Just Because
Missey Butler
Of all the lovely things my husband has ever done for me, one thing he did early on in our relationship will forever linger in my heart as special.
For no apparent reason, I opened the door one morning to find the florist guy standing there holding a bouquet of the most beautiful coral-colored roses. My heart leapt as I reached out, took the flowers, and just about shut the door on the poor fellow before realizing I had to sign something.
I was so taken by the moment that for a split second I lost myself in anticipation. I closed the door, leaned back against it, fumbled with the little envelope, and finally got the envelope open. With a soft sigh I read the two words on the card: “Just Because.”
Immediately, I felt my heart and my cheeks flush warmly. My sweet guy could not have spoken his unconditional love to me more clearly.
I’ve often thought about just how lovely and fitting it would be to send the very same message of love to God, a “Just Because” in response to His unselfish love toward all of mankind.
• Just because You created life in all its wonder and beauty.
• Just because You clothed yourself in humanity and walked among us.
• Just because You so loved the world that You gave Your only begotten Son.
• Just because You are the Great I Am… and there is no other.
All of these and a thousand more beside are the reasons for our complete and total love, just because… of “Who” You are!
cbn
Friday, March 30, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
You're All I Want
Martha Noebel
One day, as I started my morning, I decided that I wanted a can of cold soda. I was hot and the air conditioning had not kicked in yet at the office, so I went to the drink machine to get one of my favorite drinks. You can imagine my facial expression as I reached for my cold can of refreshment only to find out it was as hot as I was. I walked back down the hall feeling greatly disappointed.
One hot can of soda should not have left me feeling this way, but it did. Then I began to softly sing the song, "You're all I want / You're all I ever needed / You're all I want / Help me know You are here." My heart was reaching out to God and my words were calling on Him for just a moment of His presence. Physically, I wanted a can of drink, but my spirit nature took over. I wanted something much more, a moment with God.
Sometimes there is this sense of wanting to see God, wanting to know Him in a special way. I wanted to feel Him. When this song came from deep within me, I realized I needed a touch from my loving Father.
"The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust"
(Psalm 103:13-14, NLT).
I went back to my office. A few minutes later, someone who had passed me in the hall and heard of my dilemma brought me a cup of ice for my drink. Can you believe it? That had never happened to me before. I was shocked. Then the Lord reminded me of what I had really wanted. I wanted to know that God loved me and to have Him show me in a tangible way. Well, He certainly did just that.
"…I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee"(Jeremiah 33:3, KJV).
God is ever present with us. We all know that. He desires to show Himself to us in practical, loving ways. You see, I love Him, too. He truly is all I want and all I'll ever need. He let me know He was here. What a special day!
cbn
Martha Noebel
One day, as I started my morning, I decided that I wanted a can of cold soda. I was hot and the air conditioning had not kicked in yet at the office, so I went to the drink machine to get one of my favorite drinks. You can imagine my facial expression as I reached for my cold can of refreshment only to find out it was as hot as I was. I walked back down the hall feeling greatly disappointed.
One hot can of soda should not have left me feeling this way, but it did. Then I began to softly sing the song, "You're all I want / You're all I ever needed / You're all I want / Help me know You are here." My heart was reaching out to God and my words were calling on Him for just a moment of His presence. Physically, I wanted a can of drink, but my spirit nature took over. I wanted something much more, a moment with God.
Sometimes there is this sense of wanting to see God, wanting to know Him in a special way. I wanted to feel Him. When this song came from deep within me, I realized I needed a touch from my loving Father.
"The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he understands how weak we are; he knows we are only dust"
(Psalm 103:13-14, NLT).
I went back to my office. A few minutes later, someone who had passed me in the hall and heard of my dilemma brought me a cup of ice for my drink. Can you believe it? That had never happened to me before. I was shocked. Then the Lord reminded me of what I had really wanted. I wanted to know that God loved me and to have Him show me in a tangible way. Well, He certainly did just that.
"…I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee"(Jeremiah 33:3, KJV).
God is ever present with us. We all know that. He desires to show Himself to us in practical, loving ways. You see, I love Him, too. He truly is all I want and all I'll ever need. He let me know He was here. What a special day!
cbn
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Our Greatest Need
Martha Noebel
When asked, "What, in your opinion, is the greatest spiritual need in the world today?" theologian Dr. R. C. Sproul once replied, "The greatest need in people's lives today is to discover the true identity of God."
This is so true. God is exactly what we want and need, and we don't know it. He loves us unconditionally and is always there when we need Him. The problem is that we don't truly realize just how much He cares for us.
God sent His son Jesus to die for us because He loved us so much. If we have given our hearts to Him and asked for our sins to be forgiven, we can rest in His unfailing love. We need to encourage ourselves in that. What more do we need?
Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us (Romans 8:33-34, NLT)
He is a God worthy of our honor and our love. We should be growing in His love and grace and reaching out to others so that they can know, too. There is so much joy in being an active part of the family of God.
"In the time of my favor I will answer you and in the day of salvation I will help you. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and reassign its desolate inheritances" (Isaiah 49:8, NIV).
What a wonderful Savior! We have His favor and salvation. He longs to use us to restore others. We are His hands; we are His feet. We speak His words and lives are changed.
For the last several months, I have been working with my church by going into a low-income area of my community. We have been providing food and clothing, and this past summer, we conducted an outdoor Bible School. I know the greatest joy is being a part of helping others and seeing God work. I can really feel God's love for these people being poured into my life so I can allow it to pour back out to them. I love to see the glee in the faces of the children when I go to their community. It is wonderful to see the deep appreciation from the parents struggling to do the best they can. It is truly God's heart that we go to them and try to help them where they are.
If I don't go, who will? If you don't go, how will they know of God's great love for them?
Let's take a moment to ask God to show Himself to us in a special way today. Let's ask Him to fill us with all that we need to become more involved in what pleases Him. Let's get to know the true and living God and learn to know all we can about Him. It's an adventure, one well worth taking.
cbn
Martha Noebel
When asked, "What, in your opinion, is the greatest spiritual need in the world today?" theologian Dr. R. C. Sproul once replied, "The greatest need in people's lives today is to discover the true identity of God."
This is so true. God is exactly what we want and need, and we don't know it. He loves us unconditionally and is always there when we need Him. The problem is that we don't truly realize just how much He cares for us.
God sent His son Jesus to die for us because He loved us so much. If we have given our hearts to Him and asked for our sins to be forgiven, we can rest in His unfailing love. We need to encourage ourselves in that. What more do we need?
Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us (Romans 8:33-34, NLT)
He is a God worthy of our honor and our love. We should be growing in His love and grace and reaching out to others so that they can know, too. There is so much joy in being an active part of the family of God.
"In the time of my favor I will answer you and in the day of salvation I will help you. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and reassign its desolate inheritances" (Isaiah 49:8, NIV).
What a wonderful Savior! We have His favor and salvation. He longs to use us to restore others. We are His hands; we are His feet. We speak His words and lives are changed.
For the last several months, I have been working with my church by going into a low-income area of my community. We have been providing food and clothing, and this past summer, we conducted an outdoor Bible School. I know the greatest joy is being a part of helping others and seeing God work. I can really feel God's love for these people being poured into my life so I can allow it to pour back out to them. I love to see the glee in the faces of the children when I go to their community. It is wonderful to see the deep appreciation from the parents struggling to do the best they can. It is truly God's heart that we go to them and try to help them where they are.
If I don't go, who will? If you don't go, how will they know of God's great love for them?
Let's take a moment to ask God to show Himself to us in a special way today. Let's ask Him to fill us with all that we need to become more involved in what pleases Him. Let's get to know the true and living God and learn to know all we can about Him. It's an adventure, one well worth taking.
cbn
Friday, March 09, 2007
our real christian duty
16 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
Many US citizens want to see the day when their country returns to its moral foundations. Yet, as wonderful as a reclaimed nation would be, if it were simply a political victory that reinstates rules of better behavior, it would not be better off.
As Ravi Zacharias has noted, “If we succeed in making America more moral, then what we will have is more lost moral Americans.” In The Pilgrim's Progress, Pilgrim gets sidetracked into a layover in the village of Morality, where all is morally correct. He finds, however, that morality without the cross cannot alleviate his burden of sin.
Unfortunately, we have often been led to believe that political triumph over the enemies of godliness is the best strategy. Yet, a political situation is a seductive sidetrack. It tempts us to shift our eyes away from what must be the focus of true followers—concern for the lost and for the growth of believers in Jesus.
Some of us can probably identify with the woman who approached me before a meeting. She told me that for 2 years she had been so deeply involved in political causes that she had neglected her growth in Jesus and her commitment to her local church in both time and giving. She had even come to see those on the other side of the political fence as enemies rather than ones for whom Jesus died. She admitted that during this time her intimacy with the Lord had dimmed. She was convicted about how quickly her political adrenaline had eclipsed her passion for the things of God and eternity.
While it may be energizing and exciting for us to believe that we are doing our Christian duty by marching, politicking, protesting, and supporting groups that do these things, it may well distract us from the most important task—glorifying God through Christlikeness and an unwavering commitment to the eternal destinies of friends and enemies alike.
The best way to win any nation is to care about the citizens . . . one at a time! —Joe Stowell www.rbc.org
seeking: Father, what have you shown me about how I've been glorifying you with my life? What have you helped me see about my priorities?
responding: What have I done recently to advance the cause of Jesus? • What is the balance between appropriate concern for a declining culture and concern for the people living in it?
Father, make me a disciple of Jesus who loves others and shows them your reality. Give me a greater passion for loving you and the people you bring into my life.
following: Reach one person at a time with the love of Jesus.
our journey
16 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
Many US citizens want to see the day when their country returns to its moral foundations. Yet, as wonderful as a reclaimed nation would be, if it were simply a political victory that reinstates rules of better behavior, it would not be better off.
As Ravi Zacharias has noted, “If we succeed in making America more moral, then what we will have is more lost moral Americans.” In The Pilgrim's Progress, Pilgrim gets sidetracked into a layover in the village of Morality, where all is morally correct. He finds, however, that morality without the cross cannot alleviate his burden of sin.
Unfortunately, we have often been led to believe that political triumph over the enemies of godliness is the best strategy. Yet, a political situation is a seductive sidetrack. It tempts us to shift our eyes away from what must be the focus of true followers—concern for the lost and for the growth of believers in Jesus.
Some of us can probably identify with the woman who approached me before a meeting. She told me that for 2 years she had been so deeply involved in political causes that she had neglected her growth in Jesus and her commitment to her local church in both time and giving. She had even come to see those on the other side of the political fence as enemies rather than ones for whom Jesus died. She admitted that during this time her intimacy with the Lord had dimmed. She was convicted about how quickly her political adrenaline had eclipsed her passion for the things of God and eternity.
While it may be energizing and exciting for us to believe that we are doing our Christian duty by marching, politicking, protesting, and supporting groups that do these things, it may well distract us from the most important task—glorifying God through Christlikeness and an unwavering commitment to the eternal destinies of friends and enemies alike.
The best way to win any nation is to care about the citizens . . . one at a time! —Joe Stowell www.rbc.org
seeking: Father, what have you shown me about how I've been glorifying you with my life? What have you helped me see about my priorities?
responding: What have I done recently to advance the cause of Jesus? • What is the balance between appropriate concern for a declining culture and concern for the people living in it?
Father, make me a disciple of Jesus who loves others and shows them your reality. Give me a greater passion for loving you and the people you bring into my life.
following: Reach one person at a time with the love of Jesus.
our journey
Monday, March 05, 2007
Onward, Christian Soldiers
Martha Noebel
God's words to Joshua exhort us, "No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you" (Joshua 1:5).
God is with us, just as he promised Joshua. Joshua found himself in a large place. He was asked to be the leader of the people of Israel. He did not know if he could do the job or not. He just knew God had asked him to stretch himself, to grow, to be obedient, and to trust Him in this new position of leadership.
It must have been a scary thought at first. He was now the one in charge of God's people. He had to follow behind in the footsteps of Moses, who had done an awesome job. Could he do it? Did he want to do it? God knew Joshua's concern. It showed in His repeated admonishing to “be strong and courageous" (See Joshua 1:6-9).
God also gave Joshua good instructions to go with the promise that God would give the people every place where they put their feet. Joshua was instructed to obey the law, to meditate on God's Word day and night, and to be strong and courageous. The Lord also told him, "Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (vs. 9b).
It sounds like God knew there would be those times when the enemy would be roaring in Joshua's ears with sounds of defeat. And it is like that today in the lives of Christians everywhere. We hear the negative words, we are frightened by terrible thoughts, and we feel overwhelmed. But God wants us to put aside all those feelings and thoughts. He wants us to speak His Words of truth and to trust in Him.
We want to be like David when he prayed this prayer:
"I have followed your commands, which have kept me from going along with cruel and evil people. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. You save with your strength those who seek refuge from their enemies. Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 17:4-8).
Like Joshua, David, and the great men and women of old, we are given the choice to follow the Words of the Lord and to succeed. Let us speak God's Words into our circumstances. Let's use them like a key to open the heavens and receive all God has promised. We will not let doubt and discouragement stop us from walking into our promised land.
Like the song of old, Onward, Christian Soldiers, we must fight the fight of faith. We are overcomers! God is with us!
Onward, Christian Soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus,
Going on before!
Christ the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See His banners go!
—lyrics by Sabine Baring-Gould, 1865
cbn
Martha Noebel
God's words to Joshua exhort us, "No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you" (Joshua 1:5).
God is with us, just as he promised Joshua. Joshua found himself in a large place. He was asked to be the leader of the people of Israel. He did not know if he could do the job or not. He just knew God had asked him to stretch himself, to grow, to be obedient, and to trust Him in this new position of leadership.
It must have been a scary thought at first. He was now the one in charge of God's people. He had to follow behind in the footsteps of Moses, who had done an awesome job. Could he do it? Did he want to do it? God knew Joshua's concern. It showed in His repeated admonishing to “be strong and courageous" (See Joshua 1:6-9).
God also gave Joshua good instructions to go with the promise that God would give the people every place where they put their feet. Joshua was instructed to obey the law, to meditate on God's Word day and night, and to be strong and courageous. The Lord also told him, "Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (vs. 9b).
It sounds like God knew there would be those times when the enemy would be roaring in Joshua's ears with sounds of defeat. And it is like that today in the lives of Christians everywhere. We hear the negative words, we are frightened by terrible thoughts, and we feel overwhelmed. But God wants us to put aside all those feelings and thoughts. He wants us to speak His Words of truth and to trust in Him.
We want to be like David when he prayed this prayer:
"I have followed your commands, which have kept me from going along with cruel and evil people. My steps have stayed on your path; I have not wavered from following you. I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. You save with your strength those who seek refuge from their enemies. Guard me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wings" (Psalm 17:4-8).
Like Joshua, David, and the great men and women of old, we are given the choice to follow the Words of the Lord and to succeed. Let us speak God's Words into our circumstances. Let's use them like a key to open the heavens and receive all God has promised. We will not let doubt and discouragement stop us from walking into our promised land.
Like the song of old, Onward, Christian Soldiers, we must fight the fight of faith. We are overcomers! God is with us!
Onward, Christian Soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus,
Going on before!
Christ the royal Master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle,
See His banners go!
—lyrics by Sabine Baring-Gould, 1865
cbn