2 Timothy 1:3-7 – “I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.  6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”  NKJV

Mother’s Day is a special time set aside each year to recognize and honor our mothers.  Mine has been promoted to heaven, but her influence and memory are fresh and real in my life and our family.  In looking at this passage on this particular day, I find that the one portion that leaps off the page is found in verse 5.   The apostle reminds Timothy of his heritage of faith that was demonstrated in his grandmother and mother, and called it ‘genuine faith.’ 

That distinction is of great value when considering the important role of mothers in our lives.   Timothy’s grandmother and mother manifested ‘genuine faith,’ which speaks of permanence, consistency, and foundation.   They believed and walked out what they believed and instilled that confidence in Timothy, a quality Paul recognized and learned to depend on.

Faith is a critical element in walking with God because the Bible tells us that no person can please the Lord without it.   That speaks to the need to have confidence in God to weather the storms of life without becoming shipwrecked and a castaway. 

If our faith is timid, superficial, and conditioned upon circumstance, we will be an easy target for the devil, and our walk and life will be little more than outward show, noise, and fluff without substance.  If we had a mother who demonstrated consistency, persistence, and continuance of faith, we will have learned that trusting God is not only desirable but possible.

I was blessed to have a mother who consistently demonstrated her faith, faithfulness, and fidelity before the Lord and all who knew her.  Her example was invaluable and instilled in us the confidence that a mortal could walk upright before the Lord in faith.  Her love warmed our hearts, her encouragement inspired us to achieve, and her faith gave us an anchor in life.  As Proverbs declares, the value of a mother who gives a heritage of faith is ‘far above rubies.’

To all the mothers reading this today, I tip my hat to you and say ‘Thank You’ for what you have done, are doing, and will do for your families.    May God give you a special blessing on this day and lift your hearts, so you soar with the eagles.

Blessings on your special day!

Job 19:25-25 – “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that as the last He will stand upon the earth.  ²⁶ And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, ²⁷ whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold, and not another.^”

The words of Job 19:25-27 seemed to leap off the page and capture my focus today.    Job was being treated with contempt by his comforters.   That is ironic, isn’t it?  Those who came to console him became his harshest critics.  They were physicians of no value.  Rather than interceding, they engaged in religious judging.  Today, we find the same either spoken verbally or harbored in the heart.

Job said, “As for me, I KNOW (calm confidence) that my Redeemer lives (He is the Living God), AND that at the last He (God) will stand on the earth (remember this is before the Law and before the incarnation of Jesus.  It was prophetic insight).  26 AND after my skin has been destroyed, yet IN MY FLESH I will SEE GOD, whom I will see for myself, and whom my own eyes will behold, and not another.”

That is amazing!   In Job’s heart, he was certain of eternity!   Before the plan and path of salvation through the Blood of Jesus, it was in His heart.  God’s plan of redemption has been revealed since the Fall in the Garden.

There will be a resurrection, and each will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne.   We will either be invited into God’s eternal kingdom or cast into everlasting darkness.  The solution is in the Blood of Jesus.   We, too, can have the confidence of Job – I know He lives, and even after my body goes back to dust, there will be a resurrection, and I will see Him! 

Today, Eternity is on my mind!   Being prepared is my desire.  

Hebrews 9:11-12 reveals that Jesus has made the eternal sacrifice for our sins, and the door is open.

Hebrews 10:35 encourages us not to throw away or lose our confidence (in His Promises) because it has great reward – Eternal Life!  In verse 36, we are reminded, “For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is promised.” Heaven is waiting, don’t lose hope!  Nothing here can compare!

Today is just one more step toward our eternity with Jesus, so have a great day and enjoy every second.    Have a great day as you look for and long for His appearing!  He is coming back!

Job 1:6-12 – “Now the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord—and Satan also arrived among them. ⁷ The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” And Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” ⁸ So the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.”

⁹ Then Satan answered the Lord, “Is it for nothing that Job fears God? ¹⁰ Have you not made a hedge around him and his household and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have increased in the land. ¹¹ But extend your hand and strike everything he has, and he will no doubt curse you to your face!”

¹² So the Lord said to Satan, “All right then, everything he has is in your power. Only do not extend your hand against the man himself!” So, Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

As I read, prayed, and considered the Word of God today, I was drawn to some things in Job and Hebrews.   In Job 1:9-12, the devil expressed his view of devotion to God, a view held by people.   That is, people serve God so long as the blessings flow.   He argued, “Make it hard, and they recant.”

God granted him permission to test Job and bring tragedy to his life. The devil went whole hog and stripped him of wealth and possessions and killed his kids. That is extreme.

What did Job do?  He demonstrated the truth of God’s description of Him in verse one.  He was blameless and upright, feared God, and turned from evil.   Remember, there was no Mosaic Law on conscience. Job demonstrated completeness in character with reverential fear of God and a true worshipper.   His response to tragedy debunked the devil’s theory about humanity.

Tragically, the devil is right about the mindset of the unregenerant heart. Job said in verses 21-22, “I came into this world with nothing (naked), and I will return to God without earthly possessions.” He expressed God’s sovereignty and ownership and declared that God was to be praised no matter what.

I find it incredible that God pushed the issue further and brought Job up again to the devil.   God purposefully allowed Job to be tested with the loss of the material goods of life, the loss of children.  Even Job’s wife urged him to renounce God; he held firm in his faith.  I see this second attack on his person and his health as God’s example of the power of steadfast faith and devotion to God.  Job went through hell physically.

In Job 4, Eliphaz rehearsed Job’s ministry and compassion to others and then hit him hard with a reality we need to consider.    Job 4:5 – “But now the same thing you helped others face has come to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are terrified.”   It is easy to pray for, counsel, and console others in their plight when you are not affected by it, but when it’s you, that’s a different story.    Job’s humanity surfaced. Ultimately, he maintained his confidence in God but struggled with physical trials.

I see a connection in Hebrews 2:1 – “Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard (the gospel) so that we do not drift away.”

If we focus on God, the Gospel, and the Truth, we can endure because our anchor is Christ Jesus. Our hope is ultimate salvation. If we genuinely believe that God is the creator and sustainer of all things and He will never abandon us, we see the present sufferings in light of eternity.

Life sometimes brings bitter pills for us to swallow.  Sometimes, we must endure difficult experiences and unexplainable trials. However, we have a high priest who knows precisely what we are facing and how we feel.  He has been there.    This is something that no other human being can truly understand, but Jesus does.  Therefore, we can be assured that there is light at the end of our tunnel, and it’s not a train coming at us.    It is Jesus being our life!

Lord, help us trust You in all things and at all times. Give us the grace to be and see and the settled confidence that You will NEVER fail us. Thank you! Amen.  No matter what, trust God!

Have a fantastic day and be confident that when the devil goes whole hog against you, God will enable you to stand.

Esther 1:12 – “But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s bidding conveyed through the eunuchs.  THEN the king became extremely angry, and his rage consumed him.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was drawn to a verse in Esther.   The situation of Esther 1:12 is intriguing.   As I read, the Lord began to impress upon me the manifold danger and damage of excessive anger that consumes the individual.

In Esther 2:1, there is a hint that the king regretted his harsh action born out of his rage.  I say that because after his anger subsided, he remembered the Queen. 

Ephesians 4:26 enjoins us to be angry but not let it produce sin.  Matthew 5:21-23 warns that excessive anger is the seed of murder and places us in danger of judgment.

Anger has consequences.   We like to call it righteousness indignation, but it is often not borne from righteousness.  Anger can be a sin and produce sinful attitudes and actions.   Anger left unchecked and excessive produces depression.  It damages relationships and causes internal stress that affects our bodies, souls, and spirits.

Out of rage, words that do damage and can never be recovered are spoken.   

Anger is evidence of heart sadness.   Joy and anger are not compatible.  Anger is evidence of a sense of powerlessness and loss of control.  It came from a sense of shame, anxiety, inadequacy, and even isolation.  It is rooted in pride, a sense of entitlement, or hurt.  It is an expression of fear. 

Physically excessive anger that consumes is irrational and releases toxins that destroy health.  It hinders fellowship with God and others.   It hardens the heart and blames others and God.

The only thing that should consume us is our passion for God.  I hate sin but refuse to focus on the sinner.  Today, our world is consumed with hate, and many are consumed with anger.  Hate justifies itself, elevating the hater to god status and the hated to devil status.  

The king allowed his wounded pride to boil over into rage that consumed him and caused him to act rashly.   

Love and hate are incompatible.   Love focuses outside self, but hate focuses on self.  If we belong to Christ, rage has no legitimate place in us.  As believers, we must learn to love everyone, even those who hate us.  We forgive with our hearts and bless those who curse us.  We can expose sin and error without allowing hate to consume us.

Excessive anger reveals a loss of control, and we give power to those we are angry at.   What consumes us controls us.  Therefore, just as we have received the love of God, we must give love.  Let love be the consuming passion of our hearts.  Love others because God loves you.

Reject anger and never let it gain a foothold; it will poison the soul and lead us into the destruction of hate!