Judge yourself that you will not be judged.

            I enjoy reading and study the works of the older evangelist like Smith Wigglesworth and C.H. Spurgeon.  They offer guidance for purity and how to be more like Christ. Their doctrines were not compromising.  They challenged their followers to ask evaluative questions of themselves.  Maybe in this holy season,  it is a good time to ask our Lord how are we doing?

            Today I asked myself, “Has my heart been broken because of sin?”  David asked the Lord that very question and wept in repentance.

            Today I asked myself, “Has my soul been full of true confidence in my hours of trials and difficulty?”

            This morning I asked myself, “How far am I conformed to the likeness of Christ?”

            I fell short on all of these.  My prayer today is,  “ Lord Jesus, help me in this season to have real faith and warmer zeal for reaching out to others.  Help me, O’Lord, to have Your fervent love toward family and strangers. Grant me humility and meekness.  I desire to present the lovely spirit that You constantly displayed.  Make me more like you, Jesus.  Draw me nearer to You in this sacred season.”  Amen

            Christmas is a time to become closer to Emmanuel.  He is with us. I am preparing my heart and home for my Special Guest this season.  May God’s blessings be abundant in your life.  Enjoy your time with Him.

Whispers of the Heart      

            Proverbs 11:25, "Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered."(ESV)

            I like the ending, which reiterates he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.   I desire to maintain this focus during the holiday season.  It is so easy to get folded up into my agendas, my lists , and even my expectations.  Suddenly, a day creeps in that I am unaware or unable to meet a friend’s expectation of me. At another time, husband, sons, or others don’t meet my expectations of them.  I am setting myself up for failure, discord, or disappointment.  So, how have I learned to live life differently?

            I listen to the whispers in my heart.  For example, I notice the lady in front of me at the check out is tediously counting every penny trying to come up with enough grocery money.  I feel a slight nudging, a soft tap on my shoulder, “Yes, you,” I hear softly. “Do it now, pay her bill and wish her Merry Christmas.”  Sometimes it is not a voice but a knowing that this is what I should do.  The woman ahead looks so surprised when I tell the clerk, “ I’d like to pay for hers and mine.” The lady looks at me with a puzzled expression.  “It’s OK, God wants to bless you.” She tucks her head, smiles softly, and says, “ Thank you, my dear.”  Her thank you is as gentle as the nudge.  I am refreshed.

As I walk outside the door, the Salvation Army bell ringer is standing in the cold.  She is very heavy and her coat does not close. She looks to be at least sixty-five, but her greeting is gleeful with this message,   “ Merry Christmas.  May your holidays be blessed. ” 

            “But, Lord, I just paid the lady’s’ bill, you want me to put money in this bucket too?”  I look again at the bell ringer’s happy spirit despite the cold, and it is the nudging I need.  I reach in my billfold and give her all I have left.  It seems I hear the whispers clearer during this holy season.  Perhaps it is the cold air, the people’s smiles, or the twinkling lights that help me focus.  Whatever it is, I know these are God whispers to guide my path of love and giving, and my returned gift is a refreshing.  I don’t do it for the return, but God loves us so much, He makes our cups overflow with joy.

            The whispers are soft, the nudging is gentle, and the vessels that help me focus are often impoverished or have sad doleful eyes.  He makes our paths cross to help us enter into His holy ways.  Christmas truly is a divine time of year. Embrace the whispers and feel the blessings.  I am reminded of Mathew 25:40, “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me---you did it to me.” (The Message)