Why Would God Make a Laughing Bird?

 Why would God design and create a bird that laughs? Maybe it's to remind us that the fruit of the Spirit is joy, a joyful heart is good medicine, and the joy of the Lord is our strength. Although we need to take God and His Word very seriously and we don't need to be silly people who laugh too much, it's true that being joyful is very healthy! 

Even when we go through hard times, we can be joyful because God is still in control. He is always good and kind. He always hears our prayers, and He is always faithful to His promises.

We can stay joyful by counting our blessings every day, staying close to God, trusting His promises, and being thankful.

Prison Experiences

 Sometimes we have circumstances or situations in our life that feel like a prison. We feel trapped. Maybe it’s something we can’t get out of or we can’t fix. Like a health problem. Or a disability. Or maybe it’s something that we could get out of, but we know we shouldn’t. Like a ministry or responsibility that God has given us. It could be a pregnancy, motherhood, marriage, or any ministry we do for God that is hard and never ending.

We may not be able to escape our prison. But we have the choice of how we handle our prison. We can be like Paul. We can learn to be content in whatever prison we are in through God’s strength. We can trust God in our prison. We can take our prison to God in prayer and find that God’s grace is sufficient. We can do whatever ministry we can in our prison. For Paul it was writing letters and sharing the gospel to anyone around him.

We can be like Joseph. We can do our best in our prison and live in the presence of God. We can be a blessing to the people that we are around while living in our prison.

And then there’s John Bunyan. God is unlimited. But I do wonder if The Pilgrim’s Progress that has helped so many people would have been written if John Bunyan had never had a prison experience. And when Paul writes about joy and contentment, would it have the same meaning to us if it had come from a palace instead of a prison?

And how many beautiful hymns and books have been written from a prison of pain and trouble? Amy Carmichael, missionary to India, was bedridden for twenty years of her life. From the prison of her bed, she wrote at least 35 books which have blessed and helped a lot of people around the world.

What will you do in your prison? Will you trust God? Will others be blessed because of your prison experience? Will you bring glory to God in your prison?

Lighter than Air

A few days ago, a beautiful yellow air balloon randomly floated over our house.

Hot air balloons fly because they are lighter than air. They are filled with a light gas that rises above the heavier air around it. When you have enough light gas, the air balloon is lifted up and floats in the air.

Sadness, discouragement, complaining and grumpiness are like the heavy air. They make us feel down. Heavy air doesn’t rise.

The light gas is like prayer, praise and thankfulness. When we pray to God and pour out all that makes us feel sad and troubled, our load is lightened. He carries it for us and fills us with peace.

When we praise God and thank Him for His goodness, our spirits are lifted. Our hearts feel lighter, and we feel much happier. It is as if we are rising up in a beautiful hot air balloon.

When the burners are turned on inside the balloon, the balloon rises up. When the burners are off, the balloon gradually goes back down as the air inside it cools. To make the balloon fall more quickly, the pilot opens a hole and lets out some of the hot air.

To keep our spirits up, in a sad and sin-filled world, we need to stay close to God and pray every day. We need to continually thank and praise God, other wise to keep our spirits up. That’s exactly what these three verses tell us to do.

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Beautiful Snowflakes

This morning at preschool, I taught the children how to make simple paper snowflakes. They enjoyed it very much, and I loved seeing them enjoy it!

To make a snowflake, you need to fold a square piece of paper a few times. Then all you need to do is cut out small shapes. When you have finished, you open up the paper, and you have a beautiful snowflake.

Thinking about it this evening, I realized that our lives are like that square of folded paper. We also get "cut." Trials are like scissors that snip pieces out of our lives. Any kind of loss that we experience is like a painful snip.

What we don't always realize is that the snips are necessary to being a beautiful and useful person. Without them, we'd be like a plain piece of paper. 

What matters is that our lives have been put in the hands of the One who cuts out of love. If our lives are not in His hands, we may simply become a square of paper that is snipped to pieces.

If our lives are submitted to God, He won't allow any more snips than necessary. 

Each one of the children's snowflakes was different and beautiful. And so, in our lives, we all have a different mixture of trials to make us into a unique person.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.--Romans 5:3-5

 

When All You Have is God

 The Red Sea is in front of you, and cruel soldiers are chasing you from behind. There is a quote that says, "Sometimes the only way out is through." But sometimes there is no way through. Sometimes you are trapped. You can't move forward, you can't stay still, and you can't go back. It's hopeless!

The Israelites came into this hopeless situation by following God's lead.

The Israelites had no boats, no ferries, no bridges, and no airplanes. All they had was God. All they had was the One who made the sea. The One who can make a way where there is no way. The One with whom nothing is impossible. 

All they had was all they needed. It was nothing for God to make a path through the sea just for them! It was nothing for God to bring the waters back down on the Egyptian soldiers so they would never bother them again.

Do you feel trapped sometimes? Do you panic like the Israelites did? Is all you have God? Our God is the One who can easily make a way through our Red Seas. It is nothing for Him.

But are you following Him? Or are you your own boss and guide? When we are following Him, we can have full assurance that when He leads us into a trap, He will also lead us through. We can know for certain that He has a good reason for this.

Look to the One who made the Red Sea. The One who makes a way where there is no way. Have full confidence in Him that He will get you through this for His glory.

Hidden Treasures

 God has treasures in store for His children. Not earthly treasures that don't last, but the real treasure that comes from knowing God. The treasures of peace, joy and nearness to Him. The treasure of being satisfied and content. The treasure of God revealing truths from His Word. The treasure of growing in a personal relationship with the Creator and feeling His love.

But those treasures are often found in the hard times and in the secret place of our quiet time alone with God.

How to Survive

 How do we survive hard times? How do we not get depressed when the world around us is so depressing? How do we not get discouraged, when there is little to encourage us?

God's Word is the answer. God is the Source of all comfort, joy, peace and hope. And we have His own Words to read which give us hope and encouragement. Is it your delight? Your go-to? Is it what you meditate on?

"O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day." Psalm 119:97