God's Course

“For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

~Psalm 139:13-16

No matter the circumstances of our birth, none of us were created by accident. God planned the exact moment of our conception, our birth and our death. Even if our lives seem random, God formed a perfect moment for us to be here even before He planned the foundation of the earth. Every moment of our lives was seen by God before they happened, and He knew every step we would take before we took them. There is no aspect of our lives that God did not know prior to our being here, including the good, the bad and the indifferent. However, the choice of how we use the days given us is ours to make. We choose whether our lives will follow the world or follow Christ, and by choosing one or the other, we choose the consequences. While God already knows the path we will take, we have the choice to change the course of that path. No matter the circumstances of our lives, we can choose to let it be an anchor that drags us down or a sail that propels us forward. And it’s never too late to follow the course God has for us.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:3-5).”

Read John 1-5

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Harmony of the Gospels

"The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." ~Matthew 1:1

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness,  ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,  make his paths straight,’” ~Mark 1:1-3

"Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us." ~Luke 1:1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." ~John 1:1-5

The first four books of the New Testament are The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, followers of Jesus Christ. These men were with Jesus during His life and ministry on earth, witnessed His death on the Cross, His resurrection from the tomb and His Ascension into Heaven. They were eyewitnesses to everything Jesus did, and while they wrote of the life of Christ, each one begins a little differently. 

Matthew is considered to be the most Jewish of the Gospels, giving Christ's genealogy as proof that He is the Messiah they had been waiting for. Mark begins his gospel by quoting the Old Testament, that points to John as the one crying in the wilderness. Luke, the doctor, sounding very scholarly, lays out his case for Christ. John, who is also a cousin of Jesus Christ, was also the one, while still in the womb, was filled with the Holy Spirit. John's Gospel is my favorite because he jumps right in and tells us Jesus is God, He is the Light of world, and in Him is life.  While the gospels differ, it is only because they are from four different points of view, but they are still in perfect harmony bringing the prophecies of the Old Testament to life in Christ. 

We refer to everything prior to what the disciples write as the Old Testament, but in those days, there was no old or new testament. In fact, there was the Torah, which consisted of the first five books of the Old Testament, and the prophets, which are quoted time after time throughout the New Testament. Everything about the Old Testament, from Genesis through Malachi points us to Jesus Christ as the Messiah, while the Gospels reiterate that message. 

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about Him, and cried out, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.’”) For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known (John 1:14-18)."

Read Luke 6-12; Weekend reading Luke 13-24

©2018 Marie McGaha

It's A Promise

“He said, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.'”

~2 Samuel 12:22-23

In the above verse, King David’s infant son with Bathsheba had fallen ill. For a week, David lay on the floor fasting and praying for the Lord to heal the baby, but that didn’t happen. The child died. David got up, washed and dressed, and ate a meal. His servants were aghast. In those days, the custom was to fast after death, but David had it right. He prayed and fasted for his son, hoping the Lord would heal him but when that didn’t happen, David’s attitude changed. He knew his son had gone to be with the Lord—“I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Loss is something we all experience. We know our grandparents are going to die, followed by our parents and various aunts, uncles and other relatives. But the loss of a child throws our entire view of life off kilter. Our children and grandchildren are supposed to follow us in death, not precede us. When someone experiences the death of their child or grandchild, everything changes. Life, God, breathing, getting through each day… everything is now a huge question mark and answers aren't easy to come by.

When my daughter, Cassandra died at age sixteen, I thought my world had ended. Taking a breath was difficult and just getting up in the morning was a chore, which was strange because I thought I would never sleep again. But I had other children to take care of, to try and explain the loss to, and a husband to take care of. While I was vocal with my feelings and cried often over our loss, Cassandra's father was the opposite. He didn't cry, he didn't talk about her, and in fact, he didn't want to talk about anything. I know he felt guilty because, as a man, he felt as if he should have been able to protect her. I understood his feelings logically, but not emotionally. But I think of David’s words often—I shall go to her, but she will not return to me. This is a promise of being reunited with the ones we love when we get to Heaven and I cling to that.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:3-9).”

Read Luke 1-5

 ©2018 Marie McGaha

Use Your Sword

"Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” ~2 Chronicles 20:15(b)

“You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” ~2 Chronicles 20:17

In this chapter of 2 Chronicles, Judah began to have revival and turn back to God but came under attack from the Ammonites and Moabites. They were afraid and prayed for God’s intervention, and God answered their prayer. The Lord fought their battle and the enemy was defeated. Our lives can be like that too. When we seek God in a deeper way, God’s enemy and ours, satan, will come against us in an all-out assault to keep us from fulfilling God’s plan in our lives. It can be turmoil in our marriages, our jobs, with our kids, our finances, anything that can affect us to the point we take our eyes off God and try to manage things on our own. When we allow our focus to be taken off God and toward the problems we face, that’s when we lose the battle.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:12-13).”

No matter what goes on in our lives with our loved ones, our jobs, co-workers, friends, church members, or anyone else, they are not the ones we are battling. They may be the ones the enemy uses to derail us, but the one we are battling is satan himself. We defeat him by drawing nearer to God, using the weapons He has given us, which is His very Word. The Word of God, the Bible, is our sword. When we study God’s Word and know how to use it, we can stand against any storm that threatens us. Jesus Christ has given us the victory and will fight our battles for us while we fight them on our knees in prayer.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).”

Read Mark 11-16

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Get Some Sleep

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

~Psalm 91:1-2

I got up late this morning. I’m usually an early riser but every now and then it catches up with me and I sleep a little longer than usual. Having dogs get me up at midnight so they can go out doesn’t help. I remember when I was a teen and how I hated getting up in the mornings, and then in my twenties, I just wanted to stay up and party all the time. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” was a popular saying. Now, I wish I could have all those nights back! Sleep is from the Lord. We all need rest, it’s how we recharge and continue. It gives us a physical and mental reboot. And our dreams allow us to work out problems and deal with life.

“You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety (Psalm 4:7-8).”

When you go to sleep tonight, meditate on scripture, say your prayers and tell the Lord how much you appreciate the fact he watches over you and allows you to have a good night’s sleep.

“I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me (Psalm 3:5).”

“If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. (Proverbs 3:24).”

Read Mark 6-10

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Better Than Sacrifice

“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So, he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.”

~Jonah 1:1-3

We all want to hear from the Lord, but what happens when the Lord tells us something we aren’t expecting, or something we really don’t want to do? We want God’s blessings, but we don’t want those blessings to come at a price. In Jonah’s case, he was told to go to Nineveh and tell the people they were going to be destroyed if they didn’t change their ways. I can imagine his panic. He must tell an entire city that God charged him with the task of foretelling their future. He probably thought he’d be ridiculed at the least, and probably stoned to death for being so presumptuous as to say God talked to him. So, he ran. Exodus 3 tells the story of Moses, who was told by God to go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Israelites go. After 400 years of captivity, an 80-year-old man is told by God to face off with the most powerful man in the land—I’m sure Moses must have been terrified. In verse 11, we read his reply—But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” Gideon was another man called by the Lord to rescue the children of Israel, and in Judges 6:15, he replied, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” Yet, Jonah, Moses and Gideon all have one thing in common, they did what God told them to do and they were successful.

“And Samuel said, ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams’ (1 Samuel 15:22).”

We might not always like what the Lord tells us to do but obeying His voice will determine our future. What God says to do, we must do, whether it’s changing jobs, moving to another town or state, or preaching His word. Whatever it might be that God tasks us with can be scary and cause doubt in our hearts, but obeying God despite our fears will bring the greatest blessings.

Read Mark 1-5

© 2018 Marie McGaha

Not Good Enough For Heaven

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to Him a child, He put Him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

~Matthew 18:1-2

My grandchildren believe Jesus watches over them and hears everything they say. They have no doubt they will go to Heaven when they die. In fact, my granddaughter, Meagan, told me, “Nana, I don’t care if I die because I know I’ll go to Heaven and be with Jesus.” Her brother, Dax, replied, “Me either because we don’t really die, we just float up to Heaven and live forever.” They are absolutely sure of their final destination. I think it’s this kind of surety that Jesus was talking about in the above verse. My grandchildren’s faith overwhelms me at times because mine sometimes wavers. Sometimes I feel that I’m not doing enough to be in Christ’s presence. I’m not reading the Bible enough, I’m not praying long enough, I’m not watching enough Christian shows on TV… I am not good enough for Heaven.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasur-able riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:4-10).”

Being “good enough” is something we invented, not God. My grand-daughter had done something her mother disapproved of, and her mother said, “Meagan, I always love you, but I don’t like it when you act like that.” Meagan looked at her mother and replied, “Jesus loves me no matter how I act. Mommy, you should be more like Jesus.” The wisdom in that sentence was far beyond Meagan’s four years of life but I couldn’t have said it better myself. Jesus loves us no matter what. We are His work-manship, created by Him and for Him. We cannot earn God’s love because we already have it. What we must do is accept that love the way a child does—without doubt, without wavering, without fear. Salvation is a gift from God and gifts are given freely. All we have to do is accept it.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor princi-palities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).”

Read Matthew 21-25; Weekend Reading Matthew 26-28

© 2018 Marie McGaha