A Prayer for Faithfulness

     Tonight I would like to share a poem I wrote a few years ago.  As it states in the title, it is a prayer for faithfulness and a recognition of how tempting the world can be sometimes.  But our God can help us through these weak moments if we will only turn to him.
 

A Prayer for Faithfulness

 

Lord, please bless me and help me through this day.

I need to learn to walk in Your way.

I am so weak and feeble and frail.

Help me, Lord - I don't want to fail.

Your path sometimes seems so narrow and straight.

Heavenly Father, please give me faith.

Sometimes I look over to the broad and wide,

and it seems so much easier over there on the other side.

Sometimes I walk with you, but sometimes I stray.

I've made choices that still haunt me today.

 

The world pulls at me as I travel life's road.

Enchanting --enticing ---trying to lure me as I go.

We all have our weaknesses.  We all have our faults.

Thank you, dear God.  You sent your son to die for us all.

A new life!  A new chance -- what glorious hope!

With your Word to guide me, it is much easier to cope.

I might stumble, and yes - sometimes I might fall;

but I am trying to heed the heavenly call.

 

As I walk in the Light I have joy and peace,

knowing that the Spirit intercedes for me.

I'll try to follow the path you made

that's filled with such loveliness and grace.

But it's so easy to wander astray.

So dear Father, each morning I'll pray.

Lord please bless me, guide me and keep me this day.

I want to learn to walk in your way.

 

 

Christ above all things,

Robin Whitley



Tiggers and Christians

     I love children's stories.  Once when my son was about 13 or so,  my husband and I were watching one of the original Winnie the Pooh movies.  Aaron grumpily declared that we were the only grown ups he knew that like little kids' stuff.  Of course, Robert and I were undaunted.  We kept on watching. I am thankful that we (Robert and I) do have that in common with one another.
     I do particularly like the stories from A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh adventures and even from the early Disney stories.  I say that about Disney because the characters of Rabbit, Owl and Gopher were added in the Disney films.  They were not part of Christopher Robin's stuffed toys; yet I really like their characters too. 
      I think there are many spritual applications that can be learned from children's stories.  The Pooh tales are not the only ones I love, but I must admit that Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and all the friends in The Hundred Acre Wood have helped me learn some valuable lessons about friendship, unconditional love and working together. 
     So when I read I Corinthians 15:58, I never fail to think about Tigger.  You may find that amusing - but I just can't help it, that's what pops into my mind.  It's probably only because the words "bounce" and "abounding" sound so much alike to me.  But the connection helps make this verse real to me.  Let's look at the verse:  "Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
     OK -- so think about it.  What does Tigger do best?  He bounces!  I read this verse and I think about Tigger bouncing around and being so excited about his bouncing.  And then I think about what Christians do best - or what should they do best.  And what is that?  The work of the Lord, of course!!!  We are supposed to "always abound in the work of the Lord!"  And so when I think about this verse, I think about how when some work of the Lord is presented -- that we should jump up and say--"Oh, me - let me do that! I want to help!  I can do this for the Lord!" 
     You see the Lord does need workers in His kingdom.  He needs us all --every one of us!  That is the wonderful about it.  The Lord didn't leave any of us out!  There is always something for us to do.  We can all play a part --sometimes we just have to figure out what our part is.  But there is always, always something we can do for His Kingdom ... and the Lord will bless us abundantly as we abound in His work.  That promise is in the very same verse --for our labour will not be in vain. 
     So bounce on up to the challenge.  Be stedfast in your faith.  Don't let anything or anyone move you from your place with Him.  And then remember -- the work of the Lord is what Christians do best!

Christ above all things,
Robin

 

Rewards

    Since it is Saturday night and we are looking forward to worship in the morning, I was thinkning about what a blessing I receive by attending Bible class and worship on Sundays.  I love being with my Christian family, studying God's work and worshipping in Spirit and in Truth.  That in and of itself is a reward.  But if we live a faithful Christian life - we will recieve an even more wonderful reward --actually it will be greatest reward any of us could hope to obtain!  Of course, I am talking about heaven.  Heaven WILL surely be worth it all.
     Who does God reward?  The answer is found in His scriptures.  "But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for the cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."  (Hebrews 11:6)   From this verse we learn that to please God - we must have fiath and believe that He is.  Well, I certainly believe that He IS.  Remember He told Moses - I AM THAT I AM.  God is --He is often referred to as the "living God" and as the "God of the living."  The God of the living not only refers to the those who are physically alive but also indicates that those who have gone on before - are alive in Him.  .....Ah but I see, I am drifting away from my topic here, so let's get back on track.  It is pretty easy to understand that to please our God - we must believe that He is alive. 
      Hebrews 11:6 doesn't stop there, though.  We have to have faith - to believe in the existence of God.  OK - so I believe.  I have pleased God, right?  Am I done now?  Well, the verse doesn't stop there.  The Hebrew writer goes on to say that we must  not only believe that He exists, but that He is a rewarder of them---who?  of them that diligently seek Him.  We must seek God -- we must diligently seek Him.  Matthew 6:33 says "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you."
      So what do we do to seek God so that we can be rewarded of Him?  We seek God through Bible study.  II Timothy 2:15 tells us to "study to show thyself approved."  We seek God through prayer --for that is when we truly commune with our Heavenly Father.  And... we seek God by living our lives for Him daily.  Consider the judgement scene described by Christ Himself in Matthew 25.  The reward went to those who had fed the hungry, given drink to those who were thirsty. Christ allows entry into heaven to those who had taken strangers in, helped clothe those who needed it and visited the sick and those in prison.  So does that mean we diligently seek God by serving others - by serving people whom He created and whom He also wants to be saved????  I think so, don't you?  There are  other verses about seeking and pleasing God.  These scriptures are worthy of our study as well, for it is important to remember who it is that God will reward.
     Consider Colossians 3:23 and 24 - "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.   (sound familiar? -  think Matthew 25)  To please God - to come to Him - we must believe in Him and diligently seek Him --and that is accomplished through service to the Lord Christ.

I love studying the Bible, don't you?

Christ above all things,
Robin

Joy!

    In my lifetime, I have heard many different lessons on the subject of joy taught from many different perspectives.  As I thought about this blog and began to look at scriptures, I was overwhelmed with the number of passages that contain the word joy.  This accounts for the various types of lessons that can be taught on the topic.  There is joy in serving our Lord.  One of the fruits of the Spirit - the second one listed- is joy.  There is joy in giving, joy in thankfulness, joy in the resurrection and joy in the hope of our salvation.  Each one of these can be expounded on at great length and are wonderful lessons to ponder. 
     However, one of my favorite passages using the word joy is Jude v. 23 & 24.  "Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."  Isn't that just a very beautiful portion of God's word?  Yes, HE deserves our praise because He is the only wise God.  But did you notice the use of the word joy? 
      Sometimes as I study the word of God, mental pictures pop up inside my head.  It helps me remember the scripture and its sentiment.  The picture I imagine helps give meaning to what I am reading.  OK - back to the use of the word joy .... Jude is offering his praise to Him who is able to keep us from falling.  Well, have you ever nearly fallen and someone grabbed you just in the nick of time to keep you from hitting the ground?  Can you picture the Lord Jesus reaching out to grab your hand and keep you from falling into the pit of sinfulness?  What a beautiful thing to imagine! 
     Now the Lord knows our hearts and there is a huge difference between making a decisive choice to walk away from the path of Light and having your heart in the right place, but occasionally slipping just a little.  John tells us if we walk in the Light, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (as we confess them).  I John 1:7-9.  If we are truly trying - the Lord will help us.  He will hold us up; set us straight and put us back on the right path.  
    OK - Robin -- how does Christ do that?  How does He "keep me from falling and present me faultless before the presence of His glory?"  Well certainly through His sacrifice and by His blood.  His blood continually cleanses us.  And as John says, our Lord is faithful and just.  These are comforting scriptures. 
     But have you ever been there?  Have you ever been at the brink of making a poor decision and then someone comes along and offers a word of encouragement, or someone sends a profound email or maybe you run across a fellow Christian somewhere and they say, "You know, I've been praying for you?"  Do you think maybe that He sent someone to help Him keep you from falling?  OR MAYBE - you have let God use you to help keep someone else from falling?  Could you be the one to offer encouragement or lift up a prayer at just the right time?

     Just to know that God and Christ love us enough to save us and then  are able to keep us from falling too is cause for exceeding joy for us!  But Jude is not talking about our exceeding joy.   He is talking about our Saviour's.  Our salvation - our choice to walk with Him - our willingness to reach out and grab that hand so we don't fall and then to hold on to for dear life.  That we choose to cling to Him --that He can present us as faultless before the presence of His glory --this causes Him exceeding joy.  Wow! 
     Jude's words remind me of Hebrews 12:2.  The Hebrew writer says that " who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand at the throne of God."  And it is there, at that throne where HE presents us faultless before the presence of His glory.  With exceeding joy- He presents us to His Father ...faultless....we are His! 

Christ above all things,
Robin
    

 

Let Your Light Shine Bright

         It is late and quite frankly, my brain is not functioning as well as it should tonight. So instead of my normal ramblings I thought I would share a poem I wrote for one of sons several years ago.  It was for him, so it is written like I am talking to him. But maybe some of the thoughts will be food for thought for some of us.

Let Your Light Shine Bright

 

Hold on to your dreams, never let them go!

Whatever you reap is what you sow.

"It's a Wonderful Life" can't be just a cliche'

if you learn to live well each day.

Give others the gift of you.

It's amazing what just a little smile will do!

You've learned some life lessons and begun to make your own way.

And you realize tomorrow's outcome depends on what you do today.

You're making decisions with the future in mind.

Your goals are becoming more clearly defined.

You've faced obstacles with dignity and pride,

and held onto the goodness you have deep inside.

The storms of life will come and go;

cold winter winds will sometimes blow.

But you will stay calm because you know

that weathering the storms helps you grow.

Your future holds such promise!!

Whatever you undertake, you can accomplish.

Enjoy the beauty and blessings God puts in each day.

Be kind to those you meet along the way.

Use your talents for good. Be strong! Be bold!

God will give back His blessings tenfold.

Remember who you are, be true to yourself.

Take on your tasks with gladness and do them well.

 

Always let your light shine bright

And learn to recognize God's work in your life!!

 

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

 

God bless you all tonight.  And remember... 

Christ above all things,

Robin



Does it stand for "Jesus Love Me?"

     A couple of years ago, my Mom gave me a necklace with two beautiful pink beads on it and a charm that was a musical note.  This was in honor of the ladies' retreat whose theme had been "Happy Am I" from the song of the same name.  That Sunday morning after the retreat I was wearing the necklace when I picked up one of my little 3 year old Bible students to give him a hug. 
     He noticed my necklace almost immediately and he said, "Ms. Robin - you have music on your necklace." 
     "Well, yes I do."
     "Does it stand for Jesus Loves Me?"  Well at that moment with that sweet innocent child in my eyes that is EXACTLY what that "music" stood for. So I told him "Yes. It sure does!" 
    Have you ever wondered why that song is so special for little children?  I am not a child psychologist, but I am sure we could share some very profound thoughts about this.  And actually there are probably many reasons.  But I think perhaps one reason is that at two or three years old - they are beginning to discover there actually is a "me."  They are starting realize that they are an individual and not an extension of their parents.  They are a person in their own right.  That becomes powerful knowledge for them and may also be one reason why one of their favorite words around that age is "no."  :)  So to think that Jesus loves "me" --because that's a favorite word or thought at that age too - me... is a special thing. 
     Also - of course - there is great security in knowing they are loved.  Children need to feel that love.  I have heard stories - and actually experienced it once myself -- of a child in distress over something calming down almost instantly when someone sings "Jesus Loves Me" to them. 
     As adults - we should never forget how special it is that Jesus loves us.  We get so busy sometimes we don't think about the fact that the love of Jesus is a precious gift and should never be taken lightly. 
     Soooo - I want to ask you then,  what do you stand for?  Is it anything remotely to do with Jesus' love?  If we stand for Jesus Loves Me - then we realize that He does love us, (me) as an individual.  Jesus' love gives me worth.  And as I realize this -- then my own self worth increases in my eyes.  I mean - honestly what better way to build your own self esteem than to meditate on the fact that Jesus loves you so much he died for you?  Knowing this - then we can realize that He not only loves us - but He loves the whole world. 
     As we learn to love ourselves (because Jesus love us) --THEN we can love others as Jesus would have us to love others.  Remember the second commandment - "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself?"  Well how on earth can you do that unless you stand for Jesus Loves Me?   If we begin to stand for Jesus' love - we show that love to others and .....God is glorified. 
     With the love of God and Jesus in our hearts, we are able to begin to see others as Jesus and God see them --with love.  If we look at others with love - how much kinder would we be?  How many more times would we share the gospel with someone?  How much more quickly would we be willing to forgive others?  When I begin to realize that Jesus died for the woman checking me out at the grocery store just like He died for me -- does it change my way of thinking about that woman...about the world?  Does it change the way I ACT toward these folks I meet every day?
     Really now, what do you stand for? 

Christ above all things,
Robin

The Joy of Fellowship

     Tonight I was doubly blessed because I got to be with two different groups of Christian sisters.  I met with my prayer group at 5:30 for about an hour and then I went to my home congregation to attend our monthly ladies' devotional meeting.  I really was truly doubly blessed!  I love being with fellow Christians.  We can draw strength from one another and share in so much together.  I must say, there is a special bond among Christians.  It is the blood of Christ.
     The Bible gives us many scriptures relating to fellowship and its advantages and the great joys it can bring.   I truly think the very first support group belongs to God, and is still well and alive today. It is called the church!  Consider the words of Solomon in  Ecclesiastes 4:9  "Two are better than one: because they have a good reward for their labour."  v. 12 tells us that "a three-fold cord is not quickly broken."  Our words might be "there is strength in numbers."  We fortify one another when we are together. 
     Christ understood this principle as well.  When he sent out the seventy,(Luke 10:1) did he not send them out two by two?  It was His intention for these disciples to have a companion while they labored for Him.  He knew full well that "two are better than one." And after Christ's death - Acts 1 tells us that all the apostles were gathered together in the upper room together, "with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brethren." 
     When Jesus was here on this earth,  he fellowshipped with and visited in the homes of many different types of people.  Zaccheus, Mary, Martha & Lazurus are some I can think of and there was also the Pharisee who looked down on the woman that washed Jesus' feet.  To spend time with someone in fellowship -- is to say you value that person.  You are saying you want to spend that time with them --they are worth your time.  You are giving them attention and a sense of friendship.  Spending time together increases the bonds of love that we as Christians are supposed to feel for each other.  Jesus made Zaccheus feel special by going home with him.  Who can you make feel special by carving out just a little bit of time for them? 
      In Acts 2, Christians were meeting from house to house, and continuing in fellowship and prayers.  They were together with gladness and singleness of heart.  Do you enjoy meeting with your Christian family?  Or do you make excuses about not having the time?  Now, I know that every person cannot attend every extra activity or special meeting of the church.  I work, so I can't attend the meetings that involve our new Tabitha ministry because they meet during the work day.  But there are other sisters who can be there to carry on this wonderful work.  And then there are some other activities that I can and do participate in.  Let your church family know how important they are to you.  Let Christ know how important it is to you to carry on His work. 
     There are many other scriptures throughout the New Testament that show the early church took advantage of spending time together.  Spending time with other Christians allows you to obey the commandment in Romans 12:15 - that is the commandment to "rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."   And Hebrews 10:24 tells us to "consider one another to provoke unto love and good works."  How can you do this without spending time in fellowship?
     I truly, truly believe that God meant for us to spend time with one another.  He wanted us to build up one another; to help one another, to laugh together and to cry together.  He wanted us to hold each other up when we fall and He wanted us to pull each other back on the path of Light when we begin to stray.  (Galations 6:1-2) 
     Finally, consider this - Christ wanted us to bring glory to Him through our fellowship with one another.  Consider His words in John 13:34-35 - "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." 
      Now I ask you how did Christ show His love for these men?  He had spent time with them, taught them, loved them and served them.  He tells them to love each other like He has loved them.  I think it's pretty easy to understand what He meant by that.  And how can all men know we are His disciples by having love one to another - without fellowship?  And as we have fellowship, not only can we celebrate our common salvation and our common hope --but we can celebrate the fact that we make our Savior happy when we follow His commandments!
     And THAT my friends is the reason we can all find joy in fellowship with one another!

Christ above all things,
Robin