The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Watch out for those trigger words,” the young couple heard Pastor Kenward say to them. “I call them trigger words because they are deadly to relationships and always wound each other. In fact, often they lead to further escalation of problems. Those words are “NEVER” and “ALWAYS”! Do you realize how often both of you have used trigger words in the last twenty minutes?” the pastor asked.

“A lot, I would guess,” she said. She was right.

The pastor shared, “Here’s a couple of the things you said:
She: Pastor, he NEVER appreciates.
He: That’s not true. I ALWAYS do everything to please you.
She: That is a lie. He NEVER says thank you.
He: I would if you didn’t ALWAYS nag me.”

You know, friends, there is a lot of power in our words. The Apostle James wrote of the power of the tongue in James chapter three. It can be used for great good or great harm. I like what he also said in James 1:19, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

This was great counsel for the young couple. This is great counsel for us today. In fact, keeping this verse before our eyes and in our hearts will probably keep us quite busy today.

For today: Watch out for those trigger words and any others that would hurt rather than help.

“I’m lonely,” he said to himself. As he sat at the corner coffee shop, nearly every other table was filled with couples or groups of people. As he drank his coffee, he remembered what his kind pastor had encouraged him to do. He rehearsed several Scripture verses that he had memorized and pictured the Lord saying this directly to him as if He was Himself seated across the table.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

“Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20).

“It is the LORD your God Who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

He still felt lonely. However, it was not with despair. In fact, he smiled, thinking of the Lord sitting across the table saying this to him.

For today: How does this impact your life today?

The Lord Jesus always expresses everything so perfectly. I cannot improve on His wording, nor can I illustrate it any better. He said it best. “If you know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17). The New King James Version translates it, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

I was chatting with a medical doctor and in a very general way so as to not betray confidentiality on either his part or mine. We were reflecting upon the many people we have seen. He spoke of his medical practice and I spoke of my pastoral ministry. We were commiserating how people would first make an appointment. They would come in to see us. They’d tell us their situation. He would prescribe a medication and write out a script. I would take them to Scripture and write out the directions for applying the Word and practicing it. Sometimes they would ignore our prescribed help. They would persist in their problem and later say, “I went to Doctor….and he didn’t help me.” Maybe we were just having a hard week, but it seemed like many were coming and few were following the prescription.

Come to think of it, that’s exactly what the Lord said. There’s a difference between knowing and doing. I want to be blessed. I not only want to know His plan, I want to do His plan. How about you?

For today: I told you that the Lord Jesus expresses everything perfectly!

As you listen to the news and see what’s happening around you, may I ask, “What are your feelings? What are you thinking about it?”

Most of us don’t like it. We’re concerned for our children and grandchildren. In fact, I would say it is really upsetting to see what looks like wickedness becoming much more widespread.

I am going to do something that I’ve never done before. I am going to share with you something I shared just a few days ago. As we see wickedness abounding, I sense the need to remind myself of these truths once again. Maybe they will be a blessing to you as well.

I love what the Lord Jesus said. “Let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1a).

It was the night before the Lord Jesus would go to the cross to pay the terrible penalty for our sins. It was something for the Lord Jesus that I cannot begin to describe, and certainly it was dreadfully upsetting to the disciples. The Lord Jesus was leaving, and they could not come with Him. Even though He had explained that He was going to die and rise again, they did not understand it. All they knew was that their cherished Master was leaving.

The Lord Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:1). He then reminded them of several things. He reminded them of Who He is (14:1b), what He knows (14:2a), what He assures them of (14:2b), what He is doing (14:2c, 3), and what He promises (14:3b). What is causing your heart to be troubled today? Take time with your Savior and think of what He tells us in John 14.

For today: I am so glad that I belong to the Lord Jesus. How about you?

Have you ever thought much about the Apostle Paul’s use of the words “earnest expectation” in Philippians 1:20? Let me share the verse with you, and then let’s think of these two marvelous words.

“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death” (Philippians 1:20).
It was around 3 o’clock in the morning on a poorly lit Amtrak platform that years ago my wife and I waited for the train to take us to Syracuse, New York. I watched to the west of us with “earnest expectation” for that train coming from Chicago. I mean, I watched with really “earnest expectation.”

Paul used the word apokaradokia (ap-ok-ar-ad-ok-EE-ah) from which we get the two English words “earnest expectation.” Paul speaks of a firm and settled significant expectation of that which has not come yet and still he is certain that it will come.

Our tickets said that the train would come.
The website said that the train was coming.
I watched with eagerness anticipating the arrival of the train.

That sounds like a great way for believers to be living in eager anticipation of the Lord’s coming. We eagerly anticipate, we have “earnest expectation” that we belong to the Lord and will indeed be with Him some grand and wonderful day.

For today: I want to pray the words of Philippians 1:20 and make them my own heart’s desire. How about you?