Barbara's Banter

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I am part of a never-ending story. Actually, I can go one step further and say I’m part of a never-ending, everlasting love story.

As a writer, I must admit I love a good story. Just like a funny joke needs a memorable punch line, a good story needs a good ending. I usually don’t like stories that never end. They go on and on and on and on. However, the exception for me is our never-ending, everlasting love story with Jesus.

Guess what? God is helping each of us write our own story with Him. This story is very personal because we are a vital part of it. I call it the never-ending, everlasting love story. God’s love not only helps our stories have meaning now, but in the future. We don’t even need to worry if we lose our physical lives because eternal life will follow. I’ve heard it said that R.I.P. on a tomb stone doesn’t have to mean “Rest in Peace.” It can mean “Rejoicing in Paradise!” I like that a lot!

God loves us with a never-ending, everlasting LOVE! That gives us reason to rejoice every day!

“I have loved you with an everlasting love…” ~Jeremiah 31:3

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because no matter what language I speak, God understands me. God is a personal God and meets each of us where we are. God hears and speaks all languages.

I recently read an article in the Associated Press about people calling the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). They had an option to press a certain number for Spanish language communication. However, they got an automated AI voice that did not speak Spanish, but spoke English with a strong Spanish accent. The DOL apologized and said the problem had been fixed, but other calls to the service still got an accented voice using Spanish words for numbers such as, “Your estimated wait time is less than ‘tres’ minutes.” Sounds like they still have some glitches to work out!

Communicating with someone in a language they don’t understand can be difficult. Anyone who has done a bit of foreign travel know this is true. Some locations use icons to help us find restrooms which can be quite helpful. Asking for directions can be an exercise in charades or pantomime. Fortunately, it is easy to communicate with God.

One of the names for God in the Bible is El Roi (Genesis 16:13) which means “the God who sees me.” I think this implies more than Him just looking at us. God understands us. God hears us. God meets us where we are. God gives us His undivided attention. We don’t need a translator to interpret feelings, concerns, prayers, or our native tongue to God. There are thousands of languages and dialects in the world. AI might not understand them all, but God does!  

“There are so many kinds of languages in the world, and
none of them is without significance.” ~1 Corinthians 14:10

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because God is my peace (Ephesians 2:14-18). My peace is not dependent on my circumstances but on the One who controls all circumstances.

I can have peace while facing the unknown. I can have peace while living in the middle of a mystery. I can have peace in all circumstances because my peace of mind does not rest on how much I know, how much I need to figure out, or how well I can predict the future. My peace comes from knowing the One who holds my future in His wise and gracious hands.

God is faithful, so I can depend on Him to give me what I need when I need it. He always knows what is best for me. God is sovereign so He rules all situations. He started a good work in me and will be faithful to complete it in His way and in His time (Philippians 1:6). Trusting in God is the only way to have peace.

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace
always in every way…” ~2 Thessalonians 3:16

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because what I do matters. We all have a deep need to feel significant. Today’s world is adept at making us feel insignificant and worthless. So much so that many wonder if what they do in their everyday lives matters.

In Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s book Mattering, she explores the concept that everyone matters and we can help others feel like they matter too! “We are in a loneliness epidemic,” Wallace explains. “At the root of this is a mattering gap. When people don’t feel like they matter, they withdraw and isolate.”

We’ve all had the feeling of being taken for granted, overlooked, or ignored either in small or even big ways. However, in our hearts we know we matter to God. And because we matter to God we should want to make others feel that they matter as well. We can do this by paying attention to those we meet. Taking the time to smile and treating people with respect (Philippians 2:3) not only validates their self-worth but ours too.

I read a story years ago about a business school student who was taking a pop quiz. She seemed to breeze through the questions, until she got to the last one: “What is the name of the woman who cleans this school?”

Surely this was a joke, she thought. She had seen the woman several times. She could even describe her   but she had never engaged her in conversation or even knew her name.

Another student asked if the last question would count toward the quiz grade. The professor said, “Absolutely! In your careers you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you can do is smile and say hello.”

There’s a life lesson in that little story. Everyone matters. While it is true most of us won’t be changing the course of governments, global warming, social reform, or much of anything else on a grand scale, we can affect the lives of each and every person we meet. What we do matters!

“…let each esteem others better than himself.” ~Philippians 2:3

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I can depend on God. In fact, God wants us to depend on Him. Young children are quick to tell parents who offer help, “I can do it myself!”  They are eager to be self-sufficient.   

Our culture often extols independence as a quality filling one with confidence and leading to success. However, mature Christians know they can do nothing worthwhile without God’s help. They are called to surrender self-reliance. This surrender isn’t about forgetting responsibility. It’s about recognizing our need for God’s guidance, wisdom, and strength.

God wants us to acknowledge how much we need Him each and every day. Depending on God is not a sign of weakness but one of strength. Even Jesus recognized He could do nothing without God’s help (John 5:19, John 8:28). He came to do God’s will, not His own (John 6:38, John 7:28). And He set us an example to follow (John 13:15).

So no matter what today holds, I can depend on an all-powerful, loving God who is faithful, trustworthy, and reliable to take care of me.

“And my God will supply all your need according to His
riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I have friends. What an awesome blessing! I treasure my friends and know they are gifts from God.

Friends can help us find spiritual strength when we are emotionally fatigued. That’s what Jonathan did for his friend David. When David was weary and scared for his life, Jonathan searched for him so he could offer encouragement and spiritual insight (1 Samuel 23:15-18).

True friends are loyal, trustworthy, comforting, encouraging, and accepting. They don’t condone everything we do, but understand our point of view while always pointing us to God. These are the kind of friends I have. This is the kind of friend I want to be. It’s also the kind of friend that Jesus is to us.

We should never think of ourselves as friendless, because Jesus is our very best friend. Other friends may come and go, but the friendship we have with Jesus is consistent. He is always available to spend time with us. He never gets offended if we share our secret thoughts with Him. He is always willing to forgive and forget. Jesus does not change. If our friendship with Jesus dwindles, it’s because we no longer desire to be friends with Him.  

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know
his mater’s business. Instead, I have called you friends…” ~John 15:15

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I am free from condemnation. Condemnation means to find someone guilty and make sure punishment is received. No condemnation means a person has been absolved of all guilt, therefore free from receiving punishment.

The concept of no condemnation is hard to understand when we know we are all guilty. We have all sinned and fallen short (Romans 3:23) and the result of sin is death (Romans 6:23). However, Jesus paid our penalty by His death. The charges against us were nailed to the cross and no longer held against us (Colossians 2:14-15). Once we give our lives to Christ, we belong to Him—and because we belong to Him, the Holy Spirit frees us from the power of sin that leads to death.

There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ (Romans 8:1-2)  This is good news indeed and a great reason to rejoice every day!

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” ~John 3:17

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because the Bible tells me all things work together for good for those called according to God’s purpose (Romans 8:28). I know I have been called for God’s purpose, so this promise is definitely for me.

Many think the Christian life is free from trials and turmoil. The Bible tells us a different story (1 Peter 4:12). Christians go through hardships just like everyone else (Matthew 5:45). So Romans 8:28 is not saying that everything that happens to us will make us happy. Rather, it is saying God can take anything that happens to us and use it for good in some way.

This can be for His good, the good of others, or even for our good. Hardships are opportunities to trust God. Every problem can teach us something to help transform us little by little into the person God designed us to be which is part of His purpose.   

We need to have faith that no matter what happens, God is active in our lives. Nothing happens outside of His will, plan, or purpose. God knows the future and what He wants to accomplish. We can have confidence that whatever happens will be ultimately for good.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” ~Romans 8:28

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because God gives my life meaning and purpose. Most people look to things around them for identity, motivation, contentment, or purpose. However, nothing around us can really give us these things. We can only get them by looking up to God. not around us at people or circumstances. Only God can fulfill our desires. That’s why God should be what we desire more than anything on earth (Psalm 73:25-26). 

God created each of us to make a difference in the lives of others, especially those we meet. Each of us matters to God and each person we meet matters to God, as well. God can take what little we have to offer and multiply it to be used for His glory. For example, all one young boy had to offer was five loaves of barley and two small fish (John 6:9). Yet Jesus multiplied it to feed five thousand people (Matthew 14:1618). And so it is with us. God can transform what little we have to make a difference for others.

Our purpose is to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7). We can do this by reflecting the love of Jesus to all we meet. If we do that, God will choose how it can be manifested for His glory.

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the
Lord’s purpose that prevails.” ~Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because God is my strength. God knows that I am weak and my strength is not sufficient to handle challenges the world hurls my way.

In a way, this weakness is something that can draw all of us closer to God and help us put our trust in Him (Psalm 73:28). This is why Paul could say that when he was weak, he was actually strong (2 Corinthians 2:10). God’s strength is made perfect or manifested through our weaknesses and God’s presence in our lives (2 Corinthians 10:9).

That’s why connection to God is vital for our survival. Sometimes God’s presence will recharge our spiritual batteries immediately. At other times, God gives us just enough stamina to keep moving slowly forward, taking little steps towards what needs to be accomplished. Which way God chooses to strengthen us is up to Him. He knows what is best.

My flesh and my heart are weak and can fail, but God’s strength is limitless and cannot fail (Psalm 73:26). So I’m rejoicing today because God is the strength of my life.   

“The Lord is the strength of my life…” ~Psalm 27:1