“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”  2 Corinthians 5:17

On Easter morning, over 2000 years ago, Mary  Magdalene,  along with some other women, brought spices and perfume to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. But the tomb was empty– the body was gone.  They ran to tell the disciples, “They have taken away the Lord.”

After Peter and John had checked out the evidence and gone home again, Mary remained by the tomb, weeping.  When she heard a noise behind her, she turned and saw a man standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.

“Woman, why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?” he asked.

Thinking he was the gardener she said,

“Tell me where you have laid him and I will get him.”

Why did Mary not recognize Jesus? I think it’s the same reason I often don’t recognize the living Christ in my life. Mary expected to find things as she had left them–a dead body wrapped in linen cloths lying in a tomb. Her expectancy was too small.

Aren’t we like that too? We come to Jesus in prayer but we really don’t expect to see any changes.

Not until Jesus called her name, did Mary realize that Christ was alive and standing right beside her.

“Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Mary hurried home to tell the disciples,

“I have seen the LORD!”

How her face must have glowed! She knew everything would be different from now on.

Like Mary, I want to shed my doubts and welcome the miracle of resurrection life. I want to live in expectancy: What new thing is the living Christ going to do in my life (my family) today?

by Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

•  The Easter Story – the story of Christ’s death and resurrection
•  Easter Articles

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“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge, nor wisdom.” Ecclesiastes 9:10

The greatest purpose for living is to serve God. He has work for us to do.

“We are God’s workmanship (masterpiece) created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared (chosen) for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Be faithful in small things.

“No work is small when done with great love,” said Mother Teresa

Brother Lawrence, a monk who lived in France during the seventeenth century, saw His work for God as serving in the kitchen. He would stop his work and praise God for the privilege of knowing Him and serving Him this way. His book ‘The Practice of the Presence of God‘ is still being read today.

Nick Vujicic, born without arms and legs, was determined to find the purpose for his life. Against tremendous challenges, he’s become an international motivational speaker, founded his own company, and speaks about his “ridiculously good life” in his book Life Without Limits.

He writes,

“recognizing your purpose means everything. I assure you that you too have something to contribute. You may not see it now, but you would not be on this planet if that were not true. I know for certain that God does not make mistakes, but he does make miracles. I am one. You are too.’ (Life Without Limits page 31)

Father, we thank you that every life has a purpose. I want to live my life for your glory.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

God’s Purpose

Your Eternal Purpose

Purposeful Living – Lessons From the Fig Tree

The post My Life Has Purpose appeared first on Thoughts About God.

A deep need within every person is the need to belong.

We are made for families. If our families don’t meet that need, we look to others who will. That’s why we have gangs. We form groups, we go from relationship to relationship always searching for the right group, the right spouse.

Do you feel like you belong? Or do you feel like an outsider? You are on the outside looking in wishing with all your heart you could be part of “them.” You think, “I am the wrong colour; I am the wrong age; my background is too different…”

I bring good news to you.

The greatest family we can belong to is God’s family. And in this family age, skin colour, nationality, family background doesn’t matter. We are all the same: sinners saved by grace.

How do we get into God’s family?

God’s unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure (Ephesians 1:3-4).

It’s through Jesus Christ. We must come to Him and surrender ourselves to Him. Then He becomes our Savior and Lord. “To all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

After you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior, these verses are true for you.
You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ…God loves you dearly and has called you to be his very own people (Romans 1:6).

How we praise the God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. (Ephesians 1:3 NLT)

While we live we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:7,8).

Did you notice how often “we belong” is mentioned?

When you get the feeling of not belonging, quote these verses putting your name into them. Then say, “God says I belong and that’s the truth.”

But even in churches and Christian circles you can feel like an outsider. That saddens the heart of God for He wants us to be one loving family.

Let us look out for people who are standing alone in the church foyer, who are somewhat different than the rest…We need to come to them with God’s loving acceptance.

God’s love is something abstract until it takes on a kind face, a gentle voice, and loving hands. Let us be that visible expression of God’s love today.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Belonging

I Belong!   by Katherine Kehler

Blessing of Belonging and Worth

You Belong to God

The post I Belong! appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You.”  Psalm 9:10

“What’s the good of praying? My friends and I have prayed for years and nothing has happened. God doesn’t care. For all I know, He’s off playing golf.”

The young woman who spoke so passionately about her disappointment with God is not alone.

I understand her dilemma. One day my husband, a strong Christian leader, signed himself into a mental hospital. He had suffered a complete mental breakdown. Many people prayed for him. We were so certain that God would heal him. We clung to Bible verses that promised healing, such as:

“The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven” (James 5:15).

Healing made sense to me: we’d have a strong message of hope for the world. But my husband did not recover. Today he’s in a care home.

I admit, sometimes I’ve felt like giving up on prayer. I mean, what was the use? Things were taking their course from bad to worse just as though we had never prayed.

Yet what was the alternative? If I walked away from God, I would lose my source of greatest comfort and strength. So, I made a choice to press in deeper into the mystery of prayer.

As I’ve studied the Bible and many other books, I’ve come to the conclusion that prayer is not reciting a wish list to God. It’s not checking off answers. It’s not even cashing in promissory notes. When we are focused on answers, we become manipulative in our praying. We treat God as though He exists to serve us. And when the answers aren’t to our liking, we get in a huff with God.

There will always be a mystery regarding prayer: Why does God seem distant and silent when we need Him the most? Why do answers to prayer seem so inconsistent? Some people are healed; some are not. Some are delivered, some are not. What is the real purpose of prayer?

My search has led me to believe that the chief end of prayer is to develop a love relationship with God. As we get to know Him, we learn to trust Him. Instead of praying “give me answers” we learn to pray “your will be done.” In connecting with the universal purposes of God, we reach answers bigger and better than we imagined.

Father, teach me to be still and know that
you are God.

by Helen Grace Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Jesus is Always There!

Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet

Keep On Keeping On

The post When Answers Aren’t Enough – There is Jesus! appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, put painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11

When our old farmhouse was being renovated, ceilings, walls, and floors were ripped-out to make room for new ones. Dust and debris lay everywhere. We bumped our legs on scaffolding in the living room and stepped over cans of paint in the kitchen. The bathroom was out of commission as the water had been shut off. Trying to cook meals and carry on a normal family routine was a challenge.

As the days crawled by and I saw little progress, I began to complain.

“This stage is no fun,” the contractor agreed. “Later when you see the finished product, though, you’ll be glad you persevered.”

For peace of mind, there was only one thing to do: trust the contractor, that he knew what he was doing, and that the end result would make up for the temporary inconveniences.

When God wants to do something new in our lives, it is often preceded by major renovations.

Take for instance, Joni Eareckson Tada’s life. During a diving accident at seventeen, this vibrant athletic girl broke her neck and became a quadriplegic. Joni’s promising life lay in shambles. She was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. At first she couldn’t see how any good could come out of all this suffering. But God had a plan far greater than she could imagine.

Joni has headed up an organization called ‘Joni and Friends‘, which ministers to people affected by disabilities and supplies wheelchairs to thousands around the world. She has written several bestsellers, paints beautifully by holding a brush in her mouth, and is in demand as an international speaker. She says, “God is big enough to understand suffering, wise enough to allow it, and powerful enough to use it for greater good than any of us can imagine.”

Renovations are messy. Holding patterns are not fun. It’s the end result that makes it all worthwhile.

Have things turned upside down in your life? Let Paul’s words encourage you: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).

Thank you, Father, that the plans you have for us are plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.

by Helen Grace Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Change Me

The Plans

When Life is a Perplexing Journey

The post God’s Holding Patterns appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations “  Psalm 100:5

Trouble had come at me from all sides and I wondered how much more I could take. I needed help, so I went to see a friend whose counsel I respected. “My husband has been in hospital for three years and he’s not getting better,” I began. “A gasoline explosion has sent my thirteen-year-old son to the hospital with severe burns; my daughter, just out of high school, has left home for Europe; illness has made me miss many days at work jeopardizing my nursing job.”

My friend listened to my outpouring without interruption. Then he asked, “Helen, does God still love you?”

Stunned, I looked at his kind face. I wasn’t prepared for this simple question. “Yes,” I stammered. “Yes, I think so. The Bible says God’s love is everlasting, so it’s got to be the same whether my life is good or bad, doesn’t it?”

He nodded. “You can stand on this fact: God loves you and will never leave you. Cling to that truth and you will cope.” Then he smiled and said, “Now, before you go home, let’s pray.”

“Father, he prayed, I thank You for my sister here. Thank You for your great love for her. Thank You that You are with her now and always will be.” Amen.

And my friend was right. Clinging to God’s love and affirming it out loud by reciting Bible verses gave me courage and hope to get through those days.

Verses like these: “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5).

“Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations3:22,23)

What is happening in your life? The above verses are meant for you too. Read them often out loud and add, “Thank you, Father.”

Thank you, Father, for your love which never changes.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

God’s Steadfast Love

My Beloved Child

A Heart of Thankfulness

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“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever” Isaiah 32:17

The Christmas season has been described as the season of shoulds. We feel we owe it to our family to give them the best Christmas ever. So, we spend too much money. We fuss too much about trivial things. And we work ourselves into a frenzy. No wonder we begin to dread the whole business of Christmas.

So how can we take the panic out of Christmas? Let me suggest:

1. Take inventory: Ask yourself, what’s truly important? Ten years from now what difference will it make that I mailed my Christmas cards late, or my house wasn’t perfect, or the turkey was a bit dry? Look again at what you want to achieve.

2. Be realistic, look at what you can afford. Christmas is not a competition about who can buy the most expensive presents or even who can get the most presents. Our children do not need dozens of presents to know they are loved.

3. Focus on the Prince of Peace. Take time out to relax and to reflect on Jesus’ statements of peace, like the following: “Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

In the original Greek the word “peace” has the connotation of being bound together. Imagine Jesus and you bound together. Doing life together. Wow!

What’s the result of doing it His way? Isaiah tells us there will be peace, quietness and confidence.

Dear God, help me to focus on what’s truly important this Christmas season. I want to honor and glorify you in all my preparations. In Jesus name, amen.

by Helen Lescheid
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• The Christmas Story: Does It Still Matter?
• The Christmas Story – the story of Jesus Birth
• Peace on Earth – Keeping focused during a Christmas season.

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“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” Psalm 25:5

It seemed like I was losing everything I valued: my marriage, my family, my home, my reputation. One day, a wave of despair came over me. I can’t take this anymore. I’m cracking up, I thought.

What happened next is hard to describe Clear as a bell I heard a voice saying—not out loud but deep in my heart—“Do you still have Jesus?”

“Yes,” I whispered back.

“Then you have a center. You have a refuge. You will be alright.”

The Bible was the only book that offered me comfort and hope. It helped me make some sense out of my situation. Other godly people—Joseph, David, Daniel—had gone through terrible times, why not me? Furthermore it showed me a way of coping by giving me verses that nourished my wounded spirit and gave me hope. Verses like the following:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…” Psalm 46:1,2

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

I read of a woman who, during the severe tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia in December 2004, was saved from certain drowning by clinging to a palm tree floating beside her.

Jesus was that palm tree for me. I discovered that when life hits us with a tsunami, Jesus is there in the water with us. Clinging to Him we are saved. Knowing Him is the most valuable relationship in the world.

What’s happening in your life right now?

Do you know Jesus is right there with you.

Cling to him and He’ll bring you out in due time.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

•  Hope for the Hopeless
•  A Poem of Hope

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

The post Hope Stronger Than Hurt appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“I will not leave you as orphans (comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless); I will come to you” John 14:18

(Amplified) And be sure of this:

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

When we’re going through a difficult time, we look to friends and family to be there for us. But sometimes we’re bitterly disappointed. We don’t get the support we had hoped for.

What helps me at a time like that?

I remember that Jesus also experienced lack of support from friends and family.

Knowing that soon he would be betrayed and crucified, Jesus asked three of his closest disciples–Peter, James, and John—to stay near him in the Garden and to pray for him. Then he walked a short distance away, fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” When he returned to the disciples, he found them asleep. Even his dearest friends failed him at this crucial time.

No matter how well intentioned our friends are, they cannot go the whole distance with us. They have their own worries and concerns.

Suffering provides a unique opportunity for us to experience the comfort of God. Remember how Jesus was comforted? God sent an angel. God will not fail us in our need, either. He will not leave us comfortless. Suffering provides an opportunity to discover the adequacy of God. If we never experienced extreme needs, we wouldn’t know that God can meet them.

Expect Jesus to meet your needs. Often I’ve prayed,

“Jesus, you are the good Shepherd and you promised that ‘I shall lack nothing.’ But right now I do lack something. Jesus, you know what it takes for me to function as a well-balanced human being. Today I need some verbal encouragement.”

And you know what? I get a phone call, or a card in the mail, or some tangible bit of evidence that I’m thought of and prayed for.

Looking to Jesus to have my emotional needs met is so freeing. I can let go of my unrealistic expectations that friends and family will always be there for me. I can let go of the “you-guys-owe-me” attitude. I can enjoy the element of surprise and wonder how will God break into my need this time?

Thank you, Jesus, that you are with me right now and in You I have all that I need.

by Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

RELATED READING

• Jesus Makes Us Overcomers
• 10 Reasons to Come to Jesus
• Jesus Requires Total Abandonment

The post Forsaken but not Alone appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3: 13-14

What do you do when Christians disappoint you? As a young Christian, I hungered for the abundant life Jesus talked about, a life of victory over sin and of fruitful work. Naturally, I looked to older, more mature Christians. “They will have found the secret to living a victorious Christian life,” I thought.

I expected that they would love one another and build each other up. Instead, I often found a judgmental spirit which led to divisions and rejections. I heard them gossiping and talking maliciously about each other. I saw them being selfish and greedy.

What a let-down! “If that’s the best Christianity can do,” I thought, “who needs it?”

I put the Bible aside and went to other books for life’s answers. But no book tackled life as honestly and realistically as the Bible did. It alone spoke of a Savior who valued sinful persons enough to die for them. Could I, like Christ, look beyond a fault to the intrinsic value God puts on a person?

“Look to Me, not to people,” I heard Jesus saying to me. “If you look to people, you will be disappointed. My followers are faulty just as you are faulty. All of you are in the process of growing and maturing. See to it, that nobody stumbles over your life.”

I have met many beautiful people, inside and outside the church, who’ve blessed my life. I’ve determined to see each person as Christ sees them.

Dear God, forgive me when I disappoint You and cause others to stumble. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that people will see Jesus in me.  Amen.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

The post I Want People to See Jesus in Me appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.”  Psalm 50:23

When everything is going well, it is easy to give thanks, but what happens when things are not going well?  Is it possible to give thanks even then?

One of my patients in the Care Home where I worked taught me the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Mrs. Reimer had both of her legs amputated. After she healed, she had to learn to walk again. I would attach the crutches and help her stand. After taking a few steps, she’d flop back down on her bed and beam up at me, “Imagine me at ninety learning to walk again. Now that’s something!” I could hardly believe it! She saw humor in her situation! Instead of immersing herself in self-pity, Mrs. Reimer focused on what she could still do. She loved to crochet beautiful snowflakes that would adorn a Christmas tree. “If I make one snow flake a day I’ll have 365 to sell at the bazaar,” she said. And she did. I’ll have some of her snowflakes on my Christmas tree!

Why is thanksgiving so important?

It acknowledges God in the situation.

When things go wrong the last thing we want to do is give thanks. But it’s the most beneficial. Thanksgiving prepares the way for God’s salvation to come in. He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God (Psalm 50:23)

“Give thanks in all circumstances,” Paul writes “for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

God can do anything with a thankful heart, but He can do little for a complaining one. It is closed to his grace.

Dear Father, thank you that you are with me and working all things together for good.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

Further Reading

• Prayer of Thanksgiving

• A Thought about Gratitude

•  Salvation Explained

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The post Let Thanksgiving be the Habit of your Life appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong…so that no one may boast before him.”  1 Corinthians 27, 29

Have you ever felt inadequate for a special task? How did you deal with it?

At the burning bush Moses was told to take off his shoes. Then God spoke these comforting words to him: “I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them.”

This was good news indeed! At last God had heard Moses’ prayers.

And then God made a shocking announcement: “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:7,8)

Moses’ response was much like ours. “Who me? God, you have the wrong person,” he said. “Don’t you remember, I tried to save my people but it ended in disaster. I’ve been hiding in the desert for these forty years now. I’m an old man and don’t have the energy. Besides, I’m not a speaker. I could never convince Pharaoh to let the people go.”

Of course, God knew all that. He was well acquainted with Moses’ failure and inadequacy. But Moses did qualify on one count: God loves to use ordinary, weak, human beings to do His work.

Like us!

How did God do it? God did not transform Moses into suddenly feeling adequate and strong. God said, “I will be with you.” In other words, “I will do this in your shoes, Moses.” It would be God through Moses who would free his people.

That’s the way it’s going to be with us too.

Thank you, Father, that I can do everything through him (Christ) who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)

by Helen Lescheid
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Second Chances by Vonette Bright
• Second Chances by Max Lucado
• He Understands

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