“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.” Mt 18:10

 “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.” There is no doubt that little children are precious in the sight of God. Jesus spoke of this to his disciples, instructing them to guard against offending little children. This past week our family was blessed by the birth of our second child. With that small child in my arms, I find myself thinking again on my responsibilities as a parent to train my children in the way of righteousness. And not to train by words alone, but by actions which daily demonstrate the importance of a relationship with Christ. My words of instruction to my children are of little value if the life I live does not line up with those words. If I want them to believe that God loves them, I must show them the love of God in my actions toward them. If I desire them to seek and pursue Christ, they must see me seeking and pursuing Christ. If they are to understand how to order their time properly, they must see me ordering my time properly. If they are to know that they have great self worth because they are made in the image of God, they must know that I value them for who God has made them. In short, I must not despise these little ones God has entrusted into my care, but care for them as the valuable vessels before God that they are. That is an awesome responsibility that every parent faces, and not just parents. Every adult, whether young or old, has opportunities to either despise or show the love of God to the little ones around them. With Christ as the example, show these little ones that they are loved and valuable before God.

May God fill you with His love.

Josh

Ps 127:3-5

“Therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe.” 1 Tim 4:10

 This verse contains a truth that is good for us as Christians to meditate on, and to regularly remind ourselves of. There are days when we may ask ourselves, “why am I living this way, why am I choosing the path that brings so much difficulty?” Paul, in writing to Timothy, summarized the reason for continuing to labour and being willing to live in a way that brings reproach. We trust in the living God; we have trusted Him for salvation, we have trusted Him to sustain us, and we may also trust Him to reward us. Make no mistake about the word labour. It does not refer to light work or effortless endeavors. This labour is fatiguing: it wearies your soul, demands your energies, and may often seem unending. To fulfill the labour set before you, you absolutely must be trusting the living God to sustain. The branch of your life must be abiding in the Vine of Life. You must be spending time alone with Christ if you are going to labour in the fields God has placed you in. When the reproaches of the world are hurled against you, you must be in fellowship with the one who bore the reproaches of our sins. As you live in this world, it is so very important to be trusting in the living God, who is your Saviour, so that you may labour well, and have joy despite the reproaches that come your way. Paul was no stranger to reproach and hard labour, and he sought to prepare younger Christians to be ready for the road they walked, that like Paul we may have joy abundantly, regardless of our earthly circumstance. The truth we must remember is that we trust the living God.

May God bless you with His peace and strength.

Josh

Ps 127:3-5

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

Near the beginning of his letter to the Christians at Philippi, Paul tells them that he prays for them, and what it is that he prays. Looking at those things which Paul prayed for the church at Philippi, I am challenged to examine the things that I pray for, both to be in my life, and in the lives of others. Do I pray for the love of Christ to abound in knowledge and all discernment? Knowledge of the Holy One, that alone could be sufficient to fill all my time in prayer. To know the Lord more than I did yesterday, is worthy of all my attention and energy. Paul continues praying for love that is discerning, “that you may approve the things that are excellent.” How easy it is to live a life where we approve the things that are common. Paul's prayer then, and ours now, should be to approve the things that are excellent. When the things that I feed upon are excellent, I may live a life that is sincere and without offense towards God, and I may live that life consistently until my race is over. That life will be one that is filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ. I know that on my own, in my own strength, the righteousness that I may produce is shallow, pride-filled, and as a filthy rag before the Lord. But the righteousness that is by Jesus Christ is a powerful, God glorifying thing. The fruits of the righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, are sweet to partake of, blessing the lives of all who are around. May we also pray, for ourselves personally and for fellow believers, as Paul prayed for the Philippians.

May God bless you with a love that leads to a deeper knowledge of Him.

Josh

Ps 127:3-5

“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” Ps 62:7-8

We have in times past sang “'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus...” If our lives were examined, would they be proof that we find it a sweet delight to trust in Jesus? Or do we show by our lives that we trust in money, self will and determination, or even in others? Having trusted in Jesus for my salvation, do I trust in Jesus for my daily bread? Believing that God has created the universe, do I believe that God can provide for my physical needs? Believing by faith that Jesus was raised from the dead, do I have faith in Christ to enable me to live a new life free from the bondage of sin? The psalmist knew that his only source of strength was in God, and only in God could he find a safe refuge. He tells us to trust in Him at all times, and to pour out our hearts before Him. His message is summed up in the last sentence, “God is a refuge for us.” God calls us to come to Him, to rely on His strength, to rest in His comfort, and to discover a life that is wondrously glorifying to God. You are told to pour out your heart before Him. Hold nothing of yourself back; rather, desire to be completely emptied of self, of self will and reliance, and seek to be filled entirely with the Holy Spirit. May the life of every child of God be marked by complete and total trust in Him at all times.

May God draw you deeper into Himself.

Josh

Ps 127:3-5