Sep

2

Absolutely Nothing

By Jan Ross | Leave a Comment


Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with challenges we as a family face.  The burden parents and grandparents bear can just about paralyze us as we struggle to maintain our focus and trust in God.  Many of you understand this kind of burden; many of you are walking through similar circumstances.

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1).

We need to be reminded that our omnipotent Lord is able to do anything; there is nothing too difficult for Him. The rankest sinner is able to be saved; the filthiest life is able to be cleansed. The lowest depression is able to be lifted; the highest mountain is able to be climbed. The most difficult situation is able to be resolved; the most rebellious life is able to be redeemed.  There is NOTHING too difficult for Him.

The next time you feel overwhelmed with life’s burdens, or if you think you’ve strayed too far or failed Him one too many times, remember His arm cannot be shortened. Remember His mercy endures forever. Remember His blood is all-powerful and its purifying power is total and complete.

Finally, remember His ear is never too heavy to hear your prayer.  He will never turn a deaf ear to you. He has the answer—He IS the answer for all our problems. Our omnipresent Lord is in the midst of each situation before we even know there IS a “situation”.

As you think about Isaiah 59:1 today, take a moment to thank the Lord for His overwhelming love and mercy, and His tender care.  Regardless of what things look like to us, nothing is too difficult for Him … absolutely nothing.

Father, so many times we find ourselves ashamed to approach You because we have allowed circumstances of life to cloud our vision and challenge our trust.  Forgive us for “shortening” Your hand.  Father, thank You for your overwhelming love and mercy . . . thank You for Your tender care . . . thank You that there is nothing too difficult for You.  Amen.

“Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee” (Jeremiah 32:17)

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Sep

1

When OOPS Happen

By Julie B Cosgrove | Leave a Comment


 But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!”   Psalm 38:15-16

Years ago before the Christian Rock Band DC Talk went their separate ways, they sang a song asking what would happen if  their fans witnessed them stumble and fall in their walk with the Lord.  How often do people watch Christians with a jaundice eye, just waiting for them to mess up and not “be perfect”.

But we aren’t perfect,  are we? Otherwise, we wouldn’t need a Savior in our lives. Bumper stickers, back in my college Jesus Freak days of the ’70’s when some of us refused to join the Hippie generation, said, ” I’m not perfect. God isn’t finished with me yet.”   We underwent a bit of ridicule and persecution then because we had different morals.  I felt so much pressure to be good, and behave well, until one day one of my college buds said to me that he wanted to know more about my Jesus because I was the first believer he knew who was a “real” person. He had seen me in times of stress and happiness, in times of surety and in times of doubt, but never losing sight of God, or rather never believing He lost sight of me.

We will stumble, our foot might slip. But the difference is we know our Lord will catch us, brush off our scraped knees, hold us tight and comfort us. He will see us through the consequences and even teach us a valuable lesson. But more than that, He will forgive us. 

Psalm 121:3 says “He will not let your foot slip–he who watches over you will not slumber . . .”  Is this a contradiction?  I don’t think so.  If we walk that closely with Him and not veer off onto our own slippery slope, He will make our feet as sturdy as a deer’s on high places.  But, of course, we are human. That slope beckons us. If, and when it does, we can wait on the Lord to come to our rescue, again.  We can confess, and go on, not wavering in our resolve that the Lord of All loves us and died on the Cross so we could be forgiven.

That is the message for those who watch and wait for the “oops” in our lives. That is our witness to the world, until the day comes when God has perfected us in Christ for all eternity.

for more devotionals on the Psalms, please consider purchasing SONG NOTES through Amazon.com.
 It is dedicated to this website.

Sep

1

The Mystery is Solved

By Jan Ross | Leave a Comment


Have you ever wondered why God “chose” you?  Most of us have, at one time or another in our lives, gone through a time in our walk that we really wondered why on earth God would choose us to be His children.  We see ourselves as so insignificant that it’s hard to understand why the God of the Universe, the Most High, Almighty, Sovereign, El Elyon, El Shaddai would choose ‘me’ to serve Him.

Look closely at this verse:  “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servants whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, and will there be one after me.”  (Isaiah 43:10)

Why has He chosen you?  “… so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.”  That’s why He chose you; that’s why He chose me.  So we will KNOW Him and BELIEVE Him and UNDERSTAND that He is God.

The word “know” in this verse is the Hebrew word “yadha”.  It is an ancient term which encompassed a very personal level of familiarity and was often used to depict the close relationship between a husband and wife.  One of the greatest reasons you are on this planet is to learn to KNOW God intimately and with reverent familiarity.  God wants us to KNOW Him so He chose us to reveal Himself to us.

But, there’s more.  He not only wants us to KNOW Him but to BELIEVE Him.  To believe Him is to trust Him and in order to trust Him we must know Him.  The Hebrew word for “believe” is “aman” which means to be firm, to be enduring, to trust.

The “trust issue” with God is a monumental problem in the lives of most Christians.  We know the promises of God and yet we don’t trust God to fulfill His promises.  Why?  Because we don’t KNOW Him intimately; we don’t know Him to be trust worthy on the level of knowing as described in this verse.  We cannot trust someone we do not know; conversely, if we know someone to be trustworthy, we will trust them.

Finally, the third reason God has chosen us is to UNDERSTAND that He is God.  How can we understand that He is God?  By knowing Him and believing Him; by allowing Him to reveal Himself to us through His Word.

We cannot KNOW God on this level by a short devotional like this delivered in your email or posted on a board.  To know God on this level requires diligence to become intimately acquainted with His Word.  His Word is the written record of who He is, revealing to us His personality, His character, His plan, His purposes, and His love for us.

Study the Word. Develop an insatiable hunger and thirst for the Living Word.  Don’t allow anything else this world can offer satisfy you.  Learn who Your God is and He will reveal Himself to you in ways you never dreamed possible; He will manifest Himself to you through diligent study of His Word.

The mystery is solved. You have been chosen to KNOW Him, to BELIEVE Him, and to UNDERSTAND that He is God. Don’t wait another day. Set your mind to search the Word diligently. There isn’t a more satisfying and fulfilling goal known to mankind.

Father, show me how to study Your Word; give me a hunger and a thirst for the Living Word.  Open my heart to seek after You diligently through Your Word, so I can KNOW You and BELIEVE You and UNDERSTAND that You are who You say You are.  Lord, I confess that I NEED more of You.  Lead me to the never-drying fountain that more than satisfies my thirsty soul!  In Jesus’ name, amen and amen.

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

Aug

31

Clean Hands

By Julie B Cosgrove | Leave a Comment


I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord  Psalm 26:6

I grew up as a tomboy.  I wish I had a dollar for each time my mother called out when she heard me coming in as I banged the screen door, “Julie, go wash your hands.” I’d be retired by now and lounging on a Carribean island!  I hated to take the time to wash my hands. What as a little dirt? She’d cluck her teeth and say, “Clean hands make a clean heart.”   Sure enough, when it was time for  me to be the mother of a little boy who liked to be outside, I became just like her, calling out each time he came in the house, “Go wash your hands.”

Clean hands not only ward off diseases, they are a sign of respect. Who wants to shake hands with someone who has dirty hands? In order to establish a right relationship, before we want to touch someone else, we’d prefer they be clean, right?  God requests the same from us.

Remember Pilate washed his hands can claimed himself innocent of Jesus’ death? That is where we get the saying, “I wash my hands of this matter.” Ceremonial washing was common in the ancient world. You wanted to appear clean before God.  In many denominations, before preparing the Communion at the altar, ministers and priests still do that. They use a lavabo bowl and towel. Lavabo means wash. 

Before we come to God’s altar (into His presence), we must be washed of our sins.  That is why confession in our prayer life is so vastly important. It cleans the slate. Christ, through His sacrifice, can wash away our sins, but we need to present them. he acts as the soap, but we must stick our hands under the faucet, so to speak.  If we don’t confess, if we do not approach God with a clean heart, He will know, and so will we.  True, honest and meaningful relationships cannot be based in lies or hidden secrets. In fact, deep down, we know we cannot hide anything from God. Our unconfessed wrongdoings become the 6 ton gorrilla in the room we  are trying to ignore. It’s like having dirty hands. We want to hide them behind our back.

So, before you approach the altar of God on you knees, go wash your spiritual hands, i.e., your heart. Cleanliness is next to godliness, right? My mother always said that, too.

Aug

31

What a Day That Will Be

By Jan Ross | Leave a Comment


“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28)

Allow the depth of this verse to sink in. Jesus died, not for his own sins, but for yours and mine. His punishment was unearned by him, but yet he stood in our place and received the very thing that was meant for us. He became sin so that we could have life. And as if that wasn’t enough, he died one time for all of us. His sacrifice never had to be repeated; it was more than sufficient to atone for the sins of all mankind.  No more blood of bulls and lambs. The blood of the Spotless Lamb was sacrificed once and for all.  Our Great High Priest sprinkled the altar once and for all with the blood of the pure sacrifice.  “It is finished!”  The work of atonement is done.

Now, we have hope—we have a glorious hope to see him return once again in all his majesty to take His people, those who look for His return, unto Himself.

This song by Jim Hill puts everything in perspective this morning!  Take a moment out of your busy morning and consider just What a Day That Will Be:

Click Here to Listen

What a Day That Will Be
Jim Hill

There is coming a day when no heartaches shall come
No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye
All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

Chorus:
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

There’ll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear,
No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there;
And forever I will be with the One who died for me,
What a day, glorious day that will be.

Chorus:
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see,
And I look upon His face,
The One who saved me by His grace;
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be
What a day, glorious day that will be.

Father, as I consider your unselfish sacrifice of love, all I can say is thank you!  Thank You for sprinkling me with the atoning blood of the Sacrifice Lamb, for Your ministry of reconciliation wherewith I have been reconciled to You by the blood of the Perfect and Spotless Lamb.  Oh Lord, I anticipate your return more every day. As I look and yearn for your coming, I can only imagine what a glorious day that will be. My soul thirsts after you. I need You. I want to see You. I want to be with you forever and ever and ever, amen!

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

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