December 31, 2024

New Year’s Resolutions Revelation

I love the start of a new year. A blank slate. A blank calendar. A year of hope ahead. Redemption.

Then there is the pressure of forming New Year’s Resolutions. As January 1, 2025 approaches, I desired for this year to be different. I’m so excited and expectant for what God will do. Why are resolutions so hard to keep?

According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, 36 percent of resolution-makers give up by the end of January. Ouch.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “resolution” as the act or process of resolving: a :  the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones b :  the act of answering :  solving c :  the act of determining.

I propose a bolder approach.

Instead of forming resolutions, let’s consider life revelations. What’s the difference?

Webster’s defines revelation as “a :  an act of revealing or communicating divine truth b :  something that is revealed by God to humans.”

A revelation comes from God. A resolution comes straight from us. No wonder my resolutions often fail because they come from my flesh, not necessarily from listening to God.

Let’s start a revolution for the new year.

The minor prophet Habakkuk was in tuned to listening to God. Let’s look at how we can relate Habakkuk with our New Year’s revelations today.   We can change our resolutions to revelations.

In Habakkuk 1 he cried out to God. I love his authenticity, his raw emotion with the Lord.

“’How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?…Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?’”

The Lord listens and answers Habakkuk with a wonderful response.

“Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”

Habakkuk continues to complain and ends it with a declaration:

“I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. “ Habakkuk 2:1

‘Then the Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:2

 That’s one of my favorite leadership verses in the Bible.

The main revelation revolution lessons we can learn from Habakkuk are to:

1)Humble ourselves, pray and cry out to God. Even it seemed like complaining, Habakkuk was totally real when he told God exactly how he felt and asked God questions. God has big shoulders and can handle our big problems, our dreams, our desires. God listens and answers in His way, in His timing.

2) Strategize and write your revelation and plans on paper. Make them succinct enough that you (or anyone else) can understand them. I would encourage you to post them in your home so that you can refer to them often.

3) Be patient, work, and wait as God continues to work in your life on you and making your revelations come to fruition. God’s timing is perfect. He is never too early and never too late.

May Habakkuk’s story inspire us to start a revolution of New Year’s Revelations.

Happy New Year, friend. The best is yet to come.

Reflect:

What revelation is God revealing to you?

December 16, 2024

The Inn-Keeper’s Perspective, Christmas Miracles Part 3

The Inn-keeper in the Bible Story of Jesus’ birth intrigues me. Not much is written about him. He leaves much to our imagination. With the census going on for the entire Roman World, you know his inn must have stayed jam-packed at 100 percent occupancy. He was truthful to Mary and Joseph.

He certainly wasn’t a mean man. In fact, I can sympathize with him. Guests checked out, then more guests with reservations checked in.  He was trying his best to be hospitable by offering a stable/cave and manger out back.

Little did he know he was too busy and lacked room in his life for the Savior of the World’s birth. Ouch. Doesn’t that hit close to home?

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” –Luke 2:7 NIV

Anything of value in our lives requires us to make room.

We make room in our time schedules, our budgets, our hearts for a new relationship we value. Even for Christmas we make room, don’t we?

To bring in our new wonderful-smelling Christmas tree, we move over our comfy chairs, reading lamp, plants–whatever it takes. Box after box of Christmas decorations require us to move our year-round décor and replace with our valued Christmas festive decor.

In the Bible Story of Jesus’ birth, the Inn-Keeper had no room for Jesus. Mary and Joseph resorted to a hay-filled stable, along with the smelly animals. Our Savior of the World Jesus was born in a tiny manger. The tiny manger was plenty of room for the King of Kings and was truly the first King-Size Bed. 

Even the favorite Christmas carol “Joy to the World” exclaims, “Let every heart prepare Him room.”

Frederick Buechner writes from the Inn-Keeper’s perspective in “The Birth” of Magnificent Defeat: “But this I do know. My own true love. All your life long, you wait for your own true love to come–we all do–our destiny, our joy, our heart’s desire. So how am I to say it, gentlemen? When He came, I missed Him. Pray for me, brothers and sisters. Pray for the Inn-Keeper. Pray for me, and for us all, my own true love.”

The big question is: Do I make enough room in my heart, my schedule for Jesus? He wants our whole heart, my whole heart. So many times I don’t make enough room with my hurried schedule, my shortened quiet time, quick prayers.

Jesus is our only Way “In” to eternal life. He is the Door, the Gate. “Therefore Jesus said again. ‘I tell you the truth, I am the Gate for the sheep.” –John 10:7 NIV

We who believe are all “IN-Keepers.” Jesus loves us so much and wants to reside in our hearts for eternity.

How much room am I making in my schedule, my budget, my heart for Jesus, the Savior of the World, my Savior?

Please forgive me, Lord, for being too busy. For not making room for You. Take my whole heart, Lord. Lord Jesus, move everything else out to make all the room You want and need in my heart. You are the only way IN to eternal life. I desire to be a true “IN-Keeper.” In Jesus’ name, by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“I’m prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.” –Come Thy Fount of Every Blessing

 Reflect:

–“Make room for us in your hearts.” –2 Corinthians 7:2a NIV

–“ ‘Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’” –Mark 14:14-15 NIV

Renew:

–How can I make more room in my heart, my schedule, my life for Jesus? Please comment.

December 10, 2024

More Christmas Miracles –Stolen Purse in Wal-mart

“He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.” –Deuteronomy 10:21 NASB

It’s been too sacred to talk about. I think I’m ready now.

My word for 2024 came to me early last December; it is “Miracles.” I didn’t know why the word came so clearly and so early. Usually it’s more like early January before it comes to me.

My little grand-nephew Jameson was born two months early last November and spent weeks in the NICU. Maybe that’s one reason why. Now he’s a year old and growing like a little man.

It was Christmas Eve 2023, a Sunday. I know better than to shop on Christmas Eve, especially not a big store like Wal-mart. My aunt Nancy said she needed a prescription filled. Mom also had asked my nephew if he needed anything for the newly-born baby. He told her he needed two bottle warmers. Mom was ready for us to go to Wal-mart. 

I drove us and had an unsettled feeling the whole time. Mom told me to stay in the car parked at the curb in front of Wal-mart. “I’ll be back in 10 minutes, just enough time to get Nancy’s prescription and the bottle warmers for baby Jameson.” 

Five minutes passed. Then 10. Then 15 minutes. Two ladies came out and asked me to roll down my window. My heart fell. I knew tough news was coming. 

The lady looked distressed and said, “Your Mom asked us to come out here and find you. Her purse was just stolen, and she is hysterical in the Customer Service Department.”

I thanked them and felt nauseous. I whipped the car into a parking place, grabbed my purse, and ran to Customer Service, wondering if Mom had been hurt in the process of her purse being snatched. 

I ran inside and looked around and looked down. Mom looked pitiful against the wall, squatting on a car battery, hunched over and sobbing! I knelt down and hugged her, reassuring her that it would be OK. 

Moments later a policeman walked over and an undercover Wal-mart security person dressed in all black was with him. They escorted us into the cool secret security room at Wal-mart and asked Mom what happened. 

She said she had been in the baby section of Wal-mart. No one was on her aisle as she looked for bottle warmers. She even had her purse strapped into the child seat of her Wal-mart cart. As soon as she turned her back to reach down on the shelf and pick up two bottle warmers to put in her cart, when she turned back to her cart her purse was stolen! It happened that fast, and she saw or heard no one! 

She said she began sobbing and crying out “My purse was stolen! My purse was stolen!” Those two sweet angel ladies found mom and helped walk her to the Customer Service. 

Meanwhile, while Mom and I were in the inner-sanctum of the Wal-mart secret security room, the surveillance camera saw that a white male grabbed the purse. And then one of the undercover cops saw a white male leaving the store with a black purse, which of course is odd. They followed him and he tossed the purse in the woods by Wal-mart. 

They arrested the man AND were able to get mom’s purse out of the muddy woods. The policeman asked Mom how much money she had in the purse, and she said $45. 

When they brought her muddy purse back in the security room, all that was missing was cash and the change, not even the CREDIT cards or identification! The policeman then handed her $45 in cash back to her. We were in AWE. 

They then asked Mom if she wanted to press charges on the man, who they said was handcuffed and sitting in the back of a policecar in front of Wal-mart on Christmas Eve. Mom asked what it entailed, and they talked about a January court date. 

She said she did NOT want to press charges since she got her purse, wallet, and money back. She signed the release statement freeing the man from a court date. He would still go to jail for a few nights with bond. 

They asked if she would like to speak to the man, and she said yes. They said he was a younger man with two children, that he was a meth addict trying to get cash. 

Mom and I were then escorted with her purse, Aunt Nancy’s prescription and bottle warmers out of the secret security room and out of Wal-mart into the beautiful daylight. They walked us over the police car, where they opened the back door. 

He was pitiful looking at first glance. He was skinny, gaunt, with sunken eyes, and dark circles under his eyes. His arms were behind him as he sat, handcuffed. I watched as the policeman and six different undercover Wal-mart agents dressed in black also gathered around the cop car, wanting to hear the exchange. 

Before Mom could speak he said, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m sorry.” 

My courageous Mom spoke. “I forgive you. And, as Jesus said, ‘Go and sin no more.’ God loves you. Sir, you have children. You have mighty purpose. Don’t waste your life on drugs and crime. Get a job. Work hard. Provide for your family. Read your Bible, go to church and tell your testimony. You have so much to live for and a legacy to leave. I pray you have a Merry Christmas.” 

He told her thank you and Merry Christmas. Each one of the policeman and undercover agents came and hugged my Mom. They knew and we knew it was a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE. Most wallets and purses that are stolen sadly never get returned. Not only was Mom’s returned, she got to witness in real time to the man who stole it!

I often pray for that man and think about him. I pray his life was transformed that Christmas Eve afternoon for good. 

Since then we have seen a few of those Wal-mart agents when I have gone back to that Wal-mart with Mom. They hug her every time. They were so th

And friend, please carry your purses closely and don’t turn your back on it. Pray for Psalm 91 protection and for those around you. Pray for and expect miracles. God is the Miracle-worker. 

What miracles have you experienced? I would love to hear about them. 

Merry Christmas, friend. 

“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?– Jeremiah 32:27 NIV

 

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