Frail Bodies

As I get older, I become more and more aware of the weaknesses and frailties of my own body. While my mind insists that I can still do certain things, my body warns me not to try these things. These bodily weaknesses remind me of weaknesses in other parts of my nature. My mind is not as sharp as it used to be and was never as impactful as the minds of others. My spirit is often willing to do things that I know that I cannot accomplish in my own strength.

II Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” We are reminded of our weaknesses by the weaknesses of our own bodies. God alone supplies to power to do good works and to bear fruit for His name’s sake. When called to do good things, we must humbly trust in the surpassing power of God, rather than seek to do it in our own strength.

A Wrapped Gift For You

Christmas comes with a lot of expectations. We look forward to the gifts, the lights, the songs, the family gatherings, and joy. The first Christmas came with some expectations also. The people were looking for a Savior, the Messiah. They expected Him to arrive with great fanfare and celebration. Instead, God chose a humble means of revealing the promised Messiah. Angels spoke, yes, but to shepherds in the field. They promised a gift wrapped in swaddling clothes. The gift was for them and for everyone who would believe. The gift would become their Savior, Messiah, and Lord. All they would have to do is believe and act in faith upon this news.

Luke 2:10-12 says, “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'” Christmas began with a gift wrapped in swaddling cloths. This gift is a baby who is also a Savior and at the same time He is Lord. The gift is “for you”. Believe in this gift, act in faith, and let this gift bring you great joy!

How We Are Known

I read an article yesterday in which various people described what they feel certain behaviors tell them about people. For instance, how someone treats service personnel, especially when something goes wrong, tells us about the character of the person. We all tend to exhibit good character when things are going well. But sometimes, we reveal a darker side when things are not going so well.

Daniel 12:3 says, “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Living life like God has designed for us to live, according to His might, is the way to shine His light. Abiding in the power of the Holy Spirit will enable us to exhibit godly character, even when things are going against us. The light of godly character will shine brightly forever. Leading other people to turn to God from self-centeredness extends His light even further.

Giving Thanks

I have noticed that many young parents have decided not to instruct their children to give thanks when they receive gifts or when someone does something nice for them. They even boast about this decision on social media and among friends. While I understand their reasoning, I think that this is a disturbing trend. Giving thanks is not only polite, it is mood and attitude altering. When we give thanks for some kindness given to us, our attitude improves and certainly the attitude of the “thanks” recipient lightens and enlivens. On the other hand, failure to give thanks leads to ungratefulness and a feeling of entitlement, thinking that we deserve everything given to us. In reality, we deserve very little and should acknowledge the gift and the giver.

I Chronicles 29:12-13 says, “Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” Every good gift comes from the hand of our Heavenly Father. Often, God uses people to deliver His gifts to us and we should, therefore, thank them. Remember His gifts and give Him the thanks that are due to Him.

Eagerly Anticipating the Call

We eagerly anticipate receiving some calls. It might be a call with a job offer that we had applied for. Perhaps, we are waiting for a call to announce a new birth from an expectant couple that we are close with. Perhaps we have made an offer on a new house and we are waiting to hear if our offer has been accepted. At these times, we look at our phone constantly, set the ring volume to high, and even keep holding the phone in our hands. In

Isaiah 65:1 God is quoted as saying, “I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me, I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ to a nation that was not called by my name.” God is always ready to hear us call upon Him. He is eagerly awaiting our call. He promises to answer our call, even when we have strayed far away from Him.