Month: January 2021

Choosing a Lamp

January 27, 2021
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Yesterday, my husband and I went looking for a lamp for our office. No big deal, right? That’s what I thought at first. I now know that when you buy a lamp it is difficult because you want so many things from it. Style, practicality, low price, long cord and reliability all play a part in the choice. There are so many shapes and sizes and colors that I decided to keep the lamp I have, which is very reliable! I just wanted a new style, I guess, but a lamp’s purpose is way more important than than how it looks.

This thought process leads me to think of the light of Jesus and what the purpose is. Without His light we would be in the dark for sure, leaving us without direction in a dark world. Making right choices of what or who we choose to follow in this world is so vital to our spiritual life! Jesus gives us the assurance that we can have several things: His light to follow, His light that lights the whole world and never-ending reliability. Isn’t it amazing when you think of it? He is the only 100% reliable light that never ends!

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Matthew 8:12 NIV

We NEVER have to walk in darkness. The decision to buy a lamp just dimmed a bit, lol! Buying a lamp just got a whole lot less meaningful and a lot less urgent for me. Something to consider… What do I do with the light He gives me? Do I use it to show others the way to Jesus? Do I shine it on me or on Him? Just being real. It is tempting, only to anyone who is breathing, to take credit, be noticed or draw attention to self. That is the way of the world, to shine upon ourselves, but Jesus wants us to shine out to others. He is our power source! He says…

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

If there was ever a time that people needed light, it is now. Though it’s daunting to think we can shine others to the most wonderful thing in the world, we can!!

Glory point: With Jesus in us, we can affect those who need to know the Lord. The dark of the world is a golden opportunity to shine His light. Pray and then look, today, for an opportunity to brighten someone’s day. Do something unexpected and kind to someone who needs it! I will pray for and look for the same opportunity:)

Dear Lord,

You are so awesome! Thank you for shining the light so we can see. Help us to also share that light to others. Give us inspiration and positivity to be what the world needs. Fill us up to overflowing so we cannot help but spill Your light all over! We love You so much. Thanks for even considering to let us serve You. Amen

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Another Day With Jesus

January 26, 2021

Good Morning! I just sat down to spend time with God and I chose Selah’s music on Spotify to start my morning. The first phrase I heard them sing was, “I will declare His goodness!” What an uplifting way to start another day with Jesus. Thoughts of Him and all that He is, blesses me. I get another day to praise Him. I will declare His goodness! David wrote this declaration:

Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. Psalm 40:5 NIV

My mom always used the phrase, “I declare!” when she felt very strongly about something. She would declare that my bedroom looked like a cyclone hit it or she would declare that she had never seen so many dirty dishes in the sink. Often, her declarations to her four children were out of frustration. However…she also declared that she was in love with Jesus by the way she lived her life. I learned more about who she was after she passed away than I knew while she was alive.

As a kid, I saw my mom as the one who made us go to church and sing specials in church and make us bathe every Saturday night so we were fresh and clean for church. I am sure it wasn’t easy, every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, coralling four kids to eat, get dressed and get to church with Bible and some change for offering. Even if I didn’t realize how she was training us to love Jesus then, I sure do now as an adult. She declared, with her actions, that Jesus was worth all her effort.

So with all that in my heart and mind this morning, I also declare that Jesus is worth it all. Though we will have trials a plenty, we are never alone! Jesus is with us as we spend another day with Him! We can declare that we have never seen so much peace of the kind that He gives. We can declare we have never heard of a more humble and unselfish example of holiness, than His death on a cross. We can declare that we would have never gotten through such a trying week if Jesus hadn’t been there to help us. There are so many things we can declare!

Giving Him glory- It is good to declare what the Lord has done. Think of several things He has done in your life and declare to Him how great He is. Declare that He is Lord of this day, another day to praise Him!

Dear Jesus,

You amaze us, to put it simply. You give peace that defies logic and joy that never ends. You are our best friend and everything else. Thank you for all that you are. It is hard to wrap our minds around it! You give us way more than we deserve and help us even when we forget to include you in tasks of our day. we want to declare that You deserve all the glory, and more, than we can ever declare! Amen

A Good Workout

January 25, 2021

Heavy on my heart this morning is the thought of Jesus coming back and some people not being ready. Not that I am perfect and ready, but definitely working out my salvation each day “with fear and trembling.” I like this phrase that Paul used when talking to the Philippians, because too often it seems like we think of God as our buddy and friend who smiles down on us and just wants us to be happy and do well in life. He is our friend and He wants us to be happy but…He is way more and He expects more.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13

Paul says to WORK OUT our salvation. I do not remember any verse in the Bible saying to sit out our salvation. For many years, that’s what I did. I sat in church, soaked up inspiration for the coming week, read my Bible because I was supposed to and I was nice to everyone. I loved Jesus because He saved me. But, as a teen, I can honestly say I did not work on my salvation very well when it came to getting rid of worldly values.

I was a bit selfish and self-righteous. I was one of those “good girls” and was proud of it. Am I being TOO honest here? I have since learned that following rules is good but God expects more of me, of us. He wants to use us, instead of us just using Him. He even sent His Holy Spirit to help us work out our salvation and to help us work for Him. That still amazes me, because I cannot understand why He would trust us with His holiness in a carnal world. But He does:)

We never have to go it alone! We just have to be willing to work hard and to obey Him when He urges us in a certain direction. That pull or urge to go His direction reminds me of the pull of an orbit. It humbles me to see it like this…if we are the center of our own world, we expect God to revolve around us, to move according to our pull. But…God is the center and we(tiny, tiny little people) revolve around Him, to His pull, His will and His ways. That’s how He meant it to be.

Dear Lord, Thank You for all You do for us and have already done for us. Your blessings are appreciated. Each day is appreciated. We want to work out our salvation as Paul said and we want to make that a normal sort of orbit for us, with You being the center of our lives. we know we cannot do this work alone and we are so glad we do not have to! Thank You for trusting us with Your Holy Spirit in us to work with us, and on us. You thought of everything! We love You! Amen

Love and prayers to all. Have a great Monday:)

Just me. Just His.

Tina

The Overcomer

January 24, 2021

“Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the Earth.” -Jesus. Revelation 3:10 NKJV

Have you been a bit discouraged about current events in the world today? I have too, but Jesus keeps encouraging me! He encourages all of us in His Revelation to John, by challenging us to be an overcomer of our trials. Over and over in the Book of Revelation, Jesus uses this phrase: “to him who overcomes.” We must persevere!

“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:21” NKJV

He compares our trials to His trials? Wow. He must have done that so we will mimic what He did on the cross, persevere to do God’s will. Our trials do not and never will go unnoticed by Jesus. He is not surprised when things occur. He is encouraging us that we have a reward for being “he who overcomes.”

Glory goal for today- Read Jude 1:24-25 but say it in first person as an oath to the Lord. Praise Him!

Now to Him who is able to keep you(me) from stumbling,And to present you(me)faultless
Before the presence of His (Your) glory with exceeding joy, To God our(my) Savior,Who alone is wise,Be glory and majesty,Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

Have a great Son-day! Love and prayers to all you overcomers!

Just me. Just His!

The Cup-Filler

January 23, 2021

Sometimes,like this morning, I feel so full of joy over what God has done, what Jesus purposely suffered for us, that I feel my heart can’t contain the whole of it. All I can do is praise God over and over, because His love and grace keep coming over and over. It is everlasting. He is my power source, my cup-filler and spiller of all that He gives abundantly. I just had to try and express what is in my heart, God’s cup.

The Cup-Filler

My Lord, cup filler and King, Humbly to you I will plead. Please fill the cup in my heart. With all that you know I need. Make me overflow Your Love. Like a River full of rain. Spill me so others will know. I spill what I can’t contain.

May all that’s good, from the Lord, be poured into your heart today:) Love and prayers to all,

Just His:)

Choosing a Buddy

January 22, 2021
Choosing a Buddy

You know how, in grade school, teachers ask students to pick a buddy for a project? Or how about when kids pick classmates to be on their teams? I never thought about it like this before today, but when we choose God, we team up with our buddy, our partner, a co-missionary of sorts, to accomplish something together.

When God told Moses to go back to Egypt and to see the Pharaoh and bring God’s people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt, he was scared. He told God he wasn’t a good speaker and was a bit slow of speech and tongue.

Gods response to Him made me laugh this morning. Here is how God replied to Moses’ excuse:

“Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” Exodus 4:11-12 NKJV

He reminded Moses of his Creator! Prior to this, God had already told Moses every detail about the mission to rescue the Israelites. God told him where to go, who to go see, who to gather together to go with him to Pharoh, what to say to God’s people and what to say to Pharoh. He even gave Moses a few miracles to do, so people would believe he brought a message straight from God!

God is the best buddy we will ever have! Just as He prepared Moses to accomplish His will, He will prepare us also. And… He will not only prepare us but He will go with us! We never go alone.

God will make us prepared partners with Him to do His will. Wow:)

Dear Lord,

How little our faith seems when you ask us to do certain things. But You made us, so You already know what we can do! You see what we do not. Please guide our minds to remember Your goodness and faithfulness over the years, and give us the courage to follow You, wherever, whenever.We love You so much and give You all the glory! Amen

Jesus Prays Too

January 21, 2021

” Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” Matthew 11:25-26 ESV

After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” John 17: 1 NIV

I am reading my Bible this morning and I am fascinated with Jesus’ prayers to God. In the two prayers of Jesus above, He is thanking God and submitting to God. Doing these things and having a vital prayer life with God is not only important for us, but for Jesus too. When we pray we can accomplish amazing things. We can align ourselves with God in the same way Jesus did. He aligned Himself with God through prayer.

Jesus prays to Him, praises Him and acknowledges God’s will. He thanks God in Matthew 11 above, for His will, which places Him in total submission to God. The same happens for us. When we raise up God, we put ourselves in line to do His will. Not on a horizontal, same-plane kind of alignment, but a vertical alignment, beneath Him. Alignment is best accomplished when, in prayer, we talk to our Father as our authority of our lives. We lower ourselves to accept and also seek His plans.

We cannot lift ourselves up, nor are we meant to. It is God’s job to exalt us as He sees fit, IF He sees fit.

Dear Father: We thank You for sending Your Son to be the example for us to follow. We know that all He did was on Your authority. We, also,want to do everything under Your authority. Lead us further and further with You, into a close but vertical position. You are God and we are not. Forgive us when we do things or make decisions without praying about them first with You. We glorify You as King, Father and Lord of all that is in the universe, including us. We love You so much! May You be glorified in all we do today with the day You have given us. Amen

A Much Travelled Highway

January 20, 2021

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30

Imagine the requests from us to God, then imagine how many issues have travelled back and forth from you and Him. It is not unlike tractor trailers that crowd the road to deliver cargo and then return home with the heavy load gone from the truck. Often, a truck returns to home base with something different than it started with, a new load to bring home.

We are kind of like trucks:) With today’s chaos and changes, we need Jesus more than ever. Current events and trials weigh us down, like trucks with heavy cargo. Prayer carries our cargo to Jesus. We send up all of our fears, disappointments, joys, questions, confessions, pleading and all other matters in prayers to Him. The highway between us and Jesus is well traveled. Jesus takes our load then sends back what we need, answers, instruction, guidance, light, discipline and His love, to name a few. We always come away with loads more than we gave. He is a giver.

Jesus lives to give us what we need. He died to give us what we need!

Dear Jesus, Please empty us of our burdens, or give us Your strength to bear them. We know that sometimes You might not take them away because it will help us to grow spiritually. If that is Your will, then we will glorify You in it. Thank you for being the giver that You are and the fact that you will be there whenever we need you, which is forever. We love you so much! Amen

But for the Grace of God

January 19, 2021

My Momma used to say, when she came across the poor or those in desperate circumstances, “But for the grace of God, there go I.” I didn’t understand as a young girl until she explained to me that it is by God’s grace that any of us have what we have. Without God’s grace to be healthy enough to work and God’s grace to bless our effort, we would attain nothing. Everything we have is an expression of God’s grace. He gives us His grace, not because we deserve it, but because He cares and understands.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 ESV

The greatest gift we received, due to God’s grace, is salvation. Out of His love and grace, He sent His sinless Son so we could attain forgiveness of sins. There is no law of man that could ever produce a sin-free heart. It makes sense! Our actions in following laws or being good, for example, do not abolish our sin. Jesus’ actions do! Paul says that if we could attain our own righteousness through the law, then grace would not have had a purpose.

 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. Galatians 2: -21

Giving glory where glory is due… Dear Jesus, Thank You for showing us that the only way to live righteously is to have YOU, the Righteous One, living and working through us. We cannot save ourselves by just being good or following laws. Your grace forgives and changes us! It is our desire to always and fully appreciate what You did on the cross. With Your righteousness in us, help us to give grace to others and love and forgive them. We love You so much! Amen

Love and prayers to all of you,

Just me. Just His

Tina

Who Do We Look Like?

January 18, 2021

Have you ever played dress-up as a child or have you seen children do so? It is so cute! With too-big shoes, glasses or clothes, they walk around trying to act like a parent. They mimic the actions that they have seen their parents do. As children of our heavenly Father, we can look like Him too! Our actions can show others what a loving Father our Lord is. It is our honor and responsibility to imitate parts of His character, like humility, gentleness and patience. Paul gives us this verse:

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:1-2

There is a saying, “You may be the only Bible some ever read.” What this means is…whether we realize it or not, people watch what we do and can learn much about Jesus by the way we behave when we humbly and unselfishly love others, even if they never read a Bible. When we suffer, for one example, it is the way in which we do it that others will notice. Paul suffered with a great attitude. Just as His example helps us. we can set an example for others. Jesus set the best, though most difficult example! Others need to see our heart, His heart. Let’s copy Him!

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV

Glory Goal: Do others see Jesus in you? Would they say you look like your Father in heaven? May He receive all the glory of our actions and may we copy Him better every day.