Barbara's Banter

From God comes…

From God comes peace.

When Jesus was born the angels declared, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace… (Luke 2:14)” But where is that peace? We certainly don’t see it around us. Countries are filled with conflict and war. People are filled with hate and anger. It can be discouraging and disheartening, especially at Christmastime when we so desire peace and love to be the norm. Unfortunately, it has been that way throughout history.

The famous America poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a beloved poem on Christmas Day in 1863 during the Civil War. Death and devastation had devoured loved ones. Longfellow was in the midst of nursing his oldest son Charles back to health after a Confederate bullet almost paralyzed him while he listened to church bells ringing out good tidings on Christmas morning.

Henry struggled to reconcile his current situation and depressing plight of the war-torn land with the message the angels gave to the shepherds about peace on earth when Jesus was born. The result was the famous poem I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. It starts with…

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play.
And wild and sweet, the words repeat
Of peace on earth and good-will to men!

Soon the verses segue into a darker mood because of the state of events surrounding him.

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound the carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

After another verse or two, he writes…

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

As often happens when we pray, God grants a little clarity. He ends with…

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

The message of Christmas is not that Jesus caused peace to rain down like showers of blessings to all mankind. The message of Christmas is that Jesus is our peace. By worldly standards, He may have appeared to come to earth unnoticed, as an insignificant baby born in obscurity. However, by God’s criterion, the angels proclaimed His glory and He was declared the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

Jesus came to be our peace (Ephesians 2:14). When we accept Jesus as our Savior, this inner peace is ours. With it, we can withstand difficult times. Plus, in the end, wrong will fail and right will prevail. Jesus told us that on earth we will have trials and sorrows, but “take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes grace. Grace from a spiritual perspective means undeserved, unmerited favor. Because of this favor, God bestows many blessings on us.

We may say to ourselves that we aren’t so bad. If we do good things, why shouldn’t we receive good gifts from God? However, blessings resulting from God’s grace cannot be earned. They are freely given to those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savor (Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s grace is extended to us through Jesus Christ. We have all sinned and fallen short, but by God’s grace our sins are forgiven because of Jesus’s sacrifice (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Through Moses we received the law, but it is through Christ we receive truth and grace (John 1:17). This grace is God’s divine love flowing to us. Technically, God owes us nothing. Yet, when we surrender our lives to Him, we realize that we are supported and loved unconditionally.  

God’s grace is powerful. It provides sufficiency in all of our circumstances (2 Corinthians 9:8). Life can be filled with trouble and hardships. We all struggle to cope with problems. To spiritually survive, we must remember that our sufficiency comes through God’s grace (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Paul learned this when he asked God to remove a “thorn in the flesh” that bothered him (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). God does not always immediately deliver us from a trial. He didn’t in Paul’s situation. However, He did tell Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you… (2 Corinthians 12:9).”

Christians are not immune from troubles and hardships. They go through divorce, cancer, death of loved ones, career setbacks, financial losses, wars, imprisonment, floods, and tornadoes just like everyone else. God’s grace assures us we never have to face these trials alone. We have extra help. Only God knows how to turn weakness into strength, despair into hope, or light into darkness. Only God can give peace to a weary heart or heal a wounded soul. Trials may abound, but God’s grace can abound much more (Romans 5:20).

When we feel bombarded with one dire circumstance after another, we can feel numb. We feel like we are immersed in quicksand pulling us down. I’ve felt that way. Sometimes the only prayer I’ve been able to continually utter is, “Your grace is sufficient for me.” Even if I don’t feel it, I know it’s true. Sometimes I just repeat, “Jesus, you are enough,” over and over again—through the heartache and tears.

From God comes grace and God’s grace is a powerful thing! God’s grace provides strength to face each new day. God’s grace allows us to know that what happens on earth is temporary. God’s grace grants the assurance of hope for the future.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes a true heart.

God is very big on heart issues. That’s why the Bible is full of references about our hearts. God doesn’t want us to just serve Him, but to serve Him from our hearts. 2 Chronicles 25:2 (NRSV) tells us about King Amaziah who “…did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a true heart.” Another word for true might be sincere.

Obedience is not enough. It’s a start but the goal is to respond to God from our hearts. Hebrews 10:22-25 (ESV) says, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

The heart is at the core of our physical existence. We can live without a foot, leg, arm, hand, gall bladder, ear, eye, or even brain functions, but without a heart—we die.  

The heart is also central in reference to emotions, illustrated by these idioms. When we eat our hearts out, we are envious. Our heart breaks when we are sad. We lose our hearts when we fall in love. We follow our hearts when we are happy. When we say something from the bottom of the heart, we mean it sincerely. The cold-hearted are unforgiving. When we pour out our hearts, we are telling others how we feel.  

We cannot fool God. God knows our hearts better than we know ourselves (Hebrews 4:12). We can pretend we feel a certain way but eventually our hearts reveal our true attitudes. A good heart will bring about good for others. An evil heart will bring about bad for others. The truth will always come out. Our words eventually belie our true intentions (Luke 6:45). We will put time, money, and effort into where our heart is (Matthew 6:21).

Sometimes we use the phrase “to get to the heart of an issue.” That’s what God would like to do with us. He wants to replace our insincere hearts with new ones (Ezekiel 36:26). He actually wants to live in our hearts and be a part of our very lives. When we seek Him with all our hearts desiring a relationship with Him, He readily makes Himself available.  

We must guard our hearts because they determine how we live our lives (Proverbs 4:23 NIV). We do this by filling our thoughts with what is true, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). We guard our hearts by staying focused on God because only He can give us a true and sincere heart!

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes benefits.

One of my favorite scripture passages to read when I am discouraged or I don’t feel like praising God because my focus is inward, is Psalm 103. It starts with, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, praise His name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103:1-2).”

This whole Psalm is a prayer praising God. Most of our prayers are petitions filled with requests, but this one is not. Technically, a Psalm is a song, so you might consider the Psalms a hymn book the Hebrews used to sing. In a way, this Psalm could be a version of more modern classics encouraging us to count our blessings! Benefit is just another word for blessing.   

There is none like our God who forgives our sins, heals our diseases, redeems our lives, crowns us with loving kindness, extends His tender mercies to us, satisfies us with good things, and renews our youth like an eagle’s (Psalm 103:3-5). God is the great Physician who heals our physical and spiritual bodies. He is our Redeemer who delivers us from the life’s pitfalls. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. Even as we grow older, He lifts us up. A relationship with the living God gives our lives purpose and meaning no matter what age we are.  

God is righteous, just, merciful, and gracious (Psalm 103:6-8). He does not punish us according to our sins, but rather when we repent and turn to Him, He removes our transgressions far, far away (Psalm 103:10-12). Most of us live under the shadow of our past. Just knowing God has forgiven us frees us from guilt and depression.

God is our loving Father and knows our frailties (Psalm 103:13-16). His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting for those who acknowledge His greatness and strive to follow Him (Psalm 103:17-18). No one understands us like God does. And although He reaches down to meet us, He is the Ruler over all on earth and in heaven (Psalm 103:19). His power and majesty know no bounds. Even the angels worship Him and heed His word (Psalm 103:20).

Reading Psalm 103 helps me restore an attitude of gratitude which encourages me to do less complaining and more remaining in a spirit of thankfulness. I’ve heard it said that we must think before we can thank. Thinking about God’s greatness and His blessings is what Psalm 103 is all about. After reading it, I’m always reminded of benefits that come from a relationship with our magnificent, living God who loves me more than I could ever imagine.  

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes an offer to come to His table and dine with Him.

One of my favorite Bible stories is about Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul. King Saul resented David and tried to kill him because God decided David would replace him as king.

In spite of this, Saul’s son Jonathan and David became best friends. BFFs long before we knew what BFF meant.  

Mephibosheth was five years old when both his father and grandfather died in battle. His nurse was afraid for their lives and hastily fled (2 Samuel 4:4). This resulted in a bad fall that left him lame and unable to walk. He and the rest of his family took refuge and settled in the mountains of Gilead.  

David became king. Years passed, but David never forgot his humble beginnings nor the fact that Saul had been his king and Jonathan his best friend. He asked if there was anyone left from the house of Saul to whom he could show some kindness (2 Samuel 9:1). When he found out that Jonathan’s son was alive, he had his servants find Mephibosheth and bring him to the palace (2 Samuel 9:6).

Mephibosheth fearfully bowed before King David because he had no idea why he was there. Imagine his surprise when David announced he wanted to show him kindness and restore Jonathan’s land to him. Plus, he wanted him to live at the palace in Jerusalem and eat at his table like one of his sons (2 Samuel 9:7). Mephibosheth had a place at the King’s table and ate there continually (2 Samuel 9:11-3).   

What a beautiful picture of loving kindness! Mephibosheth was overwhelmed by King David’s offer. He referred to himself as a “dead-dog” and felt totally unworthy of such favor (2 Samuel 9:8).  

There are some parallels here as we think about our relationship with Christ. Mephibosheth was physically lame and crippled. By the same token, we are spiritually weak and helpless (Romans 5:6). His family had been enemies of David. As descendants of Adam filled with sin, we were considered God’s enemies (Romans 5:10). Yet, God has shown us unbelievable kindness. He has brought us into His family and given us provision, favor, and a place at His table, just like David did for Mephibosheth.

We were lame, forgotten, and unworthy when Jesus found us and invited us to sit at His table. Not only do we dine with Him every time we partake of Communion but we are to be part of the marriage supper of the Lamb. God calls those who are invited to that event blessed (Revelation 19:9). He’s talking about you and me. We will be eating at the King’s table laden with a bountiful feast. It’s good to know that we have a place at His table—now and forever!  

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes time. Each year when we switch our clocks by springing forward or falling back, I keep wishing they would just pick a time and stick with it. Unfortunately, no one consults me about these decisions. So, I just resign myself to the fact that it is what it is, and then remind myself that time itself is a gift from God.

Yes, time is a gift from God—but a limited one. We don’t know how much time we have to live (James 4:14; Psalm 39:4-5). Therefore, time is a valuable commodity (Psalm 90:12). So, we are admonished to make the most of it (Colossians 4:5; Ephesians 5:15-17).

God has also appointed a time for everything in our lives. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “To everything there is a season. And a time for every purpose under heaven.” God put the sun and moon in the heavens to mark seasons (Genesis 8:22; Psalm 104:19). He has also given us various seasons or times in our lives (Ecclesiastes 3:2-8). There’s a time to be born and a time to die. There is a time to plant and a time to reap…and so on.

God is not tied to time like we are. Modern life teaches us to expect things to happen quickly. We have learned to rush but not to wait. We want fast food, minute rice, and instant gratification. However, the richest rewards may require us to wait on God’s divine timing (Psalm 27:14). Waiting is not a natural part of our biological chemistry, so it is difficult. We think that waiting robs us of our valuable time, but it is necessary if we are to know the true meaning of trusting God. In fact, while waiting is an excellent opportunity to redeem our time (Ephesians 5:15-16).  

Carl Sandburg once said, “Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend.” Therefore, we must practice using our time wisely.

Believe it or not, God gives us enough time to do what He wants us to do. Plus, God understands the experiences, emotions, and transitions we encounter during our time here on earth and in His wisdom, He gives us time to process them. Through the prompting of the Holy Spirit within us, God can help direct our time and energy wisely.

God’s timing is better than ours. For example, sometimes we may think we have our day perfectly planned, but God has other ideas. That’s His prerogative. We can trust God in these situations. After all, our time is in God’s hands (Psalm 31:15).

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes wisdom. Wisdom is a good and perfect gift that comes from God and it is ours for the asking (Proverbs 2:6). In fact, we are told if we lack wisdom to ask God for it and He will give it to us liberally (James 1:5).

If any of us lack wisdom? Boy, what an understatement!

A worldly definition of wisdom would be the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. A biblical definition goes much deeper. Godly wisdom is more than just making good decisions. It is about who we are and what we think.

James tells us that those who are wise conduct themselves appropriately. They do everything in a spirit of meekness and humility. They are not envious, self-seeking, prejudice, or hypocritical. The wisdom from above is pure, peaceful, gentle, honest, fair, and merciful, plus produces healthy fruit (James 3:13-18). It’s the ability to discern and judge what is good and true, so we are not easily led astray.

This kind of wisdom can only come through Jesus Christ because He is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). We need Christ to help us react wisely to what happens with gentleness, kindness, mercy, and peace, without selfishness, self-righteousness, anger, and jealousy. No wonder the Bible tells us wisdom is more valuable than gold (Proverbs 16:16).

How do we get this wisdom that God freely gives? We would start by respecting God and appreciating His perspective on everything (Proverbs 9:10). Then we could listen, hear, and heed God’s instruction (Proverbs 8:32). The Bible is full of admonitions on how to live better lives and we are encouraged to internalize this advice (Proverbs 4:13). However, reading the Bible is not enough. We must implement what we learn into our lives. Jesus said, “Whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them is like a wise man who builds his house upon a rock (Matthew 7:24).” Our Rock is Jesus Christ.

Although Solomon was considered the wisest man who ever lived, there is one wiser. His name is Jesus. Jesus spoke about the queen of the South coming to hear the wisdom of Solomon, then went on to say, “…and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 12:42).” He was referring to Himself. What an understatement!

Jesus is wisdom personified. He is the very wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). Staying close to Jesus give us access to all His treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Wisdom is another good and perfect gift from God to us. Let’s unwrap this gift and use it to reflect Christ in our lives.  

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes citizenship. I don’t know about you, but the older I get the more I appreciate that my citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. Recently I’ve been singing old hymns reminding me that this world is not my true home. If it were, there would not be much to live for.

The turmoil in the world projects nothing but gloom and doom. We have wars, famines, disasters, diseases, prejudices, greed, injustice, self-centeredness, hatred, and anger. The list is endless. Without God, there are no solutions to these overwhelming problems. There may be temporary “fixes” which unfortunately, usually result in a whole new set of difficult unforeseen issues that will need to be resolved.

Yet, in the midst of all the troubles surrounding us, we are called to be ambassadors to a hurting world (2 Corinthians 5:20). We cannot do this without keeping our focus on God and asking for His help.

When we surrender to Jesus, our citizenship moves from this world to heaven (Philippians 3:20). Our home is in heaven and all who know Christ will have the opportunity to eventually go home. We don’t know when that will be. It could be after a long illness or a sudden accident. But some sweet day God will lovingly beckon us home. Then we will leave the cares and troubles of this world behind.

Until then, we must be Christ’s ambassadors on earth. The definition of an ambassador is a diplomat sent by a country as its official representative to a foreign country. Our citizenship is in heaven, so living on earth is comparable to us being an ambassador for Christ in a foreign country—a country we must live in, but not be a part of (John 17:14-17).

That doesn’t mean we retreat from this world altogether because we need to be the salt of the earth and a light in the world (Matthew 5:13-15). However, as ambassadors for Christ, we must guard against conforming to the patterns of this world (Romans 12:2). If not, we can get sucked into worldly philosophies that influence our values, attitudes, and behaviors which can negatively impact our relationship with Christ.

We are Christ’s representatives. Everything we do or say must reflect Christ. We must let the peace of God rule our hearts. Let Thanksgiving fill our thoughts. Let God’s wisdom dwell in us. Let encouragement, not condemnation come from our lips. Whatever we say or do needs to reflect Christ (Colossians 3:15-17).

This world can be a harsh place, but praise God, we are not citizens of this harsh place. We are citizens of a very forgiving place, a loving place, a place of amazing grace. That is our home—our true home.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes redemption plus salvation.

What is redemption? The dictionary defines it as the act of being saved or delivered from sin or evil. Other definitions include atoning for guilt or a mistake, rescuing someone, or paying off a debt.  

In Old Testament times, redemption involved deliverance from bondage by a redeemer who paid a price. For example, if a slave had been captured in battle or coerced into serving one who was not his legal master, his real master could recover this slave by buying him back. It was a legal term for the deliverance of property to which someone had a previous claim.  

In the New Testament, we are exposed to a spiritual understanding of redemption. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Our condition was one of being a slave to sin. However, Christ’s death paid the price for our sins, so He has redeemed us (Romans 3:24). God has purchased our freedom and we no longer have to be in bondage to sin. Nor must we be bound to Old Testament oppressive laws and rituals (Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:5). This redemption is only possible through the blood Jesus shed for us when He died (1 Peter 1:18-19; Colossians 1:14).

However, redemption differs from salvation. As we’ve explained, redemption requires a price to be paid and Christ paid that price for everyone (John 3:16-17). It is this redemption that opens the door to salvation which is what God offers because of His great love for us. Salvation is a gift from God that we do not earn, but each individual must acknowledge and accept it in order to receive it (Ephesians 2:8). We must accept God’s love and forgiveness (Romans 10:9-10). It is salvation that saves us from the penalty of sin (2 Timothy 1:9-10). With salvation, we receive all the promises of God including eternal life (Romans 6:23).

Redemption plus salvation are good and perfect gifts—and you can only get them from God.

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes all of creation. The Genesis account of creation explains that God brought light into darkness and order out of chaos (Genesis 1). God commanded and things were created (Psalm 148:5).

God’s creation is everywhere. We can see His marvelous works whether we are in a fertile valley or a remote mountainous retreat. We can see it in the city or in the country. We can see it in the desert or in the jungle. Everywhere we look we can see evidence of an all-wise omnipotent God through the wondrous things He has made.  

God’s creation testifies to His great power. In fact, all creation praises God (Psalm 148). The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim His handiwork (Psalm 19:1). The Psalms are full of imageries of creation praising God. The rivers clap their hands and the mountains sing for joy before the Lord (Psalm 98:7-9). The heavens rejoice and the earth is glad (Psalm 96:11-12).  

Not only did God create what we see, but what we can’t see—the visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16). God has filled the world with principles of gravity, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, astronomy, and much more which makes flight, electricity, aerodynamics, and so much more possible. God set boundaries so nature and science can coexist (Psalm 104:9). God made Earth a very special place to live (Psalm104). Our very lives are part of God’s creation. We exist by design, not by chance. Therefore, our lives have meaning and purpose.

However, the invisible creation goes much farther because it includes the spiritual realm. Today our vision is limited because we can only see the physical which is temporary because our physical lives are only temporary (Psalm 103:15). We peer through a glass darkly and can’t see the invisible which is so much larger than what we can see, but one day that will change (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will be able to view the unseen spiritual realm which is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

God is our Creator. What great news! As Isaiah said, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the end of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom (Isaiah 40:28).”

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)