Wednesday's Whisper

Luke 10:33-34

³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

³⁴ And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Good morning - Wonderful Wednesday to you!

Yesterday I wrote about going the "extra mile", and after publishing that blog post, I continued to ponder the subject matter. Last night, after service, I began to think more about that extra mile where we never find a traffic jam; it is a road less traveled. This morning, my heart and mind are pondering the subject of caring. 

A lawyer asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"(Luke 10:29). In order to answer this question, Jesus told a story.

The story Jesus told about the Good Samaritan is frequently talked about even today, and it is one of my favorites. The road that the mugged man had traveled that day was infamous for its crime. After his own attack, as he laid there about to die, two men passed by, both of them religious men - a priest and a Levite - but they only looked at the man before going on their ways. But, a "certain Samaritan" came along and not only looked at the man, but he did something for the man.

The Good Samaritan took of his own resources, the oil and the wine, and treated the man; then, he placed him on his own beast, which meant that he walked. He truly cared. This kind gentleman went the extra mile to make sure a wounded person was helped. He gave money to the innkeeper to take care of the man until he returned. 

After telling the story, Jesus asked a question of the lawyer, "Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?"(Luke 10:36)

When the lawyer answered, "He that shewed mercy on him," Jesus' reply was simply, "Go, and do thou likewise." (Luke 10:37)

When we see a need in front of us, how do we respond? Are we like the priest or Levite, or do we feel compassion like the Good Samaritan? Probing questions!

Here is a quote to go along with today's blog post:

"The world would be a changed place if every Christian attended to the sorrows that are plain before him." - (Maclaren)

Also, I'd like to share the lyrics to a chorus I heard years ago:

What Can I Do

by Dan Keen and Dick Tunney

What can I do to bring them home to You

What can I do to help them on their way

There is no time to waste

There is so much at stake

What can I do

I hope and pray that we are challenged by this Bible story so much so that we will help those we come in contact with, in whatever way we possibly can. It will cost us time, effort, and resources, but we will fulfill the role of a true neighbor. And, we will portray the spirit of compassion as Jesus would.

God bless you for stopping by for today's spoonful. Lord willing, I'll see you tomorrow for another one!

Tuesday's Tidbit

Matthew 5:41

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Good morning, family and friends!

The Lord is good, and He has granted us another day to live and breathe. What a privilege to be alive and be able to see, hear, touch, taste, and feel - all because of the blessings of the Lord God Almighty. 

We met a sweet couple from VA this past Sunday night and, during the course of our time together, we talked much about the work of God. The young man spoke about doing more than was required of us, and I believe this was the Bible verse to which he was referring: 

Luke 17:10

So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

The subject of being and doing more for God has stayed with me since our time of fellowship. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about going the "extra mile." This morning, I looked up that phrase and found something interesting from the Wikipedia:

"The expression "the extra mile" refers to acts of service for others that go beyond what is required or expected. The expression probably comes from the Bible, when Jesus declares in his Sermon on the Mount, "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two." Matthew 5:41 (NASB)

The verse is a reference to the practice of "impressment" which, among other things, allowed a Roman soldier to conscript a Jewish native to carry his equipment for one Roman mile (milion = 1,000 paces, about 1,611 yards or 1,473 metres) citation needed -- no easy task considering a Roman soldier's backpack could weigh upwards of 100 pounds (45.4 kg). The editors of the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible have suggested that going the extra mile would perhaps spare another from such compulsion,"

What can we do in order to feel that we have truly gone the extra mile? I believe we must first be more in God, as relates to our relationship with Him, before we can do more. The more time we spend in God's Word, in prayer, and in fasting, will allow us to feel His passion which will then enable us to fully carry out His plans. 

I found a few quotes that I liked regarding going the extra mile:

"Stop blaming people for not helping you solve your problems. The question is simple, "Are they the ones in the problem with you?" People may teach you, people may advise you, people may inspire you, but it takes YOU to go the extra mile and make an indelible impact!" - Israelmore Ayivor

"When God calls you to build 100 castles on earth and you built 98, take the 99th as if it's the beginning of your work and work hard to finish the race with all excellence. Go the extra mile!" - Israelmore Ayivor

I submit this blog post to you all today in an effort to "stir up the gift that is in me", but I hope it also encourages you to do the same. God help us arise from mediocrity and go the extra mile.

God bless your Tuesday and, if He's willing, I'll see you tomorrow for another spoonful!

Monday's Moment

Ephesians 2:14

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

Good morning, everybody - Marvelous Monday Morning to all of you!

Have you ever wanted to give someone a word of encouragement, or offer help of some sort but you felt inadequate to do so? Were you afraid that your words would come out too casual or indifferent, as if you didn't truly care? I often want to say the right words or offer the right comfort, but find myself incapable of truly helping.

As I pondered this thought, a song that I dearly love came to my mind. Even though we find ourselves without the "right" words to say, or the right comfort to give, there is Someone we can offer to everyone for whatever they might be facing. We can offer them Jesus, to the sinner who has never known about Him; to the prodigal who needs to come home; or to a friend going through a struggle. Jesus is the answer for whatever question arises in our lives. He is the One to offer who truly meets each need.

My words are few this morning because the lyrics of this song seem to say what my heart feels:

I Give You Jesus

by Janet Paschal

Verse One

If the ship of your life

Is tossing on the sea of strife,

You need someone

And if you feel so alone,

And your house is not a home,

You need someone

If it seems life isn't fair

And there's no one left to share

All those lonely days and nights

And things just won't turn out right

And you need someone to care

And someone to just be there

You need someone

Chorus 

I give you Jesus

He's the peace that passes all understanding

I give you Jesus

He's the perfect love that casteth out all fear

I give you Jesus

He's the water that you drink and never thirst again

I give you Jesus, my friend, 

I give you Jesus

Verse Two

If the pressures all around

Keeps your spirits to the ground

You need someone

And if your body is in pain

And your health you can't regain

You need someone

And if at times when you have tried

With all the strength you had inside

And it seems that you have failed

Remember on the cross He nailed

All the bitterness and grief

To give you peace and sweet relief

He is that Someone that you need

I'm just thankful that I know the Lord, He knows me, and I can offer Him to whoever I meet along my journey each and every day!

God bless you with a Marvelous Monday and, if He is willing, we'll meet again tomorrow for another spoonful of daily tonic!

Sunday's Specialty

Psalm 71:5

For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth.

Good morning, and a Special Sunday it's going to be!

What is hope? According to the American English Dictionary, hope means the feeling that something desired can be had or will happen. Sounds a lot like faith, doesn't it - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

I'm glad that my hope is in the Lord, as well as my faith. Who better to depend on? No other person or thing on earth is capable of fulfilling our heart's desires. As the verse from Psalm 71 declares, "thou art my trust from my youth." I have known the Lord since I was quite young, and I'm so glad I learned to put my hope in Him way back then. I could never have come this far in life without my God.

Hope will keep us as we face the uncertainty of our days here on earth. When evil men wax worse and worse, God will be our help if He is our hope. I love this song by Larnelle Harris, and want to share it with you as an added flavor to this spoonful of tonic:

I Can Be Glad for My Hope is in The Lord

by Larnelle Harris

Chorus

I can be glad for my hope is in the Lord

Cause He gives a confidence that this world doesn't know

He's the Lord of all creation

 And whatever the situation

I'm glad for my hope is in the Lord

Verse One

Oh, right from the beginning

God made me for His own

So He replaced my weak foundation

And made Himself the cornerstone

When all was ready and in order

He promised every day and hour

He'd be faithful to sustain me

By His mighty power

Verse Two

If I land in prison

For calling on God's name

He would cause the walls to crumble

Under the fervor of my praise

For the cause of Christ I've chosen

To suffer death to prove my stand

I'll be ushered into glory

Led by God's own hand

Bridge

Every mountain, every fortress

Every word that is not His will pass away

Repeat Chorus

We must keep our hope and faith intact now more than ever before. My prayer is that we will receive added strength for our journey through this life by taking time to worship Him in church today.

God bless you all with a Sweet and Spiritually Special Sunday! Lord willing, I'll see you tomorrow for another spoonful!

Saturday's Snippet

Deuteronomy 3:24

O Lord God, thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?

Good morning, Sweet Saturday morning to you all!

I wrote about the goodness of God yesterday but today I'm thinking about how big our God is, or His greatness. Goodness seems to indicate the kindness of God while the greatness of God reveals His power. What a kind and powerful God we serve today! There is no other God beside Him nor any God like Him!

Our God can do anything; nothing is too hard for Him. It stands to reason that the God who created all can surely do all we need Him to do, or we ask Him to do. He is not a God that pampers us like spoiled children, but He does know what is best for us, and if we will trust His wisdom, we cannot go wrong.

I have a favorite album by Joseph Habedank, and here is one song from that album that has been on my mind since early this morning:

Big Enough

by Michael Farren and Joseph Habedank

Verse One

I've got a heart that's full of faith-filled helplessness

There are mountains ahead that I can't move by myself

But I know when I'm weak, He's strong

When I can barely breathe, there's still a song,

Even though it's hard right now,

I'm not here on my own....

Chorus

So when it seems it can't be done

I know God is big enough

I can run the race I'm called to run,

Cause I know God is big enough

He'll finish everything He starts

He'll meet us right here where we are,

I can feel faith rising up,

Cause I know God is big enough

Verse Two

On the days that shadows of doubt make me feel small,

I'll declare that I don't stand in my strength at all,

Cause I won't live a day You didn't plan

Every single moment is in Your hands

Even if the whole world shakes

You're the Rock on which I stand.......

Bridge

Bigger than the fear that surrounds me

Bigger than the chains that have bound me,

Bigger than the story my past could tell, 

Bigger than the weight of tomorrow,

Bigger than the hurt and the sorrow, 

Bigger than the lies I've told myself

This Saturday is made so sweet by the revelation that I know God is big enough!!

God bless your Saturday and, Lord willing, I'll see you tomorrow for another spoonful!

Friday's Footnote

Psalm 31:19

Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Good morning - and a Fabulous Friday may it be - for each one of us!

God is good all the time, on bad days and on good days; when things are going our way and when nothing seems to be going our way. He remains good when all the world appears to be leaning toward the bad. He is a good God!

This week has been filled with issues. My mom was hospitalized for tests to make sure she had no blood clots from a recent fall (there were none!). My daughter, who is twelve weeks pregnant, was very sick and had to go for blood work (but all is well!). Two ministers lost their wives on the same day (their race is now run!). Today, a dear friend is having surgery for thyroid cancer (prayers are going up for her now!) Through it all, God has remained good.

My heart hurts from the pain of others yet God is good. Our verse today says that His goodness is great. Our God is the God of great goodness, and that great goodness is laid up for those of us who fear Him, and trust Him. While I cannot control what happens in life to myself nor to others, God IS in control. I can and must put my trust in Him, for there is no one else worthy of my trust.

I just thought of this chorus which seems to go along with today's spoonful:

Think About His Love

by Don Moen

Think about His love, think about His goodness

Think about His grace that brought us through

For as high as the heavens above

So great is the measure of our Father's love

Great is the measure of our Father's love

So great is the measure of our Father's love

How could I forget His love

And how can I forget His mercies

He satisfies, He satisfies, He satisfies my desires

Whatever we do today, or wherever we go, let's think about the great goodness of our God, and continue putting our trust in Him. 

God bless you all, my dear blog-following family and friends!

Enjoy your Fabulous Friday with our Forever Faithful (and good) Father! I'll see you tomorrow, Lord willing, with another spoonful.

Friday's Footnote:

"What makes a man's 80-year-old Irish uncle skip like a little boy? Me Father is very fond of me!" - John Ortberg, Jr.