Author: David LaFrance

I must say the last few weeks have been a lot.  A variety of circumstances caused this feeling.  Various illnesses, deadlines, schedules, emotions, and lack of sleep all felt like a storm.  I let these circumstances take control.  I forgot, based on the demands, that I allowed the world to take over His peace in my unrest.

Jesus prayed for us that we would be one with HIm.  That we would be reminded of His glory and His glory present each day.  God’s love is present every day and in all circumstances.

Today’s scripture and my scripture from last time is John 7 & John 17.  Take time to read these today.  It helped put my mind and heart on His solid foundation.

Jesus Prays for All Believers
20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Have you ever endured suffering, heartbreak, disappointment, sickness, confusion, pain, and unsure where to go? That’s where Jesus can meet you. Being alone with Jesus can often be felt most in our highs and lows.  Most importantly, you take these moments to let Him teach us.  This practice is essential for us and something that Jesus did Himself.

Luke tells us that Jesus often found time to be alone with His Father. Do I seek this time?

^{Luke 4:16}  But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

It’s not easy.  Many things can get in the way.  This past weekend, when listening to a sermon at Eastview, I reflected on my time spent truly alone with God.  I can easily be distracted by everything that is around.  Check out the sermon here.  Martha was distracted by all the things to do and by what others were doing.  That can feel familiar today.  So many things vie for our attention from the time we awake until we lay down to sleep.  The enemy will distract, distract, distract.  Make things more important than they indeed are.  I can easily say this is where I can be reminded to fight the good fight.

^{1 Timothy 6:12} Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Spending time alone with God is a time of renewal, refreshment, and obedience. We all need it.  Taking time just to read this will hopefully allow you a moment to pray, seek Him, and not be distracted.

Today, rearrange your schedule and MAKE alone time for God!

God, we praise You.  Help us in our days to prioritize time alone with You in prayer for our own sake and for others’ sake as we interact with others today. Amen

As I read through Today’s Readings of Job 15-17 and Revelation 14, the following verses made me reflect and pause about death or the second Lord’s coming. (whatever may come first)  Initially, it may sound scary or morbid, but you can find true peace and joy in reflection and digging deeper.  

What stuck out to me was the use of “Blessed are” tucked into verse 13.

I mean reading about the beasts that will be here one day and give a mark to those who do not believe or have not obeyed His commandments.  Reading the scripture in Revelation describing the return of the Lord and the judgment that the three angels with sharp sickles will have to harvest the earth.

You may ask, “Where is the peace in the middle of this hurricane of judgment? In the eye of this storm are the following verses.

12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

 

Immediately, I thought about Matthew’s Beatitudes. Besides Matthew, there are many wonderful blessings/beatitudes throughout the bible.

Psalm 1	Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked…
Psalm 2	Blessed are all who take refuge in Him
Psalm 32	Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven…
Psalm 84	Blessed is the man whose strength is in You
Psalm 84	Blessed are those who dwell in Your house
Psalm 112	Blessed is the man who fears the Lord and greatly delights in His commandments
Psalm 119	Blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart
Proverbs 8	Blessed is the man who listens to Me
Matthew 5	Sermon on the Mount – a series of blessings

“Blessed” in Greek is Makarios. This would be happy, blissful, serene, or fulfilled.  So when I heard Blessed are the Dead, I had to reflect.  I thought about Paul and what he said in Philippians 1:21.

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

We just celebrated Jesus’ birth.  It was awesome. But His death and resurrection provide us with eternal life.  Blessed!

The critical reality is my perseverance of keeping His commandments, as stated in verse 12. Am I obeying always? Am I trying to do it myself?  This is not a suggestion but a command.  No matter what we face in our reality on this Earth, do we continue in our faith?

Blessed are the dead. Death is a blessing when you live with persevering faith and trust in and obey the Lord. We live in a broken world.  We are broken people. The struggle is real!

Lord – We need you.  We thank You for Your truth and help us be obedient, keep the faith, and live for You.  Upon our death, someday, allow us to be one saying, Yes, Blessed are the dead.  Amen

 

Today’s Reading: Ezra 3-4, Psalm 92, 1 John 1

Oh, to have abundant joy. As I reflected on my current state of joy I came across three points shared by David Jeremiah about joy written through John. John writes to us today in 1 John 1 about our joy. I can tell you there have been times when this joy has been lost. This loss of joy is my fault. When I forfeit this joy, John will say it’s based on a few things.

1. Deny the power of sin (1:5-7). We often claim one thing with our words, yet our actions show something else. Thankfully, walking with God continually cleanses us from our sins.  When we are cleansed from the guilt of this sin, we can once again have this fullness of joy in Him.
2. Deny the presence of sin. (1:8-9) The cure for sin is not denying our sin but relying on the faithfulness of God to forgive us based on Christ’s death on the cross. To confess our sins and remain in fellowship with God is the way to maintain the joy of salvation.
3. Deny the practice of sin. (1:10-2:2) The person that denies they have sin is probably sinning. This can cost us our joy and cause us to lose that restoration with our Heavenly Father.

If you are losing your joy in your Christian life, examine these 3 points. Maybe it’s time to reconnect with the source of all joy, and your spirit can be restored.

Take some time right now to find that joy.

Peace & Joy!

 

Today’s Readings: Ezekiel 34-36, Psalm 86, John 12

 ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord.

In the middle of this chapter, God speaks to the shepherds of Israel who have been unfaithful in loving and caring for His people. Our God knows our shortcomings. He knows our weakness in obedience when shepherding. At the end of this chapter, God says to His people, “You are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord. (verse 31)

Today, these verses serve as a reminder. Whatever you are walking through, whatever struggles you are enduring, whatever challenges you are facing, God is with us! He knows every single one of those challenges, things that are heavy on your heart and your mind, the things that you are facing right now. Not only does He know, but He is the shepherd in the middle of it all.

God, our shepherd, is committed to leading us as our personal Shepherd, guiding us, and making us lie down and rest in His leadership over our lives if we let Him.  Psalm 23 shows how He will lead us with goodness and mercy throughout our lives.  Psalm 23 says,

” Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Our Shepherd will lead you today, tomorrow, and the next day.  All the days if you Seek Him with all your heart.

Psalm 86

Lord,

Only You know where everyone is at. May we know how much You love every day.  God gives us the strength we need in our weakness.  Lord, I pray Psalm 86, which says:

Teach me your way, Lord,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

 

 

Today’s Readings: Ezekial 4-6, Psalm 82, John 2

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

Where does your belief come from? Where does your unbelief come from?

I think about the miracles we read about in John 2. I had read before that one of the first miracles Jesus performed was filling the wine vases. How amazing. Maybe believing would involve seeing the paralyzed man healed or raising Lazarus?

Many believed based on these miracles, but many still didn’t. I didn’t see the miracles we read from the Bible, but I think of my wife, Jennifer, and three kids: Jackson, Marshall, and Gianna.  I think of my profession God has blessed me to do or even my health, which I wake up to daily.

Even with all the daily miracles we are blessed with, this does not guarantee eternal belief. The most critical decision in worldly life is to know God. Amid life and all our circumstances, we aim to believe, trust, be obedient, and continue to know and understand Him.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

The miracles You show us every day we are so thankful for.  Help us to understand Your love more each day. Help us to realize how we need to be obedient and how Your Son Jesus died for us. Lord, help us know You better each day.  Amen

Psalm 82:8 provides a reminder on Election Day.

Come, O God, and rule the world; all the nations are yours.

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 21,34,37 Psalm 79, James 5

This last weekend, I was in Detroit, Michigan, for one of my son’s hockey tournaments.  Along the drive, I was grateful to observe the beautiful colors of the fall foliage in Michigan.  On the way there, the route showed delays throughout the interstate route . I knew I couldn’t do the traffic, so I took the back route, which presented as only a few more minutes.  Most of these additional minutes would be spent behind farm vehicles harvesting the fields. For me It was the perfect ride.  This drive made me reflect on James who uses numerous metaphors and illustrations to make his point very similar to the way Jesus would.

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

The ride also helped me think about the loss of one of our close friends ( Heidi Zell), who was our neighborhood mother and/or grandmother to many.  To me, she modeled kindness, care, and love for many. There was a lot of tears in our family and loss ow words.  The only words I could use for my 13, 9, and 6 year old is that God loves us more than anything and He decides when we spend eternity with Him.

James shairs with us that the lives of those who believe should be marked by a peaceful assurance of His returnand faithful efforts to increase the harvest of souls for the Kingdom. Just as the farmers I saw understood to wait patiently for the crop to grow, so we should all be patient in waiting for Him to com once again.

 

Enjoy being with our Lord in Heaven Heidi! Thanks for showing His love through the love and kindness you gave to everyone. Luke 23:43 And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.

 

 

I’m thankful for the Scripture teaching us all we need to know about life. How if we decide to listen and follow it can provide answers even in our darkest times.

Do I invest in eternity? Is my stewardship for me or for Him and His Kingdom?

2 Corinthians 8:8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.

The principles of stewardship with integrity are personal and practical. Is my stewardship voluntary and from my heart? That answer will be between God and I one day and one I can wrestle with now with my personal reflection.   How much do you want to be blessed with a peace and richness that only He can provide us.

All my intentions can seem in vain without action. Wherever we are at will we understand the richness to finish strong not knowing when that day will come.

Father,

We thank you for Your Word.  Words that instruct us how we should live while we wait for Your return.  Lord, help us in our ways that point to eternity in Heaven not because of biblical reasons but through faithful reasons.  Lord, I pray to continue to work on our hearts because we desire to stand in peace by Your side. Amen

Today’s Readings: 2 Corinthians 8, Psalm 74, Zephaniah