A Hard Fightin' Soldier

      Two nights ago I was having a wonderful night.  We just finished the monthly ladies' devotional at our congregation.  My mom and I lingered for a while talking with the hostess and enjoying a little extra fellowship.  As we said our final good byes, I looked at my phone and suddenly the night began to change.  
      I often mention my prayer group.  I am honored to be part of that group of very faithful and wonderful Christian women.  We have a group text set up.  Through this we stay in close communication with one another.  
     Tuesday night when I looked at my phone, it was sad news.  News that required immediate prayer.  One of our sister friends had collapsed and was unresponsive.  An ambulance was on the way to her home.  I was so thankful Mom drove us home so I could read the texts that were coming fast and furiously.  
      Only a short time later we learned our sweet Angie was gone.  I knew I would miss her.  She had a tremendous impact on my life.  Yet, I could not be sad.   She won her battle with the world.  God called my sister friend home.  Victory was hers.  We praised God!  
     See Angie would be the first to tell anyone she spent part of her adult life in the church and part of it participating in worldly things.  I can relate to that.  I did not always walk with God either.  
      But a few short months ago, Angie took up her Christian armor once again and became a brave soldier for Jesus.  She fought the good fight of faith valiantly.  She faced a lot of hardships ... a lot of temptations, but she thanked God for her troubles.  I heard her pray that.  Can you imagine?  James tells us to do it; but I don't think I ever actually heard anyone say those words in a prayer.  Angie did. 
     She also thanked Him for keeping her alive long enough for her to come to her senses and quit "being so hard-headed" (her words).  She was thankful for another chance to live and serve her Savior.   
      And she REJOICED!  Through all of her troubles and all of her heartaches ... she rejoiced.   She praised God in her trials and she rejoiced in His mercy and grace.  She was always so joyful to be with her church family!  She rejoiced as she pleaded with God to give her strength and help her conquer her demons.  
      Angie prayed for and encouraged others.  She often told us how much she loved and needed us.   She told us how thankful she was for us.  She had a tender and loving heart.         She urged us to stay strong - reminding us that we were all in this together and she pleaded with the Heavenly Father to give strength, comfort and peace to others she knew were hurting.   She asked God to "put a hedge row of protection"  around her sisters.  
     My friend took up God's armor and boldly marched into battle every day.  She was "strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might."  She stood against the devil's schemes.  She knew, probably better than most, who she fought against ... who the enemy was.   And she stood firm.  
     She wore the breastplate of righteousness and did her best to do right by every one.  She wore the belt of truth and was honest about her past ... and tried to get others to change as she had.  She stood ready with the gospel of peace .. longing for peace in her life and wishing the same for those she loved.  
      Angie had taken up the shield of faith and it covered her life.  She was so thankful for God's forgiveness as she wore the helmet of salvation,  knowing Christ had died for her and was standing with her helping her fight every battle.  She was armed with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, as she turned to the scriptures time and time again.  She studied her Bible and encouraged others to seek the truth.  
      Lastly, but certainly not least, she prayed and she prayed.  She praised God.  She thanked God.  And she pleaded with Him for love and peace.  Tuesday night my sister... my friend ...  a very hard fighting soldier ... won her war.  She fought her good fight of faith .... and finally had her peace.  
      The next morning when I thought of Angie and the reality of her death began to take hold, these are the two passages that kept coming to my mind.  
      "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."  (Ephesians 6:13) 
      
      "When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:  
        'Death is swallowed up in victory. 
        O death, where is your victory? 
        O death, where is your sting?'  (1 Corinthians 15:54-56)

     I thank God for my friend ... my hard fighting soldier. 

Christ above all things,
Robin Whitley

Thoughts from the Gym

     For about four days now, I've been thinking about this post.  It's been a while you know  ... and I feel bad about that.  It isn't that I haven't had anything to write about.  Odd little things come to my mind quite often and I think, "Oh, this would make a neat post."  I even wrote some of them down so I wouldn't forget.  
     So I was mulling everything over Wednesday afternoon while I was exercising ... and it seemed like a thousand thoughts were racing through my mind at one time.  Would it be something about the Christmas napkins we used on Easter weekend, or the loyalty of family pets, or that certain scripture I read the other day, or ....
      It was my first day back to the gym after nearly a week away from my daily exercise routine.  I kept eyeing the clock, waiting for my time to be up.  See, I'd been sick with a stomach virus the week before and felt pretty week for several days.  
     I was about to fall out of the habit.  I should have started back the day before, but I excused myself one more time.  Today was different.  I knew if I didn't make myself come to the gym today, I might never go back .... and I had way too much time invested in this to stop now.  So today I pushed myself to go ... "That's it!" I thought.  
     That's what I would post about.  No, not exercise.... well yes, maybe in a way  .... I'm talking about self-discipline .. a.k.a self-control.  Although we don't talk about it very often, this trait is mentioned several times in  the scriptures and involves almost every part of our spiritual lives.   
     Self-control is a vital trait for a Christian to develop; and I need a lot of work in this area.  It's the last characteristic mentioned in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  If  God's Spirit lives within us we will show this in our lives. 
     Think about this favorite fruit of God's ... this fruit is manifested through "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness", AND"self-control."  It is easy to love the lovable, but it takes self-control to love our enemies as Christ commands.  It is easy to be 'happy' when things are going our way, yet it takes self-control to dig in deep and find joy when we're suddenly unemployed, going through a serious illness, or have lost a loved one.
      Does it take self-control to find peace when life's storms are raging all around you or to be patient when a child is rebelling?  I could go through the whole list; but we get the idea.  We need self-control to live as Christ would have us to live... to be who He wants us to be.   
     Proverbs 25: 27-28 says "It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one's own glory.  A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls."  Ponder that for a moment ... over-indulgence (eating too much honey) is not good for us in any way whatsoever.  Being prideful and seeking glory for our deeds actually distracts from whatever good we've tried to do.  God should always get the glory!!
     How apt is the description of the man without self control?  I love the picture this illustration puts into my mind.  He has been broken into and is now open to all kinds of temptation.  There are no walls to protect him from being led away into darkness.    
      It took a good dose of self-control to get me back into that gym the other day.  About a year ago when I first started working out, I was told I would reach the point where I would want to go work-out.  My son said I would eventually look forward to it ... crave it, even.  
      That has not been the case for me.  I do not long for exercise time.  I have never once craved it.  :)  I pretty much have to push myself to go in that gym every time I go and some days it is much more difficult than others.  What I do long for is the end result.  I want to be more physically fit.  I like the idea of having more strength and stamina to do the things I want to do.  (And losing some of this weight won't hurt either).
     Some spiritual "exercises" are much less difficult than physical exercises are.  We might find it easy not to steal or make fun of someone.  Praying and attending worship on Sunday morning may come naturally for some.  A strong faith in God's care may be part of who we are.  Yet we may still have trouble refraining from gossip, or controlling our temper, or even remembering to study God's word on a regular basis.  It takes diligence and self-control to run the Christian race.       
     Paul sometimes compared the physical to the spiritual and with the Spirit's help - he says it much better than I do.  
In I Corinthians 9:24-26 he says,  "Do you not know, that in a race all the runner's run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air." 
     Physical exercise does have its benefits... benefits worth attaining.  The healthier we are, the more able we are to do God's work.  But we will not always have this body.  It is perishable.  Yet, the prize we will receive for our spiritual exercise is eternal.  It is imperishable.  If we run our race well, we will obtain it.  
     Go back and read those verses from I Corinthians again.  Paul says all athletes exercise self-control and all the runners run the race, but only one of them wins the prize.  I'm sure you caught that.  The good news for us is that everyone who chooses to run the Christian race will win the prize... not just one of us ... not just a few of us ... all of us who run a faithful Christian race will win the prize of eternal life.  My friends, that is a race worth running!
      
     So run that you may obtain the prize.... 

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."  (2 Timothy 1:7)

Christ above all things, 
Robin Whitley

      

  
      

"Let's Do The Beginning"

      Never underestimate a 2 or 3 year old!  Don't take for granted the power they can have to impact your life in a mighty way!  After teaching this age group for a number of years now, I've learned not to be surprised by anything they say.  And I've realized they teach me so much more than I could ever begin to teach them.  
    A few weeks ago in Bible class we studied Daniel in the Lion's Den.  We talked about how those who were jealous of Daniel tricked the king into making a law that no one could pray to any god or ask a petition of anyone except the king for 30 days.  I hoped to emphasize Daniel's courage and faithfulness even in a dangerous time.  I also hoped to instill in those little hearts that God is always with us when we follow Him.
   But I go through a certain routine during class.  We usually sing some introductory songs including several songs about the Bible.  I often say "Bible words are God's words" - trying my best to stress the importance of  Truth.  Another thing I do is teach the verse Genesis 1:1.  Using a hand made flip chart, I stress this scripture as the "very first words of the Bible."   This is all done before we move on to our Bible story for the week. 
      Young minds are like little sponges and they soak up everything.  Yet, sometimes I forget.  I knew they were making progress with the memory verse, but I hadn't thought about how engrossed they'd become with the routine.  Well, I got a sharp reminder that night. 
      After our story about Daniel and doing our handwork to take home -- one little girl held up her take home sheets and said "Let's do the beginning."  Thinking she wanted me to review the story (because after all, she was holding up the picture of Daniel praying), I spent a couple of minutes talking about Daniel and how God saved him from the lions.       When I finished, she looked at me sweetly, and in a very grown up tone of voice said, "Uh-huh, OK now, let's do the beginning.  It was only then I realized she was playing teacher.  Her take home sheets had become a flip chart and she wanted us to recite Genesis 1:1 with her.  "In the beginning -- God created -- the heavens and the earth -- Genesis 1:1."  So that is just what we did!  
     Naturally I was amused, but I was also reminded of how closely our little ones watch us and how important it is for us to teach only the absolute truth.  We will be held accountable for what we teach.  What a sobering thought!!
     I was also reminded just how important "the beginning" is.  As Christians, we need to remember this often for it is the very first tenet of our faith.  It is the foundation upon which our life of serving Christ is all about.  Our beliefs define us. Believing in God as our Creator is the basis for how we live and act.  Everything we do is centered around the fact of God's existence. 
      Everyone believes there was "a beginning" to this world. Regardless of the "how," everyone believes there was a beginning.  So the words "In the beginning" isn't doubted.  It all started somehow.  
      We live on the earth and we study the clouds.   We know about the atmosphere above the clouds.  Mankind has visited the moon and traveled in space.  So we don't doubt the existence of "the heavens and the earth" either.  
      Sadly, it is those two small words in the middle of this sentence that seem to put so many folks into a tailspin.  They just can't seem to get the "God created" part.  
     
Non- believers say "How can it possibly be?"  
The believer says, "How can it possibly be anything else?"
      I honestly can't imagine believing anything else other than in God as our Creator and His Son as our Savior.  Yet sometimes we need reminding.  We need to take the time to actually think about the implications of existing as a created being.   We should realize God truly IS the giver of life and we were created for a purpose. 
      We should occasionally "do" the beginning.  Ecclesiastes 12:1 tells us "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them' 
(NIV).   How often do we stop and realize we were made in His image?   We are to recognize Him and allow Him to be a vital part of our lives.  
      Remembering Him means when we come to the end of our days, we will not regret the way we have lived.  We may not enjoy getting old or being able to see and hear like we once did ... or move as quickly as we used to ... but we will have peace of mind ... the precious peace that only God can give us.  
    Remembering Him is not just reading the Bible, or the mental act of remembering certain verses of scripture.  It is wholly leaning on God ... walking with Him ... holding on to Him ... loving Him.  It is realizing He is in control and we don't do anything on our own.  
    Sometimes living the busy lives we live, going about everything we do, rushing here and there,  satan shows up.  We allow ourselves to be tricked into thinking we don't need God.  After all, we take care of ourselves pretty well, right?        Why should we go to worship Sunday night or Bible study Wednesday night?  It's late and the kids are already fussy. We've had a pretty good day, why take the time to pray with them before they go to sleep?  It is easy -- very easy -- to fall into the devil's trap. 
      Stop!!  Go back to the basics.  Remember the Creator.  
"DO" the beginning ... again and again and again. 
 I promise you won't regret it.

Christ above all things, 
Robin 





   

Loving the Light

       Last Saturday my husband showed me some seedlings he planted.  He is carefully tending these plants inside until he can plant them outside a little later on.  He hopes to have a successful garden this year.  We both look forward to a few fresh vegetables when the time comes.  
      Immediately I noticed all the plants -- regardless of the type --  were leaning in one direction.  I was puzzled  at first, then I realized what was going on. And you've probably guessed what I'm about to say.  Robert keeps the container of seedlings beside the window.  Without exception, each seedling leaned toward the window .... more specifically toward the sunlight.   
      We all know plants need light to grow and thrive.  But what's interesting to me - something I hadn't even thought of really - is the plants seems to know it too.  Now, I'm not saying plants have thought processes.  I'm just saying God made plants in such a way that they seek what they need to survive.  
     The leaning of the plants to one side as they strained toward the light captured my attention.  I thought about those little plants all day.  It was fascinating.  God's creation is truly amazing!  Naturally, I choose to believe in creation - not evolution.  The master design at work in nature just could not have happened by accident.  
     OK -let's go back to the plants.  I saw a yearning toward the light -- toward survival.   You know where I'm going with this, right?  The parallel has been made many, many times.  Just as plants need sunlight to survive, so Christians need the Son's light to survive.  I'm not saying anything new here.   
     Sometimes I wonder if Christians always have the same realization plants do.  I think sometimes we forget what we need to survive.  Christ called Himself the Light of the world and promised if we followed Him we would not walk in darkness but have the light of life (John 8:12).  
      Think about that .. the light of life!  We cannot live the Christian life on our own.  We will not survive, let alone grow, without keeping Christ as the central focus of our lives.  
     Sometimes though, we let our focus slip.  We stop yearning and straining toward the light and then darkness creeps in upon us again.  We forget to pray ... to be thankful for our blessings ... we forget to lean on our Savior.   And the next thing we know ... well, we're not growing anymore.  
      We should always hunger and thirst for righteousness.  We should always want to seek the Light.  It should be as natural for Christians to seek the Savior as it is for those little plants by our window to seek the sunlight.  
      There is a difference.  For plants it is the way God created them -- the work of nature He set in place will continue as long as the earth stands.  The difference is that God gave man free will.  We get to choose.  As Christians we have access to the Light of the World.   We don't have to walk in darkness.  What a blessing!!  
     In order to keep growing, we should make a conscience choice to seek the light.   Our heart and soul has to be in it.  We must love the light .. long for it.  The Light of the Son is our link to eternal life.   
      Our longing for Light should be obvious.  I could clearly see which way those little seedlings were leaning.  Those around us should be able to clearly see which way we lean.  Our love for Christ should be conspicuous through the things we say and do.  
      By loving our families well, we show them the love of the Father.   By encouraging and supporting our church family we remind them how beautiful it is to walk in the light of God's love.  By being good and kind to those we work with ... by showing others how much we care, we are piercing the darkness of the world.  Walking in Light means bringing glory to God.  
      In the first chapter of John's account of the gospel, he refers to Christ as the Word and as Light.    Verse 1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God."   Then verses 4 & 5 tell us, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness,  and the darkness has not overcome it."  You see, the devil's darkness will never overcome the life-giving Light of Christ.  
     We are the ones who have to make the choice to follow the Light ...  to follow Christ.  The scriptures tell us of His marvelous love and compassion.   We read that He went about doing good.  We see His love for the people as He fed them, healed them and taught them.  
     He did not look down on them with contempt.  Every individual was important to Him -- from the tax collector, to the centurion whose servant He healed, from the woman caught in adultery, to Nicodemus who came to Him by night.  Christ was light for all of them.  
      The Savior urged the people:  "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become the sons of light."   (John 12:36)   Yet, many still did not believe on Him.  They turned from the Light and chose to stay in darkness.
       Jesus is light for all of us even now - if we will only seek Him out -- yearn for Him -- lean toward Him.  We will find ourselves serving Him, obeying Him, and growing spiritually every day.  This is how we will grow.  This is how we will survive.  
      I'm reminded of the little children's song, "Read your Bible and pray every day and you'll grow, grow, grow."  How true this is!!  Seek the Light -- then reflect that light through love, obedience and service.  You will find yourself surviving, growing and thriving!  You will find life. 

Christ above all things, 
Robin 

Seeing Beauty

        Occasionally we are allowed to see beauty

                           that goes far beyond outward physical appearances. 

For a slight few seconds I was agitated as I tried to make my way out of the local Wal-Mart store.  Why on earth had the couple in front of me slowed to a virtual crawl?  Didn’t they know I had to get back to work?  But those slight few seconds were all it took for me to realize another couple just in front of them was the reason we were all moving so slowly.    

I didn’t know the specifics of the relationship between these two.   They could have been husband and wife – or brother and sister – or even mother and son.  The lady had turned her head just slightly and I could see that she was elderly; but I couldn’t see the gentleman’s face.  I had no clue as to his age.  Besides, I’ve learned not to assume too much these days.

What I did see was much more important than their appearance, or their age … or even the basic premise of their relationship.  What I saw was the substance of the relationship between them.   She moved slowly... leaning on the cart for support as much as she was pushing it.   He walked just slightly ahead of her – holding on to the side of the shopping cart.

As I slowed down, I began to see what was actually happening.  And my agitation quickly dissipated.  I was seeing beauty in action.  He wasn’t holding on to that cart to rush her – or pull her along.  No, he made a deliberate choice to match his pace with hers. He had done it as a protective measure, really.  He remained right there with her….really with her.  He guided her.  I saw him turn toward her – perhaps to check her progress … possibly to encourage her along. 

For all my guessing, the only thing I really knew was that he was not pulling on that shopping cart.  He stood straighter than she did and was clearly in better physical condition.   The words exchanged between them were quietly spoken, but I could see her smile and nod in assent.   They continued on toward the exit. 

I was third in this little caravan.  There was a couple between me and the first couple.  Like me, they were originally walking much more quickly.  But as they approached the first couple, they slowed down.  They didn’t get in a huff or act rudely.   They didn’t try to squeeze around the older lady and her companion.  Not one grunt, groan or word of complaint was heard.  They simply slackened their pace.

By slowing down the way they did, this couple acted with respect.  We don’t often see that kind of respect anymore.  How many of our children know what it means to act with consideration of others in mind?  Have they ever even heard the phrase “common courtesy?”  Sometimes it seems like it has gone by the wayside.   Yet I was privileged to witness it take place right in front of me.   Again, I realized I was watching beauty in action. 

It seems we live very hurried lives often leaving no room for thinking about the other guy (or gal).  We stay in our own little impenetrable world.  We don’t even notice the people who walk past us in a store – at work – and yes, sometimes even in our own church buildings.  We miss the person who might need a smile.  We miss the opportunity to do good for someone. 

Circumstances made me slow down that day.  I’m glad.  I’m glad because I got to see beauty.   I saw the beauty of peaceful companionship.  I saw the beauty of compassion --- of being protected – of kindness.  I saw a beautiful incident of common courtesy and patience.   

This incident happened weeks ago and yet the scene is imprinted on my mind.  I’ve thought about it over and over again; but I found it difficult to put into the right words.  I guess what I’m trying to say is even the smallest of gestures are important.  They matter.  They enrich our lives.     

   Some little thing seemingly insignificant to us may become something someone else never forgets.    Our kindness – goodness—respect for one another is important.  Our common courtesy – our love will bring beauty to life not only for our neighbors; but for ourselves.  As a Christian it is our duty to be beauty in action. 

SO many Bible verses come to mind – but perhaps these will do --for tonight anyway:

Luke 6:31 – “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”  (Also found in Matthew 7:12 )

James 2:8 – “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.” 

           Inspired by the Holy Spirit Solomon wrote “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”  (Ecclesiastes 3:11a)  I am so thankful God gave me the “time” to see beauty in Wal-Mart that day.   

Christ above all things,

Robin Whitley

Dead Batteries

      A dead battery isn't any good to anyone.  Whether it's a car battery, one that goes in flashlight, or in a cell phone once they're dead they are totally useless.  If a dead battery is left alone - they corrode, rust over and begin to completely decay.  
      A car with a dead battery won't go anywhere.  Most of the time, you can't even make the car horn "honk."  A cell phone with a dead battery can't be used to make a call or to text.  We can't communicate with anyone by using a dead cell phone.  Old dead corroded batteries left in a flashlight will leave us in darkness.  
     OK, this is confession time for me.  Over the past few weeks I pretty much drained my spiritual battery to the point that it was almost dead.  I let my prayer life slip away from me.  I wasn't spending time in the scriptures as much as I should.  I haven't posted anything since the first of January.  I even forgot about our monthly ladies' devotional time and that is something I very rarely miss!  
      Oh sure, I had plenty of excuses.  I was adjusting to a new role at work.  I transitioned to a different team, so not only did my job duties change, but I was working with a new set of people too.  It wasn't a bad change.  I'm actually happy with it.  I work with a great group of people and they've been amazingly supportive as I learn.  But any change requires an adjustment period.  
      Sometimes the busyness of life is draining physically and mentally.  Sometimes we get discouraged and distracted.  We go through our days without thinking to pray or telling ourselves we're too tired to open our Bibles.  We allow petty feelings to drag us down -- maybe a personality conflict at work -- or a disagreement with a friend -- or hurt feelings from our past rise up to haunt us.  
     We might not even realize the toll all this takes on our spiritual life ...  maybe we're still going through the motions of doing all the right things ... but our heart isn't in it.  It can happen very gradually.  Maybe we enjoy the gossip at work, maybe we skip a worship service or two and then WHAM our spiritual life is at an all-time low and we wonder how it happened.  I know ... me too!  
     A couple of days ago, I reached that point.  That Wham point.  I realized my battery was dangerously low. Really.  And it made me sad.  Oh, I had little warning signals along the way.  For a while, I tried to ignore them - that is until my mom told me very lovingly that I needed to tell the devil to "take a seat."  That was her way of saying that I was giving him way too much attention.  
     Fortunately, along with Mom - I have some very good friends who have patiently and lovingly helped me start to recharge.  One reminded me to focus on God and not myself or my feelings.  My prayer group got together for a wonderful prayer session and I was invited to participate in a good work.  My batteries are indeed recharged.  
     God loves us all.  He wants us to be in heaven with Him.  But we can't lose our focus.  We can't allow our zeal for Christ to die.  It takes diligence to keep a battery from going dead.  They have to be charged once in a while.  
     Just like a dead car or cell phone battery is useless, so is a Christian whose spiritual energy has gone dead.  The cars won't go.  We can't use them to bring others to church with us or to take a meal to someone who is sick.  The cell phone can't be used to invite someone to the ladies' devotional or call to check on a friend who is going through a tough time. 
     And the flashlight?  Well, like I said it just leaves us in darkness.  So the Christian whose light has gone out leaves his or her corner of the world in darkness.  Don't we want to be light instead?  Don't we want to shine for Him? 
     It is easy to get pulled away.  The world is full of trials and the devil tries hard to derail us.  But we have to stay charged up at all times.  The best way to do that is to commit - seriously commit - to spending time with God.  
      Let Him talk to you.  Study the scriptures.  Take time to talk to Him. Pray.  And fellowship with other Christians as often as you can.  Attend worship.  Stay in touch through the week with other Christian friends who will hold you accountable.  I've asked a couple of friends to do that for me. Encourage one another along the way.  
     Another great way to keep your batteries charged is to do something good for someone every day.  Show God's love to others.  Be kind.  Smile at the grocery store cashier.  Say thank you to the waitress who brings your meal.  Thank a co-worker for their help.  Tell your family how much you appreciate their support.  Put others first.  I guarantee you it will put smile on your face and spring in your step!
     The best thing about this is that God will restore us.  As we turn back to Him with a humble and penitent heart.  He will be there to forgive us ... to restore us ... to renew our strength and our refresh our spirits.  If we only seek Him with all our hearts and obey Him in loving faith, HE will be there.  
       Psalm 51:12 "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit."

     Job 22: 21-23a: "Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you.  Accept instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart.  If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:"

    If you've lost your way - if your batteries are dead - turn back to God.  Seek to be re-charged.  He will refresh you.  He will restore your soul. 

Christ above all things, 
Robin 

Midnight Moments

      Last night many many people stayed awake past the midnight hours.  Millions celebrated the year that was 2016 and all the New Year of 2017 holds.  And why not?  A new year brings new opportunities -- new hope -- new chances.  
       For the Christian a new year means much the same thing as it does for the rest of the world.   We look forward to new chances, too.  Everyone likes the idea of a new start.  Hopefully the difference for us is looking forward to those new opportunities and using them as a way to serve Christ  ... to bring glory to God.  
      Staying awake past the midnight hour can be a very good thing.  We can use the night as a time to reflect on all the blessings God as given us throughout the year.  We can be thankful for giving us the strength to get through the tough times and for being with us in our times of rejoicing.   New Year's Eve is the last chance of the year to praise Him. 
      Yet this morning as I thought about how late I was awake last night, I suddenly remembered another late night. It was one of the darkest nights in human history.  I'm talking about the night before our Savior's crucifixion.   It was the night Jesus begged the Father to "let this cup pass" from Him.  It was the night his disciples promised never to forsake Him and then fell asleep in the garden while He prayed.  
      We cannot begin to imagine the agony and sorrow of Christ that night.  Not only was He fully aware of the physical pain He would suffer, He understood the humiliation He would endure.  And He did not want to go through this.  Our Christ - our Redeemer was 100% God.  Believers know that.  But he was also 100% man and He begged God for another way.  
     Matthew and Mark record Christ saying, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even to death."  (Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34).  Our Lord almost did not have the physical strength to face the cross.  And yet every time He prayed --EVERY TIME -- He said, "Not my will; but Yours be done."  He submitted to the Father's will.  He completed His mission. 
     I think sometimes about the fact that Jesus did not have to go to the cross.  He did not have to go through that horrible death.  He endured the cross "despising the shame" for us.  (Hebrews 12:2)  He begged for it not to happen; but He didn't refuse it.   Jesus could have gotten up and walked away from that garden and never looked back.  But He didn't.  
      Sometimes when I read and meditate on the cross, I get all caught up with the crowds who cried out for Him to be crucified.  I think of how the Pharisees and scribes hated Him and literally wanted to see Him dead.  To them, He was just a man.  They didn't know and more importantly they didn't care to know - the man called Jesus was truly the Christ- -Immanuel - -the Son of God. 
    I think too about the Roman soldiers - how they mocked Him and scourged Him.  I read about how they stripped Him of His raiment and divided it among them.  This man who had done no wrong was crucified and prayed to the Father to forgive those who were responsible. 
    When I think about these things -- when I read the scriptures -- I get caught up in blaming those who were there for being so cruel to Jesus.  And I forget my sins put Him there too.  Sometimes it takes me a long time to get back around to that.   When I do the realization is heart wrenching.  
     I'm so thankful the story doesn't end there!  An angel came and strengthened our Savior (Luke 22:42).  So He did not get up and walk away that night!!    
     Instead of that night being the end .... it was the beginning.... somehow joy was set before Christ.  He still despised the shame ... but He endured the cross anyway.  And He is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  He defeated death.  Christ arose!!  Our Christ arose!
     Those dark midnight moments Christ faced alone led to the potential for a beautiful beginning for us ... for me.. for anyone who loves Him enough to follow Him.  By accepting His grace and following His commandments, I can live a life in heaven with Him.  
     This is why I celebrate the New Year.  Christ gave Himself for me.  How can I help but be thankful for 2016?  How can I help but rejoice in the chance to serve Him in 2017? 

"And He who was seated on the throne said, Behold I am making all things new"  (Revelation 21:5a)

Happy New Year.  

Christ above all things,
Robin