12-12-2023

Good Morning All,

                Psalm 86:5; “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

       Given that so many people are using their cell phones and other PED’s today, it is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.   “It” is the family calendar.  Ours is always on the refrigerator.  On it we put important events that are up coming.  We put down doctor appointments, accountant appointments, special church events, scheduled babysitting events, or any one of a number of things.  This is to keep us from putting two things on the same night.  We were going to spend one weekend with family celebrating a wedding anniversary until we looked at the calendar and saw that we were already committed to a different wedding. 

    One of the time-honored traditions with the family calendar was to take the really important dates, like anniversaries, birthdays, special party days was to circle the date.  Many would take a red marker and circle the date so that everyone would see and remember how important it was.  This one usually had the time written on it as well.  Yet it was circled to mark it as the priority date.  It was what we waited for or knew was important and we didn’t or shouldn’t miss it.

   When something is of major importance, we circle it.  It is having a huge impact on what we are doing or experiencing.  We should do that with our faith life as well.  At the end of the day, think of the worst part of today and think of the best part of today.  In your prayers, give thanks for the best thing of today and ask God to remove, alleviate, correct or in some other manner “fix” the problem.  Take the highs and the lows, circle them, and then speak them to God in prayer.

    This is a good form of family devotional time.  Gather your family together and have each share the low point and the high point of the day.  Then join in prayer together, praising God for the good and asking for help with the bad.  This does two things. First, we remember that, in spite of what we think sometimes, there is always something good in our day and we should give thanks.  Secondly, we need to remember to “give to God” our pain and not hold onto it and focus on it.  Sometimes, the devil wants us to focus on what is sad, bad, or painful in order to cloud our vision of God.  This helps us to look up, call upon God, in both the good and the bad, just as He wants us to. 

   So, try this in your prayers, especially with your family, it can help to draw you to focus on God’s grace both in good times and in tough times.  This can be one way to help build your faith.  By focusing on God’s steadfast love for you, it can make the difficult bearable and the joyous more gratifying.

Gracious Father, we call upon your holy Name that we might be blessed by you.  Draw us closer to you; strengthen our faith so that we may ever praise your name.  Help us to see the wonderful things in our life far out -weigh the sadness.  Lead us to seek your mercy and grace in all things.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret