Appointments

Greetings!!!

Do you make appointments? What kind of appointments do you make--doctor, dentist, or hairstylist. Do you schedule time to meet a friend or to do a job interview? Are you careful to keep your appointments? Do you know the prophet Daniel kept appointments. His most precious and most costly appointments were his times with the Father.

Daniel 6 gives all the details. I will only give you a few of the verses here. To give you some background, King Darius appointed 120 men to rule throughout the kingdom. Daniel was appointed to one of three leading positions. These jealous men tried to find Daniel doing something wrong but could not. Vs. 5 "Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." So they set up Daniel by going to the king with a request that for thirty days it would be illegal to pray to anyone but the king. Vs. 8-11 "Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered--in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." So King Darius put the decree in writing. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree."

How did these men know when to go catch Daniel defying the king's decree? They knew he set apart time to pray every day. If you were in a position like Daniel, would  people, jealous of your position, be able to find anything wrong in your life. If they wanted to bring a charge against your faith in God, would they find enough evidence to come up with a charge? Would they know when to catch you in the act of your service to God? You may not be able to set apart three times each day to pray, but of the 1,440 minutes in each day, can you not make a thirty minute appointment to be with the only wise God, the Creator of the universe, the lover of your soul?

The LORD bless you with realizing what truly matters... your relationship with Him.

I love you,

Ruth

Rest

Greetings!!!

Have you ever sat down to spend time with the Lord, gotten quiet, and then fallen asleep? That happened to me yesterday. I was so sound asleep that I did not even hear when my son Thomas got up to start school, and he let me sleep. It was such a good sleep. 

The Lord spoke Matthew 11:27-30 to me. "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; an YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."

Are you finding yourself weary and struggling with the load you have to bear? Do you get up in the morning and feel like you have not rested? Does it feel like everyday one more thing is added to your bundle of cares? Are you wondering if you can take the next step to continue on this journey? Jesus says, "Come to Me." When was the last time you went to Him and told Him all about your journey and your load. Even if it seems that no one wants to hear about your concerns, Jesus will listen. Jesus will care. Jesus will give you rest, but you must come.

The LORD bless you with stopping your busyness and taking the time to "Come." 

I love you,

Ruth

Not Especially Handsome

Greetings!!!

What do you think Jesus looked like... a handsome Brad Pitt kind of guy... a muscular body builder like Arnold Swartzeneger? Although I suspect that as carpenter Jesus was probably quite muscular and not a wimp, from the Isaiah 53 I do not believe that He was especially attractive.

"Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought GOD's saving power would look like this? The servant grew up before God--a scrawny seeding, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look. He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away.  We looked down on him, thought he was scum. But the fact is, it was our pains he carried--our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us, We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him--our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed." from The Message

Do you feel like one of the less beautiful people in this place? Are you one of the not so popular crowd? Do you wonder if you will ever fit in, if you will ever be accepted? Do you feel like people do not even see you, and if they do that they do not care who you are?  Are you lonely? This may not be a comfort, but Jesus knows how you feel. He walked this earth rejected by the very people He came to save. His own brothers and sisters treated Him badly. They thought He was crazy and needed to be suppressed. Are you feeling like you do not belong? Are you like Abraham a sojourner, a pilgrim searching for home? Are you like Albert Brumley who penned, "This world is not my home, I'm just passing through... And I can't feel at home in this world anymore."

As a child of God, you do not belong here, but you do have a work to do here until He comes to take you home. You are so valuable to the kingdom of God. You are so precious to Jesus. You are such a threat to the forces of darkness. So, no matter how you feel, or how you think you fit in or don't fit in, wherever you are, Jesus has a plan and purpose for your life just the way you are. He made you the way you are. He put you where you are. He placed you in this time. His desire is for you to be what He created you to be... His salt and light to this lost and dying world. Look around. You are special. Delight in God's delight in you.

The LORD bless you with rejoicing in who God made you to be.

I love you,

Ruth