The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“Thou art mine” (Isaiah 43:1c).

Frazzled, she sat on the couch and said to herself, “I am not sure I am up to babysitting these toddlers. If I hear one of them scream ‘mine’ one more time, I am going to quit!” It was one of those days that whatever Susie picked up Sammy wanted. Then the tug of war started all over again as Susie screamed, “Mine!” and Sammy pulled the toy right back and shouted over her with ear piercing, “Mine!” Well, we smile at the babysitting dilemma, but it is wonderful to know that there is no tug of war with the Lord. Those of us who have trusted Christ for salvation are His forever. Think of those words, “You are mine!” Wait until tomorrow and hear what Paul has to say about it.

For today: As a Christian, there are no sweeter words than to hear the Lord our God say, “You are mine!”

“I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine” (Isaiah 43:1b).

Years ago, I was part of a group of young elementary boys sharing the locker room with high school age guys. To us, these high school boys seemed to be giants. Some of the older boys started to terrorize us. We felt trapped with no way out. Suddenly a voice I recognized called out my name. It was my neighbor. Not only did he know my name, he stopped the acts of terror! What a relief that day to hear my name being called in the midst of trouble. Far better is the wonderful knowledge that our God knows our names. He knows each of us individually and by our very names! Isn’t it amazing that the Lord of all is interested in knowing us to the point of recognizing our names?

For today: Whatever you are facing today, remember Who knows you by name!

“Fear not: for I have redeemed thee” (Isaiah 43:1).

A little boy asked his father, “Daddy, are there such things as monsters?” With a smile on his face, Daddy answered, “No, Son. There are no such things as monsters.” After a moment of silence, the four year old climbed on his daddy’s lap and asked, “If there are no monsters, why am I so afraid of them?” We chuckle at this scenario. But come to think of it, I wonder how many things we fear that never materialize? If you know the Lord Jesus as Savior, listen to His strong and reassuring voice as He says to you, “Fear not: for I have redeemed you.” What a wonderful thing to hear from our God once again today.

For today: It is probably a good thing to remind myself that whatever “monsters” I face, God tells me not to fear. More from Isaiah 43 tomorrow!

“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5).

A mother was having a discussion with her daughter. She said, “Honey, I love you. But sooner or later you are going to find out that it is not all about you. While you are loved dearly, and while you are very important to me, life is not all about you!” That advice from mom is good not only for her daughter; it is good advice for us as well. Paul told the church at Corinth that his preaching was not his opinions, his preferences, nor were they centered on him. Christ is the focus of Biblical preaching. I hope that you will hear Biblical preaching today!

For today: Our worship is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s all about You, Lord!

“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee” (Proverbs 3:3).

Probably one of the most quoted passages occurs in this text. Of course I am writing about Proverbs 3:5-6. While that is a great text, there are many other wonderful statements in this section. In profoundly simple and easy-to-understand terms, Solomon presents the picture of balanced living. He uses the terms “mercy” and “truth.” Here the word “mercy” is chesed which is one of the great words of the Old Testament. It means “goodness, lovingkindness, and loyal love.” The word “truth” is emeth which gives the idea of “reliability, sureness.” We need to live in the balance of both mercy and truth toward ourselves and others around us. This will result in wise living indeed.

For today: Wouldn’t it be grand to strive to be consistent in living with both mercy and truth operating today?