Comfort and Edify

"Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Such a short verse but packed with so much!

This tiny verse exhorts us to be mindful of what others are going through.

We are to:

    Give strength, hope and cheer to others-

    We are to ease the grief or trouble of others-

    We are to console others-

    We are to assist, support, give aid to in time of worry or trouble-

    We are to be dependable-

And those are all just definitions for the word 'comfort.'

We are also called to edify one another, which means:

    To instruct and improve in moral and religious knowledge-

    We are to uplift, inform and enlighten-

    Build up-

    Establish-

    Nurture.

I had to ask myself, "Am I too busy with 'self' and my own life that I don't see what others are going through around me?"

"Do I even care?"

"Am I too tired to make the effort to comfort and edify someone else?"

There is a right way and a wrong way to comfort and edify others:

    Not everyone needs to hear platitudes-

    Not everyone needs to be reminded to pick themselves back up by their bootstraps-

No, sometimes they just need someone to pray with them.  They need someone to sit silently by their side.  Sometimes things aren't going to work out the way we thought they would, but it's nice to know that someone cares enough to be there with you.

God help us to be discerning enough...

        care enough...

             love enough...

                 to know HOW to help those in need...

                        But that's just me!

    

Keys

 "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and I have the keys of hell and of death."  The words of Jesus, Revelation 1:18

This afternoon, I put my dog on a leash, put keys in my pocket and headed out the door for our afternoon walk.  Halfway through our walk, a sense of foreboding entered my mind.

"I think I grabbed the wrong keys."

When I got home, I realized that, yes, I had grabbed the wrong keys.

Locked out!  

I had to call my husband at work to tell him that I was locked out, and could he please come home to let me back into the house.  "On my way."  he said.

I was no longer worried about being locked out, because I knew that my husband carried in his pocket the right set of keys to let me back into the house.

It brought to mind another set of keys, the keys to death and hell.

And it brought to mind Who holds the keys:  Our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to Webster, one definition of Key, is: "A means of gaining or preventing entrance, possession, or control."

A Key will lock or unlock, it will secure.  A key is access, admission, admittance, a doorway, entry, gateway or ticket.

Only One Person holds the keys.

This Person is also the Door.  

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

The words of Jesus, John 10:9

How will you enter eternity?  Through The Door?  Or will you be locked out?

    Make sure you know the One Who holds the Keys...

        But that's just me!

9/11

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him."

Lamentations 3:21-24

On this date, since 2001, we witness tributes, read memorials, and remember the greatest tragedy to literally hit American soil in our Nation's history.  We remember lost family, friends, and first-responders.  We remember who we were with, where we were, and what we were doing when the Twin Towers began to crumble after the first attack at 7:14 AM CDT.  We recall choices made in split-seconds of time that forever altered our daily lives and continue to haunt our memories to this day.  We wonder, "What if..."

Those left behind must continue in the footsteps of the fallen, and remember where our Hope comes from.

Our hope comes from the Lord.

Jeremiah penned these verses, moved by the Holy Spirit of God, when he was pressed to the point of despair.  Have you been there?

I have.

At that time, I never thought I would recover.

BUT GOD.

There are times in our past, there are times in our present and there will be times in the future when we will feel as if we are consumed.  Take heart!  We are promised to never be completely destroyed.

We are promised to be enveloped in the Divine Mercies of God Himself.

As we remember our history on this day...

    may we always be ready to recall...

        The blessings, mercies and faithfulness of God.

            But that's just me!

"When you come to the end of your rope, reach for the hem of His garment."  Anonymous

Peace, Sleep & Safety

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.  Amen"

When I was a little girl, I used to pray this prayer each night before falling asleep, and if I was scared of the shadows that formed on my wall by the light of the moon making its way through my bedroom window, I would sing, "Jesus Loves Me" until I drifted off to sleep.

Psalm 4:8 says, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."

I can't help but think of the life of David when I read this verse today.  (After all, he wrote it!)

But to think, first, of how he was a shepherd boy.  Many nights he was out in a cold, dark field among animals and beasts who wanted to steal his lambs for a midnight snack!  And yet, he knew the Lord would allow him peace, rest and safety.

Then, as an anointed King, who was not yet on the throne, running from Saul.  The caves, rocks and hills where he spent many nights on the run, hiding from his enemies.

And then in Psalm 23:2a where David writes, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures...."

Our 'beds' may be made up of many things-

But God promises that when we lay down our heads at the end of the day, He will give us peace, sleep and safety!

What a Mighty God we serve!

We can let go of all the anxiety and stress of the day, knowing that we are in the hand of God, under His care and protection.

And when we wake, we can praise Him for keeping His promise!

I think sometimes, we forget some of the promises of God, and by doing so, we take for granted all that our Saviour gives us on a day-to-day basis.

Without peace, rest and safety, we would not be able to function during the day.

Our God supplies all our needs...

    Even the ones we don't think of...

        But that's just me!

"Every hour of every day, God is richly blessing us; both when we sleep and when we wake His mercy waits upon us."  Charles Spurgeon

There's No Place Like Home

"There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home."

Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, The Wizard of Oz, 1939

Most of us grew up with that iconic chant, and most of us say those same words when we are away from home for too long.  I remember, as a child, always being ready to be back home after vacations or trips to see family or friends who lived in different States; it was always fun to go, but after a while, I was ready to be back home again.  I still feel that way today.  It's fun to go away, but it's always better to come home.

My husband will soon be on his way home from his recent Missions Trip to Germany.  I remember saying goodbye to him; he looked at me and said, "I'm ready to be home."  and he hadn't even left yet. 😀

As I see our world and Nation changing, I'm ready to be home too.  Home with my Heavenly Father.

I'm reminded that even though I have a home to dwell in while here on earth, this is not my permanent home.  

"For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."  Hebrews 13:14

I'm looking forward to going home one day, when the Lord calls my name...

    Are you?

        But that's just me!

"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.  Amen.  Even so come, Lord Jesus."

Revelation 22:20

    This World is Not My Home

Jim Reeves

Verse 1

This world is not my home,

I'm just a-passing through,

My treasures are laid up,

Somewhere beyond the blue,

The Angels beckon me,

from Heaven's open door,

And I can't feel at home,

In this world anymore.

Verse 3

Just over in Gloryland,

We'll live eternally,

The saints on every hand,

Are shouting victory,

Their songs of sweetest praise,

Drift back from Heaven's shore,

And I can't feel at home,

In this world anymore.

Chorus:

Oh, Lord, You know,

I have no friend like You,

If Heaven's not my home,

Then Lord, what will I do?

The angels beckon me,

From Heaven's open door,

And I can't feel at home,

In this world anymore!

The Observation

This morning, while waiting for the tire of my car to be patched at our local Tesoro Gas Station//Garage/Convenience Store, I visited with a very good friend of mine who was working.  As the morning rush of teenagers made their way in and out of the grocery section of the store, buying their snacks and drinks that would get them through this school day, a young girl placed her goodies on the counter to purchase.  My friend rang up the Sale and told this young lady what she owed, and she soon realized she didn't have enough money to pay for what she had wanted to buy.  I asked my friend, "How much does she need, I will cover it for her?"  The teenage girl looked at me and said, "No, that's ok, I will put something back."  As the group of girls left the store, one of her friends looked at me and said, "I didn't think there were any kind people out there anymore."

I smiled as they walked out the door and headed to school, and thanked the Lord that I had that opportunity to show kindness to someone today, but at the same time, it broke my heart; these girls have never been shown kindness.

And then I was reminded of Luke 18:8b: "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" A question asked by Jesus.

Will He? Or will He be like this young teenager today and say, 'I didn't think there were any people of faith out there anymore?"

Christian, this world is watching...

    They are searching...

        What will they see?

            That's a good question...

                But that's just me!

"Let them see You in me,

 Let them hear You when I speak,

 Let them feel You when I sing, 

 Let them see You,

 Let them see You in Me."

Jason Clint Weeks/ Scotty J. Wilbanks 2013

        

Fear Not Man

"So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Hebrews 13:6

Because this verse begins with the word, 'So,' first we must read verse 5b.  It says, "...For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Because Jesus is always with us and because He will never leave or forsake us, we have the confidence to claim Him as our Helper!  When we do that, the results will be NOT to fear what man can do to us.

Usually when reading this verse, it brings to mind what man can do to us 'physically.'  But while reading this verse today, I was thinking of other ways man can hurt us.

They can hurt us:

    -with their words-

    -by their opinions towards us-

    -gossip against us-

    -if they reject us-

I'm sure you could also add different reasons that would allow us to fear man, however, when God is enough, when Jesus is enough, when His presence in our lives is enough...

we don't ever have to fear anything man can do or say or how they treat us ever again.

He is our Helper and we can boldly say so!

 Wow!  What a pep-talk for whatever giant we might face as we begin our day...

                    But that's just me!

"We do not have to persuade God to help us-

    He delights in doing so!"

        Dr. Paul Chappell