The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (Psalm 116:12).

The psalmist was filled with love and devotion for the Lord. He marveled at God’s answer to prayer. He was amazed at God’s graciousness and righteousness as well as God’s mercy. He rejoiced in the incredible way that the Lord helped those who were going through difficult times. In the Old Testament language, the psalmist had quite a praise meeting celebrating the many blessings and benefits of the Lord. Mindy had been a rebellious child through much of her teenage years. Her parents were loving and devoted to Mindy and her siblings. Mom and Dad walked with the Lord and loved His Word. Mindy’s rebellion was a real heartache. Now as a 22-year-old adult, Mindy not only asked the Lord Jesus to be her Savior, but through the faithful ministry of a persistent coworker named Janice, Mindy was becoming a follower of the Lord Jesus. Her parents will never forget the day when Mindy flew across the country to come home. Sitting in their living room, Mindy sobbed and asked for forgiveness. Through her tears she listed the many things that her parents had faithfully provided for her. She shared times when her parents had reached out to her, loved her, and stood firm in their commitment to her. What a perfect picture of the psalmist recounting the many things God did for him. How about us today? Have we thanked the Lord for all of His benefits and blessings? Are there folks in your life that you need to thank and appreciate? Certainly we need to appreciate and thank the Lord more and more for His benefits.

For today: I want to thank the Lord for His many blessings. As the old hymn puts it, I need to count my many blessings!

“According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4).

Yesterday we spoke of the great privilege enjoyed by every believer. Before the foundation of the world, we were chosen in Christ. Our great God decided ahead of time that we would be adopted into His family. This act of adoption bestows upon every believer the full benefits enjoyed by adult children. A two-year-old toddler is just as much a child as is the twenty-two year old child. Which of the two has greater privileges? Of course the answer is the older child. When we asked the Lord Jesus to be our Savior, we were not only born into his family, we were adopted! We enjoy the privileges of adult children. With the bestowal of privilege comes the expectation of responsibility. The apostle Paul explains this responsibility by using the terms of being holy and without blame before Him in love. Simply stated, this means that as God’s own adopted child, we need to live in a way that is totally set apart unto Himself. Though we will never be perfect on this side of Heaven, we need to be blameless in our lifestyle. This means that we need to live in such a way that there would be no glaring, consistent sinful patterns in our lives. We do not live by a long legalistic list. However because of His love for us and because of our love for Him, we want to live lives that will be different. We want to live lives that will be totally out of step with the sinful lifestyle of the world. The Lord greatly desires to help us live holy and without blame (not perfection!) What a challenge! What an opportunity!

For today: I want the world to know that the Lord Jesus has made a big difference in my life. I don’t want to talk like the world, think like the world, nor act like the world. How about you?

“Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He has made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:5-6).

The pastor was beginning his new series in the book of Ephesians. The worship service was rich that morning with beautiful hymns and choruses that spoke about our great God. Just before the pastor preached, a quartet sang of the greatness of His grace and mercy, recounting the joy that came in trusting the Lord Jesus for salvation. Now the church family was seated. They opened their Bibles and were ready to take notes on the message that Sunday. The pastor came to Ephesians 1:5-6 where Paul reminds us that we Christians were chosen in Him before the world was created. The pastor explained that God had decided ahead of time that He would adopt us as His very own children in Christ Jesus. All of this was according to the good pleasure of His will. Pastor’s message was applied in a pointed and powerful way after the morning service. Several of the children had gathered in the foyer. As Randy approached the group, he was not treated very kindly. Randy had been a foster child for years, and recently was adopted by the Perkins family. Sometimes even in church children can be cruel to each other. Some of the church children looked down on Randy and found it hard to include him in their circle of friends. Randy quietly said to them, “Well all I can say is that your parents were stuck with you. My parents chose me to be part of their family!” So it is with our Heavenly Father. He was not stuck with us. He chose us! Come back tomorrow, and we will think a little more about being adopted.

For today: Chosen and adopted by our great and awesome Father. I am delighted to be part of His family. How about you?

“Love suffers long, and is kind; love envies not; love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up” (1 Corinthians 13:4).

He was the most cantankerous and miserable patient that the fifth floor long-term facility had ever encountered. No one wanted to be his nurse on any of the shifts. Julie was a new hire and was appointed to the fifth floor. No one had the opportunity of knowing Julie before she was assigned to Henry’s section. On her first day of work, her co-workers could see that there was something really different about Julie. They would come to find out that she was a Christian and loved the Lord Jesus very much. It was amazing what took place on the very first day that Julie entered Henry’s room. He growled. He hollered at her and spoke very unkindly. He was uncooperative, rude, vulgar, and generally miserable. But his meanness was no match to the kind of love that Julie showed him. It actually disarmed and somewhat unraveled him when Julie spoke kindly and quietly, and yet she insisted that he was going to wash his face and she expected him to stop screaming right now. Over the next few days that old cantankerous patient in room 515 was confronted by the love of the Lord Jesus that flowed in and through the new nurse Julie. What a great opportunity she had to demonstrate that love suffers long! It does not allow itself to be trodden under foot; however, it operates in sincerity and truth and is kind.

For today: What opportunities will be before you to demonstrate the love of the Lord Jesus today?

“But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished” (Acts 12:16).

Dr. Luke provides information for us about the persecution that came upon the believers under Herod the King in Acts 12. Not only was James killed, but Peter was imprisoned. According to Acts 12:5, the church assembled and earnestly prayed to the Lord for Peter’s release. It was intense prayer. It was fervent prayer. God miraculously answered and delivered Peter. Now we find the great answer to prayer standing at the door and knocking to gain entrance. The young girl Rhoda answers the knock and recognizes Peter’s voice. She immediately runs back to the prayer meeting and declares that Peter is standing at the door. It has always been fascinating to me that the same people who were earnestly praying for Peter’s release told Rhoda that she was crazy (12:15). I have told congregations over the years that it was easier for Peter to be delivered from prison than to break into prayer meeting! I am not being harsh with the early disciples. There have been times that I have prayed about certain situations and to my shame; I will acknowledge that when God answered I was surprised. Has this ever happened to you? Here is a good lesson for us today. When we pray, we must be ready for God’s answer.

For today: The answer to your prayers will come in the form of a yes, no, or wait and trust Me. Be ready to discover God’s answer.