Tag: Jesus

Safe and Secure

We don’t live in a rural area s#jesus, #inspiration, sheltero I was surprised when my husband said, “Did you see the wild life in our front yard?” I looked out the window to see a large rabbit sitting at the edge of our rockery flower bed. If Brian hadn’t shown me where to look, I may have missed it. The rabbit blended into the surroundings and was so still could have easily been mistaken for one of the rocks.

Other than a slight twitching of its long ears, there was no movement for quite some time. People came and went, vehicles backed out of the driveway and still the rabbit remained.

After several hours it hopped away, only to return that evening.

We came to the conclusion that it must have felt our yard was a safe place to stop and rest.

I thought about where I can go to find a safe haven amid the distractions and dangers that surround me. The answer wasn’t hard to find. Jesus is my safe haven. He calms me and gives me rest. I feel safe and secure in the shelter of his loving care.

The Lord is good. He is a fortress in the day of trouble. He knows those who seek shelter in him. (Nahum 1:7 GWT)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 NIV)

Feeding Frenzy

#jesus, #inspiration, bible, prayerWe stood at the window watching in amazement. There was a feeding frenzy going on in our small oak tree.

Never before had we seen so much activity at the feeder that hung in this tree. At one point there were even four birds lined up on the fence, waiting for their turn. The branches shook with their constant coming and going. A few more birds sat at the base of the tree, gobbling up anything that fell to the ground.

Later that afternoon a severe thunder storm hit our area. Sheets of rain obscured our vision as the thunder crashed over our heads. I said to my husband, “I guess the birds knew the storm was coming and that’s why they seemed desperate for food. They knew they wouldn’t be able to get to it again for awhile.”

This lesson from nature had me considering how I get ready for looming storms in my life. I don’t have to be in a last minute frenzy if I make plan in advance.

The best way for me to prepare for anything life has in store is to concentrate on my relationship with Jesus. When I pray and read the bible I am storing up food that will sustain me. Jesus is the bread of life and when I am walking closely with him I will never go hungry.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35 NIV)

Barricades

#God, #inspiration, #Jesus, unchangingOne morning I returned home to find my street was closed. The sign said local traffic only so I carried on. Immediately past my driveway was a full barricade. Heavy equipment was digging a hole in the road.
Later when I attempted to leave, the barricade was blocking part of my driveway. My husband moved it temporarily so I could get out. When I returned an hour later it was no longer possible to drive right to my home.
It seemed that every time I went away it was harder to return. Home was becoming more difficult to reach.
Later I reflected on this. I am very thankful that God does not put up ever changing barricades to keep me from coming home to him. My life may be under construction but the route to him is unchanging. Any road blocks or detours are of my own making.
Even when I have left God temporarily, he always makes it easy to return. Jesus promised to prepare a place for me in his Father’s home and I know that it where I will spend eternity.
Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. (John 14:23 NLT)
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. (John 14:1-3 NLT)

Who Do You Trust?

#Jesus, #inspiration, prayer“Why would anyone do that?” my friend said. We were at the local swimming pool and she had been watching a scene unfold.

A child was being given a private swimming lesson. The little boy was happy and paying attention to his teacher. Then his mother appeared on the pool deck and the situation changed. She leaned over and made suggestions to the child, effectively taking control away from the instructor.

The result was quite predictable. The more the mother interfered, the more insecure the child became. Soon the boy was upset and wanted out of the water. His mother reached to help him out of the water.

The parallel of this scene to my life was obvious to me. I have put my trust in Jesus. He knows what is best for me and is able to teach me what I need to learn. This is where my focus must remain.

Why then do I get confused when well meaning friends give me contradictory advice? I know they care about me. The information they have to share may be valid to my situation. Should I be listening to them instead?

At times like this I need to remember that Jesus knows me better than I know myself. He is patient and kind even when I question him. He has the answers to questions I haven’t even thought of yet.

At times Jesus uses others to reinforce his message to me but never to contradict it. For me the choice is clear. I will pray to Jesus for guidance and trust him to guide my life.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10 NIV)

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (Romans 2:4 NLT)

Proud Citizens

#God, #Jesus, #inspiration, heavenTomorrow is Canada Day. My husband and I will be joining thousands of others in our city to watch the Canada Day parade. We have our red shirts and maple leaf insignia to wear and flags to wave.  This is our way of showing our patriotism.

Festivities in honour of Canada’s birthday will take place all across our vast nation.  In our city and many others the celebrations will conclude with spectacular fireworks displays. These events enable us to come together and celebrate our citizenship in what we believe is one of the best countries in the world.

Across the world citizens of Canada have a reputation for being polite.  Kindness and care for others is also an attribute of those with a heavenly citizenship.

A friend once told me that we often go through life like tourists.  We gather souvenirs and mementos from place we’ve been and people we’ve met.  What we are called to do as citizens of heaven is to leave little pieces of heaven wherever we go.  Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

No matter what country we live in, we are also citizens of heaven. One day we will all be reunited with our Lord, Jesus Christ.  No citizenship can be better and that alone is reason for celebration.

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20 NIV)

Are You Like a Pineapple?

Jusus, inspiration, loveIt was difficult not to be offended. I struggled not to take it personally but admit my feelings were hurt.

Why was she being so prickly towards me? I thought back over my actions, racking my brain to find something I may have done to cause this unpleasant reaction. Nothing came to mind.

I was still in the “poor me” mode when something a friend said to me recently popped into my head. She told me she’s like a pineapple sometimes, prickly on the outside but soft and easily bruised on the inside.

Perhaps my offender was hiding her bruised interior beneath a prickly surface designed to keep others from getting too close. Since this is someone I won’t be in contact with again, I will never know if she was hurting or just miserable. I choose to give her the benefit of the doubt.

It’s easy to think of times when I have been bruised inside and did my best not to let it show. If I risked being vulnerable I may have been hurt even more. Or, I may have dissolved into tears which would have shown my weakness.

How many have judged me the way I judged someone based on the mask that she wore? I can’t know what another is thinking or feeling, but I can react with compassion rather than anger and disappointment.

I’m so thankful that Jesus knows me intimately. He loves me even when I am unlovable. He sees my heart and is there to bandage my tender bruised emotions. This is the unconditional love that all of us need.

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. (Psalm 147:3 NLT)

O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. (Psalm 139:1-4 NLT)

What Should You Wear?

Jesus, inspiration, faith, peace, compapssionDo you ever look at all the clothes in your closet and tell yourself you have nothing to wear? No matter how much you have, nothing seems appropriate.

I’ve recently discovered that my choice of apparel or accessories is not as important as I once thought. Unable to decide which pair of earring looked better with my outfit I chose to wear one of each. This kind of spontaneity is unusual for me and I waited for the comments that were sure to come.

Imagine my surprise when my departure from the norm was not noticed. This was a valuable lesson that I am not the center of attention!

More than what I wear, it is my heart and attitude that people notice. My goal should never be to draw attention to myself. Instead I want my life to reflect the light and love of Jesus. To do this I need to wear peace, faith and compassion. These are appropriate for every occasion.

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25 NLT)

Is Your Mind Jumping Around?

peace, Jesus, InspirationThe water aerobics class was nearing completion. The exercise we were doing involved jumping. As one of the participants prepared to slip out of the class early, the teacher good-naturedly joked to her that she wasn’t jumping. My friend smiled and said that she was jumping in her mind!

I laughed and said that my mind jumped around a lot, too! This is especially true when I have many things to accomplish. My thoughts don’t seem to hold still on one particular thing for any length of time. In fact, sometimes they change so rapidly that I don’t know what I’m thinking until I hear the words come out of my mouth!

When this happens, life becomes frustrating not only for myself, but for those close to me. I need to slow down, take a deep breath and refocus. The peace and serenity I long for can be found if I know where to look for it.

Fortunately I realize that this peace of mind is found when my focus is on Jesus. The distractions that keep my mind jumping are no longer noticed when my eyes are on him.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isaiah 26:3 NLT)

Break Through

#God, #Jesus, #inspiration, lessons, trustThere it was; a lesson in tenacity right in front of me and I almost missed it.

I was walking along a paved path when my husband pointed break through2out a slight eruption in the pavement. A few steps ahead we saw another bulge in the walkway, this time with a plant pushing through. After a few more steps we saw a plant that had fully broken through and appeared to be flourishing.

My husband commented on the incredible effort it took for this vegetation to push upwards and break through the solid paved pathway in order to reach the sunshine.

break through3If a tiny seed can have the strength and perseverance to overcome such a huge obstacle, why do I give up so easily?

Challenges do not mean that I need to stop trying to reach my goals. The song Through it All by Andrae Crouch, has lyrics that remind me to trust in God no matter what I’m going through. One of my favourite lines is “For if I never had a problem I wouldn’t know that he could solve them.”

These are words I take to heart. There are lessons to be learned in every situation. When I remain open and teachable God will use my reliance on him to enable me to break free from my circumstances and flourish in the love and light his Son Jesus shines on each of us. The Bible says all I need is faith the size of a mustard seed.

Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32 NIV

Lead WIth Your Heart

Jesus, God, inspiration, loaves and fish, miracles“Lead with your heart,” the fitness instructor called out. Her words were meant to encourage us to stand up straight, with our shoulders back. This would make our exercise more effective.

I followed her instructions but found my mind immediately went in another direction. For me this was a reminder to trust the emotional, caring part of my personality. There are times I need to let it overrule the practical, needing to have all the facts before making a decision, part of me.

This can be a challenge when the feelings and practicality engage in a tug-of-war. The winner is not always the one it should be.

If I’m being led by Jesus, it’s easier to step out in faith and let him take care of the details. After all, he is the one that fed more than 5,000 with five loaves and two fish. His disciples wanted to send the people away to find food. Jesus had a better way. He took the small offering, blessed it and God multiplied it to supply the need.

He still performs miracles today.

When I have concerns about how something can be accomplished, I need to turn it over to Jesus and watch as he performs miracles with my little offering. All I need to do is trust him enough to lead with my heart.

“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children! (Matthew 14:18-21 NLT)

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