The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

I have invested a little extra time in the Psalms lately. Oh, what encouragement and what blessing we discover in the Word of the Lord. Let me share a couple of verses from Psalm 71 and then a closing thought along the way.

“My praise shall be continually of Thee” (Psalm 71:6b).

“Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise and with Thy honor all the day” (Psalm 71:8).

“I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more” (Psalm 71:14).

“My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto Thee; and my soul, which Thou hast redeemed” (Psalm 71:23).

The more I get to know the Lord, the more I will praise the Lord. The more I praise the Lord, the greater my love and devotion will grow. The more that I love Him, the greater will be my joy.

For today: That’s what I need today. How about you?

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Melvin and Shirley were thoroughly exhausted as they returned home from their midweek children’s meetings. “I wonder if the boys and girls even got anything out of my lesson tonight,” Shirley commented to her husband. “You did a great job of trying to settle the children down, but they were just so full of life. I don’t ever remember seeing them so rambunctious!” she said with a sigh.

Melvin had already made his way to the family room and nearly collapsed in his favorite chair. “I know what you mean, Honey. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it!” he said with a tone of sadness and almost defeat in his voice. “Do you think it’s time for us to quit? Do you think the children even want to come to JOY Club?” he asked his wife.

Just then the telephone rang, and it was a mother of two of the children who had come to club that night. This mother said to Shirley, “Thank you so very much for taking the time to serve the Lord in this precious ministry. My two children came home tonight thoroughly excited, telling me all about your wonderful lesson. I suspect people do not thank you very often, and I just wanted to say thanks for your great ministry.” Shirley and the mother chatted for a few more minutes before saying good-bye.

Melvin and Shirley looked at each other, and with a smile on their faces remembered the words, “Your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” They were convinced and come tomorrow morning, they would be ready to start preparing for next week.

For today: Be encouraged, dear servant of the Lord. Be encouraged.

He was caught at the red light! Of all things, he was caught by his daughter.
Let me tell you about it. First, let me share Psalm 71:23 with you. “My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto Thee” (Psalm 71:23).

He didn’t notice his daughter pull up beside him at the traffic light. She looked over and saw her dad’s lips moving. She couldn’t get his attention but noted that he looked mighty happy! Tapping her horn, her startled dad glanced over and rolled the window down. “What are you doing, Dad? Don’t tell me you are talking to yourself these days!” she asked with a little note of teasing.

“I’m singing to the Lord, and I’m having a fine day, thank you very much! Love you!” and with that the light turned green and off they pulled, soon heading in different directions.

Sue thought about her elderly dad. He hurt pretty much throughout his entire body. Yet he possessed such a joy. She smiled as she thought of him sitting at the red light singing to the Lord with such an expression of joy. “Thanks, Lord, for my dad. What a great work you are doing in him,” she whispered.

For today: Do you ever sing to the Lord? I surely hope so!

You probably still have leftovers at your house.

Maybe your guests are staying one last night before they head home tomorrow.

Are you looking for a devotional thought that you could share sometime today with your household? Well, my friend, why not take them back to Psalm 100? I know I used these verse a couple of days ago. However, they provide such a wonderful reminder of how the Lord is changing our lives.  After reading the five verses, think about this little outline.

1. Our adoration. “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands” (100:1).

2. Our attitude. “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing” (100:2).

3. Our assurance. “Know ye that the LORD He is God: for it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture” (100:3).

4. Our Appreciation. “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name” (100:4).

5. Our acknowledgment. “For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations” (100:5).

For today: Even if you are a family of one today, what a great Psalm of thanksgiving indeed.

Recently at the church where I have pulpit supplied for a couple of months, Tim sang for a special number the wonderful song “Thank You for Giving to the Lord.” It shares how thankful we can be for the many who may be touched and impacted by just one life.

I’ve often thought what it would have been like for the Apostle Paul if there hadn’t been a Barnabas. Think of this verse with me today.

“But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to Him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27).

While still called Saul, he came to the believers and tried to join their fellowship. Every one of them was terrified and questioned his authentic conversion. But there was Barnabas. Thank the Lord for Barnabas who reached out to Saul, who would become the Apostle Paul. How many times have you had the opportunity to be the one who reaches out, welcomes, and blesses the life of a new believer?

For today: I realize there are safety precautions that must take place. However, with the Lord’s wisdom and guidance, I just know that there are people who need us. Will they be able to say that our outreach had a big impact on them?