I'm Amazed

 

Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And He said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified.  He is risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him.”  Mark 16:5 

Sometimes, especially with the arrival of fall, the wonderful and exciting news of the risen Christ, which is celebrated during the spring at Easter, can seem like a distant and fading memory.  The daily grind of life and our normal daily routines often dull our senses which cause us to forget just how amazing it is that our Lord and Savior conquered the grave.

On my morning jog, I noticed the bright rays of the morning sun breaking through the October clouds and it made me ponder how truly awesome our God is.  The disciples must have felt defeated, alone, and scared over the course of the three days between the crucifixion and the morning they went to check the tomb, especially Peter, who had denied Christ three times before Jesus’ death.

Just think for a moment how the disciples must have felt when they rolled away the stone and found an empty grave…thanks be to God!!!

Joy and Happiness

 

How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands.  Psalm 112:1

 

Just as a friendly reminder, happiness is a fleeting emotion that is based on our circumstances, while joyfulness is much deeper and comes from the assurance of knowing that God loves us. 

We need to remember that there is no passage of scripture where we are promised happiness in God’s Word.  However, God promises us something far greater-joy.  If you trust Him, and you know that the God of the universe loves you, and wants to have a relationship with you, and He has promised an eternal future for you, then you can be joyful too.

This kind of joy is not temporary and fleeting and runs much deeper than happiness, because it’s not based on your circumstances. How is your life characterized?  Is it by joy or happiness?

Depending On You

 

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Ephesians 6:10

One of the reoccurring missteps I make as a Christian is becoming way too self-reliant after experiencing a little success.  This mistake is one that is easy to make as a believer in the body of faith, as it is totally unnatural to live in total dependence on God. Think about how many self-help books you can find at any given bookstore...placing dependence on God goes against everything that the world tells us we need to do.

The truth of the matter is that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle while we are here on this earth; life will be a struggle until we draw our last breath and spend eternity in heaven.

The number one rule of engagement in our spiritual battle is to draw our strength from God.  While it seems simple, our natural default mode is to depend on ourselves and not on Him.

We must prepare and equip ourselves daily by prayer and staying grounded in His Word. If we are to bear spiritual fruit, we cannot rely on our own limited resources and strength; we must tap into God's never-ending strength and resources and essentially die to ourselves.

It's the only way we can win and survive; be strong in His mighty power!!

Enjoy The Silence

 

He makes me lie down in fresh, tender green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters.  Psalm 23:2

Every fall, particularly Q4 in the employee benefits arena, things move at the speed of light.  Most employers want their benefit plans to start and renew at the beginning of the fiscal year and our work load has increased exponentially this year with many employers facing double digit rate increases on their group medical renewals paired with the continued implosion of the industry due to failed ACA regulations, so needless to say, I have felt a bit overwhelmed at work recently... 

Being so busy, it’s hard for me to even imagine the “still and restful waters” mentioned in the above Psalm.  Regardless, I know that the “still waters” are where I need to go to truly begin to find quiet rest and the strength that I need to face the pressures of life.

The “still waters” are healing waters that are available to all believers at any place or any time, but rarely do we ever go there.

The next time you are feeling the need to find rest for your soul, let everything get quiet and enjoy the beauty of solitude, if only for a few moments.  We can learn more in moment of silence than we ever possibly could in all of the noise of the world.

Spend more time in the still waters and enjoy peace and rest for your soul.