Tag: forever

A Christmas Reading?

Today’s reading is Psalm 121.

When I first read Psalm 121, I thought to myself, “How is this going to be a Christmas reading?” However, in a short period of time and with prayer, it became very clear.

I lift my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made Heaven and Earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

On Christmas, our human minds think of Jesus’ first existence being when He arrived on this Earth on that first Christmas being born of His mother Mary, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.

But let’s take a look at the book of John for a moment..

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
John 1:1-4

Jesus was there in the beginning when the Heavens and the Earth and everything in it were created. This is easy to forget and wrap our arms around since we first see Jesus as that baby in a manger on Christmas. But it’s very clear He was there in the beginning from John 1, and we are also told in Psalm 121:1-4 around a thousand years earlier that our help comes the same God who made Heaven and Earth

We read later in John 1.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

How truly blessed are we that Jesus who made the Heavens and the World and everything in them chose to come down from His throne and Heaven on that first Christmas to live one of the most humble lives we can imagine to ultimately suffer and give his life on the cross so we could be united with Him and live eternally in Heaven?!

As we read on in Psalm 121…

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

He will keep your life.

Tho Lord will keep

Your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121:7-8

Jesus’ life on this Earth started in that stable and being laid in a manger. But at His ascension when His physical body left this Earth to go back to His throne in Heaven where He was in the beginning, He told us the following just like Psalm 121:7-8 does…

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20b

So on this Christmas, let us remember that every Bible reading is a Christmas reading because the entire Bible points to and is about Him…He is the Word. And let us remember that He didn’t stay in that manger, just like He didn’t stay on that cross, just like He didn’t stay in that grave…He is with each one of us always both on Christmas and every other day until the end of the age.

Merry Christmas!

Always With You, Never Changing

Today’s reading is Psalm 102 with the title in my Bible reading, “A Prayer of One Afflicted When He is Faint and Pours Out His Complaint Before the Lord.”

This Psalm begins very sad with the psalmist saying the following…

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

let my cry come to you!

Psalm 102:1

For my days pass away like

smoke,

and my bones burn like a dry furnace.

My heart is struck down like

grass and has withered;

I forget to eat bread.

Psalm 102:3-4

If those verses don’t tell you enough about what a sad state the psalmist is in, read all of Psalm 102:1-11.

What gives you strength in tough times? What provides you comfort in challenging moments? Where does your sense stability come from even during “normal” times? Many may say it’s from a relationship with a spouse, a parent, son/daughter, or friend. This could be good for a period of time, but the reality is it won’t be permanent. We, as well as those we have relationships with, are human…meaning we and they are prone to sin so these relationships could weaken and even end, or they will end because we or they pass away. There is a saying out there about “having faith in people.” Those who know me well have said I tend to always try to find the best in people, and I do like that saying. However, if taken literally and too far…it will eventually leave us feeling let down, lonely, and sad if we rely on people alone.

The psalmist realizes and reminds himself and us there is only One who is truly ALWAYS there for us and will never let us down.

He regards the prayer of the

destitute

and also does not despise their

prayer.

Psalm 102:17

He says a few verses later…

Of old you laid the foundation of

the earth,

and the heavens are the work

of your hands.

They will perish, but you will remain:

they will all wear out like a

garment…

Psalm 102:25-26

And again in verse 27…

But you are the same, and your years have no end.

Psalm 102:27

We see public figures let us down and mess up. We hear about pastors who were not really men/women of God, and we even find out family members who we revered made mistakes because they are well..human like us. Only God will never let us down. Only He is perfect. Only He has always been and always will be there for us. You may be reading this and saying my life is not going as I planned and blaming God, but that’s not because of God..that’s because we live in a world filled with sin which was not in God’s original design. Despite all that’s happened to you, God has been there with you the whole time. He hears your groans, and He cares.

When Jesus called Nathanael to be a disciple in John 1:46, He says “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.” When Nathanael asked Jesus how he knew Him Jesus says in John 1:47, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” When Nathanael hears this, he immediately calls rabbi or teacher. Some scholars believe Jesus comments hit Nathanael between the eyes because he may have been sitting under the tree not only by himself where only God could have seen him, but also possibly saddened about a recent event or misunderstanding  where he was incorrectly blamed for something and was crying out to God because He had done no wrong. Jesus comments that He not only saw Nathanael, but that He knew there was no deceit in him were not coincidental which is why Nathanael immediately knew He was the Messiah and called Him teacher.

What’s the point? Jesus was there with him. Jesus knew. Jesus cared. Jesus is with you. Jesus knows. Jesus cares. Lean on Jesus. He will always be there for you. The world and people change and will let you down. Jesus won’t..ever.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 13:8

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

Revelation 21:4