I've Read the Book

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; 

I am God, and there is no other; I am God, 

and there is none like me. I make known 

the end from the beginning, from 

ancient times, what is still to come. 

I say: My purpose will stand and 

I will do all that I please.” 

Isaiah 46:9-10 (NIV)

     “Come watch a movie with me, Grandma,” my granddaughter pleaded. “It’s a really good one!” She added that last statement to try to entice me to join her, knowing that for me to sit and watch a movie, it truly has to be “a really good one.”

     I gave in and joined her on the sofa with a blanket, sodas and popcorn. Before I knew it I was caught up in the action of the characters and the mystery that surrounded them.

 

     One twist after another caught me by surprise, making me jump and Ella giggle. “That detective is going to bite it,” I commented. “Any minute he’s going to disappear and we won’t know who got him.” 

     Ella disagreed. “He’ll be okay. He’s a main character.” And she was right.

     “That’s the killer!” I yelled. “She has to be the one because she’s hiding the gun!” But once again, Ella shook her head “no.” And once again she was correct.

      I glanced at my granddaughter. “Have you seen this movie before because you always seem to know the outcome of every scene and what’s coming next.”

“Nope,” she grinned. 

     I turned to look at her.  “Then how do you know that the detective is going to be okay and the hair dresser is not the killer?”

 

     Ella gave me a huge smile. “Because I’ve read the book, Grandma! I already know what’s coming and how it’s going to turn out!”

     Now it was my turn to smile. Because, my friends, WE have that same confidence in “what’s coming and how it’s going to turn out” in our lives.

 

     Read today’s Scripture from Isaiah 46:9-10. God tells us clearly that He knows all things, beginning to end. And we can too.

     We have the Bible. God has allowed us to see what happened in the beginning in Genesis and He has shown us what will happen in the end in Revelation. We, too, can know the ending if we have read the Book.

     I know this world is full of pain and heartache, struggles and failures. There are unanswered questions and unending grief. But please don’t lose hope! Hold tight to the truth of God’s Word!

 

     In the end good wins over evil. The bad guy (Satan) loses, Jesus has the victory, and we will live with Him for eternity.

     How do I know that? I’ve read the Book. 

     Father, thank you for giving me hope through your Word. Thank you for being in control of all things in my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

                                                           R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

* Have you ever looked at the back of a book to find out the ending? Have you done that with the Bible? Why or why not?

Application

*Ask a prayer warrior/study friend to partner with you in reading the Bible together weekly and lifting up prayer requests to the Lord.

*Write in your journal “I know the One who wrote the Book, beginning to end. He will never let go of me.” Text that message to your prayer warrior when the tough stuff hits, to encourage each other to hold on to God’s Word.

Power Verses

*Isaiah 46:9-10 (NIV) “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please.”

*Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) “’For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’.”

*Revelation 22:13 (NIV) “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Take It from Here

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

We do not know what we ought to pray for,

but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with

groans that words cannot express.”

Romans 8:26 (NIV)

There was a good reason why my daughter Leigh did not talk until she was 2 years old. She didn’t need to. She had an older brother who took it upon himself to speak for her.

She struggled with her words as she tried to explain what she wanted but Tyler was able to tell by her few syllables and her gestures what she was trying to say – even when I could not.

The word “Mommy” was clear to me but the rest of her words did not sound remotely like any language I was familiar with and daughter and parents were all frustrated on a regular basis.

Until brother Tyler took over.

Not only did he understand and interpret what little sister Leigh was saying, he also had a special name for her: “your baby.” Tyler would come to me and say “your baby” and then finish the sentence with whatever he believed she wanted or needed.

He interceded for “your baby.”

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, too. Look at today’s Scripture from Romans 8:26. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” How amazing is that!

We’ve all been there: the heartache, the grief, the weight of a situation in our lives that is almost more than we can bear and we reach a point where we don’t even know what to pray.

It is at that exact moment that the Spirit steps in and lovingly says “Let me take it from here.” He lifts our tears, jumbled thoughts and aching hearts into a beautiful prayer before our Father on our behalf.

And our special name? “Children of God.” (I John 3:1)

I pray that you are encouraged and renewed with hope by realizing that when we come to the place of not knowing what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us, the children of God.  

Father, thank you for allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede for m, lifting up my jumbled thoughts to you when I don’t know what or how to pray. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever reached a point where you didn’t know what or how to pray for a person or situation?

Application

• When you find that you do not know what to pray in a situation or for a loved one, turn to Romans 8:26 in your Bible.
• Read it aloud and then ask the Holy Spirit to intercede and speak for you to God the Father.

Power Verses

• Romans 8:26 (NIV) “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”
• John 14:16 (NIV) “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever . . .”
• Hebrews 7:25 (NIV) “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
• John 14:26 (NIV) “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
• Romans 15:13 (NIV) “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Captured By a Camera

“. . . Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and

slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring

about the righteous life that God desires.”

James 1:20 (NIV)

 “I am so embarrassed,” my friend blurted out as I opened my front door. “I just made a fool of myself today!”

“That’s an everyday occurrence for me,” I smiled, “so just once isn’t too bad.”

But there was no smile in return. She sat down, shook her head and explained what had just happened.

She had gone to the principal’s office at school because the bus driver had reported that her daughter Sara had been jumping over seats while the bus was in motion and was not listening to his repeated requests to sit down.

“I was so angry when I walked in the office and never gave anyone a chance to speak,” she said. “I glared at the principal and the bus driver and told them that Sara would never ever jump over bus seats nor would she disrespect her bus driver by not obeying what he told her to do.”

At this point she put her hands on her head and looked at me: “I followed that with a comment about how awful it was that they would accuse my daughter of doing such a thing and ended by saying that evidently someone was lying.”

I took her hand and silently waited as she finished her story. “As I made that last statement, the principal leaned over and pushed the start button on his DVD player. I watched what the bus camera had recorded. Sara. My daughter. Jumping over bus seats. Ignoring her bus driver’s repeated demands to sit down.”  Oh my.

She looked at me as regret and shame poured from her eyes and onto her shirt. “I’m a Christian. A Christian! And today I was a horrible example of Jesus to everyone who heard me at the school.”

Ever been there? Ouch. Me, too. Instead of memorizing today’s Scripture from James 1:20 and putting it into practice every single day, I find myself changing the words around a bit so that it sounds more like this: “I am quick to become angry and speak and slow to listen.”

When my mouth engages without ever consulting my Spirit, I know that, within minutes, regret is going to rise to the surface. Regret for what I thought, what I said and for my very unchristian behavior. That is why James 1:20 is so important for us all.

We need to remember that as Christians we represent the Creator of the Universe. No matter what we say or do, there will always be someone watching and listening, even if we are never captured by a camera.

   

Father, for every single situation that I face today, help me to remember that I am an example of your Son no matter where I am. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Have you ever become angry or frustrated and shared everything that came to your mind without stopping to think what you were saying?

Application

• The next time you face a situation – no matter what the issue – mentally tell your lips that they are super glued together and open your ears to what is being said.
• Then picture everyone around you watching and listening to see if you will be a Christian example to them.

Power Verses

• James 1:20 (NIV) “. . . Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”
• Proverbs 15:18 (NIV) “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares.”
• Ecclesiastes 7:9 (NIV) “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”
• Proverbs 10:19 (NIV) “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.”
• Ecclesiastes 10:12 (NIV) “Words from a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips.”

Where You Is?

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his

 temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;

 he drew me out of deep waters.”

Psalm 18:6, 16 (NIV)

The day I lost my daughter is one I will never forget. Even now, years later, I can still feel that knot in my stomach when I think about it. In my defense I was also watching seven other children but you would think that losing MINE would not have happened. And yet it did.

My sisters and I had somehow managed to stuff all our children into a van and drive to town to shop. We were quite a sight in a local store as we tried to look over items and keep track of eight children at the same time.

As we walked back to the van, my sisters said “Hey, we are here by the supermarket. Need anything?” I did not and volunteered to watch all the kids so they could get what they needed more quickly.

As I helped the eight children load into the van, I kept thinking that something wasn’t right. “Five, six, seven” I counted. Suddenly it hit me! Not only was there a child missing but it was my youngest! And just as suddenly I realized that I had left her in the department store.

“Do not move from this car!” I sternly warned the children. “If someone tries to bother you, everybody scream together as loud as you can. I will be right back.” I yelled as I ran to find my little one.

 “Please Lord, please” was all I could choke out as I hurried through the shop door and immediately scanned the aisles for my daughter.

            Suddenly I saw a blonde head bobbing up and down two aisles away and heard a precious three-year-old voice calling “Mommy! Mommy! Where you is?”

“I hear you, Sweetie. Mommy is here, right here!” I cried with relief as I ran to her and pulled her up into my arms.

In today’s Scripture David writes about calling on the Lord for help when he was distressed. If he had left it there and said nothing more, we would not have the hope that we have today that God not only hears but answers.

But David tells us that not only did God hear him, He “drew me out of deep waters.” In other words, God heard His child’s call for help and answered him.

Just as my daughter called my name and I immediately ran to her, in the same way God hears and answers His children. We, too, can get “lost” in situations of everyday life.

  

But no matter what we are facing, we need to remember that our Father is waiting to hear our call for help. We will never have to ask Him the question “Where you is?”

Father, oh how I love that you hear me when I call and you promise to take care of me because I belong to you. Thank You for being so faithful. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt like God was somehow far away and not really listening to you when you called on Him?
• Did you keep praying or were you just tempted to give up?

Application

• Memorize today’s key scripture. Personalize it by placing your name in place of “my” and “me.”
• In your prayer time today praise the Lord for every time He heard your cry to Him this last week and thank Him for answering. Journal His answers.

Power Verses

• Psalm 18:6, 16 (NIV) “In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.”
• Isaiah 43:1 (NIV) “…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”
• Isaiah 59:1 (NIV) “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.”  
• Psalm 66:19 (NIV) “. . . but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.”
• I John 5:15 (NIV) “And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Don’t Forget To Dance

“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your 

spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” 

Romans 12:11 (NIV)

One of the most precious videos I ever saw showed a two year old boy who finally was able to hear for the first time. Having been deaf from birth, he had never heard his mother’s voice or music playing or birds chirping – in other words, all of the sounds that we enjoy and take for granted.

As the little boy sat on his mother’s lap, she spoke gently to him, calling his name while hearing aids were placed in his ears. “Brian. Brian, its Mommy.”

He jerked his head toward her face and instantly began to smile and bounce up and down on her lap. Next his father laughed and then cried as his son laughed back at him and reached for his arms.

Suddenly, in his excitement, the little boy jumped to the floor and danced in a circle, clapping his hands and giggling. What a beautiful reaction to hearing voices for the first time!

That pure joy reminded me of the moment I decided to give my heart to Jesus. I couldn’t quit smiling and sharing Him with everyone I met. Maybe I didn’t dance as I told my friends and family about the Lord, but inside I couldn’t contain the music my heart was singing at my new found faith.

Sadly, as I got older, I almost became complacent about my gift of eternity. I guess I could explain my fading enthusiasm by saying that as I got older, I was more dignified in my walk with the Lord. 

But to be honest, I think that I began to take it for granted and I allowed my extraordinary relationship with Jesus to become ordinary. Ouch. Can you identify?

I pray we never forget what He did for us. Our hope is not in the temporary but in the eternal. Remember the excitement of asking the God of the Universe to live in your heart? 

He is still the same Father now as He was when you first met Him face to face.  His truth has not changed. Jesus willingly died for every single one of us. He longs for a close personal relationship with us, His children.

Share the exciting news of Jesus and His mercy and grace, forgiveness and love. And while you are at it, don’t forget to dance. 

      Father, I never want to take for granted the gift of eternal life that you have given to me. May I share it with enthusiasm with everyone I meet. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

• Do you remember how you felt the moment you asked Jesus into your heart?

• How does that excitement compare with how you feel today?

Application

• For one week, make it your goal to share the joy you have as a child of God with one person every day. 

• At the end of that week, write down all the responses you received. Could they see your excitement in your heart for the Lord?

Power Verses

• Romans 12:11 (NIV) “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” 

• I Corinthians 15:58 (NIV) “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

• Colossians 3:23 (NIV) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

• I Samuel 2:1 (NIV) “Then Hannah prayed and said: ‘My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.’”

• Romans 15:13 (NIV) “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”