She "put-in"

This journey we find ourselves traveling is filled with both joys and sorrows- sometimes a mixture of both in a brief period of time. Our family’s journey took us northward this past week to the birthplace of my husband’s mother- we came together to say goodbye and lay her to rest in the cemetery where her parents, grandparents and other family members already lay.


Small towns in Texas are much the same, regardless of location. The people in the funeral home were warm and compassionate. The high school friends from the class of ’42 regaled the family with memories of church socials and football games. The church ladies fed the family with plates of fried chicken and mashed potatoes – much enjoyed by the grandchildren, I might add!

The time came to join as a family in the small chapel. The family is tiny now and the chapel seemed larger than it probably was. This is a time when family comes together- generations sit side by side- hands are held as each heart holds its own remembrances.

Her battle with Alzheimer’s had taken her memory years ago- she had known no one for almost a decade. The memory of her son was called upon to pick the songs and the scriptures for her- memories of Scripture she insisted he memorize as a child- hymns she encouraged him to learn on the piano- sadly, for her, with little success.

Our dear friend stood to preach from the 23rd Psalm- not all that uncommon for a funeral- but words that had brought her much peace in a life that had held little peace. Traditional hymns played as he finished. The sound of George Beverley Shea’s gravely voice singing Amazing Grace and the Old Rugged Cross, brought tears to our eyes and smiles to our lips- and the service came to an end. The family followed the hearse through the small town- cars pulled off to the side of the road- a sign of honor and respect on Texas highways. Finally, the small procession came to a stop at the designated site. And then came the part of the service, I think, that God had planned for me to hear that day.

Our friend, more a brother really, stood to read a passage that had been a favorite of Peg’s- Luke 12:41-44- a familiar story about the widow’s mite- so familiar- and yet, as God so often does, a new way to hear came to my heart that day. As I was growing up, the story was a favorite of our pastor at budget time- But God had given Scott a different message that day. Friday, as we stood together under that tent, with just a few of us gathered round, God wanted me to hear something else.

Scott noted that three times Jesus had used the phrase “put in”. Jesus, you see, had been watching- watching closely enough to SEE, truly see, what each person passing by “put in.” God drew my thoughts back to the words our pastor had preached the previous Sunday from Romans 12. “Present your bodies a living sacrifice…” As I listened to our friend talk about all Peg had “put in” to the kingdom as she rocked babies in the church nursery, my heart began to truly makes sense of Paul’s words in Romans. I am to be holy and pleasing to God- the King James says “acceptable” to God- because, after all, THIS is my “reasonable service.” It is a reasonable thing to do- to give my life in service to Him- to make an offering of all that I do, all I am, as my reasonable service to the God who gave everything for me.

All of a sudden, the living sacrifice made sense in a way, perhaps, it had not before. I heard our friend’s voice saying, “If we could find those many children rocked in that nursery, and hear their stories of growing up in Christian homes nurtured by parents who worshipped each week while their child was loved and rocked in the nursery- there would not be room on this hill for them to stand.”--- Because Peg, you see, had “put in” all she had…. And Jesus watched … and smiled.

“Therefore, I urge you brothers (and sisters) in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your { reasonable service KJV}.

The words of Jesus say, “…she put in everything she had to live on”- Our friend’s voice put the inflection on the second word in the phrase- live ON….We are called to put in everything we have- everything we ARE (living sacrifices)- so that those we meet, those we serve, will see….truly see, what makes us live ON.

BECAUSE of His great mercy- and IN VIEW of His watchful, loving eyes- what will I “put in” today so that what Christ has given me can “live on” in others for eternity?

Blessings and peace-
Marsha

Living Hope

In teaching Sunday school in Gulf Pointe Plaza Nursing Home, each lesson is aimed at giving hope and encouragement to the residents living there. A few go to the nursing home to recuperate and then leave for their own homes, but most are there to stay as their lives deteriorate. Just as the bible is God's Word to give hope to young and old, this devotional is, too.


"Our hope is based on nothing less but Jesus’ blood and Righteousness".

Hope in the biblical sense doesn’t mean wishful thinking, but fervent expectation - expectation that what God has promised we can claim and will receive.

Hope is what we all need, whether we are little children too young to think about the future, or young ones leaving the nest, or older people whose careers and work are behind them, and even those in their final days. Without hope children have no courage to go forward, and without hope our spirits wither and die before our bodies do.

The New Testament tells of the hope we have in Jesus Christ, both for now and for the hereafter. Through the blood Jesus shed on our behalf, we have hope for today, hope for tomorrow and hope for eternity.

Titus 1:2 "a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time," .

Before the beginning of time, before He created anything, God planned that He would send Jesus as our sacrifice so that we could be free of sin and could take on the righteousness of Jesus to dwell with God forever in eternity. This is our greatest Hope for the future. Over and over in the bible we are told that "I will never leave you nor forsake you", and He didn't.

But God never meant that we should only hope for death and the hereafter. If we recognize Him, the Holy Spirit will dwell in our hearts and give us overpowering love and comfort during the good days and the dark days. Jesus intends that we have more good days than dark ones: John 10:10 "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly". Abundant life is life lived to the full, trusting in God and expecting His goodness and mercy to follow you as you follow Him.

We all experience dark days and sad days, and during these times we can trust God and hold fast to him. In Rom 15: 13 the apostle Paul says: "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." This is the present hope we need during those times. Just by trusting in Him, our hearts and minds can be filled with understanding and wisdom so that we will know that no matter what the circumstances, He is with us and He is sovereign.

To the Thessalonians, Paul writes: 2 Thessalonians 2:16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Peter says it this way: 1 Peter 1:3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ". A living hope - a hope that stays with us both night and day.

2 Cor. 1:3–4 TLB What a wonderful God we have — he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials.

He is a wonderful God, the source of every mercy and comfort and strength. Many times, we find ourselves unable to do the things we used to do and want to do, but we are not left without hope. God is with us and will be with us to the end and beyond.

Every day He wants us to think about Him, to thank Him for what He has done in our past, and for how he is caring for us today. If we thank him for every blessing, in the process our minds will be renewed and we will receive HOPE.

I love these verses about the great mystery of the ages, which we are privileged to have revealed to us: in Col 1:25 Paul writes: I have become its servant (that is the church’s servant) by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness —26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We are those gentiles; when we believe in Jesus as our savior, we have Christ in us, the hope of glory.

Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

The God of Peace is the God of Hope. May the Lord’s peace and hope be with you today and every day.

Anna