Because

“We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Today, I had the pleasure of being the substitute teacher in the grades 3-5 classroom of our church’s school. Since we are just days away from the end of the school year, the students have been a little wound up and not as focused as they usually are. In preparation for the day I did some brainstorming on what I could do to help the day go better for myself and for them. I talked to their teacher ahead of time and received her permission to make a deal with the class.

At the start of the day I placed one star at the top of the white board. I told them that this star represented 5 minutes of extra recess time at the end of the day. I let them know that I would be adding and or taking away stars based on their work and behavior throughout the day. We had a discussion about what type of behavior and work is expected from them and we started our day. Now, I did have to erase some stars as we went through the day, no one is perfect, but in the end we added more stars than we lost and got to have an extra 25 minute recess at the end of the day.

In the middle of the day, I stopped to thank the class for being so extra well behaved and working so hard. However, I also took the opportunity to have a little talk with them about the “because”. You see, just yesterday I led a Bible study for our Ladies Aid group from the LWML quarterly. The title of the Bible study was “The Reason ‘Because’” written by John Nunes and Gloria Edwards. The key point that I pulled from this study was about our motivation for what we do for others. What is the “because” of the things we do?

I shared with the class, that although I was very proud of them for doing so great, I wanted to know the “because” of their special behavior. Obviously the answer was that they love extra recess and would do whatever it took to earn a little extra. I used this as my chance to talk about why this kind of special good behavior is what we should be giving every day. I asked them who gave them the wonderful school they attend, and who brought them their wonderful Christian teacher, and who provided all of the resources that they use to learn. Of course they knew the answer to this. God! So, I asked them this question, then why should we give our best to ourselves, our classmates, and our teachers every day? Because!

Because…God loves us, we care for others.

Because…God provides for our needs, we use our resources wisely.

Because…God has placed special people in our lives to care for us and teach us, we show them respect and help make their jobs easier.

So, I ask you as fellow believers... Why do you give your best in raising your children? Why do you care for those that God has placed in your life path? Why do you share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with anyone you can? Why do you give your best in whatever job you have? Why do you support and pray for missionaries? Why do you volunteer in your church, community, and world?

Why? Because! “We love because HE first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Prayer: God, thank you for loving us with a love that is stronger, deeper, and greater than we can ever comprehend. Help us with Your Holy Spirit to take Your love for us and share it with everyone that we can in all that we do and say. In Jesus name. Amen.

Top 10 Reasons I Share My Faith With My Child

10. I want my child to be as prepared as possible to handle the joys and challenges that life will bring her as she grows. “Train a child in the way he should go, and with he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

9. God has commanded me as a parent and adult to bring my child to Him. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

8. I want my child to know where to find comfort. Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me.” John 14:1

7. All of our gifts come from God, and I want my child to know who to thank for every one of their gifts and blessings. “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8

6. I want my child to understand and value the blessings given to us in God’s Word. “Blessed rather are those who hear the Word of God, and obey it.” Luke 11:28

5. There is only one who loves my child more than I do, and I want my child to know all about Him. “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 16:12-14

4. My husband and I vowed to each other when we were married that our house would serve the Lord. “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

3. I want my child to be filled with pure spiritual food, not junk. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” 1 Peter 2:2

2. I want my child to know the truth. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

1. I know just how much my Savior did for me, and that is just too good to not want to share every bit of it with my child. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16


Prayer: Thank you Heavenly Father for blessing me with the privilege of sharing my faith with my child and bringing her to you. Bless all parents who continue to share You with their children and bless our children and they continue to learn and grow in their faith in You. Amen.

The Rest of the Story

“When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” Mark 14:26

Radio personality, Paul Harvey, did much in his long career as a radio broadcaster. Yet, I would have to say that Harvey was best known for the radio show, The Rest of the Story. The show began broadcasting regularly in May of 1976 and continued until Harvey’s death in February of 2009. The Rest of the Story consisted of stories presented as little-known or forgotten facts on a variety of subjects with some key element of the story (usually the name of some well-known person) held back until the end. The broadcasts always concluded with a variation on the tag line "And now you know the rest of the story.”

In today’s Bible verse Jesus has just finished bringing the Lord’s Supper to his disciples in the upper room. Once that was over, they sang a hymn and departed for the Mount of Olives, which we know is where Jesus prayed while his disciples fell asleep and Jesus was arrested there and taken to appear in the temple.

As we consider the rest of the story, that time between the singing of the hymn and Jesus appearing in the temple of the high priest, what kind of things come to mind? Are we disappointed in the disciples? Perhaps – they said they’d stay faithful but, in the end, they fled. To be honest, we probably would have too, had we been there. Besides, when we sin, isn’t that just like fleeing from Jesus?

When we think about Jesus praying in the Garden, do our hearts ache for him? He knew what was coming, asked that it be removed, but deep down, he probably knew that his sufferings and death were inevitable. To think, it wasn’t even his own doing that put Jesus in this position. It was the sin of the world, including yours and mine.

As we ponder these and other parts of the rest of the story, we should keep in mind the last thing Jesus said to those who came to arrest him: “But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” When man first fell into sin, God promised a Savior. Throughout the Old Testament, there’s prophecy of this Savior who would give up his life for the salvation of all people. Jesus is that Savior and, if he didn’t fulfill what Scripture said about him, there would be no salvation for the sinful human race.

It is God’s greatest will that all people would be saved. Since we can’t do it on our own, God sent Jesus to become the perfect sacrifice. That means, God didn’t take the cup from Jesus. Instead, Jesus would go on to bear our sins on the cross. But, the cross wasn’t the end. Neither was the tomb. Jesus would rise from the dead and all who believe in him have forgiveness and eternal life. A hymn; a prayer in the garden; a betrayal; an arrest; disciples that fled; an unfair trial; a crucifixion; a death; a glorious resurrection; salvation for all who believe. Now you know the rest of the story!

(A special thank you to my husband for sharing portions of his sermon for this evening, to be used in this devotion.)

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we thank you for Your sacrifice on our behalf. Lord, help us to focus on You, on Your passion, on Your gift of forgiveness and salvation. Forgive us for the times that we flee from You. We praise and thank You for not fleeing from us in our greatest needs. Amen.

Spelling Bee

After school today, my daughter participated in a spelling bee hosted by our local high school. After listening to word after word spelled by these children for a couple of hours this evening, I am inspired to look at some very special spelling words in the Bible. Enjoy!

Spell CREATION – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Genesis 1:31

Spell SIN – “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis 3:6-7 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

Spell PROMISE – “May your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise.” Psalm 119:41

Spell LOVE – “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Spell GRACE –“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Spell HEAVEN –“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20

Spell PEACE –“Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

Prayer: Lord God, from the creation of the world to our eternal home in heaven, Your love is shown to us. Bless us daily with Your word that our faith may increase and Your peace may be in our hearts. Amen.

Speak, for Your Servant Hears

And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 1 Samuel 3:10

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a Bible study, a worship service, or family devotion and had something said that jumps out to you instantly grabbing your attention and speaking directly to things that are going on in your life? I know I certainly have. I am repeatedly amazed by how the scripture readings, the hymns, the liturgy, the sermon seem to be speaking directly to me. If you consider all of these things, the one common thread is that they are all rooted in God’s Word.

In today’s Scripture reading God is speaking directly to His servant Samuel for the first time. Samuel can hear the Lord calling his name, but at first does not recognize that it is the Lord calling for him. Three times the Lord called out to Samuel and each time Samuel went to Eli, his teacher. Finally the third time Eli realizes that it is the Lord speaking to Samuel. He tells Samuel, “if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” When the Lord spoke to Samuel the fourth time, he did respond, “Speak, for your servant hears”, and the Lord continued to speak directly to Samuel.

Today, the Lord speaks to us through His Word. This is why it is so important for us to be active in worship and the study of God’s Word. As we involve ourselves in these things that are rooted in God’s Word, we are saying, “Speak, for your servant hears.” Just as Eli helped Samuel to recognize that God was speaking to him, we need to help our children to recognize that God speaks to them through His Word, just as He does to each and every one of us.

As parents we should all be diligent in not only our own active worship life and study of God’s Word, but also in leading our children to do the same. We lead them to where God’s Word can be found and teach them how to listen and hear what God is saying to them. We encourage them to open their hearts to God’s Word and say, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for speaking to us through Your Holy Word. Help us to seek out those opportunities that You have blessed us with where we are able to hear Your Word. Help us to bring our children to You and guide our children to open their hearts to hear You as You speak to them through Your Word. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

The Comparison Problem

“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35

Comparing ourselves to others seems to be deeply woven into each of us. This “comparison problem” has been happening since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve were tempted into the first sin because they were comparing themselves to God (Genesis3:4-7). Cain murdered his brother Abel when he began comparing how God favored Abel’s offerings over his own (Genesis 4:1-8). Saul became jealous of David when he saw that others admired David more than they did himself (1 Samuel 18:6-9). In the text where today’s verse comes from, the twelve disciples have been arguing amongst themselves over who was the greatest (Mark 9:33-37).

As parents we are very familiar with this “comparison problem”. Repeatedly we see our children compare the amount of a special treat that they received compared to the amount their sibling or friend received. Our children compare whose punishment was worse or “how come they got away with it?” They compare who has the better clothes and toys. Sometimes they even compare who is more loved by parents, liked by teachers, or popular with friends.

We are not off the hook here either. If we are honest with ourselves, we are guilty of being a part of this “comparison problem” as well. From the time our children are born we begin comparing them to all the other children we know. We compare how big or small they are, how quickly or slowly they learn things, how good or bad their grades are in school, and how they shape up next to the other kids on the team.

It’s not just our kids we are guilty of comparing either. So many of us struggle with this “comparison problem” when we start comparing our parenting skills to those of other parents we know. Sometimes we look at others and think how much better they are than us and we make ourselves feel like failures. Other times we look at others and begin to boast, even if only in our thoughts, about how much better we are at parenting than they are.

No matter who we look at this “comparison problem” one thing is for sure. It always leads to sin. God does not compare us to one another and size up whom He will bless more or less, and God does not want for us to do that with others. In our verse today, Jesus tells His disciples, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Jesus Himself demonstrated this for us repeatedly during His ministry here on earth by being a servant, not asking to be served.

This sin of comparison is a hard one for us to battle with. There is no easy cure and it is something that sinful humans have and always will have to do battle against. The best we can do as sinful humans is to work daily to put on a servant’s heart and look to God for help and guidance.

Most of all, we turn this “comparison problem” over to God, who through Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection takes these and all other sins upon Himself. Through Jesus blood, God forgives us of these sins and makes us free to receive His salvation.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father we pray that you help us with our “comparison problem”. Forgive us and lead us in all we do and say. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Ash Wednesday

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:1


Today in our churches we observe Ash Wednesday. This day marks the beginning of the season of Lent, which is a time of penitence, as we focus on the journey to the cross that our Savior walked for each of us.

As we leave our worship services today, many of us will do so with a cross made out of black ashes on our foreheads. The pastor will remind us, as these ashes are imposed on our foreheads, that “for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:19. God has created us from the dust of the ground, provides our food and nourishment from the dust of the ground, and one day our bodies will die and once again become dust of the ground.

We are sinful, mortal human beings. God is our Redeemer, who through temptation, suffering, pain, heartache, death, and then His victorious resurrection, won an eternity for all believers in heaven that reaches beyond our earthly bodies that will one day return to dust.

As we enter this season of Lent, it can be difficult as a parent to know just how to share with our children the trials that Jesus suffered on our behalf. It is through prayer, patience, and God’s Word that we can be open with our children, helping them to understand our Lord’s passion. Through that understanding, we pray for them, and for us, that faith is increased. Our hearts are heavy with the burden of our sin and yet Christ takes that burden for us.

We also have the privilege of sharing with our children the joy that is to come on Easter morning which, praise be to God, we still celebrate every Sunday morning in our worship services, even as we spend this time of reflection and repentance during Lent.

May God bless each of you and your children this Lenten season as you focus on our repentance, our need for a Savior, and the joy of knowing that our Savior Jesus has washed away our iniquity and cleansed us from our sin.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we come to you today with hearts of repentance asking your forgiveness for our sinful lives. Lord we thank you that you sent your only Son Jesus to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins and that through faith in Him and what He has done for us, we are made whole and have been redeemed. We praise and thank you today for that amazing gift. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

The Perfect Valentine

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Today is Valentine’s Day, and on this day millions of people will go out of their way to find the perfect Valentine to let their friends and family know how much they love them. Cards, flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals, fancy dinners - the list goes on and on. Many parents have assisted their children in making that very special box and preparing all of those little valentine’s cards that they will share with their friends.

Shouldn’t loving others be simpler than all of this fuss? Do we really have to work so hard? While we would like to think that love is always easy and comes so naturally, it may be a little more than that.

Take a look at the Bible reading for today. It lists the many things that love is. When I first read this verse, I get a warm bubbly feeling, like I’m a princess in a fairytale land. Hearts flutter around me, while birds sing a sweet tune. Everyone is patient, kind, understanding, unselfish, honest, and it just seems so simple.

Then, I read it again, and my bubble starts to burst. Yes love is patient, and that is not how I was this morning with my family as we were late heading out the door. Love is kind, but I was not very kind when the juice was spilled on the carpet. Love does not envy, so I should probably stop wishing that I had the energy of my 11 year old. Oh no, I’m 0 for 3 on a list that has only just begun and as I continue reading, I know that it doesn’t get any better. So much for me being that perfect Valentine.

Because of sin, love is not so easy. Because of sin, our love is not perfect. However, that doesn’t mean a perfect love doesn’t exist.

1 John 4:16 tells us “God is love.” We may not always show love the way we should, but God does. In fact, God not only shows us His love, He is love. Take a look at our Bible reading again. It is not just describing how we can show others we love them. It is describing who God is. Remember, “God is love.” That means that God IS all of those things described in our reading. His love for us never ends. His love for us is perfect. God demonstrated the extent of that never ending, perfect love for us when He sent His Son, Jesus, to the cross to be our Savior and His love lives in our hearts. Jesus is the perfect Valentine!

As you spend today celebrating Valentine’s Day with your children, remember to share the love in your heart with them. Share the love of God sent to us through His Son Jesus and praise God for His perfect Valentine!


Dear Father in Heaven, we thank you for sending us your Son, Jesus, to be our perfect Valentine. Help us to share this special Valentine with our children and all those we meet today. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

(This devotion is a re-post of the devotion that I wrote for this blog on Valentine's Day last year. I pray that you find it worth my re-posting this year. Happy Valentine's Day!)

Fill'er Up!

“Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually!” Psalm 105:4

(This devotion is borrowed from Pastor Aaron Witt's (my husband) church newsletter article. It meant a lot to me and I wanted to share it with all of you. Thank you Aaron.)

I have a leaky tire on my car. I know, I should probably get it fixed but just haven’t done it yet. No good excuse, really – I just haven’t taken it in to get it fixed. Instead, when it’s low on air pressure, I simply fill it back up until it needs air again. It’s an ongoing process that’s not going to end until I get the tire fixed.

I actually have a pretty good routine when it comes to putting air in the tire. At first, the tire was good for about a week before it needed filling again. So, I made it a habit that, when I went into town at the beginning of the week, I’d stop by the gas station and fill the tire with air and be on my way.

Lately, though, the tire needs to be filled up on a more frequent basis. Now, it needs air about every two or three days. If it happens to be a week where I’m putting on quite a few miles, I fill the tire with air about every other time I fill the tank with gas. I can simply pull up to the air hose at the gas station since I’m already there.

While this works well, the more frequent need for filling the tire can make things tougher. For example, when I went to the gas station a couple days ago, the tire needed air. Yet, I couldn’t get to the air hose because a huge truck was in my way and, considering that it was delivering fuel, it wasn’t moving any time soon. No big deal, I could just fill it at home with my air compressor or hand pump, even if it’s not as convenient as pulling up to the air hose at the gas station. By the way, yes, I used my hand pump to fill my car tire – and, no, it wasn’t worth the time and effort. Next time I’ll just power up the air compressor for just one tire!

What’s the point in all of this? Well, other than it would be a whole lot easier for me if I’d simply get the tire fixed, that leaky tire is a lot like our faith life. On Sunday mornings, we can get our faith all filled up and be ready to take on this sinful world. However, temptations, the troubles we face, and life in general, can take its toll on our faith and, it’s going to need filled back up. And, like my tire, it’s going to need to be filled up more than once a week.

Psalm 105:4 says, “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually!” We need to continually seek the Lord so that our faith may be continually filled up. Of course, worship on Sunday mornings is a great way to be filled up. But, what about the fill-ups that we need on those days not called Sunday? Just as there’s multiple ways for me to fill my tire, there’s multiple ways to fill our faith including reading and studying the Bible, personal and family devotions, fellowship with other believers, and other ways. Thing is, our faith needs to be continually filled up and if we don’t find ways to do it, our faith, like a tire, can end up being flat.

Eventually, I’ll get my tire fixed and won’t have to worry about my regular routine of putting air into it. Likewise, the time will come when our faith will become full and we won’t have temptation and the troubles of this world running it down. That’s the day when we arrive into our heavenly home promised to all those who believe in Jesus. Until then, make sure you do what you can to keep your faith continually filled up!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for refilling us with Your Word as we run our of air. Help us to continue to find ways to come to You. Amen.

Follow That Star!

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

In the month of December, my family and I spent a lot of time listening to our collection of Christmas music. I have several songs that I love, of course, but one of my favorites is actually an epiphany song. The Song is called “The Star Still Shines” by Diamond Rio and is found on, The Star Still Shines: A Diamond Rio Christmas, album. The song begins with the first verse…

There was a star in the Eastern sky that shone down on Bethlehem,
A few had recognized the sign a King was born to them
Drew them to a manger to a virgin mother's son
Who would draw us to salvation, God's gift to everyone.

In this verse we are told of the wise men from the east that followed a star leading them to the Savior, born in Bethlehem. They saw His star shining and followed it to find the King and worship Him. They were seeking not only the light of the star, but also the light of the Savior.

And the star still shines after all this timeAs a light for me and you.
It beckons us to seek himWise men still do, wise men still do

In the refrain of the song we are reminded that the wise men who followed the star seeking the King are not the only ones that the star shines for. The star still shines in the light of our Savior. As we read God’s Word and learn and grow from it, we, as wise men, still seek our Savior and follow the star. This may not be a star that shines in the night sky, but it is the light of Jesus salvation won for all mankind. It shines to us and leads us in God’s Word.

In these crazy troubled times the world seems so out of tune
Sometime's it's like we're living without a flame to light the room
If you're feeling faithless and you think you've lost your way
Oh there is a hope that's bright enough to turn your night to day

It won't go out after Christmas like a candle in the wind
It's a light that shines forever not just every now and then

The second and third verse describe so beautifully how that light is there for us today. When we are feeling down and even when life is going well and we have much to be thankful for, the light of Jesus salvation shines for us, giving us hope and guidance and reminding us of our greatest blessing of forgiveness.

I love the words in the short third verse and I pray this will be a reminder for all of us. The light of Christ does not go away after Christmas. We may be putting away our Christmas decorations and moving onto the next season of the year, but the star of Jesus does not get put away in a box. It is there for us, guiding us in Scripture as we continue to seek Him daily. I would like to challenge you to do something that my family will be doing this year. We are going to leave one Christmas star out on display all year to remind us that “it beckons us to seek Him, wise men still do.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending the star that led the wise men to worship the Savior in Bethlehem. We thank you that the light still shines for us today, guiding us also to the Savior. Help us to seek Him through Your Word every day and remember the purpose of the babe born in Bethlehem who grew into the man, our Savior on the cross. Amen.

God's Perfect Time

“But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.” “When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.” “His name is John.” Luke 1:7, 57, and 63

God’s timing. It is not very easy for us lowly mortals to understand. How often do we find ourselves waiting in anticipation for something to happen only to find we have to wait longer, or perhaps we even give up hope that it will ever happen.

I would imagine that Elizabeth must have felt this way. I wonder how many times in her younger years Elizabeth would watch her friends and relatives have children and sit back to wonder when it would be her time. When year after year passed and she remained barren when did she reach the point of giving up hope that her time to have a child would ever come?

We all find ourselves struggling with this waiting game in our own unique ways. Maybe, like Elizabeth, you have spent time waiting to know when you would be blessed to be a mother while others around you had families growing. Maybe you have had to spend time waiting to find out if a job opportunity is going to open up and if you will be the one hired. Maybe you have had to wait trying to sell a home in a hard economic climate. Maybe you have had to wait for medical test results that may not be so good. These are a few examples, and I am sure we can all find more.

So, what can we learn about waiting and God’s perfect timing from looking at the life of Elizabeth? We learn to wait. We learn to be patient. We learn to trust in God’s goodness and love for all people. We learn that God’s timing is always perfect.

You see, in Elizabeth’s life, God’s timing of sending her a child was perfect. Elizabeth’s child, John, had to be born at the time he was born. God had a very special purpose for this child. Zechariah says in Luke 1:76, “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him.” John was born at this special time to prepare the people for the Savior of the world.

As you find yourself waiting, may the peace of God give you comfort. Rest assured that God’s timing is always perfect, even when we do not understand it. And, as you continue waiting in this season of Advent for Jesus coming, know that it will happen in God’s perfect time.

Prayer - Lord we know that waiting is not always easy for us to do. We ask that You guide us to put our hope and trust in You as we await many and various things in our lives. Help us Lord to seek You as we await the coming of our Savior. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Are We There Yet?

“Your kingdom come.” Matthew 6:10

Many of us have been in the car with our family on our way to a fun destination and heard the words, “are we there yet?” streaming from one of the back seats. The excitement and anticipation of your arrival takes over any patience the child may have. They can hardly wait to get there and enjoy!

When I was a child, I can vividly remember a time when I very much felt this way about heaven. I was so excited to get to heaven and start enjoying all that it had to offer. In anticipation and eagerness, I would pray every night that Jesus would come and that He would take me to heaven to live with Him. Now, I was a very happy and healthy girl, so this was not me seeking to get away from life here on earth. I was just truly and genuinely that excited to spend my eternity in heaven.

As I have gotten older I find that I do not think this way as much as I did then, but shouldn’t we? So often we begin to look at death and the “end times” with fear and dread. In reality there is nothing for us to fear or dread, rather in faith we should look forward to the time when Jesus will come and take us to heaven to live with Him.

In the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer, we pray for this very thing. “Your kingdom come.” Martin Luther explores what we are praying for in this petition in Luther’s Small Catechism. Luther says this, “We do not pray that God’s kingdom of power would come, because that is already present everywhere, but we ask God to…

A. Give us His Holy Spirit so that we believe His Word and lead godly lives
as members of His kingdom of grace;
B. Bring many others into His kingdom of grace;
C. Use us to extend His kingdom of grace;
D. Hasten the coming of His kingdom of glory.

“Hasten the coming of His kingdom of glory.” Amen! Are we there yet? No, but the time of our arrival in heaven will come. Until then, we can continue to look forward to that day with eagerness and excited anticipation. As we do so, we pray that God will give us His Holy Spirit so we believe His Word, lead godly lives, bring others to Him, and help to extend His kingdom.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You that we have an eternity in Your heavenly kingdom to look forward to. As we eagerly await the time we will arrive there, send us Your Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith and keep us strong and steadfast in the work You give us to do. Amen!

Pleasant Words

“ Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words, ah, they are sweet, aren’t they? We all long to hear them and we know the feeling that we receive when pleasant words are directed towards us.

When pleasant words are shared with us, we are filled -up, encouraged, given a boost of energy and enthusiasm for the tasks we face each day, and overall just made to feel better. When you are not feeling well, pleasant words can give you a calm and peace that make you feel just a little less yucky. When you work hard at your job and at home, pleasant words make you want to keep up a job well done and continue doing your best. When your child shares pleasant words with you about being their mom or dad it puts a smile on your face, perhaps a tear in your eye, and fills the love in your heart for that child to overflowing.

If pleasant words make us feel these ways, what do pleasant words do for our children when they hear them? When a teacher praises our child for doing something well at school, they want to work hard and do their best. When a friend shares a kind thought with our child, it makes them feel respected. When we tell our children that we love them and that we are proud of them, it helps them feel loved and cared for.

With all of these pleasant words and thoughts, we have not even touched on the pleasant words that fill our lives the most, give us the greatest feeling of love and care, and lead us to know that nothing else really matters. What words am I talking about? Yes, that’s right, God’s Word. Scripture is filled to overflowing with God’s Words to us. Each and every word is heartfelt, thoughtful, and meaningful. These Words are truly “like honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Let God’s loving Words be poured over you daily as you spend time in His Word. Share them with your family and make sure that your children are hearing pleasant words not just from you, or their teacher, or their friends, but most importantly from their loving Heavenly Father every day.

Prayer: Oh Father God we praise and thank You for Your Word to us. Bless us daily with opportunities to hear and be filled with Your Words. Help us Lord to take those Words and share them with others who need to hear them. Let them Lord be “sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Amen

Transformed

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Today I was talking to my daughter and I could see all at once that she is being transformed right before my very eyes from a little girl, to a young lady. She told me with dazzle and excitement in her eyes how she is old enough to be a part of our junior youth group at church, that she has been waiting forever to start band and playing the clarinet now just makes her so happy, how this year she gets to be an acolyte in church services, what fun it is to be on the school’s volleyball team, how awesome it is that she is old enough to add jazz to her dance classes, and how she can hardly believe that she will be starting confirmation in just one more year. So many big steps in her life are happening right now, and all the while she is growing and learning and maturing. She is being transformed.

As we all know, this transformation that my daughter is going through right now is just the beginning of many steps of transformation that she will go through during her life. There will be the teenage years, high school, college, career, marriage, children, and someday even grandchildren and retirement. Her life is and will continue to be one constant transformation as she continues her earthly journey.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18 we read that we “are being transformed into His likeness.” This transformation goes well beyond the transformations that I have been talking about and is much more valuable to us as well. The transformation that our text is talking about is the sanctification that we have as believers of Jesus, our Savior. Through faith, we become part of God’s glory that is made ours through the salvation won for us by Jesus on the cross.

It is such a blessing as a parent to watch your child grow. Even more, it is a blessing to watch your child grow in their faith. As we encourage and nurture our children to grow in their faith and watch them being transformed by God’s glory, we must also take the time needed to continue nurturing and feeding and growing our faith so that we too are continuing to be transformed. If we are not making sure that our faith is being nurtured, it makes it not only difficult, but impossible for us to help nurture the faith lives of our children.

We are all a work in progress, “being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory.” This gift of faith comes from God alone, and we will continue to be a constant transformation as we continue our faith journey.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for sharing Your glory with us, through Your Son Jesus Christ. Help us Lord to remain faithful to nurturing our faith and the faith of our children as we all are being transformed into Your likeness. Amen.

Workmanship

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

This weekend will be the final weekend of our State Fair here in Nebraska. I’m very excited, because this proud mama gets to take her daughter to the fair so that we can see her purple ribbon award on her recipe file. Having watched every step in her process of completing this and many other 4-H projects this year, I know just how hard she worked and am so happy to watch her see her efforts pay off.

The workmanship that she put into finding, preparing, and writing these recipes is one part of this award winning project, the other part of this award winning project is the very special box that is holding the recipes. One loving uncle with a special gift for working with wood added his own workmanship to her project by making a beautiful wooden recipe box to hold all of her work. Together their workmanship created something great that will be around for a very long time and will be used over and over again.

Our text today calls us God’s workmanship. We were each lovingly and carefully created by God. Just like my daughter’s 4-H project was not made to just sit on a shelf, we were not made by God’s hand to do nothing either. We are all created, each in our own unique ways to bring God glory through the work we do, using the different talents that He has blessed each of us with.

When we use our talents and gifts to give glory to our Creator, we are sharing His love for us in His Son Jesus, our Savior. The work that we do in the name of our Lord will have lasting effects that will be around for a very long time as people are brought to the saving message of faith by the Grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God did not spare anything in making each and every one of us and it must make Him so happy when He sees all of His efforts pay off.

Go! Be God’s workmanship today! Use the unique gifts and talents that He created in you to bless those that you will come in contact with today. Be a blessing to others, just as He has abundantly poured His many blessings on you.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You, that You created each of us and that we are Your workmanship. Help us Lord to praise You for Your gift of Grace through faith by using our good works to bring others to You. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

Be Like a Tree

“Blessed is the man…his delight is in the law of the LORD…He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3

We have several trees around our home. While there are nine trees in the main part of our yard, the number of trees along the back of our yard are too numerous to count. Those trees behind our fence line are part of a large group of trees that are growing along the banks of the creek that runs by our house. All of these trees flourish where they are planted because of the source of water that they are so close to. They prosper and grow providing a home for many birds and other critters and giving us a beautiful view.

In today’s text, the psalmist is talking about a man who is blessed. He describes him as someone who “walks not in the counsel of the wicked.” Rather, “his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” To explain his point he uses the visualization of trees planted by water.

It’s an easy visualization for us to see, isn’t it? Even in the desert, where do you see trees? Along any water that may run through the area. Trees grow roots that reach deep into the ground to draw out the water that they need for life. They rely on this water and thrive when they are planted in an area that has a rich source of water to draw from.

We are blessed when we plant ourselves in the streams of living water. God’s Word is not just there for use on Sunday mornings at church. We want to have God’s Word be surrounding us on every side so that we can soak up the rich nutrients that it has for us.

As parents we plant ourselves and our family’s as close to this stream as we can get. Like this man in our Psalm that is blessed, we want to “delight in the law of the LORD.” When we do this, God provides for us in ways that we can’t imagine. In all we do, we will prosper. Does this mean that we will live a luxurious life with all the material processions we could ever dream of? No, but it does mean that when we meditate on God’s Word day and night and delight in God’s law, He will bring us through and hold us up in all that life will bring to us.

I encourage you my friends to be like a tree, and lead your family to be like trees, planted by streams of water. Set your roots in the Word of God and grow and prosper where you are planted.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Word. Help us Lord to root ourselves in Your Word and to daily grow in it. We pray this in Jesus name, Amen.

Letting Go

“He will guard the feet of His faithful ones.” 1 Samuel 2:9a

This past week my daughter spent a week away at Camp Luther for summer art camp. She was so excited jumping up and down as we waited in line to sign her in. I was working hard, being excited with her and pointing out all of the amazing things that she would experience during the week. I must admit however, that it was just a brave face. True, I was excited about what she would be doing and the many learning experiences that would lay ahead for her, but inside I was having such a hard time letting her go. As I drove away with my husband leaving our daughter in the hands of others to care for her, I said a prayer for her and let go, placing her in God’s care.

In 1 Samuel 1-2 we read about Hannah taking her son Samuel to live with Eli. She was holding to a promise that she had made to God that she would give her son to the Lord. She took with her the things that were proper for making a sacrifice and brought her son to Eli. Although she was fulfilling a promise she had made to the Lord, I am sure that she had to put on a brave face, saddened to have to let him go. As she left leaving Samuel in the care of Eli, she said a prayer and let go, placing him in God’s care.

As parents we face many times in our child’s life that we have to let them go. We may be excited and happy knowing this is such a good thing for them, but it is almost never easy. The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, the first day of kindergarten, a week away at summer camp or grandma’s house, their first date, the first day of college, their wedding day…the list goes on. It never really ends does it? From the moment that you become a parent you spend your time raising and preparing your child so that you can let them go.

Isn’t it comforting to know that while you are letting them go, God never does. God is always their guarding and keeping them. I love the words in Hannah’s prayer, “He will guard the feet of His faithful ones,” 1 Samuel 2:9a. Guarding their feet, yes it is so comforting to know that God is with your child. After all, He cares for them even more than you do. So the next time that you face one these times that you have to let your child go, I encourage you to say a prayer for them and let go, placing them in God’s care.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, that you for caring for a protecting our children, even when we can’t be there. Please help us as parents to remember to let go and place our children into Your loving care. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Until We Meet Again

“The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight.” Genesis 31:49

In my lifetime I have moved fourteen times. My daughter, who is ten, is now living in her third home. When your family has moved around, as mine has, you get to meet and know many different people. What a blessing it is to have so many people touch and shape your life.

Moving is not always easy, though. While getting to know new people can be a challenge, especially if you are not overly outgoing, the hardest part for me always seems to be saying goodbye to the people that you are moving away from. You give hugs, wipe away tears, and pray that the Lord will bless you with the chance to see each other again.

The last move that our family made was at times difficult for our daughter. Nine years old at the time, we were moving away from the only home she could remember, as she was only two years old when we moved there. Saying goodbye to the friends that she had grown up with proved to be difficult. Many times over the last year, my husband and I have heard her say, “I miss my friends.”

This week, she received a special treat. She has spent time away visiting her grandparents’ house. Time with them is always very special and they treasure each moment. As much as my mom and dad love my daughter and could easily keep her all to themselves, they gave her a special gift during her time with them. You see, my parents live only a few miles from where we moved away from. My mom called the moms of my daughter’s closest friends and set up play dates and sleepovers with them.

We have heard from her and our daughter is having a great time. She is enjoying special alone time with her friends and grandparents. I’m so happy for her and so thankful that she has been blessed with this opportunity, but I must admit that my husband and I are missing having her around and more than once we have said to each other, “I miss her.”

When we say goodbye to people that we love, it may be for days, weeks, months, years, or even a lifetime. Each time that we leave and must say those difficult goodbyes we can be comforted by the fact that no matter what kind of distance we may have between us, because of our shared faith in the Lord, we are always bonded together and that the Lord is watching over each of us.

I miss my daughter right now, but find comfort in the fact that God is with her, and with me, watching over us until we see each other again. We say goodbye to friends and loved ones when we go away for a while or move away, but find comfort knowing that God is with them, and with us, watching over us until we see each other again. When the distance that separates us lasts a lifetime, we find comfort that God is with them, and us, watching over us until we see each other again in heaven someday.

The faith we have in Jesus is a very special gift and blessing that draws us together, even when we are apart from each other. And so, my friends, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight.” Genesis 31:49

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, being away from the special people in our lives is not always easy. We ask you, Lord, to watch over our loved ones that we are away from right now. Bless our time apart and our special times of reunion. Most of all, thank you for filling our lives with special people whether they are near or far. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Instruction and Knowledge

“Apply your hearts to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.” Proverbs 23:12

This summer our family was able to go to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. There was so much more to NASA than we had ever imagined. There were so many buildings, so many employees, so many different types of technology used.

We had a great time walking around and getting to see rockets, space suits, mission control, and countless treasured memorabilia items. What impressed us the most as we summed up our visit is what an amazing world God created for us to live in.

It’s amazing that God made a world for us that is part of this complex solar system that all works together rotating around the sun in perfect harmony. It’s amazing that God gave some men and women the knowledge of using the materials found on our plant to create technology that has taken us to the moon and beyond.

In today’s verse God encourages us to “Apply our hearts to instruction and our ears to words of knowledge.” Exploring this world and all of God’s creation is such a gift. God gave us this amazing world so that we can always continue to learn. When we learn more about this world, how things work, and just how much we are capable of, we also learn that much more about how amazing our God really is.

As parents we daily see how curious our children are about the world around them. What a blessing it is for us to be able to talk to them about the Love our Heavenly Father has for us to give us such a wonderful place to live. We have the opportunity to help them see how God daily provides for our needs and cares for us.

As amazing as our world is, and as thrilled as we are to see what space travel has to show us about what is there beyond our world, we have even more to look forward to when we will one day see the glory of heaven. Thanks to God’s love for us in sending His Son Jesus to win our forgiveness, in faith we have so much to look forward to seeing and learning in heaven.

Prayer: Dear Father, creator of all our blessings, thank -you for the world that You have given to us. Help us to learn and grow in the knowledge of You through our study of this world. Lead us as parents to guide our children to You as they grow and learn and explore. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Who Will You Serve?

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

A few weeks ago my family and I were privileged with the opportunity to visit my sister-in-law and her husband in Texas. This was the first time that we were able to visit them in their home since they got married two years ago. As we walked into their home the very first thing that I noticed was the words of Joshua 24:15 painted in the entry way. “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Right there for everyone to see was the declaration that they had made for themselves. This household will serve the Lord.

In this text, Joshua is publicly declaring his family’s commitment to serve God in all they say and do. At the same time he is calling for the Israelites to make the same declaration. At the beginning of this verse he says, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” You cannot serve the Lord and false gods at the same time, so Joshua asks them, who will you serve? Thankfully the people of Israel see what Joshua is saying and they make their own commitment to serve the Lord and Joshua makes a covenant for them that they would follow God’s law.

Joshua’s words calling the people of Israel to serve the Lord are God’s Words to us also. We cannot serve the Lord and serve the gods of this world as well. So many families in today’s society do not serve the Lord. To serve the Lord means to put God first in everything that we do and say. As parents, it is our job to make this declaration for our families and it goes well beyond just saying it. It is something that we have to do every day, all day, in all that we do.

This is not always easy to do. Our busy lives and schedules that have us going in many different directions get us distracted. Often we fail, even when we have the best of intentions. It takes daily refocusing and daily declaring our commitment to serve the Lord to help us stay on the right track. Family devotions and time spent in God’s Word are so important in not only acting on that commitment but also in enabling us to follow through with our commitment on a daily basis.

I love that my sister-in-law and her husband have those words painted in large lettering that can’t be missed in their entryway. It not only lets all those who come into their home know of their declaration of commitment, but it also serves as a constant reminder to them. I pray that my family will daily renew that declaration that “we will serve the Lord.” I pray this for your families as well. Who will you serve?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank and praise You that You constantly shower us with Your love and commitment. Help us Lord to always remember to serve You and You alone. Keep us daily in Your Word and help us to avoid the distractions that are all around us. Lord, bless the service that we give in Your name that You may be glorified in all we do. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen.