8-22-2019

 Good Morning All,

     2 Corinthians 5:17; “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come”

    I was talking to a friend the other day and he was relating a story about one of his granddaughters.  It seemed rather fitting for our devotion.  The story begins when the little girl is 2.  She had decided that when she grew up; she wanted to be an elephant.  Nobody is sure where that came from but she was only 2 and she was fascinated by elephants.

   As she got a little older, she was still infatuated by elephants.  She still thought being an elephant would be neat.  She had books about elephants and had stuffed elephants in her room.  When she drew pictures, it was about elephants.  When they talked about Noah’s Ark, she only asked about the elephants.  I think you get the picture.  When she was 5 years old, the decision was made to take her to the circus.  What a great idea, unfortunately they told her a little too soon. 

   Those days that she had to wait were almost unbearable.  She was super excited each time she would stop and think of the elephants she would squeal with delight.  They were going to go on Friday.  By Wednesday, the parents were thinking about giving her sedatives so they could sleep.  This was one excited little girl.  Finally, it was Thursday night.  They had put her to bed a couple of times when she came out for the third time.  She was about to be scolded for not going to bed when she ran to them and hugged them and said, “I want to thank you today for what you are going to do tomorrow!!”

    This little girl had total confidence in her parents that they would keep their promise.  She knew that on Friday the elephants would be real.  She knew that nothing would stop them.  We have an even better promise from God.  He promises us the blessings of forgiveness and new life.  He re-creates us every day.  He draws us to him through the redeeming and atoning by Jesus.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Whatever the world throws at us, we face with God on our side.  That is a promise we can live with.

    We can go about each day confident that God will take care of us.  This is part of why Jesus tells us, “don’t worry about tomorrow”; we do not have to; God has already taken care of it for us.  Isn’t that comforting to know that God takes care of us and not just today but tomorrow as well?  Now as we face the trials of this sinful world, we know that it really has no long-term impact on us.  There will always be a tomorrow for us because God has already taken care of it.  He will guard us and protect us and when necessary he will comfort and console us with the gentleness of his Word and nourish us with his precious body and blood.  I thank you today for what you are going to do tomorrow.  What a gift!! (By the way she loved the elephants)

Dearest Father, I want to thank you today for what you are doing today and what you are going to do tomorrow.  Keep me in the certainty of this knowledge that I might always be in the comfort of your loving arms secured by your grace.  Send your Spirit of comfort to those who are struggling or in pain.  Guide them to see your grace.  In the precious name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen!!

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret