Counting My Blessings

 I am so richly blessed! I woke up this morning in a comfortable bed. I have so many clothes I have choices on what to wear when. My air conditioning keeps me cool on these hot Florida summer days. I do not worry about eating, although I should probably eat less, again choices. I was sitting on my lanai enjoying the quiet and watching birds when my lawn guy started weed whacking in the yard. Being able to afford a lawn guy is a blessing, too, of course. So that’s a reminder that before I complain about the inconvenience of having to go inside to avoid the dust and noise while the yard is being trimmed, I should see the blessing it is. And I should do that on all occasions, to look for the blessings that  God has given me.So the rest of this week I will come back here and blog those blessings.

A prayer copied from Meditations:

Dear God, our Father in heaven, we thank you for your goodness to us. You have made us and given us all we have and all that we are—our bodies and souls, our faculties, our health and strength —as well as all we need for our physical well-being.

You have given us your Word to show us the way of truth, your Son to be our Savior, your forgiveness to wipe away our sins, as well as all we need for our spiritual well-being. For all these blessings we thank you.

Continue to bless us, we pray you. Hear us in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Saves Me!

 

I am so glad my children and grandchildren were all baptized.

From today’s Meditation devotion:

“Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He went to heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.” (1 Peter 3:21-22EHV)

How powerful is Baptism? "[God] saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). Holy Baptism connects us to Christ's death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). You died with him, but you didn't stay dead. You rose with Christ, empowered to live as an obedient child of the King.

You may not remember the event, but you likely received a certificate to commemorate it. Witnesses can testify that you were baptized. Peter declares that you have more than a certificate. You have a guarantee--a legal claim to a good conscience before God. Your baptism was witnessed by God and recorded in his book of life, where binding language states that you now own a conscience that will not condemn you for a single sin before God.

When that voice inside dredges up your devilish deeds, open the floodgates of Baptism and powerwash all the filth away. When your conscience is ablaze with the memories of a misspent life, unreel the fire hose of your baptism and put the wet stuff on the red stuff. When Satan hurls rocks wrapped in reminders of your transgressions, aim the water cannon of your baptism between his eyes. When our Redeemer marched through hell's penitentiary on Easter morning, it was too late for a good conscience to help those prisoners. But the good conscience he won for you will keep you safely out of the grasp of the infernal prison warden.

Baptized into Christ's resurrection, you have already risen from the dead! Your death-defeater friend, R. L. (Resurrection and Life), knocks at your door daily to say, "Let's go! I have some dead people I want you to meet, and we're going to offer them CPR (Christ's Powerful Resuscitation)."

Do you still get discouraged and downhearted? Look up! That's where Christ reigns "at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him." Tell your killjoy conscience to look up too. Jesus is smiling at you--his baptized, beloved, bound-for-glory, certified-holy child.

Baptism is the most powerful thing that ever happened to you. It's when you were christened and given a clean conscience--guaranteed!

Lord Jesus, your saving power claimed me in Baptism. Through your resurrection, help me live a new and holy life, one day at a time.

My prayer for my children

 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” (NIV John 6)

The passage above was referenced in my devotion today. How reassuring to me it to read ”whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” I have been praying many years for my children who, as they became adults, turned away from the faith the Holy Spirit gave them. But now I am seeing them returning to church and hearing the Word again. I continue to pray that they will find a church community that focuses on God’s scriptures and hearing the Word receive communion and are assured of their salvation.

It's a good morning, Lord, because, as on every morning, you're here with your love. Thank you for another day of grace. Help me and my family to walk in your paths. May we fully recognize and appreciate the love you have shown by laying down your life for us and by the way your guiding and protecting hands hold us with your love. May my heart respond to your love by spreading your love in my little world today. Use me today to do share your love with my family, friends, and all I encounter. Amen.