Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

"Ask"

"Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." John 16:24
   

"Ask, and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." In His last sermon our Savior had much to say about prayer. To our hurrying and forgetful time His words come like a voice from another world. It is certainly true that we do not pray often enough and hard enough. We need to hear His pleading: "Ask, and you will receive."

All truly Christian prayer lives in the shadow of the cross. By His redeeming life and death our Savior has given us the great power to speak to God, confidently, as children speak to their father. Prayer allows the believing heart to draw near to God, to have Him walk with us, to speak to Him, quietly and warmly, at any and every hour, in all the conditions of life. It is one of the highest privileges we have on this side of heaven.

When we pray, we are face to face with the Creator and Ruler of the universe, who holds the stars in their courses and controls the vast distances of space. We speak to Him from all the loneliness and hate and unbelief of this present world. And across all that--the distance of space and sin--we can talk to Him. We can tell Him about the pain in our heart, the disappointment in our life, the hurt of a toothache, or the sorrow of death. There is no greater power and privilege than that. It lifts the roof from life and opens the windows toward heaven. When we pray, we draw as close as we can to our listening and waiting Savior.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Time Out for Prayer"

Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice. Psalm 55:17
   

Scripture urges us to pray without ceasing. We are to have a prayerful mind throughout the day. It is our means of communicating with our Lord. Prayer provides us with an outlet for our anxieties and uncertainties as we present our needs to Him. It also is an avenue for presenting the needs of others to Him. Knowing that He promises to hear and answer our prayers encourages us to be less selfish and more sympathetic towards others.

We have time without number sinned against the holy will of God. Through Christ Jesus, however, God blots out all our transgressions and remembers them no more. That puts our mind at ease. That removes the sting of guilt. Having been restored to a right relationship with God, He invites us to bring our hearts' desires to him in prayer and promises to hear us.

Through our prayers we recognize God's lordship over our lives. We know that God is everywhere, and therefore we know that God is with us wherever we go. Acquainted with every situation of our lives, He is our help in every trouble.

Let us then continue morning, noon, and night to go to our heavenly Father in Christ and receive new strength and continued encouragement to go on in His name.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Life's Purpose"

"I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do." John 17:4
   

Why are we in this world? We are born, we play our part, we die. What is the purpose of this fleeting life? Why are we here? The age of the atom lends emphasis to such questions and fills us with frustration and fear.

The whole tenor of our text tells us that God did not put us on this earth by accident. No one lives unto himself. We are living for God's good, great, and gracious purpose. With Him, life in time leads beyond time. Life on earth prepares for life in heaven.

This is no life in pious idleness. Here also Christ is our example: "I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do." There is purpose enough for any and every follower of Jesus to be able to say in the end: I have completed the work God gave me to do, to work with and for Christ.

God's Son lived on earth in obedience to the Father's will. This will is to save the world. Before He walked to Calvary, our Lord spoke a prayer of farewell for His friends which outlined life's glorious purpose: "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent" (John 17:3). For this mission Jesus lived and died, and in this awesome purpose we are fellow workers with Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

"In Strong Arms"

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27
   

"What thought has been most comforting since the sudden death of your wife?" John replied, "When situations get intolerable, I picture Jesus, the Good Shepherd, carrying a helpless lamb. I know I am that lamb. I know Jesus will carry me." John is a responsible, capable man, but he recognized his need for help and where to get it. Eventually he was able to go on with his useful life, a stronger man for his sorrow.

God's children are not immune from the trials and troubles of the world. We are subject to many of the same griefs that plague all humankind. But we are sure that our loving heavenly Father, who through Christ rescued us from the eternal penalty of our sin, is also concerned about us as we face problems and tragedies.

We can talk over our fears and frustrations with our ever-present, always-listening Lord. His promises give comfort and courage. With the power of His Spirit within us, we can meet the challenges of life with strength and confidence.

The Lord wants us to stand on our own feet, to "stand firm." But we know that when our strength fails, He will carry us through.

[Soldier4Christ]

"God's Time"

When the time had fully come, God sent His Son. Galatians 4:4
   

In the beginning God created time -- days, months, years, centuries. Time is the measure of our lives. "How old are you?" "Can you come over next Saturday?" "How long will it take to do the job?" "How much time do I have, Doctor?"

Sometimes we try to bind God to our time frame. We want an immediate answer to prayer. We can't fit illness or emergency into the time schedule right now. It isn't fair when a life is cut short, we may think. But the Creator of time is above time. He told elderly Abraham and Sarah that He set His own unusual time for them to have a son.

We do need to measure time, to set goals and make good use of the days we have. But we also need to step back and take a look at God's time. In the sweep of eternity the daily pressures don't seem so important. And that's how much time each of us has -- eternity. God sent Jesus (at His perfect time) so that we can live forever with Him.

Some of us will spend more time on this earth than others. Whatever the length, there is enough time to accomplish God's purpose for us. No life is wasted. That purpose becomes clearer as we take time for the Lord's work.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Lord Willing"

"If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:15
   

Many Christians employ the custom of injecting into their future plans, whether in thought, speech, or writing, the symbol "D.v.," an abbreviation for the Latin equivalent of "The Lord willing."

It is a salutary custom. By it we acknowledge that humankind proposes, God disposes. We submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We confess that our times are in His hands.

The apostle James encourages the habit. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, he reminds us. For life is a vapor that appears for a moment and then vanishes. We reach the end of life with unfulfilled dreams and unfinished plans. We can pursue our goals, carry out our plans, and continue our lives only as the Lord wills.

Another day fades into God's eternity tonight. What happened to the goals we set in the new year? What do we expect tomorrow?

Few things are certain. But this we know: that we are enfolded in the everlasting arms of a gracious Father. He has fulfilled His promises. We are still His forgiven children through the grace of Jesus. If our wills have had to be reversed, we know that His good and gracious will prevailed.

[Soldier4Christ]

"God Wants Us to Have Joy"

We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:4
   

At the heart of Christianity is joy. True, we are all sinners, and sin brings sorrow. We see our great loss in sin. We confess that we are "poor, miserable sinners." But that is not all. Our defeat has been brought under the power of the Savior's victory. In Him our sins are forgiven. Through Christ and His sacrifice our whole problem of sin has been solved. Jesus has defeated Satan, who caused sin in the first place. Now Satan has no more power over us. We can go on our way with joy because the sin-bearer is on our side. This is God's promise to all who are sorry for their sins and accept the Savior's forgiveness. God wants us to be sad only to be glad. The final note of the Christian religion is joy. Who can be joyless when they know they have a Savior who has conquered sin, death, and hell?

On the darkest night of His life Jesus prayed that His children might receive His joy. True, there is much sadness and heartbreak in the world. We are all disturbed by what the world has come to. But we must ever cling to what has come into the world through the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have triumph, victory, and joy. God expects every believer to live in joy.

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Greatest Expression"

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
   

The greatest expression of love is giving. Divine love led to the divine gift: "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). By the Spirit's power, we grasp the depth of Christ's love for each and every one of us. It was love that prompted Christ to go to the cross to pay for our sin and the sin of the whole world.

This divine and heavenly love leads us to give to others. The greatest gift we have to share is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the amazing thing is that even if we give it away 10 times each day, we still have it. In fact, the more we give it away, the more we may appreciate it and cherish it for ourselves. God promises that everyone who expresses Christ's love has been born of God and knows God.

Love is giving for the world's needs,
Love is sharing as the Spirit leads,
Love is caring when the world cries,
Love is compassion with Christlike eyes.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Go, Jump into the Jordan"

"Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." 2 Kings 5:10
   

Elisha spoke the above words to the Syrian general Naaman. And they were offensive words to the general. He had traveled a great distance to Elisha, expecting the prophet to spectacularly heal him of his leprosy. But all the man of God told him to do was: "Go jump into the Jordan." Of all the nerve! How on earth can a dip in the muddy Jordan cure a man of leprosy? The outraged general was about to return to his Syrian home in a huff when his servants persuaded him to give it a try. What did he have to lose? So off he went to the Jordan, did as the prophet commanded, and wonder of wonders, he was healed.

The lesson is abundantly clear: God works His wonders in a very unspectacular fashion, in the little things -- in a little land, in a little baby, on a little hill called Calvary, in a little water (Holy Baptism), in a little bread and wine (Holy Communion). In all of this God is great and strong to save, help, and heal.

And think what He can do with just your little faith -- bring you at last into His own presence. Think, too, what He can do with just your little love--heal the hurts of a suffering world.

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Place for Burdens"

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
   

A faithful paraphrase of these words of Saint Peter addressed to recent converts would be: "Lead a life of true humility before the Lord. He will lift you up in due time. Just cast your burdens on Him, for He is very much concerned about you."

The Christian who leads a life of true humility, a life of daily awareness of his or her dependence on the Lord, will know what to do with the inevitable burdens of each day -- the worries, sorrows, and anxieties. The Christian will share them with the Lord, who has declared His personal concern for each believer.

The Scriptures again and again invite us to burden the Lord with our burdens. The psalmist urges: "Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you" (Psalm 55:22). The Savior's entire earthly ministry was an open-armed offer: "Give Me your burdens, and I'll give you My peace." What an offer!

Have we learned to make that exchange in our daily lives? Christ's peace in exchange for our burdens! That offer still stands. All we need do is accept it.

[Soldier4Christ]

"God Turns Sadness into Joy"

Just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2 Corinthians 1:5
   

No matter how deep the grief -- or how heavy the burden and how depressing our loneliness seems -- there is comfort, for in all our afflictions we know that Christ suffered to free us from sin, the greatest affliction. We are never out of the presence of God. His love is immediately at hand, ready to meet every need, to restore our spirits, to heal our minds, to bless us with the peace that passes all understanding.

Yes, God is always near to comfort and to turn sadness into joy. He guides us when we are at a loss to know how to proceed. He holds out His gracious promises when we feel inconsolable, telling us to trust in Him. In His divine, never-failing love He speaks to our sadness or sense of loss. He constantly assures us of His strength, made perfect in our weakness. He sends the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit to be always near us.

Knowing that God never fails His own, we can let go of our fears and sorrows, trusting that under His guidance all things will work together for our good. Thanks to His love in Jesus Christ, we are sustained and comforted.

[Soldier4Christ]

"He Shares the Heavy Load"

"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
   

God's heart often aches, too, just like yours and mine. He is such a caring God that He shares our heavy loads.

We know this because we find it so in the life of Jesus. His heart ached when told about the imprisonment of John the Baptizer, His relative and friend. His heart ached when he reflected on two unrepenting towns, Chorazin and Bethsaida.

His aching heart drove Him to prayer, and strengthened by prayer, He was moved to speak to all who, like Him, experienced an aching heart! "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

The very aching heart of God seen in Jesus, His Son, reaches out to embrace all who likewise hurt, whether over a son or daughter who will not yield to the Gospel or for any who are imprisoned in sin and darkness and will not repent.

And because God's heart aches with us, we who are burdened down are given relief and rest, for we know that He who is able to perform all things is likewise concerned, and we can move our heavy loads onto His broad back. Jesus, our Friend, bears all our sins and griefs.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Resting and Waiting"

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7
   

The secret to good rest is trust. If you don't trust the bed you lie down on, you will not rest very well. If you are vacationing and don't trust those whom you left in charge of your business, your vacation will not be very restful. If you don't trust the baby-sitter, you will find that the night off gave you no rest from stress, but only increased it. Trust is needed for rest.

Waiting on the Lord is the deepest level of trust; indeed, waiting and trusting are nearly synonymous in Scripture. No wonder that being still before the Lord -- resting in Him -- and waiting for Him are linked together in this psalm. One becomes rested as one waits on God. How is that? Well, waiting on the Lord implies that you trust that He can deal with what you give Him. If it is an enemy, He can take care of him. If it is a problem, He has the solution. If it is something pressing on your heart, He has the relief from every burden, help for every need, and strength for every occasion. He offers forgiveness to those who trust in Jesus' redeeming merit.

We are urged to put these concerns, burdens, and needs into His hands. Then we can sit back and wait. And we might as well enjoy the rest while we are waiting.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Too Impatient!"

Wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
   

One of the hardest things to do in life is to wait. However, there are times when this is all we can do. We are hospitalized and must spend days, even weeks, waiting for strength and health to return. We are unemployed and have applied for work everywhere possible, and now can only wait. We seek to win loved ones to the Lord, and having spoken to them many times, we must wait. It is so hard to wait. It seems so useless. We wish there were something active that we could do. We become impatient.

We need the advice David gives: "Wait for the Lord." Just plain waiting is a waste of time. But "waiting for the Lord" is never misspent time. This means that we are to place ourselves, our life, and our problems into His hands. We can do this because we know He is interested in our well-being. He showed this in the sending of His Son, Jesus, to give His life for our eternal salvation. Knowing that God loves us that much, we can confidently place all our life in His hands and wait for His will to be done.

Here is the cure for our impatience. Remembering God's love for us in Jesus Christ, we can say, "Your will be done," and can know that His will is always a good and gracious will toward us. Then we can patiently "wait for the Lord." He does all things well.

[Soldier4Christ]

"A Great Feeding"

They all ate and were satisfied. Mark 6:42
   

What a miracle! In a remote place Jesus blessed five barley loaves and two fish. The crowd was fed, and 12 baskets full of scraps were gathered.

But for many this was no doubt not the greatest "feeding" of the day. Many had followed the master to a remote spot. Then Jesus fed them with His Word. Their hunger to hear was so great that nothing mattered -- not time, place, or physical needs. They wanted to be nourished by the Word and have their spiritual hunger and longing filled. Jesus, the promised Savior, did just that. They saw His saving love in action. The Messiah was to feed His flock like a shepherd. They knew the joy of a promise fulfilled.

What is your need today? Jesus is there to multiply your joys and diminish your sorrows. His miracle of feeding can be great for you. He promises to still the hunger of those who long for what He has to offer: forgiveness, peace, salvation, the life in Him. He is there to fill their inner emptiness. He brings the sure hope of heaven to those who are seeking fulfillment and purpose in life.

Are you hungry? Are you seeking? Feed on Jesus, and you will find eternal satisfaction. Come to the Bread of life, and your spirit will hunger no more.