Notifications

One of the things that I don’t like about social media and smartphones is the overuse of notifications. Depending upon how you set up your phone and apps, you can receive notifications almost constantly. These notifications can be annoying as many are just spam notices trying to sell something. 

II Chronicles 36:15 says, “The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.” God will repeatedly send His Word to you because He has compassion toward you in your weaknesses and wants you to come near to Him for hope and healing. His notifications are worth listening to, however, because they will lead us in the ways that we should go.  Many of God’s notifications come as compassionate warnings to protect us from false and misleading paths.

Mind Tricks

As I age, like most people, I am saddened not only by physical weaknesses but also by the loss of mental acuity. My mind has begun to play mental tricks on me.  For instance,  I will enter a room and instantly forget why I came into the room. Or worse yet, get to the doorway and forget whether I was going in or coming out. Fortunately, my God suffers no such loss of mental power.

Psalm 139:2-5 says, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.” Whether we are doing the same old things or something new, God will lead your steps and hold you close to Him if only you will ask Him. He knows you better than you know yourself and will lead you in the best way. He knows all the possible paths that we can take and will lead us by His goodness and power.

Snippets of Joy

As I look back over my life, I find satisfaction in the snippets of joy that I remember. Admittedly, some joyful times last much longer than a short snippet, like marrying my beautiful and loving wife. Then there has been the birth of three children and six grandchildren that still bring joy to my heart. But there have also been snippets and longer times where joy was hard to find. Certain trials are not remembered so fondly. But even in the midst of these so called bad times, if I look closely and remember correctly, I find joy peeking out from beyond the clouds. God has been able to sustain me through the bad times and bring me to a place of healing and hope with real joy.

Psalm 4:7 says, “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.” We find more joy in God than the world can ever offer us. Rejoice in all that the Lord has provided to you. Praise Him for His grace and mercy through the ups and downs of life.

Hope That Enlivens

In our culture, the word “hope” has fague meaning and usefulness. We use hope to describe the feeling that we want some future good thing to happen, but we also mean that we are not convinced that this good thing will happen the way that we want it to. When God speaks of “hope” in the Bible, He uses it to mean a sure thing based upon His character and power.

Romans 5:5 says, “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” God gives us a hope that enlivens, rejuvenates, and encourages us. Our hope is secure through the Holy Spirit living in us and enables us to bring lasting hope to a hopeless world.

Score Cards Don’t Tell the True Story

In the Olympics, judges in ice skating and gymnastics give scores to the contestants. These are subjective ratings from qualified professionals, but they may not reflect the skills and performance of the contestants. We, also, get score cards throughout our lives. We receive report cards in school that speak to how we performed in each class. The scoreboard reflects how our team or we, as individuals, performed in a specific contest. Friends may come and go depending on how we perform in relationships.

I Corinthians 15:56-57 says, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” No matter what the scoreboard or the report card or others say about us, we are victorious over sin and death through faith in Jesus Christ. The only true and final scorecard is determined by our relationship with Jesus Christ. If we trust Him for salvation and redemption, then He has already made us victorious in life and over death.