~ Isaiah 45: 3 ~
“I will give you treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel who summons you by name.”
The first rich secret: To treasure life, to number my days. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we might have a heart of wisdom.” Tim McGraw said it well, Live Like You Are Dying. But, for me what it means to live like I am dying is to treasure the people in my life with each and every second I have with them, to invest in their lives, not so much that I will matter once I am gone, but that Jesus will. Do you know that song, “One Thing” It says all of life comes down to just one thing, that’s to know You, oh Jesus, and to make You known.” How do you discover God? How do you let Him be known? Live every day to accomplish those two things, as if that day was numbered because my dear friends, it is.
The second treasure in darkness: Friends are ever so important. One of my favorite Bible stories we teach to children is about the man that was lame and Jesus healed. Jesus was speaking in a crowded house, there were people everywhere and his four friends to Jesus were carrying this paralyzed man on a mat so he could be healed. They could not get through the crowd to Jesus so they cut a hole in the roof and lowered him down and Jesus healed the man. Mark 2. I have been that man on the mat so many times, and I have friends and family who would (and have!) carry me and lower me through the roof. I have learned from the people in my life how very important they are to me. At so many times God has given me someone at the very moment I needed him or her. I have so many friends that have loved me sacrificially that I do not have the time to tell you the kindness that these precious souls have bestowed on me. And what made it bearable to me was just knowing that my life matters and that there were people who cared. Perhaps, at this moment, you are not suffering but look to your right and your left and there is someone who desperately needs you in their lives, to carry their mat, to make that hard phone call or do the sacrificial thing that needs to be done. So the second treasure is to carry someone’s mat.
The third treasure: Look for the good. “You know, you have this whole deck of cards in your hand and one of them says _________, but you know what? There are 51 other cards. And there is the card that says a family that loves you. And the other that says a job that you love. And another that says more friends than you know what to do with. And it goes on and on. Now you can stare at that one card that says _________ or you can look at the other cards.” It’s ever so important to look for the blessings in the midst of the darkness. If you will only allow yourself, you will find that there is always something there that God has put there to bless you. There are so many stories that illustrate the blessings in the darkness. So, do not let that one card keep you from missing the other really blessed cards. My question to you is this. What is your one card? Is it a failed relationship or a lack of a relationship? Is it an addiction? Is it a divorce, a death, an illness? It may be hard but do not allow it to consume you or to keep you from experiencing the other blessings God has for you.
Number your days. Be a friend. Look for the blessings.
(And, according to DM, – life can be really REALLY good if you’re playing from multiple UNO decks!! :)
“I will give you treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel who summons you by name.”
The first rich secret: To treasure life, to number my days. Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we might have a heart of wisdom.” Tim McGraw said it well, Live Like You Are Dying. But, for me what it means to live like I am dying is to treasure the people in my life with each and every second I have with them, to invest in their lives, not so much that I will matter once I am gone, but that Jesus will. Do you know that song, “One Thing” It says all of life comes down to just one thing, that’s to know You, oh Jesus, and to make You known.” How do you discover God? How do you let Him be known? Live every day to accomplish those two things, as if that day was numbered because my dear friends, it is.
The second treasure in darkness: Friends are ever so important. One of my favorite Bible stories we teach to children is about the man that was lame and Jesus healed. Jesus was speaking in a crowded house, there were people everywhere and his four friends to Jesus were carrying this paralyzed man on a mat so he could be healed. They could not get through the crowd to Jesus so they cut a hole in the roof and lowered him down and Jesus healed the man. Mark 2. I have been that man on the mat so many times, and I have friends and family who would (and have!) carry me and lower me through the roof. I have learned from the people in my life how very important they are to me. At so many times God has given me someone at the very moment I needed him or her. I have so many friends that have loved me sacrificially that I do not have the time to tell you the kindness that these precious souls have bestowed on me. And what made it bearable to me was just knowing that my life matters and that there were people who cared. Perhaps, at this moment, you are not suffering but look to your right and your left and there is someone who desperately needs you in their lives, to carry their mat, to make that hard phone call or do the sacrificial thing that needs to be done. So the second treasure is to carry someone’s mat.
The third treasure: Look for the good. “You know, you have this whole deck of cards in your hand and one of them says _________, but you know what? There are 51 other cards. And there is the card that says a family that loves you. And the other that says a job that you love. And another that says more friends than you know what to do with. And it goes on and on. Now you can stare at that one card that says _________ or you can look at the other cards.” It’s ever so important to look for the blessings in the midst of the darkness. If you will only allow yourself, you will find that there is always something there that God has put there to bless you. There are so many stories that illustrate the blessings in the darkness. So, do not let that one card keep you from missing the other really blessed cards. My question to you is this. What is your one card? Is it a failed relationship or a lack of a relationship? Is it an addiction? Is it a divorce, a death, an illness? It may be hard but do not allow it to consume you or to keep you from experiencing the other blessings God has for you.
Number your days. Be a friend. Look for the blessings.
(And, according to DM, – life can be really REALLY good if you’re playing from multiple UNO decks!! :)
4 comments:
This is good. Thank you for sharing, April.
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