Category: Thankfulness

Thankful for EVERYTHING 

​  “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:20 NLT (http://bible.com/116/eph.5.20.NLT)

This verse gives me pause. “…give thanks for everything” …??? Surely God doesn’t expect me to give thanks for the physical pain men have caused me, or the emotional Rollercoaster of hurt and anguish my life has been? Certainly He means for us – for me, to be thankful for the rescues and the good things that have happened, and for all of the blessings I have received, Right? I think; I know differently. God doesn’t stutter, and He doesn’t give Words of confusion in His Book. “And give thanks for everything….” That’s is clear and succinct; no need for confusion or interpretation. “Everything” is all inclusive. 

What do I do with this? It’s so easy to sit here on my back porch with a blanket and a little dog on my lap and be thankful for what I have here. (He was quite insistent that we go outside!) Even though it’s a cool, foggy and misty day, I’m thankful. I have a beautiful home, and a dear partner to share it with. The dogs and cats and my therapy hens (yes, they are my entertainment and a source of joy) are easy to be thankful for. My best friend lives down the street, I have family in the area, I have food and clothing and shelter. I have much to be thankful for! These are the easy things. 

By this command of my LORD, I am to be thankful for everything, not just the easy stuff but the ugly stuff, too. Here goes.

LORD, thank you for the bronchitis I’m dealing with – frustrating as it is to have sick for so long (and I’m especially thankful for my caring doctor who is determined to get me well!). Thank you for releasing me from my job, and for the financial instability that is accompanying that loss. LORD, it’s really difficult to acknowlege bad things as things to be thankful for!! Thank you for the difficult bosses and coworkers I’ve had. I’ve actually learned quite a lot from each of them. Thank you, LORD, for the men who abused and terrorized me. Thank you for the homelessness I have experienced. There is so much more….

As I write this, and think of some of the things I have experienced so far in this life, I’ve come to realize that out of every painful, dark experience, I have learned something and sometimes something good came out of them. At the time, all I could see was the dark, and it’s dense intensity and fear. Through the abuse, I have a testimony that there is hope. God has never left me alone at any point in my life. I couldn’t see Him or feel His presence much of the time, but He never forsake me. Where would I be now, and what would I be, if my life hadn’t progressed the way it did? I’ll never know, and it really doesn’t matter, because without every single one of the pieces, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Who am I? I am the daughter of the Most High King! Can you say with any clarity who you are?

  “But I trust in Your Unfailing LOVE. I will rejoice because You have rescued me.” – Psalms 13:5 NLT (http://bible.com/116/psa.13.5.NLT)

Worth

​How much am I worth? According to a DataGenetics blog (April 1, 2011), “a human body is worth about $160 for the elements it is made up of.” On the other hand, from an article in Wired magazine, “a body could be worth up to $45 million, calculated by selling the bone marrow, DNA, lungs, kidneys, and heart as components.” (I wonder if I could pre-sell my body now for the money….) Sure, $46M sounds like I am worth a lot, but the monetary value of my physical body does not make up my worth. 

I have a lot of friends on social media (a LOT)…. does that determine my worth? I know I have a really few great friends- you know, the kind you can call at 2 am and say “Meet me ASAP and bring a shovel” – and they’ll be there. Some of my family loves me, and some tolerate me, and some use me. Does that determine my worth? In my past, I have been abused, physically and emotionally by people who supposedly loved me. I have shot at,and beaten up; I have been stripped of honor and decency and self-esteem. Does that determine my worth?  

THANK GOD, NO!

  “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.  But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, Who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, He’s the one to fear. “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins ? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man [JESUS] will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.  But anyone who denies Me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.  Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man [JESUS] can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” – Luke 12:4‭-‬10 

Verse 6b (in bold) is an incredible statement by Jesus, telling me just how much I am worth to my heavenly Father. My true worth can be measured by this alone:

 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” – Luke 19:10. I was lost, and now I am found; Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound!

  “But to ALL who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” – “For Everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved.” – John 1:12, and Romans 10:13 

How do I determine my worth? By looking to Jesus and the incomprehensible decision He made to suffer and die and rise from the grave after 3 days – and to know without a shadow of a doubt that He did it for me.

He did it for you, too. Have you determined your worth?

(All scriptures quoted are from the Bible app,  http://bible.com.NLT)

Fear to Joy

​  “I prayed to the LORD, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; He saved me from all my troubles.” – Psalms 34:4‭-‬6 

How many times I have called out to the LORD to rescue me! So many of the plans I have made have ended in disaster – the plans I made. Why is it so difficult to listen to Him in the first place, and heed His answer? Why do we persist in being so stubborn? God created us with a free will to choose for ourselves to love Him and worship Him, and we continually choose the bling of the enemy over the true beauty of the LORD. We let ourselves be blinded by the lurid colors and false delights of the world over the indescribable beauty of our Lord. We choose to believe the enemy’s lies and make our plans without regard to God’s desires. 

  “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the LORD wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ” – James 4:14‭-‬15 

Over the millenium since God created the heavens and the earth, He has kept His temper remarkably well consider how terribly His creation has mocked Him and reviled Him. When I’m painting or making something, when it doesn’t go my way I want to destroy it – and often have. When training a horse or a dog and they turn on me, I have to watch myself that I don’t hurt them in my anger. That’s just one creature, and God has millions of humans essentially spitting in His face. He has had ample reasons to completely destroy mankind and start over, and He hasn’t, because He loves us with an amazing Love.

  “Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” – Psalms 139:14

God created us for one purpose; to have eternal life in His worship and companionship. Rather than wiping out humanity’s existence, He did something incomprehensible to me. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, a part of the Triune God, as a sacrifice for my sins. Jesus was sacrificed for me, and He was sacrificed for you. Had there been just a single human in the entire earth, if I had been the only living soul, He still would have died just for me or you. Incomprehensible Love. 

How do we become one again with our Creator?

  “And this is The Way to have ETERNAL Life—to know You, the only True God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth.” – John 17:3 

  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” – Matthew 6:34 

When we accept Jesus into our lives, and we acknowledge that He is LORD, we should not longer be worried about the future. That statement is MUCH easier said than that put into practice! Matthew isn’t saying that we should just float along in life believing that God won’t let us starve or let anything bad happen. We are responsible for doing our part. What Matthew is saying is to not worry. Ask God for His guidance in everything, listen for His answer, and follow Him. He always answers prayers, and often I don’t like the answer. Then, when I do my own thing….. 

BOOM!

……. and there’s that disaster I knew was coming. Remember what Paul says:

  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 

AMEN.

(All scriptures are from http://bible.com/116/.NLT)

Oops, I Slipped!

​  “Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” – Psalms 55:22 NLT (http://bible.com/116/psa.55.22.NLT)

I couldn’t guess how many times I’ve heard someone say “Well, they must not be a Christian because a Christian wouldn’t do/say such a thing!” News flash: being a Christian doesn’t make me perfect, it means I know how broken I am and that I have asked Jesus to wash me clean. Jesus doesn’t want the perfect, He wants the broken. The only difference – emphasizing that: the ONLY difference between me and the most evil, depraved person is not anything I can do, no matter how good and kind and caring I can be – the only only difference is God’s Redeeming Grace. The evil, wicked person can be redeemed by God’s Grace, as simply as you and I can be. In fact, that’s why Jesus came. Listen to what He says:

  “Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NLT (http://bible.com/116/mat.11.28-30.NLT)

When we are weary, sick and tired of being sick and tired; when we are exhausted from dragging behind us all of our life baggage, that’s when Jesus can help us the most. From the most caring of souls to the most broken, wherever we come from, Jesus can help us. The reason we slip and fall as Christians is the same reason non-Christians sin. We take our eyes off Jesus and think we can take care of something ourselves, and we set ourselves up to fail. It doesn’t matter if it’s the whisper of gossip behind someone’s back, or the violent outburst of anger resulting in someone getting hurt or killed. Sin is sin.

  “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him. Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who He is. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” – 1 John 3:4‭-‬6‭, ‬9 NLT (http://bible.com/116/1jn.3.4-9.NLT)

That section seems harsh, but it’s simply God telling us how it is. The big question today is the elephant in the room. If I am a Christian, does that mean I will never sin again? No, not at all. We are sinners saved by Grace, mended by the Potter, healed by the Healer, and washed clean with His blood. As a Christian, anytime I take my eyes away from Jesus, I am then looking at the world and doing things my way. Jesus doesn’t let us go when we falter. He holds us in His arms until we finally look up to Him and see that we have fallen. It may be immediately, and it might take a while (years, even). The only thing we have control over in this world is whether or not we will look to Jesus, or abandon Him for the enticing beckoning of the world – Satan’s playground. 

I know from my own life experience that I will stumble and fall, and I will continue to stumble. It happens every single time I take my eyes off Jesus and I don’t commit every decision through prayer to the Holy Spirit. It happens when I pray and I don’t like the answer so I do whatever I think is right. My way. Ha. There’s a comment I’ve heard and I’ve used myself: “My way or the highway.” Think about it, and rephrase it: “Jesus’ Way, or the highway of Satan.” There are two roads through your life. I chose Satan’s highway for years, and can’t even begin to tell of all of the wrecks that happened. When we travel the broad and glittering highway of the world, we become battered and bruised and broken. Traveling the path with Jesus doesn’t mean we will never get hurt. In fact, because it is a narrow path, with precipices and deep valleys to go through, we have to hold on tightly to His Hand to stay on the correct path. When we take our eyes off of our guide, we will stumble and fall. The difference is that Jesus heals us of the hurts, and the enemy rubs salt in our wounds. Why do we think that’s better??

Keep your eyes on Jesus! He will guide us the way we need to go, and never, ever let leave us.

Thanks to my friend, John Lawton, for this depiction of the mountains and valleys we go through.

Wonderfully Made

The Bible is a book of beautiful poetic passages. Contemplate this passage from the Psalms:

  “If I say, Surely the darkness shall overwhelm me, And the light about me shall be night;  Even the darkness hideth not from Thee, But the night shineth as the day: The darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.  For Thou didst form my inward parts: Thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks unto Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are Thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.  My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret,  And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.” – Psalms 139:11‭-‬15 ASV (http://bible.com/12/psa.139.11-15.ASV)

The psalmist is praising God for the wonder of birth; how we are formed in the womb. He acknowledges that the Creator God is with us from the moment we begin in the womb; at the first joining of egg and sperm. God made creation so that when a man and a woman join, He – God – is there. He knows us intimately. He knows our future, and He knows what our choices will be throughout our lives. He rejoices for the good choices and He mourns our bad choices. 

Have you ever thought about that? He already knows that I will make bad choices in my life, and He has already suffered for those sins on the cross. He suffered for the lies we tell, and the half-truths and the omissions. He suffered for the gossip we spread and the snubs we give to those we deem are beneath us. He suffered for every ugly thought and deed we have entertained. It’s difficult to comprehend. From little white lies to murder, sin is sin and is all the same to God. That, to me, is impossible to grasp. All sin is the same to our Lord, and He bore all of those sins while He hung on the cross. Think about that! ALL sin, past, present, and future. From the moment we are conceived, God is there. Even before we are conceived, He is there. He is ALWAYS with us, whether you acknowledge Him or not. He knows it all, already, yet He still wants us as His friends; His family. Pretty amazing, no ABSOLUTELY amazing. Amazing Grace…..

Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
T’was blind but now I see

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear
And Grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come.
T’was grace that brought us safe thus far
And grace will lead us home,
And grace will lead us home

Amazing grace, Howe Sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
T’was blind but now I see

Was blind, but now I see.

Immortality 

​  ” “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?” – 1 Peter 3:12‭-‬13 NLT (http://bible.com/116/1pe.3.12-13.NLT)

It’s an introspective kind of day. As I sit and look at all of the memories surrounding me, I can’t help but wonder what difference it all makes in the grand scheme of things. I began a letter to the executor of my estate, to give her some perspective on it all… and it is turning into an epic. I have lots of stuff. Probably junk to others, but meaningful to me. (It kind of sounds like I’m a hoarder, but I’m really not!) It breaks my heart sometimes when I go to estate sales, looking at what was obviously important to someone, reduced to how much money someone else can get for it.

Doing the “right thing.” In God’s eyes, what is the right thing to do with all this? The selfish part of me wants to hold on to my stuff, my memories, and I want to know that it will all be treasured when I’m gone. My Grandma’s dinnerware, the drawings and paintings by family and friends, furniture hand-built expressly for me…. collections from my adventures and travels, quilts…. how important is it? 

Well, in the grand scheme of things, even the most precious of my things is meaningless. What difference will they make to eternity? The short answer is: Nothing. Nada. Zilch. The saying “you can’t take it with you” is exactly right. I won’t be here to oversee the distribution. Most of all, when I’m gone, I want my executor and my heirs to understand that even though my house is filled with memories, these things are not my legacy. My prayer is that they see that above all of the things, my love for my Savior is my legacy to them.

I fail miserably at showing the Love of Christ to all men/women. I am human, imperfect and broken. Still, I want to do good. Today, my prayer is that God will show me clearly the right paths I need to be on for His Glory. His Kingdom. The question Peter ends with is profound. Who, indeed, wants to harm us? Again, there’s a short answer: Satan, the enemy, does everything he can to harm us and turn us off the path God has laid out for us. The more eager we are to do God’s will and to do good in this world, the more difficult the enemy will make it for us. 

When someone dies, there is the potential for a tremendous amount of strife, as heirs fight over whatever is there. I’ve seen it in my parents’ families when my grandparents died, leaving bitterness between relatives, and in friends families. It is so important to remember that family relationships are so much more important than any amount of money or stuff! I have been fortunate to have been given things by my parents and grandparents, and although there were things I would have liked to have had from my grandparents estates, it’s not worth losing relationships over. Doing the right things when engulfed in grief is difficult, but I know God will honor that by offering peace to your heart. The enemy can’t hurt us if we remain firmly rooted in Christ. He may cause temporary anguish, but I know that God will prevail… and so does the enemy. 

The question to ask in difficult situations is “what difference will it make in view of eternity?”

Thankfulness: what do I have, right now, to be thankful for? 

Love: what do I have in my life right now: Friends, family… God?

Revenge against those who caused or are causing pain, emotional or physical: what will it change; what good will it do?

Grace and Peace: have I received it? It can come from people, but the real Grace comes from Christ Jesus!

  “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” – Lamentations 3:22‭-‬23 NLT (http://bible.com/116/lam.3.22-23.NLT)

Believe it and receive it!

Self Love

When asked what is the greatest commandment,   

  “37 Jesus replied, ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37‭-‬40 NLT (http://bible.com/116/mat.22.37-40.NLT)

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, considering that Jesus’ entire ministry is built around loving God and putting Him first. In fact, verse 37 is probably one of the most well-known verses in the entire Bible. I know that as a Christian, my heart and soul and mind belong to Jesus Christ; that He should be the Rock I base my life on. We’ve got it down pat.

But what about verse 39? How are we doing with this one? You’re probably wondering about my title “Self Love,” and what it has to do with loving God. Over the years, I’ve struggled with self worth. I still do. Who am I, what am I, and what have I accomplished with my life; does anyone even care? I turned to outside sources – self help books, non-Christian counseling, meditation, astrology, exploring “past lives”, séances and other secular avenues. You know, not a single thing I did improved my so called self worth. I was still the same insecure, searching soul as I was when I started that journey, and the beginning of that journey was very inocculous. At a slumber party, one of the girls had a ouija board, and we didn’t see any harm in playing with it.

I knew Jesus. I grew up with Him being a strong presence in our home, but something inside me was missing. I loved Jesus, and I wanted to follow Him, but I didn’t give my entire being to Him. Then I opened the door to my life and let Satan in. There is nothing innocent or innocuous about a ouija board! The door had been opened that night, giving the enemy an easy way into my mind. If it was so easy to get into the mind of someone who loved God, imagine how easy it must be for him to get into a mind who doesn’t know Jesus. Scary thought. 

We know the first and greatest commandment. You must “…love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” Pay attention to the second in verse 39 “…love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Your “neighbor” is not just the person or family who lives next door. Our neighbors extend beyond our dwellings, and encompasses every person on the planet earth. Every person. From physical neighbors, family, friends, coworkers, and the staff at the coffee place or a resturant or convenient store, to the smelly homeless person on the street.

You have to love yourself before you are even capable of loving another person, but we have to keep in mind that it doesn’t mean what the world wants it to mean. Self love doesn’t mean spending money you don’t (i.e. credit card debt) have to compete with others. It doesn’t mean to spend hours at the spa being pampered, or that dream car/job/wardrobe. I can’t condemn anyone for wanting to better their quality of life, because I do it, too. I really believe the lesson is treat each individual you come in contact with as a fellow human being. I don’t know their circumstances or how they came to be where they are. Minimum wage clerks should be treated with the same respect we give to sports figures, the CEO/CFO of our company, or anyone else. It’s difficult when dealing with certain situations to remember this. The next time a clerk is rude, tell them you’re sorry they are having a bad day, but Jesus loves them. When someone cuts you off in traffic, instead of cursing or flipping them off, think of the time you cut someone off. When we treat others rudely or with disdain, we aren’t loving ourselves or them. But for the Grace of God, we could be in their situation. 

 Seems like we all have something to work on.

Religion or Salvation? 

​I am just beginning to understand the truth and depth of this statement: 

  “I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.” – 3 John 1:4 NLT

SO thankful for the prayers of my parents! 

Today I’m reading in 2 Timothy 3. This is eye-opening, at the very least. Remember, this was written over 2000 years ago, but it is absolutely spot on for today. 

  “For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!” 

These next two verses hit me like a slap in the face….

  “They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires. (Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.)  These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith. But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.” {Tradition says these were the 2 chief magicians of Pharaoh when Moses challenged him to let the Jews leave Egypt.} “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.”- 2 Timothy 3:2-9, 12-13 

Could anyone today pen a truer statement of the state of the world? I don’t see how. How grateful we need to be that God has provided us with a way to transcend this world and all of the evil in it! His inspired Word is available to anyone, either in print or electronic format. But listen to this!

  “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I was one of those people; one of those women. By the Grace of God I am no longer a victim and I strive to be the opposite of the type of person Paul is warning Timothy about. I don’t want anyone to see me as a religious person, but I pray that the healing and grace of our Lord shows in my life. The reality is that I am far from perfect! I am a broken vessel with many flaws, and that is exactly how Christ shines through me. My brokenness is His Glory. Not for anything I have done or could do; He is the repairer of my heart and my soul. All Hope comes through Him, and all Glory goes to Him.

[All scriptures are from the Bible app http://www.YouVersion.com]

From Dry Bones to Hope

This is breathtakingly beautiful!

  “The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” “O Sovereign Lord ,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.” Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, 

  ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord ! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord .’” 

  So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, 

  ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. 

  Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 

  When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord . I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord , have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’” – Ezekiel 37:1‭-‬14 NLT (http://bible.com/116/ezk.37.1-14.NLT) 

Through the music composed by men, and the stories written, we can catch glimmers of the promised land of heaven. Listening to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, and reading this passage in Ezekiel, it occurs to me just how little we think our God is. If a man can prophesy God’s Words over a valley full of sunbleached bones and bring them back to life {note this: the man did not resurrect the bones; God’s Words gave them substance and breath. No zombies here; living, breathing human beings!!} just think of what our LORD is capable of! 

Then, the music…. close your eyes and listen to it. It goes from blissful serenity to agony and angst, from visions of stars and almost unimaginable beauty to anger and war, into a pronouncement that the King of the world is coming. There’s glory and excitement, victory, even terror written into the music. It’s like Tchaikovsky has written the voice of the earth, proclaiming with everything it has through the music. No, that’s not the tale of the Sugar plum Fairy that was written to go with it, but as I said, if you just sit and close your eyes and listen, you might hear God’s Voice in it. Let the music fill you and experience a tiny taste of heaven!

Mostly, through the scripture and the music, I hear Hope. So many of us have ended up in the valley of dry bones through addiction, idolatry, poor choices, or other reasons, this passage is the story of Hope. We can be renewed and made whole again through the Voice and healing of Jesus Christ our LORD. He is the Bringer of Redemption and Fulfillment. There is nothing –nothing – on this earth that is capable of true renewal outside of Him. Money, fame, and recognition can serve to make our physical lives more comfortable, but they do nothing for our spirit. The “Power of Positive Thinking” and the message of prosperity might give you the excuse you need to focus on the world and work to the exclusion of your spiritual life, but they won’t get you to God.

The only way to God is through His Son, the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth. Think on this….