Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia! (Hymn lyrics written by Charles Wesley)
He has risen indeed! And that is the meaning of Easter.
“The birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus means that one day everything sad will come untrue.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2024
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. ~Luke 23: 44-46, The Holy Bible
It seemed like the end on that Friday over 2000 years ago. But it was just the beginning!
“What is good about Good Friday? Why isn’t it called Bad Friday? Because out of the appallingly bad came what was inexpressibly good. And the good trumps the bad, because though the bad was temporary, the good is eternal.” ~ Randy Alcorn
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2024
Easter arrives this Sunday and for many of us, it’s not about the bunny.
It’s not about a basket full of brightly colored eggs. It’s not about chocolate rabbits and filled chocolate eggs, no matter how yummy they are, nor marshmallow Peeps or jellybeans.
It’s not about Easter finery outfits, parades, or egg hunts. It’s not about a sumptuous Easter dinner with family and friends and a fancy table with a spring bouquet of daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips as the centerpiece.
Dare I say it? It’s not even just about going to church on Easter Sunday.
Instead, it’s about rejoicing because of Resurrection Day. It’s about remembering and reflecting during this week called Holy Week – the last week of an earthly life for someone who lived on this earth over 2000 years ago.
His name is Jesus Christ.
Sent to earth as God the Son in human form by God the Father, He came to save us all. Suffering and dying on an old rugged cross, He took our sins upon Him to bridge the gap between earthly wrong-doers and a holy and righteous God.
In doing so, He provided the only way to heaven and eternal life.
His gift of salvation is free; there is nothing you can do to earn it; no way of being good enough on your own to gain it. And even if you have committed something that seems unforgivable and you feel unworthy, He still loves you unconditionally and forgives.
All you must do is believe in Him; repent of past mistakes and ask for forgiveness; accept the gift of His love and enter into a personal relationship with Him.
If you don’t know Him, really know Him, it’s never too late to meet Him at the cross. But that’s not where the story ends.
Death couldn’t hold Jesus in its grasp because He was raised to life – eternal life which is what we’re given when we put our faith and trust in Him.
Jesus’ empty tomb that day over 2000 years ago proclaimed victory over death. Today Resurrection Sunday is a glorious day of joy and hope for us all.
That’s what Easter is about for those of us who call ourselves Christians – Christ followers.
“For God so loved the world that He that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ~ John 3:16 in The Holy Bible
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2024
Christmas Day will arrive in less than a week, and this Mama and Papa will find a houseful of loved ones assembled in our empty nest country home.
There will be luggage, coolers, bags, shoes, coats, scarves, mittens, toys, and all kinds of paraphernalia scattered throughout the house as each of our far-away grown children, spouses, and grandchildren descend on us from other states.
Happiness, joy, laughter, and noise will ring throughout the house. But amidst all the packing, preparing, planning, and providing provisions, I’m hopeful that we all take time to ponder and appreciate the real reason for the season.
It’s not about the Christmas décor spread outside and inside throughout our house. It’s not about the shimmering, glittering Christmas tree adorning the living room. It’s not about the gaily wrapped packages awaiting eager hands to open.
It’s not about the bountiful spread of delicious Christmas dinners and desserts that will satisfy our tastebuds. It’s not about the memories we may share of Christmases past. It’s not about the fun and games we’ll play as a family.
It’s just about one thing. One story that isn’t just a story but fact. For our family it’s all about Jesus, our Savior.
The beautiful stained-glass window pictured below portrays the story of the birth of Jesus Christ from one visit to another.
The first visit (upper left corner) was from an angel telling the virgin Mary she would experience a miraculous birth, the birth of a Savior. The last visit (bottom right) was a couple of years later when Wise Men followed a new and bright star in the sky to visit the Christ Child bringing him gifts.
If you don’t know this amazing story, I hope you can find a Bible to read the narrative. Or you can just search the internet for one of the Biblical accounts. Look up “Luke 1:26 through Luke 2:30.” If you’d like a simple, easy to read version, read that story in The Message version of the Bible.
For those of you who know the Nativity Story, may you pause in all your busyness to remember what this season is truly intended for – to commemorate the birth of a Savior, whose name is Jesus Christ, Son of God (His divinity) yet Son of Man (His humanity).
My hope is that if you’ve never heard about Jesus, who He is, how He was born, and for what purpose, you will understand the meaning of this photo after you’ve read or heard that passage of Scripture.
It’s the reason why we, who are Christians, celebrate this holiday named Christmas, and honestly, we don’t need anything more than that. We simply believe.
“Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2023
Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
I believe all of us humans are given gifts that we should use to help or encourage our fellow human beings.
Sometimes it takes us awhile to determine just what gift/talent we have, but when we do and we begin to utilize them, I believe God blesses not only those we help but us as well.
Over the years, I realized my gift is also a spiritual one – teaching. I didn’t always utilize it, but many years ago, I began leading Bible studies for women in my home and discovered how much fulfillment it gave me.
Unfortunately, as life increased in busyness and responsibilities, that fell to the wayside. But since retiring a few years ago, I resumed those studies. And what a blessing it’s been.
Every week during the fall and spring seasons, a group of ladies congregate in my home on a given evening and we study God’s Word together. We strive to deepen our faith and glorify God in all we do.
Just recently, we completed a study on how to build lasting legacies of faith, not just to pass on to our children, grandchildren, families, and friends but to others in our circles of influence.
And we discovered that it doesn’t matter what stage of life we may currently be in, and we range in age from a young generation to seniors, there are people in our everyday lives who we can encourage and help find hope.
One of the legacy building aspects we learned about was “one-anothering” – simply caring for one another, sharing burdens, listening, praying, and encouraging those who need a boost in spirit.
God’s Word actually commands those of us who are believers in Christ to put one-anothering into practice so many, many times.
This verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 is just one example: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”
At our last study session, we discussed ways in which we can apply one-anothering, not just within our Bible study group but with those who cross our paths.
In order to celebrate the conclusion of our study and all we’d learned, we decided to plan an evening of fellowship and fun with one another. Just talking, sharing our lives, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.
Of course, tasty treats would have to be a necessary part of our gathering. And so, we decided to have a progressive tea party at three ladies’ homes. And some of us don’t even care for tea!
Our evening began at 5:30 when we congregated at the first home where we enjoyed a delicious spread of cute tea sandwiches, assorted cheeses cut in the shapes of hearts and flowers and crackers, all prepared by two hostesses (who are aunt and niece).
Beverages included iced tea, lemonade, and iced coffee. It was delightful and a fun way to begin!
Next, we car-pooled to another home where we found an elegant table setting with that sweet lady’s late mother’s china and beautiful table decorations and flower centerpieces.
Delectable treats served by our hostesses there (mother and visiting daughter) were cinnamon scones and cream, warm baked apples, sugared grapes, and three different varieties of tea served in beautiful teapots. Even the non-tea drinkers among us discovered that flavored tea was yummy!
Our last party delivered exquisite desserts – fresh fruit tarts, chocolate cake rolls, and dainty tea cookies – with yet another assortment of hot teas in lovely tea pots.
The table was gorgeous with gold-trimmed Limoges china place settings. Our gracious hostesses (another mother-daughter team) treated us like royalty.
We presented cards and serenaded our last hostess with a round of song because it was her birthday.
I know it’s safe to say every single lady who attended our outing felt special and one-anothered. We enjoyed ourselves so very much that time really did fly and we were surprised to find our evening ended close to 10 pm.
Even though we’ve adjourned for the summer, we’re eager to commence another Bible study together in the fall and I will read, study, pray, and prepare for that in the next couple of months.
Each one of these lovely sisters in Christ, who join me every week for Bible study, has become so special to me. I hope and pray they are blessed by my gift as much as I am blessed by them. And in turn, we can bless many others in our midst.
The love we have for one another has increased just as God intends, and it’s our privilege to extend that love outwards to others as He tells us to do.
“It is not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing.” ~ Mother Teresa
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2023
Have you ever gone to a circus and seen a performer spinning plates on poles? How can the spinner keep them from crashing down to the ground in a million pieces?
That’s a bit how I’ve felt for the last several weeks. I’ve had all these plates spinning wildly over my head, and I was trying my darndest to keep them from getting out of control and smashing down around me.
Much like Dory the fish in the animated film, Finding Nemo, who continues to remind herself to “just keep swimming, just keep swimming…”, I kept telling myself “Just keep spinning.”
As a result of my busy season, this blog became low man at the bottom of the priority pole lately because I’ve been occupied with those spinning plates (other projects).
I lead a women’s Bible study in my home. I probably make more work for myself because I am not content to just pick up a Bible study book, read over the lesson and scriptures, and then ask the questions at the end.
Instead, I read a book by a Christian author on whatever topic we choose to study, glean out important information from that author’s perspective, study scriptures (and sometimes even the Greek and Hebrew words in them), add my own creative visual learning aids, plan session discussion, and provide short homework assignments for the gals to work on each week.
It takes much of my time and effort, but I am a strong proponent of applying God’s Word to our everyday lives and this is how I can accomplish that for myself and encourage the group of ladies who join me to do the same.
Our 11-week study on building a legacy of faith to pass on to our families, friends, and circles of influence concluded this week. So that’s one of the plates I can stop spinning gracefully until we begin another study in the fall, although I will prepare a topic this summer.
The other huge project I just completed was a personal one culminating in a public performance. I agreed to be the guest speaker at my church’s Mother-Daughter Dinner event held last week.
I can’t even begin to say how many countless hours I clocked into preparation for that. Not just developing the talk but praying over the words to utter, determining what scriptures to use, and designing a power point presentation to accompany those words.
Over a year ago, I experienced one very sleepless night that resulted in those words. After tossing and turning for hours while my mind raced with thoughts, I finally surrendered, got up at 3 a.m., and began writing down (in longhand) all of those thoughts and ideas that kept me awake.
As those words poured out onto notebook paper, it seemed God was pressing me to “tell your story.”
I’ve spent months preparing to do just that and was tasked with choosing the theme for the mother-daughter event to complement my presentation. What did I choose? Or better yet, what did God choose for me? Who Am I? A Daughter of the King.
Some very creative and talented women of my church planned the dinner and evening’s program and decorated our church fellowship hall to reflect a place worthy of princesses.
Ladies, young and old, were encouraged to wear princess-like garb complete with crowns and/or make their own crowns to display.
Using the color of royalty – purple – with accents of gold everywhere, the hall was changed into a kingly palace, even with a nook to get family photos taken.
Each aspect of the program was heralded by one of our teen girls playing her trumpet. Two young girls read a poem and scripture, and one of our mamas-in-waiting (an expectant mother) sang a lovely song.
What I loved most about the evening was that young children and grandchildren (the little princesses) were engaged in the event as well. Each little girl found a crown booklet to color in with crayons, a tiara, and a ribbon wand fit for any princess at her place setting.
At a given time, all the little princesses wearing their crowns (and some older princesses too) paraded around the hall in their finery.
And then it was my turn. Standing at the podium looking out at all those beautiful women – mothers, daughters, grandmothers, granddaughters, sisters, aunts, cousins, and friends – I started to speak the words that I know in my heart my King gave me to say.
And I confess that as I prepared for that evening for many months, the deceiving, evil one tried to discourage me, to convince me that no one wanted to hear my story, that I was wasting my time as well as others’, even whispering to me in that lying, sarcastic voice, “Your story isn’t important. Who do you think you are?”
Who am I? My answer? I am a daughter of the King. And no matter what comes my way, my good, gracious heavenly Father takes care of me and all His daughters when we call on Him.
I told my story. I mustered up courage provided by my powerful Savior and gave my testimony with the words He prompted in my mind, heart, and soul.
I asked a sweet sister in Christ who has the most amazingly beautiful singing voice to bless us with song at one point during my talk. During the many weeks I spent preparing, that particular song kept playing in my mind as I wrote and fine-tuned what I wanted to say.
By God’s design, the song, Who Am I, was recorded by a Christian group called Casting Crowns. The group’s name added a perfect aspect to the dinner’s theme and my true story. You may listen to the song here if you would like.
What touched my own heart most? When I finished telling my story, my own eight year-old granddaughter ran to me, gave me the biggest hug, and whispered in my ear, “You did soooo good, Nana!”
Whether I did good or not, the most important aspect is that all glory goes to my King. I hope He was pleased with me, His daughter, and that the words spoken touched the hearts of all His daughters that evening.
“You are the daughter of the King, and your story is significant.” ~ unknown
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2023
As a Christian, a believer in Christ Jesus, today is a most joyous day for me and my fellow believers. We celebrate that the Messiah, who took every single sinful act done by every single person in the world upon Himself, arose from the dead.
His resurrection gives us not just hope but the promise of eternal life with Him in heaven.
Happy Resurrection Day! Hallelujah!
“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” ~ Pope John Paul II
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2023
(Photo by Taylor Heery on Unsplash)
What makes you happy? What brings you joy? Do you equate the two as the same? Or is joy different from happiness?
Search the internet and you’ll find countless articles about happiness and/or joy. Here are just a couple examples:
I’ve often pondered the difference between happiness and joy and yes, I do believe those two emotions we humans experience are not the same.
My example is simplistic: Savoring a piece of delectable chocolate makes me happy, but providing a delicious treat for members of my family gives me joy.
The difference? A piece of chocolate brings a fleeting moment of happiness for me but making my family members happy delivers a deeper and longer lasting sense of emotion – joy.
And because many miles separate most of them from Papa and me, spending time with them is very special providing much happiness at the time. But joy lasts longer.
Joy is deeper. I can’t recall where I found these worthwhile tidbits, but the difference between joy and happiness is described in a variety of ways:
I think the feeling of happiness comes along from time to time due to pleasant circumstances or occurrences we experience but joy? We must intentionally choose joy for ourselves and actively practice it. And that “ain’t easy.”
“Feelings are involuntary reactions, so God does not say, ‘Feel joy.’ He says, ‘Rejoice!’ It’s a choice.” ~ George Foster
Joy is deep, profound, and for people like me, who actively practice our faith, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23
All too often I’ve found that during hardships, trials, and life’s difficulties, I must endeavor to choose joy. That sounds a bit crazy, doesn’t it? Choosing joy when you’re undergoing adversities?
But long ago, I claimed a particular Bible passage for my life verses: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
So many times since then, I’ve found I must put my faith into action not just words. Be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.
And over the Thanksgiving holiday, once again I needed to rejoice – choose joy – amidst a disappointing circumstance. Papa and I were so happy that our entire family traveled to our house for Thanksgiving and to spend several days with us.
Not only did we plan a holiday feast and meals for all 11 of us but also arranged outings, activities, and games to enjoy together. And we did get to experience some of those until…one family member began experiencing what we thought were cold symptoms.
But then a fever ensued causing us to test for that nasty virus that just keeps circulating around. Disappointment set in as that cursed positive result showed up. The family member immediately went into bedroom quarantine and the rest of the family were informed of exposure.
Suddenly, our happy times turned into concern. Since our Christmas gift exchange also was planned for the weekend, we hurriedly accomplished that while the infected family member Face-timed from the quarantined room.
Shortly afterwards, the far-away contingencies of our family decided to pack up and leave for their homes. Our smiles turned upside down into frowns, and I will confess this Mama/Nana shed a few tears after they departed.
Happiness flew right out the door with them.
But that verse – that verse that bids me to give thanks in all circumstances. Wasn’t thankfulness just what we celebrated? Wasn’t I thankful that we gathered as a family at all?
That verse – that verse that bids me to rejoice always – even when life doesn’t proceed as planned. Rejoice, not hang my head in disappointment.
Joy. I must choose it. Even when three other family members, including me, also tested positive.
Joy. It’s there deep down in that place within me that endures trials because God promises He will fill us with comfort and wrap us in the peace only He can give.
Joy. The blessing that’s present through difficult circumstances because it transforms heartache into gratitude, gives meaning to life through contentment, replaces fleeting happiness with deep constancy.
In spite of disappointment over the Thanksgiving weekend ending too soon, many blessings could be counted as joy: a family celebration of love, giggles and excitement from our grandchildren, recovery of all those affected by illness, and a deeper appreciation for moments we shared.
As we celebrate this season of Christmas, I choose joy. But I vow to choose it not just for this moment, for today, or for this holiday.
I choose joy for each day for the rest of my life. I will pray continually, giving thanks to my God in all circumstances, even the not-so-great ones, because my family and I are loved and cared for by the Savior of the world and His name is Jesus.
And dear readers, He cares for you the same.
“Deep, contended joy comes from a place of complete security and confidence [in God] – even in the midst of trial.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2022
This entire week is a special time for those of us who call ourselves Christians, believers in Jesus Christ. We celebrate Holy Week from one Sunday to another.
Last Sunday we celebrated Palm Sunday, remembering Jesus’s triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday, we commemorate the Last Supper Jesus held with His 12 Apostles.
After spending time in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was betrayed, arrested, tried, and sentenced to death in a most horrendous and gruesome way – crucifixion. Good Friday is when Jesus died on that wooden cross on a hill called Calvary.
But the story doesn’t end there because early in the morning on the third day, the tomb, into which Jesus’s body was sealed by a gigantic stone, was found empty. Jesus had risen from the dead and secured victory for all of us over sin and death.
That’s why we celebrate Easter – for us, a glorious Resurrection Sunday.
Thinking over all these events, I wonder how many of us and even those who don’t really know Jesus have an unapproachable image of the Son of God who was fully God but also fully human, even though accurate portrayals of Him are written in the Bible.
We’ve seen painted images and statues of what some artists envision He was like. But do we imagine what He must have been like in human flesh? Eating, sleeping, interacting with His earthly family, friends, and faithful followers, and experiencing human emotions and conditions.
Imagining Jesus’s human side is why Papa and I have relished watching The Chosen.
If you haven’t heard of it, The Chosen is a crowd-funded TV program based on the life of Jesus Christ. The multi-season series is told through the eyes of people who encountered Jesus of Nazareth in some way. The result shows our Savior as more “personal, intimate, immediate,” according to the series creator, director, and co-writer Dallas Jenkins.
Critics of the show claim its not Biblical as it injects scenes and imagined conversations that aren’t in the Bible. But it’s important to remember that this in just an interpretation of what it might have been like during the time Jesus ministered on earth.
When I watch this show where Jesus is portrayed as “one of us” with human characteristics, it’s made my relationship with my Savior more personal. Some scenes have brought me to tears, some make me laugh, and all of them make Jesus more real to me. But it doesn’t make me doubt that He was also God’s Son.
And my evaluation is from watching only the first two seasons currently available.
Season One introduces the viewer to Jesus and shows Him calling those first disciples and how He changed their lives. One of the dramatic lines that I remember so vividly is “I was one way, and now I am completely different, and the thing that happened in between was Him.” That’s how we should describe ourselves after encountering the Savior and accepting His free gift of salvation into our lives.
The next season concentrates on the onset of Jesus’s ministry and what transpires as His ministry becomes known to more people. The third season is in production now and we can’t wait until it is ready for viewing.
The show is free to watch through The Chosen app or you can purchase your own DVDs of Seasons 1 and 2. All eight episodes of Season 1 are also on You Tube and some streaming services like Vid Angel and Amazon Prime.
And this week April 13-17, you can watch a global livestream of some the show’s episodes at 8:30 pm ET on either Facebook, You Tube, Twitch, or The Chosen app. I’m sorry I missed the opportunity to share this earlier since all of the episodes from both seasons are airing and began on April 10.
Watch The Chosen‘s promotional video below.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ~ John 11:25-26
If Jesus Christ is just a Biblical character for you, or you don’t really know He is, or you aren’t certain you have a personal relationship with Him, check out The Chosen. It may entice you to read the Bible to learn more about Jesus or it may totally change your mind from simply having “religion” to being a true believer in Christ.
“Our concern as followers of Jesus is neither with a religion called ‘Christianity,’ nor with a culture called ‘Western Civilization,’ but with a person, Jesus of Nazareth, the one and only God-man who lived a perfect life of love, died on the cross for our sins, bearing in his own person the condemnation that we deserve, was raised in triumph from the grave and is now alive, accessible and available to us through the Holy Spirit.” ~ John Stott, “In Christ”
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2022
Looking out a kitchen window one morning, I noticed a battleground.
Not a literal battleground where one foe was pitted against another. But a different kind of battle. One side in contrast to another. A vast difference displayed right in front of my eyes.
Our backyard had transformed into a battleground of opposing sides. One side sunny. One side shady.
One side where bright green grass could be observed. The other side, shaded from the sun, where the same grass was muted in gray and blue colors.
One side hot from the sun melting the hoarfrost away. One side still cold from the previous night’s rime.
One side toasty. One side frosty.
And as often happens when I observe something visual, God’s Word comes to my mind. When I viewed those two distinct sides of my yard, two verses from the very last book – Revelation – of the Bible’s New Testament drifted through my thoughts.
That book of the Bible was written by the Apostle John, one of Jesus Christ’s 12 disciples. Revelation is different from the other five books in the New Testament written by John. God revealed events to come, occurrences that would take place thousands of years in the future to John and he recorded those in Revelation. But that’s an entirely other story.
The words John wrote that crossed my brain waves when I looked at our back yard were these: “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” ~ Revelation 3:15-16
Neither hot. Nor cold. Lukewarm.
My yard was “hot” on one side and “cold” on the other. Lukewarm? Not so much.
So, I started wondering and pondering why these verses ran through my mind. Really, what do those words the disciple John wrote even mean?
Does being cold mean turning away from faith, rejecting it, even a dead, hard heart against God?
And by hot, did he mean being on fire for Jesus, having a passionate, consuming faith?
And what about being lukewarm? Maybe blah, apathetic, indifferent, uncaring. That makes sense, doesn’t it?
Several years ago, I recall learning about those words John penned in Revelation. A good friend of ours, who is quite a Bible scholar, explained these verses by putting them into historical context pertaining to a church in Laodicea about whom these verses were written.
In John’s day, hot springs were located a few miles north of Laodicea and several miles east was a town known for cold, pure drinking water.
The hot springs provided healing aspects that made that area a kind of health center while the cold, pure water from the other town provided excellent drinking water. Laodicea did not have its own water supply, so water had to be piped there by aqueducts.
Whether it was the hot water that provided health benefits or the cold water that gave the town good drinking water, by the time it arrived in Laodicea, water was lukewarm.
In addition, the hot springs water was full of minerals like sulfur which would be nasty to drink. Certainly, drinking lukewarm, bad tasting water would not quench your thirst. So, what would you do? Gag and spit it out most likely.
So do these verses mean God literally will spit us out if our faith is lukewarm? If we truly have faith and have accepted God’s gift of salvation, God does not reject us.
But truthfully, those of us who call ourselves believers in Christ are not perfect Christians. We all have periods of time when we feel like we’re being lukewarm. Our faith wanes. We have doubts. Our passion and zeal for reading and studying God’s Word and praying sometimes falters.
God would rather see us possess a healthy, vibrant faith like the water from hot springs. Or perhaps embrace faith that refreshes and satisfies us like a clear, cold glass of water. When we’re lukewarm instead, it’s a warning sign that we need to be aware of our attitude, have a change of heart, seek Him and His Word more fully.
Being hot or cold, even though they seem polar opposites actually could both be good conditions of faith. But being lukewarm is not. These verses point out that the Laodicean church was unremarkable (lukewarm) when it came to their faith and they needed a change of heart.
Lately, I’ve been feeling just like that ancient church. Unremarkable in my faith. Downright lukewarm.
I think God used that visual picture placed in my back yard at just the time I needed it. Time to change. Time to be hot or cold, not lukewarm. Time to strengthen my faith with Bible study and more time spent in prayer.
And it took a backyard battle to remind me.
“Put your nose into the Bible every day. It is your spiritual food. And then share it. Make a vow not to be a lukewarm Christian.” ~ Kirk Cameron
©mamasemptynest.wordpress.com 2021
Mama's Empty Nest 