Be Thankful for He Cares

        "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift of the Lord Jesus Christ."

 2 Corinthians 9:15.

        As we cast all out cares upon Him knowing that He cares for us and knowing that He is a very present help in time of trouble, how can we help but be thankful at this Thanksgiving time!

Thanking God that we can bring all our anxiety, all our cares to Him and know that He will keep His promise when He said,  

"I will never leave you nor forsake you". Hebrews 13:15.

Being thankful we can cast all our care upon Him for in 1 Peter 5 verse 7 it says: "Casting all  your care upon Him; for He careth for you."

Strength for the Weary

        We are all familiar with fatigue, a condition that besets us from time to time. Sufficient rest is usually the cure.

        There is also a spiritual fatigue that needs correcting.

Isaiah 40:31 says: 

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

"For though the outward man perish and becomes fatigued, the inner man is renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 4:16.

"Fear not; for I am with thee: I am God: I will strengthen thee. " Isaiah 41:13.

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

      

        Is death too long? Life too short? That's the conversation I overheard as I was out at a garage sale one Saturday.

        The conversation went on. Oh yes, he sure drank until he didn't know what he was doing or even who he was. I wanted to say, 'Yes, death is long; but it can be exciting'. 

        Jesus said:

"Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid, believe in God; believe also in Me."

        Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Yes, death is long, but Jesus said,

 "If I go, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also.

 For in my Father's house are many mansions."

John 14:1-3.

Finding Time

        

        We all have time for work, and for the things we enjoy doing; like swimming, reading, and time for planting our gardens, cooking, baking, farming or taking a business trip.

        Like the bible says: "Time for everything under the sun."

        Let us find time today to say something good to someone, not being disrespectful like putting someone down. Let us find time to make a meaningful difference to a person's day. The Bible says:

        "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver."

        Blessed is the man who speaks such a word. 

My Hope

"My hope is built on nothing less 

than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

 I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

 On Christ the solid rock I stand. 

All other ground is sinking sand, 

all other ground is sinking sand."

Never, never, give up on hope.

"And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee."

Psalms 39:7.

Can we find hope after we have experienced such pain;

 as many of our lives have experienced? 

Jesus is "hope" because every promise of God is fulfilled in Him.

Are we Listening?

      
      Jesus said, "He that hath an ear to hear let him hear." 

      That advice, which is primarily for paying attention to spiritual things, can also be applied when it comes to establishing good relationships on the job, with our families, and especially with the Lord Jesus Christ.

      Don't underestimate the power of listening. It is just as important as talking. Good listeners are few and far between.

      Let us keep on listening, as Jesus said,

       "He that hath an ear to hear let him hear."  

Proverbs 8:34 says, 

   "Blessed is the man who listens." 

And are we listening? Be still and listen.

The Key is Our Minds

      

A key element

 in strengthening the will to live 

is a love for others. 

And many experiments have shown,

 by health care professionals,

 that our minds have a powerful influence 

over the functioning of our bodies.

      1 John 3:17 says,

"But whoso hath this world's good,

 and seeth his brother have need, 

and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, 

how dwelleth the love of God in him?

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

The will to live can be most important.

Change

      In an article in the Winnipeg Free Press entitled "Change is Challenging" Jan Spark says:

       "Accept the fact that change is something you will have to deal with for the rest of your working life."

       Then she adds: "During times of stressful change, make it a point to stay in touch with people you trust. This is critically important."

      How true!

      This also applies to our spiritual life. There will inevitably be change; but let us keep leaning on the One who changes not - the One Whom we can truly trust. 

      Always realize that reaching out to others for help and support is a sign of personal strength. Not weakness.

Wisdom

        "Wisdom is a factor of time of knowing what you don't know." 

So said Jean Charest at a Progressive Conservative convention in Winnipeg. 

     As important as that is in politics, it is far more important in our spiritual life.

Paul says, "walk in wisdom."

That means to set an example of a pure life in our daily lives.

We may not always know where we fail,
 but the book of James says:

 "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God 
that giveth to all men liberally
 and it shall be given him." 
James 1:5.

    This wisdom is the wisdom of God 

that the natural man cannot receive

 but is revealed to us by His Spirit.
 1 Corinthians 2:10.

Be Still

"God is our refuge and strength. 

A very present help in time of trouble.

"Therefore will not we fear 

though the earth be removed 

and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.

 Be still and know that I am God.

 I will be exalted in the earth."

 Psalms 46:1, 2, 10.

Let us always remember that God is our strength, our energy drive, as long as we remain peaceful.

He is God and will always be God. He will make a hide-out for us away from the storm, helping us in times of trouble.

"Be still and know that I am God. 

I will strengthen you, I will help you. 

Be still and know that I am God."

All Things Work Together For Good

     

 A plant native to Mexico, which flowers every 20 years in the wild,

 was planted in the University of Oxford botanic garden 

in England in 1894.

 There it grew to six feet in diameter.

But never bloomed.

      In December 1994, one hundred years later,

 the cooling vents failed to open

 and the greenhouse temperature topped 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

 A cone of leaves opened and a stem emerged. 

Then five months later, it happened: 

beautiful flowers appeared, filled with fragrant nectar.

      O what a beautiful illustration of the truth that:

 "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Keep Trying

One time, while talking to my neighbor,

 I noticed a bird trying hard to catch a pretty yellow butterfly. 

As it was trying very hard, 

a second bird came along and also tried to catch it. 

Then, suddenly along came a third bird,

and do you know...it succeeded.

The efforts of the first two birds contributed to this.

You may say, what team work! We are all called in life to be part of a team. 

How you and I play will affect someone greatly. 

When we keep trying, we make it easier for someone else.

Keep trying and then you'll get it or you'll help someone else get it.

Strength in Each Other

      "And all seven said: Without each other, none would have made it...."
-That quote from the Winnipeg Free Press about the seven Canadians held hostage in the Ecuadorian jungle for 100 days.

      There is a scripture that says: 

 "We then that are strong ought to bear
 the infirmities of the weak,
 and not to please ourselves." 
Romans 15:1

      Each one had a unique measure of strength and although each one was in the same predicament, they shared that strength to uplift their fellow prisoners.

      As Paul in the Bible said,

 "When I am weak then I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:10.

      We are all connected by our humanity, and we need each other.

The Comforter

    "Before I was a Christian, 25 years ago, I would have wanted revenge...God has done a lot of work on my heart."

Those are the words of Rev. Dale Lang, Anglican Minister from Taber, Alberta.

His 17 year old son was gunned down by a 14 year old boy in the local high school.

    Lang said his faith has been strengthened, not weakened by the ordeal. That strength showed up while he led his parishioners through a series of songs in an outpouring of grief and celebration.

"God our Father who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

 2 Corinthians 1:4.

Faith, Hope and Love

      Faith, hope and love.

      But the greatest of these is love.

      Love can come in the form of praying for a friend

 who has been in a wheelchair for a number of years. 

  
      Our friend as a child was thrown out of her parent's car

 in an accident by a drunk driver. 

      Thank God she survived.

       It truly was a miracle.

      In my prayer for her I said,
"You are more whole than many people who are physically well, because of your graciousness in accepting your physical handicap.

      The key was and is in your forgiveness of the drunk driver.
      Wallowing in self pity would have destroyed you.

      You became whole by forgiving."

      Now that takes all three: Faith, hope and love.

Team Players

       "Successful players are good soldiers. A good example of this according to the coach of the Detroit Red Wings is Steve Yzerman. When he scored a lot of goals, his team was a loser. When Scotty Bowman took over he wanted him to become a checker, a passer, and all around leader! That year, 1997, they won the Stanley Cup even though Steve only scored 24 goals all year."
       -Quoted from the Winnipeg Free Press Sports page.

God wants us as well to be team players; like listening to our spiritual mentors and learning to follow orders, even if we don't like the assignment.

2 Timothy 2:3 says, 

"Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."

The Lost Sheep

      A man walking along a beach 

was overwhelmed by the sight 

of hundreds of stranded starfish.

      More surprised by the sight 

of a young woman tossing the starfish 

back into the water one by one, 

he asked,

 "Why do you bother when you can't save them all? 

What difference does a few make?"

      Holding out the starfish in her hand she replied, 

"It makes a difference to this one."

-Quoted from a writing that moved me.

"And He spoke this parable unto them, saying, what man having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not go after that which is lost, and layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing and calleth together his neighbours, saying, rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep." 

Luke 15:4-6.

Yes, you, me and His little lambs.

The Flowing Waters

There are two seas in the Holy Land.

The Sea of Galilee is one of the land's most beautiful features.

Fed by the Jordan River, it irrigates fertile valleys 

and helps produce a bounty of fruits and vegetables.

The southern sea differs greatly from Galilee. 

Its air is filled with the stench of debris and filth.

Its very name reveals its nature: the Dead Sea.

But why the difference?

It's because the Dead Sea has an inlet to receive the fresh waters, 

but no outlet to send them on.

What a challenge we have at Easter to celebrate what God has done

 through Christ the Lord. 

Let us always strive to allow the blessings of Jesus to flow through us to others.

God Is At Work

   

 "If you stand still you'll fall behind." 

That statement is from the career page of the Winnipeg Free Press. 

    President Clinton, in a speech, made an even more sobering statement:
   

     "If you're not getting better, 

chances are you are getting worse."

He was referring to his spirituality which he described as "a work in progress."

    But we need not despair if we truly put our trust in God, as Paul says in Philippians 2 verse 13: "For God is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure." RSV.

    We must do our part by examining ourselves to see if we are in the faith; as Paul admonishes us in 2 Corinthians 13 verse 5.

All That Goes

    
    "I make the most of all that comes, and the least of all that goes." So said Sara Teasdale. Quoted from the Winnipeg Free Press.

    For the Christian, it tells us in 2 Peter 1:5:

"We are to add to our faith virtue; 
and to virtue knowledge; 
and to knowledge temperance;
 and to temperance patience; 
and to patience godliness; 
and to godliness brotherly kindness; 
and to brotherly kindness charity.

    And now, "for all that goes," I would like to quote Paul, in 1 Timothy 6:6, which says:

 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. 
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."

The Secret of Contentment

    The Apostle Paul said:

"I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content." 

Philippians 4:11.

"Godliness with contentment is great gain." 

1Timothy 6:6.

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds 
through Christ Jesus our Lord."

 Philippians 4:6, 7.

Let us practice an attitude of gratitude.

 The secret of contentment is knowing how to enjoy what you have.

He enjoys much who is thankful for little.

"Happy is that people whose God is the Lord." Psalms 144:15.

Spiritual People Power

    "A big part of being a successful manager is making people feel good about themselves, and their company.

    It should come as no surprise that if people feel good about themselves, they are motivated to solve problems, and if they are excited about their work, they will look for better ways to get things done on their own, rather than having to be prodded."

Quoted from Winnipeg Free Press in an article entitled "People Power" by Jan Spak.

    Jesus wants you to feel good about yourself through His cleansing power to take away sin, and His motivating power which is contained in His promise of life more abundant.

    We can be constantly excited about life and our daily work.

We can experience spiritual people power!

The Straight and Narrow

I saw a frisky little squirrel,

running along a telephone cable in front of my home. 

The thought struck me,

 that he would just have to keep going till he reached the next pole; 

for there was very little room for him to turn around midway.

I was relieved when he made it.

And that reminds me of what Jesus said; that the way of life is the straight and narrow. 

In Matthew 7:14 it says:

 "Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way, 

which leadeth unto life."

There is very little room to turn around on if we want to keep going.

As Paul said, 

"that we press toward the mark for the prize
 of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
 Philippians 3:14.

I'm Ready

    "A man does not become a man until he has to. I'm ready."

    That is how Jeff Reinebold, one-time head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers summed up his qualifications for the position.

    Those are loaded words.

    Put into a spiritual context, it is only when we truly experience Jesus Christ and receive Him into our hearts by faith, that we have the resources that make us ready for the task of living a victorious life.

    In His strength we will always be ready to make a defense to any one who calls us to account for the hope that is in us, yet do it with gentleness and reverence and keep our conscience clear even when we are abused.

Prayer for Canada

Oh Canada,
My home and native land.
I pray that you would be strong, righteous and full of prosperity.
For as Israel is called to be a blessed nation,
You too have a calling that is a key for the nations.
Make your name righteous,
Hold onto the promises of God.
Be strong in belief,
Be an anchor for the oppressed.
Do not waiver from your roots,
Remember where you have come from,
Because that is only by God's grace.
Many see you rising up and taking the calling of God in your arms.
Take comfort in knowing you are a nation chosen by God.
God keep you glorious and free.