change

Wednesday, November 3, 2010 (8:18 a.m.)

Most Blessed and Holy God,

How I thank You! Thank You for change and for routine and for changes in a routine. Lord, You are doing such a mighty work around here, the kind of work that truly comes from the inside out. Oh how I thank You Lord!

(9:37 a.m.)

Where did the tears come from? I’ve been sitting here reading and wondering, praying silently and contemplating Your Word and suddenly my eyes are stinging. Lord, I truly am speechless when it comes to the change You have brought about in our lives.

The Book of James is just trouncing me right now. I truly don’t know which way to look! So I go to the introduction of it to find out more about who James was and why he wrote this letter.

James was a half-brother of Jesus, writing to a young church of only Jewish believers. This book is probably the earliest of the New Testaments letters. It was written to the family of God, encouraging believers to live out their lives in ways that honor God, making Jesus the center of their (our!) lives, honoring Him in all we do.

Wow! Talk about change Lord! You give us this desire and every modicum of ability to continue going forward in our walk with You. You change us. Life in and through You allows us the opportunity to feel and be and think and do all the things that life without You denies. In You we are free. Through You we are forever transformed.

James was initially a hard sell to believe Jesus’ claims. He knew first hand what it was like to hear Your Word and not put it into practice. Thank You that he came to believe. He came to trust. He came to write this letter.

“So don’t be misled, dear brothers. But whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and He shines forever without change or shadow. And it was a happy day for Him when He gave us our new lives through the truth of His Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in His new family.” (James 1: 16-18)

Thank You Dearest Lord. Change surrounds us. Without You as Master of our lives, we can feel overwhelmed by it. Thank You that in and through You we need not fear nor be destroyed by change. People change. Government officials change. Circumstances change. You don’t! “For Jesus doesn’t change – yesterday, today, tomorrow, He’s always totally Himself.” (Hebrews 13:8 – The Message)

Praise You Lord. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(447 words ~ 10:21 a.m.)