No Expiration Date on God’s Promises

 

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Shopping for yogurt has gotten hard these days. I only like a particular brand and only certain flavors. Once I find the correct yogurt, I hold the container up to the light to find the expiration date. Quite often, the yogurt has already expired or is about to expire.

As Christians, we often meditate on God’s promises. We testify about particular verses that helped us through hard times.

As I write this, COVID has been a part of our lives for 8 months. We are entering the holiday season in which we celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. These holidays will not be the same as they were in previous years. Many of us are weary of  restrictions.  We are experiencing what the media is calling “COVID fatigue “.  

For Christians, it is all too easy to stop clinging to the promises that helped us through the first few months of the pandemic.  Like the psalmist, we cry out “How long, O Lord?”.   It is good to pray prayers of lament to the Lord and to run to Him with our worries and frustrations.

But we also need to return to the promises of God to find strength and encouragement.

The apostle Paul prayed 3 times that God would remove the thorn in his flesh. God chose not to remove the thorn.  Instead, he said to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  

For those of us who have been praying for COVID to end, God is choosing to delay the answer to that prayer.  Instead, He says to us as He said to Paul “My grace is sufficient for you.”  God has not removed the pandemic at this time.  Instead, He gives us a wonderful promise.  He promises to give us His grace as we walk through this season of life. He promises to take our weaknesses and to replace them with His strength.

Let’s begin each day asking the Lord to pour His grace on us and to give us His strength. Let’s pray that He would give us thankful hearts to celebrate Thanksgiving, that He would give us a  new sense wonder at the Majestic baby born on Christmas Day, and that He would give us new hope as we watch a New Year begin.

Let us cling to His promises each day of the holiday season.  For His promises have no expiration date.  We can count on them each and every day.

When the Mountains Fall into the Sea

 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” Psalm 46:1-2

Dings, beeps, rings,  news announcements.  There are so many ways to communicate news these days.  Did you ever have a week in which bad news seemed to be coming at you non stop?  I had a week like that  recently.  I turned off my cell phone to take a break, and my land line started ringing.  I decided to watch tv as an escape and a breaking news report interrupted my favorite show. 

There are seasons in life.  If you live long enough, you realize that there are times of pure joy.  There are also times when big things and small things all seem to go wrong.

Psalm 46 uses the illustration of the mountains being carried into the midst of the sea. The psalmist states that even if that happens “we will not fear.”   How can anyone not fear if the mountains are falling into the sea?  The little word “therefore” gives us the answer.   We do not have to fear or worry or despair for one reason only.  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

When things all seem to be going wrong, and life is changing faster than we can process it, there is one unchanging truth.  God is our Rock. He will not change. He is strong and mighty. He loves us more than we can imagine.  He wants us to run to Him.  He wants to be our refuge when the storms of life rage.  He wants to give us His strength.    When there is trouble, He is “very present” and wants to help.

Life is hard and we don’t always know what the future holds. But we know that God will always be there waiting for us. All we have to do is run to Him. In the shelter of His Presence we are safe and secure. And that is a promise we can count on. 

The power of a thank you

                                                        

“It’s not fair!  Why can’t we stop for ice cream?  We never get to do anything fun.” I heard those words as I was driving a van with another teacher in the front seat and 12 unhappy middle school students in the back.

I promptly reminded the students that they had just spent the day at the Baltimore Aquarium. I  proceeded to give a lecture on how they should be grateful that the other teacher and I had driven 2 hours to Baltimore so that they could enjoy the Aquarium. My lecture was successful in stopping the demand for ice cream.  Instead, the students sulked in silence for the remaining 20 minutes of the ride home. Although I was not folding my arms and scowling, inwardly I was feeling weary and discouraged. It had been a long day and a lot of work had gone into planning the field trip.

When we pulled into the school parking lot, the students got out of the van and ran off to greet their waiting parents. One boy remained behind.  He walked over to me and said, “Thank you, Miss Furlong, for taking us to the Baltimore Aquarium.  It really was a fun day.” My heart melted as I told him that he was welcome and how happy I was that we could do this.

It was amazing how hearing the words “thank you” changed my whole perspective on the day.  It had been a lot of work.  Yes, it is true that our good works should be done to please God.  And it is true that the field trip was part of my job. But, even so, it felt good to hear a heartfelt thank you from one of my students.  I drove home feeling light hearted. Yes, it had been a good day.

How often we neglect to take the time to thank the people in our lives. The mailman who always rings the door bell instead of leaving a package on the door step. The waitress who is extra attentive and cheerful. The friend who is always there to listen.  The list can go on. 

During the month of November let’s make a conscious effort to notice the many kindnesses of the people who surround us.  And let’s take the extra step of telling them how much we appreciate them. A word of heartfelt thanks can make someone’s day.