April 08

Our Inheritance

… we have received an inheritance from God.

Ephesians 1:11 (NLT).

Have you ever wanted to own a lot of something ... anything? Read on....

Let me start with this ... my father blessed me with a good inheritance. You see, my sisters and I have inherited large tracts of New England forestland—an incredible gift, I think. My biggest problem though is trying to understand what we own. First, there is a lot of it, and second, the property is scattered over several counties. Its size absolutely amazes me.

Last year, a forester really boggled my mind when he indicated our largest parcel might have up to four million trees on it! Granted, many of these trees are less than three feet tall, but still, short or tall, that’s a lot of forest.

No doubt, my earthly father has blessed me with a wonderful inheritance, but by comparison, my Heavenly Father has given me so much more—just read Ephesians 1 sometime—it's incredible. The Apostle Paul has convinced me: I need to understand this inheritance, because this treasure … is eternal.

Whether we possess much here on earth or not makes little difference. The Father has blessed us for all eternity. So, with that in mind, let’s unwrap our Father’s great gifts and rejoice in what lies ahead.

Father, thank You for making me part of Your family. Your love, Your gifts are incredible indeed. Help me understand these that I might praise Your name more and more. Amen.

April 07

Finding Rest

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry … Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s get away from the crowds for awhile and rest.’ … They left by boat for a quieter spot.

Mark 6:30-32 (NLT)

I lie here in the back of a cabin in the woods and hear tiny rain drops pitter pat the metal roof. This quiet, peaceful time washes over me like a warm bath. It’s what I need.

Jesus knew the value of times like these. He appreciated the Apostle’s excitement as they shared their reports, but He also knew the dangers of overload, pressing people, and constant noise and busyness. So the Master called a time out, and His choice of leaving by boat let them get away from the non-stop distraction of demanding crowds.

There will be times when we need to hop on a plane, or take a drive, or simply close a door. Time alone—time with Him in particular—is worth the effort. It must be done. If we want physical, mental and spiritual refreshment, if we hope to draw closer to Him, we should follow Jesus' example.

If you haven’t taken a break in awhile, seriously pray about it. Maybe you can’t spend a month in Tahiti or even a week in the Maine woods. It may be you can spare an hour behind closed doors. It may be just what you need. Go for it!

Lord, lead me beside still waters and teach me to rest. Amen.

April 06

God’s Great Overflow

… I am the least …

1 Corinthians 15:9 (NLT)

[Now] … he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

It is to Paul’s credit that he realized his own lowliness, but it is to his greater credit that he understood God’s great gifts and incredible power, and then, in light of this, that he pressed onward in faith. The Apostle Paul experienced this power and even touches our lives because he was willingly captured in God’s wondrous overflow of love.

Like Paul, we have little to boast about in and of ourselves, but we can boast about the love of Christ. And we can live out our Heavenly Father's spectacular plan for us. This should be our drive and desire: to grasp the infinite more that HE would accomplish in our lives. As we do, our single-hearted devotion will reveal more than we could ever imagine.

Are you willing to follow Paul’s example and use the gifts God has given, the circumstances of life He has allowed, and see what He will do?

I am.

Lord, I feel so small, but if You are willing, fill this life with Your greatness. Make it overflow with love and blessings for others. Amen.

April 05

Wake Up and Smell His Roses

I have loved you, my people with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

Jeremiah 31:3 (NLT)

For God so loved the world….

John 3:16a (NLT)

Yesterday, I was wondering why we don’t love the Lord like we love our heroes, celebrities and the super-successful.

If we had some super-celebrity befriend us, maybe a Michael Jordan or a Bill Gates, and they doted on us and lavished us with their time, talent and treasure—wouldn’t we be thrilled? Wouldn’t we revel in that? The reality is, God loves us more than anyone else ever could, and He wants to be that friend.

Already, He has taken care of everything. He has paved the way, opened the gate to His home and made great sacrifices to see we are properly invited. He truly loves us. As Rick Warren says, “He’s crazy about us.”

It’s time to call on our best friend. It's time to embrace His love. It’s time to stop and smell His roses.

Lord, You tell me You stand at the door and knock. I open the door to my heart to You, Lord. Enter, and make Your home here. Amen.

April 04

Knowing God’s Love

May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, and how deep his love really is.

Ephesians 3:17b, 18 (NLT)

Last year, our church began a seven-week study on knowing God’s love. In Sunday school, we illustrated the topic by playing a game seen on the David Letterman show: Will it sink or will it float? Items were held up and people guessed what would happen. The objects were then dropped into a fish bowl. So, what happened? The strawberry? It floated. The egg? It sank. The bottle of Gatorade? It floated too. And on it went.

The purpose of our game was to point out the one constant—the water. The water remained the same regardless of what different objects were doing in it.

Just so, when it comes to life, we may be up—experiencing the best of life, or we may be down—floundering at the bottom, or we may be somewhere in between. But no matter where we are or what we are doing, we are absolutely surrounded by the depths of God’s refreshing love. It is the one constant. He always loves us, it’s always the same—no matter what!

Lord, let me know the greatness of Your surrounding love. Amen.

April 03

Those Wonderful Promises

He has called us … and by that same mighty power, he has given us all of his rich and wonderful promises. … So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life.

2 Peter 1:3b-5a (NLT)

One recent night we had a sharing time in church. People were asked to share what God was doing in their lives, perhaps some Scripture—something that had affected them in a positive way. Once they started sharing, it became a flood of praise and, sometimes, tears of joy.

Almost everyone had a verse to quote. These were precious promises, and I could hear it in their voices, see it in their glistening eyes.

There was the man whose wife had left him, the young mother who was struggling with her two daughters, and then a lady shared how she had just learned she had pancreatic cancer. All shared how God’s word had helped and blessed them through difficult circumstances.

It was a rich time and a powerful reminder: I need God’s promises. I need to know them—when life is easy as well as when it is hard. I need to claim them. And you? Have you claimed one of His promises this week? If not, why not hunt one out and make it yours?

Lord, Your word is alive and powerful and so helpful. Open my eyes to Your good words for me. Help me take Your promises seriously, to meditate on these truths, to memorize them and claim them as my own. Amen.