The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“God thundereth marvelously with His voice; great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend. For He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth” (Job 37:5-6a).

Elderly Elizabeth came to the place where she agreed that she couldn’t live alone any longer. For several years her family had wanted her to move in with them. She didn’t want to be a burden as she would put it. Nothing could be further from the truth. She soon admitted that she was delighted to be around the happy noise and activity of her family. One of the favorite times of her day came when the family would gather for their ‘evening worship,’ as they called it. After the Bible reading, her son would ask his family if there are any prayer requests. One summer evening, her little five-year old grandson, Joshua, raised his hand. He had a prayer request. Being called on by his daddy, he spoke right up saying, “In children’s church my teacher said that God says to the snow, ‘Head on down to the world.’ I want God to send snow to us.” Smiles abounded. Several other prayer requests were taken, and a sweet time of prayer was enjoyed by the family. As soon as the prayer time concluded, before anyone could say a word, Josh ran to the window, peeked outside and said, “Not yet. But I still want it to snow.” Later that night, Elizabeth looked in her concordance and found our verse for today. The sweet prayer time continued that night as she reflected on the blessings of belonging to her great and awesome God.

For today: How about you? Aren’t you glad that you belong to the Lord? Don’t you wish everyone did?

“For which cause we faint not: but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17).

Two men from the church went to call on Leo in the hospital. “What are we going to say to him?” the first man asked the other. “I am really nervous about this call, I will admit. I really don’t want to go, but with the pastor asking us to visit Leo, I knew we had to,” the second man concluded. “What do you say to a man whose cancer has spread, and the doctors say there is no hope?” he quietly asked as they walked down the hospital corridor. Entering Leo’s room, the men were greeted by Leo’s family. Motioning for them to come up to his bed, the two men from the church moved closer to Leo. Quietly and with a halting voice, Leo whispered to the visitors, “Hi guys. It is wonderful to see you. Now don’t you go and worry about me. This is a little affliction and compared to eternity, it is just a moment.” The men looked at each other, and one of them confessed, “Leo, we were afraid to come because we didn’t know what to say. We should not have worried. You said it all.” How about you? How do these verses impact your life?

For today: I want to keep my troubles in perspective. The affliction is light and is only for a moment!

“Whom having not seen, ye love, in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).

“How can you say that you love God? Have you ever seen Him?” the cynical man seated across the airline aisle asked. “I could never love someone I can’t see. How foolish!” he continued. James and his wife Alyssa were among the several hundred airline passengers making their way across the Pacific Ocean. James had the opportunity of witnessing to the man and sharing the joy of knowing the Lord. James responded graciously, saying, “I can understand what you are saying. However, let me share with you this truth. It does take faith, that’s for sure. Take us for instance. We have papers saying that our little daughter is in China. We know her name because we have read it. We know a little about her because we have read it. We believe that she exists because we have read it. But we have never met her. We’ve never held her. But we love her already. By faith we believe what we have read, and I can testify that it is possible to love someone you have not yet seen. It is the same with the Lord. We have read about Him, and we already love Him.” The arrogant man was speechless. James had many other opportunities to share with him about the Lord Jesus on the long trip. How about you? Though you have not seen the Lord Jesus yet, do you love Him?

For today: The more you get to know the Lord, the more you will love Him.

“Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here” (Matthew 17:4).

Peter, James, and John were about to see a glorious sight. Bringing them up into a high mountain, the Lord Jesus Christ was about to be transfigured before them. In a very real sense, He was going to pull the curtain back just a little and reveal a tiny bit of His pre-incarnate, Shekinah glory. No wonder Peter said, “It is good for us to be here.” Someday we believers will see the Lord Jesus in His tremendous glory. Do you have a moment to look up John 17:24? There the Lord Jesus, on the night before He goes to the cross, prays and shares with the Father how much He is looking forward to those who are given to Him seeing His glory. The day is coming that you and I will no doubt say to the Lord, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.” This has a profound impact on how I am living in the world today (1 John 3:1-3).

For today: I am looking forward to the day that I meet the Lord and see His glory. I love Him today. But I know I will be overwhelmed with His love on that day.

“What thinkest thou Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto Him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou shalt open his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for Me and thee” (Matthew 17:25-27).

What an interesting situation in which Peter finds himself. He was asked if the Master paid taxes. Peter seems to answer that of course the Master paid taxes. Within a short time the Lord Jesus discusses this with Peter. As the royal One, He should be exempt from taxes. But He goes on to explain something profound to Peter. “Notwithstanding lest we should offend them,” the Lord Jesus says, “go to the sea and go fishing.” Miraculously just as the Lord said, the very first fish to be caught had the money in its mouth. The taxes were paid, even though technically the Master would not be required to pay them. I am struck by not only our great Lord’s omniscience. I am struck with His graciousness and goodness. I am challenged in my attitudes and actions in matters that extend from being gracious in my walk to being faithful in paying my taxes. Good reminder today for me. How about you? How does this text apply to your life?

For today: As I follow the Lord, I will be careful about every detail of my life. I want to live for Him.