TAKE THE DAY

Time with Jesus - Friday, 22 March 2013

Jim & Phyllida Strickland at home in Jo'burg

Hi all,

Attached herewith, please find a copy of my latest Daily Light Meditation in rhyme and metre.

Anxiety and worry are not supposed to be part of life for any Christian. Jesus said, ²⁵ "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Mat 6:25 NASB This was endorsed by Paul in his letter to the Philippians. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philip. 4:6 NASB This makes it very clear, that to be anxious or worried about anything, is sin.

In His discourse in Matt 6, Jesus pointed out; God feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field. Commenting on this remark, David Pawson pointed out that worry and anxiety is a slur on our God. He stated, “God looks after His garden and His birds, but I’m only His child. I must worry?” Mmmm

Today’s meditation instructs us to “Take the Day!” What God has done before, He is more than able to repeat. Gideon’s victory over the Midianites, gives us the assurance that God will not desert His people.

Comments and previous Devotionals can be found on my Blog – http://jimnphyllida.blogspot.com

Please forward my poetry to others you think would enjoy it. All I ask is that it is not used for commercial purposes.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 22 March 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	Take the Day
We are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This statement is supposed to originate with King Solomon. 10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 9:10 NLT This is true. Only in God can we find wisdom. Solomon is sometimes spoken of, as the wisest man who ever lived. Sadly, he appears to have been a womaniser. 3 He (Solomon) had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the LORD. 1 Kings 11:3 NLT There doesn’t seem much wisdom in that. For most men, one wife is more than enough. How do you live with 1000 women simultaneously? Where is the time to marry 1000 wives? If he had married one wife or taken one concubine every day it would have taken 2.74 years. That somehow does not encourage the idea that Solomon was the epitome of wisdom! One statement he made recorded in Ecclesiastes, was very wise. 9 Whatever has happened before will happen again. Whatever has been done before will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9 GW This statement had nothing to do with science and technology. It is also very comforting. In essence, it means that Satan has nothing up his sleeve. He cannot invent a new form of temptation. He’s stuck with the ones he has. Sadly, that seems more than sufficient for his evil purposes. It also means that the examples we have, in our collective past, can be equally efficacious today. So we can be confident that what God has said, is sure to happen. Also, what He has said to previous generations, could well apply to us today. The implications for us are that situations similar to those faced by Gideon, are possible today. Gideon was hiding in a winepress, from the raiding Midianites. He was beating wheat so that he could get food for himself and his family. His prospects looked bleak. He didn’t think he could stand up to the Midianites. God knew otherwise. Not because of Gideon’s ability, but because He would undertake for Gideon. Gideon had a part to play. That part was to do what God told him to do. What is so encouraging about this is simple. Gideon may be dead and buried. God is not. What He did for Gideon and His people, He can do for us. The real question is whether or not we are listening for Him. Try looking over your shoulder. You may be surprised. Today’s meditation looks at the wisdom of man and the assurance from the Lord. Who do you believe? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			12 Now give me this mountain region which the LORD spoke of that day. You heard that the people of Anak are still there and that they have large, fortified cities. If the LORD is with me, I can force them out, as he promised." 13 So Joshua blessed Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. Joshua 14:12-13 GW 5 Don't love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." 6 So we can say with confidence, "The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?" Hebrews 13:5-6 NLT 16 I will come (go) with the mighty deeds of the Almighty LORD. I will praise your righteousness, yours alone. Psalm 71:16 GW 16 Then justice will live in the wilderness, and righteousness will be at home in the fertile field. 17 Then an act of righteousness will bring about peace, calm, and safety forever. Isaiah 32:16 -17 GW 12 This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. 13 For this reason, take up all the armour that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground. 14 So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God's approval as your breastplate. Eph. 6:12-14 GW 12 The Messenger of the LORD appeared to Gideon and said, "The LORD is with you, brave man." 13 Gideon responded, "Excuse me, sir! But if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracles our ancestors have told us about? Didn't they say, 'The LORD brought us out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and has handed us over to Midian." 14 The LORD turned to him and said, "You will rescue Israel from Midian with the strength you have. I am sending you." Judges 6:12-14 GW	Men are realistic. That’s always been the case. We like to know before-hand, the problems we could face. It’s hard to fight an army whom none of us can see. How do we defend against invisibility? Do we use machine guns, an axe, a sword, or tanks? Which way do we send them? Are they Brits, or Yanks? Can we use our archers and arrows tipped with fire? This is information we essentially require. Where to send our forces? Behind us or before? But fighting men in hiding! Please don’t go through that door. We tried it in Afghanistan and also in Iraq. But how can we protect against a suicide attack? We need someone to shoot at. But if they are not there. We can only get help if we will turn to God in prayer! We’ve heard all of these arguments for many, many years. But let us put away these thoughts and all our other fears. Concentrate on righteousness in all we say and do. And we will find in everything, He always will be true. He’s said He’ll never leave us. This truth is guaranteed, If we follow justice and go where He will lead. He has never failed us and He will do once more, The things that He has promised and He has done before. Perhaps you are a Gideon and you are beating wheat, Somewhere in a winepress to get enough to eat. Perhaps you are a-tremble, the enemy is near. All is done in secret, in quietness and fear. But take a look behind you and see Who’s standing there. You didn’t spot Him earlier, while blinded with your care. Then He says, “Mighty warrior” and looks you in the eye. “Is that me You’re talking to?” You ask Him with a sigh. “If only it was possible. If only it was true” That’s when the Lord said, “Gideon, I’m speaking unto you. You’re the one I’ve chosen to beat your enemy. I will do the fighting. Just listen unto Me. Your enemies are handed over right into your hands. You will lead the army and smash their evil bands. You will save your people by the power of My might. Do just what I tell you and you will see the sight, Of being liberated in a way you’ll never guess. Go and lead your people right out of the mess. You’re My Mighty warrior; your people are all Mine. You are in the presence of the One Who is Divine. I will make it happen. You needn’t be in fear. They may be invisible; but I am drawing near. So My son, take courage; march forward to the fray. You will be victorious, for I will take the day.” Jim Strickland Written 22nd March 2012.

HIS FAITHFUL LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

Time with Jesus - Thursday, 21 March 2013

Jim & Phyllida at Home in Jo'burg

Hi all,

If I were to ask how many readers are looking forward to dying, I’d be surprised if anyone said, “Me!” Sure we are looking forward to being with Jesus forever. But by and large, we are mostly enjoying life. And so we should! That’s how God made us. Scripture states; ¹¹ Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT

You and I were not designed to die. The eternity He has planted in our hearts is eternal life. Death is a repulsive, hideous end to the life God wanted us to enjoy. It was an unwelcome “gift” foisted on us by Satan at the fall.

Fortunately, and as we look at in our meditation today, the God who created us loves us and has done everything possible for us to “cheat” death. Yes, unless Jesus returns, we will die. It cannot be avoided. But for us the good news is, ⁸ we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 2 Cor. 5:8 KJV

In other words, what gets buried is only the empty shell. The real you and I will be with Jesus immediately. Those who do not know Jesus, will die and remain in the grave “sleeping” until the resurrection. So what makes the difference? The difference is whether or not we have been “born again” or “born from above”. The expression, “born once, you die twice; born twice you die once. Think about it!

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland 

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Thursday, 21 March 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	His Faithful love Endures forever
I’d like to share a couple of thoughts about today’s Scriptures; particularly Psalm 136. These are only thoughts and may well be incorrect. But sometimes it’s worth stimulating them in order to understand more clearly. In the New International readers Version (NIrV), in Psalm 136, nine times the Psalmist directs us to give thanks. Twenty six times he states that God’s love endures forever. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love continues forever. Psalm 136:26 NIrV. Like the Psalm, no matter how short or long our lives may be, we find God’s steadfast love at the beginning and at the end. We also find that, as is the case in the Psalm, we begin life giving thanks to God. We should end the same way; by giving thanks to God. In between there is life – our life. A generation is thought of as being ±25 years. It’s only a rough guess. In a family, from the birth of the father to the birth of his son is ±25 years. Now our Psalm has 26 lines. What I like about this is we can see this Psalm applies to every generation! May I suggest that this Psalm also speaks to every individual in every generation? i.e. We are all able to personalise it! We don’t live forever, God does. His faithful love spans all our generations. It also spans each year of each generation. He is faithful – equally faithful to all our generations. Notice also that the Psalm starts with giving thanks and ends with giving thanks. Furthermore, throughout the Psalm and throughout our lives, it is appropriate to give thanks to Him. We should begin life and end life giving Him thanks. Today’s meditation bemoans the fact that, our lifespan is limited. Biblically we are allotted 70 years. 80 years if we are strong enough. We only have one chance in life. No matter where we are or what we do, keep in mind that this is not a dress rehearsal. In these few years, we determine our eternal destiny. We come into this world naked and leave much the same. According to Shakespeare; life is “a walking shadow a poor player who struts and fumes his life ……. signifying nothing”. But death is not the end! There is life after life. Life with God made possible by Jesus! God planned it before you and I ever saw the light of day. God changes shadows into reality. Furthermore, God is our Creator. He specialises in making something out of nothing. He has a destiny for His people; a destiny that staggers our imagination. So let’s give thanks to Him. His faithful love continues forever! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will He never again be kind to me? 8 Is His unfailing love gone forever? Have His promises permanently failed? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He slammed the door on His compassion? Selah Psalm 77:7-9 NLT 21 He gave their land (Og King of Bashan) as a gift. 22 He gave it as a gift to his servant Israel. 23 Give thanks to the One who remembered us when things were going badly for us. His faithful love continues forever Psalm 136:21-23 NIrV 18 "The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.' Num. 14:18 TNIV 18 Who is a God like you? You forgive sin and overlook the rebellion of your faithful people. You will not be angry forever, because you would rather show mercy. 19 You will again have compassion on us. You will overcome our wrongdoing. You will throw all our sins into the deep sea. Micah 7:18-19 GW 5 He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 NLT 3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Cor. 1:3-4 NLT 17 So he had to be made like his brothers in every way. Then he could serve God as a kind and faithful high priest. And then he could pay for the sins of the people by dying for them. 18 He himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted. Heb. 2:17-18 NIrV	We only have one lifetime in which to do it all. A strong man has some eighty years before death comes to call. Our time is very limited. It goes by in a flash. A bit like our athletics in the hundred metres dash. There goes the starter’s pistol and each of us is born. We reach the finish ribbon and from this world we’re torn. We really do not have the time for us to make mistakes. Then we do something stupid and sin within us wakes. That’s when the chance is over to get to God Most High. Our actions have condemned us and we all have to die. Of course we’re disappointed that it all came down to this. But just one little tiny sin and death we cannot miss. We think that it’s “game over” the message tells us “tilt” Then we are very grateful that Jesus’ blood was spilt. It is the one way possible to know the Father’s love. His faithfulness continues and reaches high above. Since Jesus came and paid the price for each and every sin. We now have what is needed for us to enter in. His love endures forever. He will not let us down. The Lord gave me His righteousness and lets me wear a crown. He’s overlooked rebellion and wickedness in me It’s by His grace He does this and it is ours for free. The cost to us was nothing. But grace is never cheap. It’s by His endless mercy His blessings we may reap. It cost the Saviour everything. He even had to die. He suffered for our sinfulness and here’s the reason why. Mankind was truly helpless. We couldn’t get away. We were the slaves of Satan. With him we had to stay. Just because our ancestor did what he shouldn’t do! All of his successors had fallen with him too. But Christ knew all about it before the worlds were made. His cross was predetermined; the foundation was laid, For Him to come and rescue us and be our Great High Priest. And He could be the Saviour of the greatest and the least. So even in our sufferings, when we had lost all hope, He knew what He was doing and was certain He could cope! And so he brought us comfort; our greatest fears allayed. And by His willing sacrifice, our debt to God was paid. Jim Strickland  Written 21st March 2012.