Promises

 Dear friends,

I’ve struggled with this last post – had a lot of ideas, but when it came right down to it, I felt that my ideas were not what  my friends needed to hear today.  I decided that only God’s love and truth would be my focus.  

John 1:14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  

I think sometimes all we need to think about is the amazing truth that Jesus, the Son of God came to earth as a man and lived a life that was constantly in the “giving” mode.  He died “giving” us all the chance to connect with Him – God in flesh and with the Father - God who answers our prayers, and the Holy Spirit - God who has come to be our helper, our comforter, our teacher, our friend.

Today, that is the way I want to see our amazing, powerful, almighty God.  He allows us to see so many facets of Himself in the scriptures and in His creation. And today we focus on His care and His love for each of us.

God is with us.  He is for us.  He loves each of us and He walks on the paths of our life, each step with us.

My mom had a plaque on the wall of her dining room.  I couldn’t remember the exact words, so I looked it up and found that it is a poem by Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932)

God hath not promised Skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God hath not promised
Sun without rain, joy without sorrow,
Peace without pain.

But God hath promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor and light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing sympathy,
Undying love.

Mom didn’t always have an easy life.  She and my dad raised 4 children on a policeman’s pay.  It wasn’t easy even in those days.  Mom saw her share of grief and death.  She worked hard to make sacrifices for her family.  She cared for her mother in our home when it was, oh so hard.  Mom lost her husband, the love of her life, when she was only 60, and although she didn’t know how she could go on, she did, sometimes in sorrow and many days full of life and joy.  

God was my mother’s help.  She spent her life close to Him.  Her Bible was well used, and her children, friends, and Saint John’s church were blessed by the work of her hands.  

So I’ll remember the poem on her wall, but I’ll fiercely depend on the words from the Bible she was so fond of.

Psalm 42:8 (ESV) By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Romans 8:28-29 (ESV) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Psalm 86:15 (ESV) But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.