Cheers!

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

Recently, I was refreshed when I saw a picture that one of my Instagram friend posted. The photo was a picture of just her legs and feet :). In the photo, her feet were crossed as she was lying on a lawn chair while overlooking a swimming pool.  This was her caption: “Life has become immeasurably better since I have been forced to stop taking it seriously.”

“A good sense of humor enlivens our discernment and guards us from taking everything that comes down the pike too seriously. By remaining lighthearted, by refusing to allow our intensity to gain the mastery of our minds, we remain much more objective.” Charles R. Swindoll

What a great reminder from my Instagram friend and from Charles Swindoll’s quote above to remain lighthearted and to refuse to allow our intensity to gain mastery of our minds!

As we go through our days, let’s keep remembering the wisdom found in Proverbs 17:22. Being cheerful doesn’t mean we are in denial of the struggles of life, however, it helps us remain peaceful through the struggles because of what Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Be of good cheer means - "be confident and courageous!" Let’s be confident and walk courageously as we remember that Jesus Christ has already overcome the world for us!

“...A cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15

“A cheerful heart serves the rest of the body (and others) a “continual feast”. And what a sumptuous banquet! A well-developed sense of humor reveals a well-balanced personality.” Charles Swindoll

Building A Reputation

“Then Naomi said, ‘Wait my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’” Ruth 3:18

The man that Naomi was talking about in the above scripture is Boaz. Boaz is a major figure in the Book of Ruth. Boaz was a wealthy farmer in Bethlehem and kinsman of Elimelech, Naomi’s late husband. When Naomi decided to go back to her hometown in Israel after her husband and both of her son’s died, one of her young daughter-in-law’s, named Ruth, followed her back to her hometown. Ruth not only left behind her hometown to follow Naomi but she also held fast to Naomi’s God. Naomi knew the God of Israel and openly allowed Ruth to feel all the joys and anguish of her relationship to God.

In the scripture above, Naomi is arranging for Ruth’s marriage to Boaz. Boaz knew that in order to marry Ruth, he needed to find the nearest relative who had the first right as kinsman redeemer and he needed to first offer it to him before he could marry Ruth as the Law provided.  Boaz was a man that wanted to do the right thing in the eyes of God and in the eyes of others. Boaz wanted to do the right thing sooner rather than later - he was a man who was not a procrastinator!

Boaz is known among all the people in his community as a man of his word – he followed through with his commitments. I love how Naomi described Boaz when she said, “For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.” What confidence Naomi had in Boaz' character!

One of the reasons I fell for my husband was because of this very character trait. When he says he is going to do something, he follows through as soon as possible even when it hurts. I noticed this trait in him right at the beginning of our courtship and over the thirty years together, I have had many opportunities to see my husband keep his word not only to me but also to his employer, his family, his children and even the strangers he meets for the first time.

“Naomi implied that Boaz would follow through with his promise at once. He obviously had a reputation for keeping his word and would not rest until his task was completed. Such reliable people stand out in any age and culture. Do others regard you as one who will do what you say? Keeping your word and following through on assignments should be high on anyone’s priority list. Building a reputation for integrity, however, must be done one brick, one act, at a time.” Commentary

Do the people in our life have confidence that we are a man or a woman of our word? If so, we will stand out no matter what our age and no matter what culture we are living in!

“LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors whose who fears the LORD; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.” Psalm 15

It Is Going To Be A Good Day!

“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

A friend shared with me that when her and her daughter were in Los Angeles, they saw the L.A. Archdiocese Cardinal. She shared her great excitement with me that not only did they see him but that the Cardinal had actually looked there way and smiled at them. In her excitement she turned to her daughter and said this to her, “It is going to be a good day, the Cardinal noticed us and smiled at us.”

It is wonderful when someone who loves and knows God looks our way and takes the time to encourage us even with just a simple smile. But did you know that the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, has not only looked in our direction, but He has sacrificed His life in order for us to see God’s smile upon us? And here is the part that melts my heart, not only does God smile upon us because of His Son, Jesus Christ; He wants to have an intimate relationship with you and with me! Yes, a sweet, intimate relationship!

“Christ is superior to the priests, and his priesthood is superior to their priesthood. To the Jews, the high priest was the highest religious authority in the land. He alone entered the Holy of Holies in the temple once a year to make atonement for the sins of the whole nation (Leviticus 16). Like the high priest, Jesus mediates between God and us. As humanity’s representative, He intercedes for us before God. As God’s representative, He assures us of God’s forgiveness. Jesus has more authority than the Jewish high priests because He is truly God and truly man. Unlike the high priest who could go before God only once a year, Christ is always at God’s right hand interceding for us. He is always available to hear us when we pray.” Commentary

My dear friends, because of Jesus Christ, God has turned to look in your direction today and He smiles upon you with great love and compassion. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:14, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin.”

Today, just as the Bible exhorts, let us approach God’s throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need!  

My friend turned to her daughter and said, “It is going to be a good day, the Cardinal noticed us and smiled.” How much more confident and excited should we be today as we remember that the Great High Priest - the King of kings and the Lord of lords – Jesus Christ - has looked in our direction, is smiling upon us and is more than willing to give us His great mercy, His time and His unfailing compassion!

Our High Priest has passed through the heavens to the very presence of God, where He sits at God's right hand!

God Knows All The Moves!

“You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Psalm 139:1-6

Do you need to be reminded today that God sees you, thinks about you, protects you, and has His hand upon your life?

There are times in our life when we may be tempted to think that God has forgotten us. Psalm 139 is just one of the places in the Bible that makes it clear that God never forgets us. We can become discouraged when after praying, we either see no change in our situation or the situation takes a turn for the worst. Don’t be deceived: God is always working whether we see it or not!

Recently, a good friend shared with me that she had found an old photo of her mom when she was only twelve years old. In this photo, her mom was surrounded by a group of people. As my friend looked closer to the people standing in the photo, she was taken back with a sense of wonder when she recognized the lady that “happened” to be standing right next her mom.  The lady turned out to be her mom’s future mother-in-law! Can you believe that! At twelve years of age, little did my friend’s mom realize that the lady standing next to her would one day be a very important person in her life! My dear friend's mom and dad have been married for 64 years and still have a beautiful love for each other to this day!

“If your eyes could only see how God is moving all those chess pieces around the board for maximum impact, it would blow your mind. He’s up to something big that affects not only you, but those around you.” Beth Moore

What chess pieces is God moving on your “board”? If only your eyes could see!

Be encouraged today that God knows you, loves you, plans for you and protects you!

Let’s live in a state of wonder as we are reminded that we serve a God who is intimately involved with every detail of our life! Only God can see those "moves" that will have the most impact to our lives!

“Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16