His Commands Are Not Burdensome

"This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith" ( John 5:2-4 NIV).

As I prepare to go out of town for a few days, I have felt rather burdened--by work, by preparations for my family who I am leaving behind, by friendships I have neglected and friends I will have to put off for another week. By life! I'm not bitter . . . it's more a wistfulness, a realization that I have limited time and energy and ability . . . and yes, even limited capacity to pray and think and discern God's will.

This morning I "took a breath" and sat quietly in prayer, hoping to see a way to handle all that needs to be done, all I want to get done and maintain some small shred of sanity!

I was given the gift of an answer from a God who is so gracious to His children--all of His children. He is a God who loves us too much to leave us stranded and alone and left to our own resources. I am humbled and awed at His mercy, generosity and grace.

God's ultimate gift in the form of Jesus bids us, "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30 NIV).

Blessings on your journey,

Mary

Jehovah-Tsidkenu

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Savior’" (Jeremiah 33:14-17 NIV).

The book of Jeremiah was written almost 700 years before the birth of Christ! The Lord revealed to him that "the days are coming." To me this speaks to the fact that God's timing is His own - and not for us to understand! It also prompts me to reframe my concept of patience. When I ask God to answer a prayer I, in all honestly, hope/expect/want immediate response!

How do we wait patiently without losing hope that God hears us and/or will answer our prayer?

" For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans" (Romans 8:24-26 NIV).

while it is a blessed thing to know that Christ is Jehovah and that as a man he is Righteousness, the great joy of this name lies in the fact that Christ is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (I Cor. 1:30-31). The Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousness for justification. . . His work, only his work, without any contribution whatsoever from us, makes us righteous in the sight of God. God looks upon all who believe as though the life which Christ lived had been lived by us. He graciously accepts, blesses, and rewards us as though all that Christ has done had been done by us, his believing people. God so perfectly imputes the righteousness of Christ to us that we are called by this very name (Jer. 33:15-16).

This is how we know God will answer our prayers - in His time and on His terms. Our Jehovah-Tsidkenu makes us worthy to approach God with our prayers. Jesus won us the right to even approach the throne. These verses from Jeremiah remind us that God is faithful.

So pour out your prayers to God. Because His son, OUR righteousness, is worthy, we are worthy to pray.

Blessings on your journey,

Mary

From Nazareth to Bethlehem

Lately so many friends and family members have lost loved ones, are dealing with illness, distress, anxiety, and a host of issues that challenge their fortitude, energy, strength and, perhaps, even their faith.

Every day on the news we hear of awful people doing awful, unthinkable things. Natural (and manmade) disasters seem to be occurring in record numbers. The world just seems to have gone crazy some days, and I wonder what in the world will ever become of us all!

Sometimes I feel weighed down and overwhelmed. It can be hard to make sense out of it all. This evening God put on my heart to think of Mary and Joseph, and the long, dangerous, treacherous journey they made--about 93 miles--from Nazareth to Bethlehem. One account tells us:

. . .the journey would have taken Joseph and Mary at least four to five days. We wonder where they stayed each night, where and with whom they camped along the way. It would have been a wearying journey for anyone, but especially for a pregnant woman soon to give birth. The last leg of the eastern route would have been the hardest of all. Jericho is the lowest city on the globe, and Jerusalem and Bethlehem are situated right in the top of the hills. From Jericho’s desert to Bethlehem is an uphill hike of 3,500 feet. How exhausted Mary must have been! How anxious Joseph must have been to find a comfortable room at the inn! Desperate to find adequate shelter, they may have resorted at last to a limestone cave used for a stable.

The burdens of this world can seem so big and we can feel as if we just can't make it through another day. Our prayers may seem futile and our faith may be tested.

Mary and Joseph did not lose hope! Yes, God's divine protection kept them safe and brought them to the exact place He had planned for the Christ child to be born. But we are also protected! God loves us and cares for and about us just as He did Mary and Joseph and the baby they were about to have.

“When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple—then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart," (1 Kings 8:37-39 NIV)

Blessings on your journey,
Mary

The Example of the Shepherds

"So they [the shepherds] hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told" (Luke 2:16-20 NIV).

The shepherds give us a wonderful example of Christmas living after Christmas! They spread the word concerning what they had been told about Jesus! The story contained, I'm sure the recounting of the fear turned to awe at seeing and hearing the angel and then the host of angels!

Not only were the shepherds amazed, but those who heard their story were as well! Isn't that how the Good News spreads? We share our excitement, awe and joy with anyone who will listen! The shepherds continued to praise God after they had seen Jesus.

They glorified Him for choosing them--lowly, dirty, smelly souls who were looked down upon in 'proper society'--to be the first to hear the Good News!

This is our example for living after Christmas. We are to continue to glorify and praise God. Then we are to retell the story, as often as we can, to anyone who will listen.

My prayer is that you will be amazed today, by the inconceivable truth that God came to earth to walk among us.


Blessings on your journey,
Mary

And The Word Became Flesh

"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:10-14 NIV).

These words really struck me this morning. John sums up the whole story of God's relationship with us in these few verses! God came into the world -- with us -- for us. Unspeakable! Beyond comprehension. God became man. He didn't just reach down from heaven, he stayed a while.

I marveled even more at this thought as I watched the sun rise through the back windows this morning - a purple and crimson sky welcomed the day! The God who made that majesty is the God who walked among us!

This is my Christmas reminder today: he walked among us.

Blessings on your journey,
Mary