As I sat with my grandson several years ago, I was singing this old familiar song, Jesus Loves Me.   I have sung that song so many times to all my grandchildren, as well as my own children when they were young.  It is a simple tune and has easy words, but the impact of this song has a powerful truth.  This song has been sung by children and parents all around the world.

Anna Warner wrote these words in 1860.  It was written for a man who was comforting a dying child.  William Bradbury set the words to music in 1861.

“Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so; little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong.  Yes, Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me!  The Bible tells me so.”

What an awesome truth.  It would do us adults good to sing that song often and be reminded of the incredible love of God toward us.  Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation or distress, persecution or famine, nakedness, peril or sword?  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor anything present, nor things to come, nor height, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus loves you!!  Do you know this powerful truth?  I mean in the very depth of your soul, do you really know?

Joy

Phyllis

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Every time we turn on the TV, radio, or read the newspaper there is more alarming news.  There is so much going on in the world today to cause fear and worry. Fear of failure, fear of the future, loss of jobs, loneliness, overwhelming debt, and so on, and so on we could go.  However, the Word of God says not to fear.  The Bible says not to let your heart be anxious.  Fear is a real emotion, but God gave us our emotions and with that gift, I believe, He can control them by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is certainly not to say that He doesn’t use doctors, but truly God is the great Deliverer.

Given that every believer is alive in Christ and our souls are in union with the Father, why do we struggle with anxiety and fear?  In his book, “Freedom from Fear,” Neil Anderson states that the answer is two fold. “First, in a positive way, a certain amount of fear is essential for our safety and survival. Secondly, in a negative sense, our minds are programed to live without God.  Everything that we have learned before we became Christians is still in our memory bank, and there is no DELETE button.” The worry-some problems are everywhere and constantly assaulting our mind.   That is why Paul said in Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (By replacing what is of the old life with what is of your new life in Christ.)

Renew your mind in the truth of Bible scriptures and remind yourself that the God of this universe is your Father.  He created all things and in Him all thing consist.  God is covenant keeping and knows the end from the beginning.  The Lord is our Peace, our Counselor, and He is the Lord that will provide.  Ask Him to show you Himself as your “Strong Tower” in which you can run when fear assaults your mind and heart. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I now give you; not as the world gives do I give you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

Joy,

Phyllis

Proverbs 73:23 “Nevertheless, I am continually with Thee.”

When I first read that verse I misread it and said to my self, “the Lord is always with us.”  As I read it again, I realized that was not the way it read.  David had come to the place where he really “knew” deep in his being that in every situation he was continually with the Lord.  He did realize his own failing, but by a glorious outburst of faith, he sings, “nevertheless I am continually with Thee.”  To live in the victory that Jesus has provided us in salvation, we also must by faith “know” (that deep revelation from God revealed to our inward parts) that we are continually with Christ.

We face so many trials and obstacles in life on this earth that sometimes we have to keep reminding ourselves as David did.  “Nevertheless, I am continually with Thee.” Since I belong to Christ, I am continually with God.  I am continually on His mind, He is always thinking of me for my good.  The eye of the Lord never sleeps, but is perpetually watching over my welfare.

As life brings the hard times,  as we are tempted to think that we are so far away from our heavenly Father’s presence, remember this verse: “Nevertheless, I am continually with Thee.” Rest in that truth that if we have received His Son, Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God is continually with us,  but we are also continually with Him.

Joy,

Phyllis

“Said I not unto thee, that, if thou would believe, thou should see the glory of God?”      John 11:40

Truly, what we believe affects our thinking, attitudes, and actions.  If I asked you,  if you believe in prayer,  most would answer, “Yes, of course I do!”  However, many have gotten so busy that very little time is spent  praying.  Anything that we say we believe and don’t do is proof that we don’t really believe.  Believe is the verb form of the noun faith.  When we are on the mountain with God it is easy to say, “Oh, yes, I believe God can do it;” but when we have to come down into the demon possessed valley of trials, that is when our faith is really tested.  Every time my belief system is clear in my mind, I come across something that contradicts it.  What I do in those moments tells what I really believe.  I might say, “I know God will supply all my needs,” then I run dry, with no bright outlook in the future, will I go through the trial of faith, or slip back into unbelief?

Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into personal possession only through conflict.  The testing will either prove that our faith is right, or it will kill it.  The final word is, “Can I really trust Jesus, and His Word to be true?” Faith in God means that we would never dream that He would not stand by us and do what He has promised.

Joy

Phyllis

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Thank God in everything )no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks, for this is the will of God for you (who are) in Christ Jesus (the Revealer and Mediator of that will). Amplified Bible

I don’t know about you,  but sometimes this is so hard to do.  In fact in our own strength it is impossible to do.  I am convinced that in Christ,  we do now have a choice to “praise God in all things.”  Our heavenly Father would never ask us to do anything that He had not already provided the source to accomplish it through the power of the Holy Spirit. So the real question becomes, will we choose by an act of our will,  to “thank God” in all things?  When I realized that I do not have to understand or have all the answers to what is going on in my life, I am to surrender to my loving heavenly Father and trust Him, then I could with tears running down my face or sometimes my heart broken, “thank Him.”

Max Lucado in one of his devotional books tells this story about when he was a little boy. ” As a child I loved to be pushed in the swing.  Dad and I would go to the park.  Oh,  how I loved to go high.  Push me higher, I would yell.

One 4th of July, my family was having a family reunion at the park.  I was swinging as usual.  I asked my Dad if he would push the swing, however, he said that he was busy and had my cousin push me.  No!  I didn’t like that one bit.  I really wasn’t sure I could trust my cousin.  I knew I could trust my Dad.  That reminds us of the event in Matthew 8 where great fear had gripped the disciples in a storm, yet Jesus was asleep in the bottom of the boat.  How?  Jesus knew His Father was in control.

You can “thank God in all things” when you know that He is pushing the swing of your life.”

Thank you Max Lucado for these wonderful life illustrations.

Joy

Phyllis