I was to forgive as I have been forgiven.

It is so easy to only extend forgiveness when people do things that we, ourselves, might find ourselves doing; but when someone does you wrong, look at it with the backdrop of the cross. Jesus forgave us for all the things that He would never do!

In His love,
Lyn

Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Associate Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries

Running the Beautiful Race
By: Shirley Moulton
--------------------------------
November 10, 2022


Some memories of summer camp days linger — long, warm days at what was then known as Gracefield Presbyterian Centre, near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. As camp counselors, we always planned games for our young campers. One was a group race, where the first runner runs to the halfway mark and back, grasps the hands of two other runners, who run to the post and back, and so on. My friend, Tom, bravely volunteered to be the first runner for our team, tearing off to the post and back, reaching out for two children to run with him. By the fifteenth lap to the post, joined by a laughing, gasping group of runners, Tom, who had run so quickly at first, was staggering on the last lap and nearly had to be dragged across the finish line, to great laughter and applause. I always smile at the memory of Tom and the group race!

By now, we know that it's not enough to make a great beginning! As a nation, Israel made such a great start, crossing the Red Sea to safety, celebrating with Miriam, Moses' sister, and her musicians, and heading off to the Promised Land. Too soon did unbelief halt the progress, and led to forty years of wandering in the wilderness.

"For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:16-19 NKJV)

The writer of Hebrews spoke of entering rest, and the key to get in is belief. Maybe, we think that obedience to a set of rules is the way to enter rest, but in truth, the disobedience that we read of grew out of unbelief. Israel was delayed in crossing the finish line by not persevering in faith, even after seeing so many miracles and evidence of God's provision. A cloud of smoke by day, a pillar of fire by night, fresh manna to gather each morning, water bursting from a stony outcrop, healing of snake bites with a bronze staff: so much evidence of God's presence and care, and yet discontentment and feelings of futility slowed the race.

As we grow older, in body and in the faith, will our close and intimate relationship with the Lord grow faint and sporadic? It's not how we start the race that is so important, but rather, the years of trust and reliance that we persevere in to continue the race and bring us to His rest, the great finish line. Sing along with the Freedom Church: "So faith, keep me fighting, and love, keep me running, running the beautiful race, the beautiful race. I want to keep running up to heaven's door. So, help me keep running up to heaven's door."

Prayer: Lord, enable us to pray like the apostle Paul did, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day." (2 Timothy 4:7-8a NKJV) We ask for Your grace and courage not to stagger or to give up in our faith journey to heaven's door. Amen.

Copyright 2021, by Shirley Moulton , first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author's permission
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