OVERLOOKED

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 Going to keep it short, familiar and simple today…

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” ― Aesop

1 Corinthians 15:58 says, Throw, yourself into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.  A good action brings God’s attention.

He notices the actions of his servants.

He sent his Son to be one!

And when you reach out and offer HOPE and POSSIBILITIES to the overlooked discarded and the damaged, you EXTEND JESUS. 

Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me - Matt. 25:40 MSG.

We can do that.

Even if our sweet spot of activity or life has nothing to do with encouraging others, the cure for the common life involves loving the overlooked.  

You will encounter them today, I promise.  On my trip to the store last night for my requisite milk and cookies here in DC I was given the opportunity to participate in a WHOLE FOODS effort to help disenfranchised women in this area.  And on the walk home the LORD sent another who most certainly felt invisible.

I don’t say that to draw attention to me, but to the pervading need.

So, what do you say today?

Serve another in love? (Galatians 5:13)

My dear wife Dr. Delaney is about to head a non-profit dedicated to just that!

It won’t be a waste of time or effort.  

It will be a life-changer!

For the one you serve and you as well!

Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life

    and see the day fill up with good,

Here’s what you do:

    Say nothing evil or hurtful;

Snub evil and cultivate good;

    run after peace for all you’re worth.

God looks on all this with approval,

    listening and responding… 1 Peter 3:9 (MSG)

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Love all of you

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE

JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. ― Oswald Chambers

Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. – Proverbs 3:5-6 (TPT)

Ever been there?

Knowing GOD is up to something, but you can’t “see it”, you can’t see the target?

Been forced to trust?

I know you have.

Case in point.  Yesterday I spent the afternoon traveling to and spending time in the Columbus airport with a dear friend.  She is in the middle of some “stretching”. And while her faith is solid and her resolve unquestioned, there is still a little apprehension about where the “archer” is aiming.

Then we disembark from the plane in Washington DC and GOD reminds her that HE HAS HER like always.  It was a little “funny” to be honest, a little surreal. He even painted a beautiful sunrise for her this morning from her room up the street to reinforce.

But if you know my friend, this sort of thing happens to her a lot.  She most certainly has an aura of FAVOR around her.  And because I know her to be doggedly obedient, I am excited to watch how she handles the “strain” knowing that where GOD is aiming, and her future trajectory will be most amazing. (Ephesians 3:20)

But what about you today?

Are you too being stretched a little?

I am. Almost daily.  GOD keeps plopping me into some pretty “cool” things, but they are sometimes INTIMIDATING as well.  And there has been more than one occasion when I’ve looked back at “the ARCHER” to question Him.

Yet, I think what Oswald and Solomon are reminding us today is that when it comes to GOD, the JUICE will always certainly be worth the squeeze if you will.

We can trust Him.

His planned trajectory is on target.

And while the strain can be unpleasant, once launched it will always be remarkable.

Charles Swindoll said it this way…

“We must… trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn't come naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith.” ― Swindoll Charles R.

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Love all of you

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE

BLESSED ASSURANCE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Well it was “Back to Bowersville” yesterday. For those who are not caught up on your OFH’s, my pop has been a little puny of late.  The good news is they are starting to “figure out” what is ailing him.  Continue to pray for him as he heads out to the doctor again as I am penning this. 

But because of his recent incapacitation, I have been heading up to lead some “good old fashioned” worship with the dear folks at this little country church. 

And while we don’t crack the hymnal, they sure do love them.  

Case in point yesterday when we sang BLESSED ASSURANCE together.

Blessed Assurance’s lyrics were written in 1873 by blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby to music written by Phoebe Knapp.

The story goes that Crosby was visiting her friend Phoebe Knapp as the Knapp home was having a large pipe organ installed. The organ was incomplete, so Mrs. Knapp, using the piano, played a new melody she had just composed. When Knapp asked Crosby, "What do you think the tune says?", Crosby replied, "Blessed assurance; Jesus is mine."

And that turned to this…

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels descending, bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,

I in my Savior am happy and blest;

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long.

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long.

As I prepared to lead the song, I was drawn to share this passage from 1 John 4:13 (TPT) he has given us his Spirit within us so that we can have the assurance that he lives in us and that we live in him.

And because of that, we are HEIRS, we are BOUGHT, we have endless HOPE, we are BLESSED, and we are filled with GOODNESS and LOVE.

WOW!

The point today is this, if you are a little rickety in your faith of late, feeling unsure, be reminded of these remarkable lyrics penned by a blind author.

Jesus IS YOURS!

You have been granted BLESSED ASSURANCE of that!

and…Even if father and mother abandon, the Lord will hold you close. 

Psalm 27:10 (NLT)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_wpeGnXq4g

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Love all of you

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE