Debbie Taylor Williams

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Dreary days. Gray skies. They can make us feel gloomy. The death of loved ones or estrangement from family or friends weigh heavily on our hearts. On what can we focus in those times? Malachi 4:2 tells us.  “…for you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.” What does that mean? Theologian Charles Spurgeon explains:  “Jesus, like the sun, is the center and soul of all things, the fullness of all good, the lamp that lights us, the fire that warms us, the magnet that guides and controls us; he is the source and fountain of all life, beauty, fruitfulness, and strength.”  Jesus is called the Sun of Righteousness because on the most dreary of days, when we are gloomy and despairing, we can ask Him to fill us with His Spirit and shine in our hearts and minds.

We praise You, SUN of RIGHTEOUSNESS, and look to You to enlighten and quicken us to holy surrender and fruitfulness.

*http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/1020.htm

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There are times we’re called to do something we’d prefer not to do it. Perhaps for you, it’s a medical procedure. For a tired mom, it may be changing another diaper. A worker may wish they could stay in bed rather than go to work. Then, there are those excruciatingly painful occasions when we may be called to help with an intervention, or change the lock on a door to keep an abusive person out of the home. But, only one person has known the great sacrifice of dying on the cross so mankind could be saved. Jesus asked His Father for a way other than the cross, but when it was the only way, submitted His will to His Father. Is there something you don’t want to do or perhaps want to do that is contrary to God’s will? What will you do…what your Heavenly Father asks of you or what you prefer to do?

Lord Jesus, thank You for modeling being submissive to the Father’s will for the ultimate good of all. We love and praise You. 

“He went a little beyond them and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’” Matthew 26:39

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Have you ever been lost? Perhaps you took a wrong turn in the road and didn’t know how to get to your desired destination. As bad as that is, what’s worse is to be spiritually lost, which is how Jesus describes us prior to our salvation.  We were so lost that there was no one who could help us except Jesus. In Luke 19:10, Jesus describes Himself as the Son of Man who came to seek and to save the lost – us.  In other words, Jesus left heaven’s glory to come for us. Jesus did what no one else could do. Through the virgin birth of Mary by the Holy Spirit, Jesus was born, the Son of Man, to seek and to save our lost souls so we could be reunited to our Heavenly Father. What good news. Is there someone we need to go looking for, someone with whom we could share the good news and invite them to church with us?

All praise to You, Lord Jesus, Son of God, SON of MAN, for seeking and saving us when we were lost.  We love and adore You.

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

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Things aren’t always as they appear. Just you wait and see. For instance, Jesus had no earthly possessions, wasn’t married, and when arrested, His friends abandoned Him. He was lied about, mocked, and beaten almost to death.  Mark 14:61 records the high priest questioning Him prior to crucifying Him,  “‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’” How incongruous. Blessed? Yet, Jesus was and is the Son of the Blessed One. So, when we think about our lives or circumstances, they may not seem to add up to our being the “blessed child of God.”  But that is who we are. Things aren’t always as they seem. Just you wait and see.

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Christ, SON of the BLESSED ONE, and for the blessings You’ve promised us.

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Are you concerned about shifting views about the Bible and Jesus Christ? If so, take comfort. Jesus is who He says He is – the solid Rock, truth, and Savior. We can build our lives on Him and His Word. As a matter of fact, in Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus says we’re wise if we do. Listen to His counsel. “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” Yes, friend, we are wise to build our lives on Jesus and His teachings.  

Last year the world was sickened and shocked by the horrifying confirmation that Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi had been confirmed dead after being tortured in a Saudi consulate.  Can you, would you, expect to see him walking around and eating with family and friends after confirmation of his death? No, of course not. Does that help better grasp why people didn’t believe Jesus was alive after they had seen His torturous scourging and crucifixion? Matthew 28:6  gives the shocking angelic announcement of Jesus’s resurrection to Mary as she stood outside Jesus’s empty tomb. “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.” In addition to Mary and the disciples seeing the resurrected Christ, more than  500 eye witnesses saw Jesus after His resurrection from the dead. The grave couldn’t hold Jesus because He is life. He breathes His eternal life into everyone who acknowledges they are a sinner and asks forgiveness in His, the RISEN ONE’s name. With whom might we share this good news?

RISEN LORD, we celebrate Your victory over death and worship You.  

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Do you think God expects you to be superman or super woman? Here’s some good news. God doesn’t expect us to keep going and going and going without rest. God doesn’t expect us to be like an energizer bunny. He knows that we will become depleted and that we need restoration. Psalm 23:3 says, “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Sure,  Red bull drinks and other caffeinated drinks may give a temporary kick or a burst of energy. But, it’s the daily refreshment in God’s presence that provides ongoing restoration to our souls. When your battery is running low, find your Bible. You’ll experience the restoration for which you long in God’s presence.