A job well done!

He has done everything well...(Mark 7:37)

Isn't that the truth? Everything Jesus did was done well. He healed and made whole, and the result was perfect; the outcome was amazing; it was all so miraculous and unbelievable; there was nothing missing or off par. Yet, in my life, I've been seriously questioning certain parts of my existence. I constantly doubt whether or not everything will fall into place. Can Jesus really heal all the damage in my life? Completely? Fully?

I can't let those apprehensions rock my faith because He does a good job in everything He does; records prove it! Let that stir my heart and make me trust Him with my life, even the tattered and torn pieces that don't seem like they could ever be mended. The blind saw; the deaf could hear; the mute talked; the lame walked; and even I, little old me, can be made whole again.

suspended.

There are days that I feel like I'm simply suspended; I'm stuck in a state of stagnancy and staleness. Today is one of these days. I have so much to do, but I cannot seem to do it and yesterday's woes still plague me but the pain is so misty, a mere apparition of what was, untouchable, so unreal.

God,

Please help me to feel like Your arms are embracing me even in this state of misery. Even when I feel like nothing happening, as if I will never get to that better day, as if the desires of my heart will never come, as if I will have to settle for this unsettling feeling of unrest, help me to be fully content in Your love even in this moment of suspension...

Thank you for who You are and what You do, even though I don't know how it'll all come together, I know it will and that's all that matters.

believing in the cause.

And if I perish, I perish. (Esther 3:16)

She was so self-sacrificing. She knew the dire situation that the Jews were in, and she knew there was no other solution. Esther had to stand up for her people; she had to risk her life to save the others. She had to be bold and courageous, loving and kind, and above all, she had to believe in the cause.

Often times, we lay our lives down for others. We try to be nice and courteous; sometimes giving up our time and pushing what we really want to the side, so that others will benefit from our sacrifices. But if we are not ready to perish, in a sense, for such an act, I honestly think, we should re-think whether or not we should commit to such a cause. I'm not saying we shouldn't be nice, but if that's the only reason for laying down our lives, it'll only lead to agony.

If our whole disposition is to do nice things to others, we will drain ourselves to the point of depression. But if we do nice things because we are trying to preach the gospel, or we're hoping that our actions will reflect God's glory, then our motives are noble and right. There is reason to do what we do.

Esther had to believe in what she was doing; otherwise, it was in vain. She did, and because of her belief, she was able to save the Jews from genocide.

one Leper of Ten.

17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17)

10% of the lepers remembered to give thanks; only one remembered to return and express his gratitude. He didn't have to; the others didn't and they were still healed. Jesus didn't take back the miracle because they were inconsiderate, but the one that returned received more than just a healing. He received something that was beyond a physical miracle. His faith was increased; his healing had meaning; he believed not only in the fact that he was whole again, but that His Savior loved him. There was a healing beyond what people could see. His leper heart was, likewise, restored. I wonder if the 90% of the other lepers still had broken hearts; still had a yearning for something more in this life; were dissatisfied with the emptiness of this life.

When we demonstrate our thanks, it's solely for our own good. Jesus wants us to remember how and why we are blessed the way we have been. He loves us, and if we tie that concept in with the blessing, we'll experience the blessing to another level.

for the love of MONEY.

13"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

The love of money comes so naturally. We all love it and want it. We are born being greedy. However, the more we get it, the more we become dictated by it. We begin to work so hard to get our hands on it. We start to sacrifice so much for it. And, we do things we wouldn't have done before because of it.

How do we simplify our lives? How do we get rid of that desire for more earthly riches? It's just stuff, right??? But we crave this stuff to fill our houses, in every nook and cranny, and then in the storage shed and garage, under our beds and throughout our closets, and then shipped off to the good-will or causally tossed in the trash bin. It drives us crazy...It just doesn't make sense.

I need to reorganize my life. I think in so many ways, I've put others before God. I cannot serve more than two masters. And, really, the master I am serving right now sucks.

God,

Please hear my sincere plea: I want You to be my master. Help me to be Your humble servant.