Philippians 2:9-11    Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There will come a day when everyone will confess that Jesus is Lord.  Past sinners and saints, and even you and me.  Everyone will have to admit who Jesus is.  The difference is that some will celebrate that statement, and others will mourn because they didn't really trust Him for everything.

When that day comes, I want to say, "Jesus, you are MY Lord!"   How about you?

Psalm 55:22   Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Someone shared this week that they had a dream they were living their life in a Zoom box.  Someone one else had a nightmare that they were fighting the coronavirus.  It took the form of a vicious dog, and they had it by the leash, swinging it around above their head.

We all have dreams, and we all have nightmares.  Sometimes even when we sleep.  I don't know what you are dealing with today, but I do know one thing:  David was right.  Cast your burden on the Lord, and He WILL sustain you.  He is by your side, lifting you up in whatever you are facing.  Run to Him today!

John 17:20-21   ​“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me,"

Jesus prayed for His disciples of all time (including us), that we would be one with each other and with Him just as He is one with the Father.  What a gift!  To be one with Jesus and with the Father!  How could we ever take that for granted?!

Deuteronomy 33:27   The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Isn't that good to know in this time of uncertainty?  He will be our shelter.  He will hold us up.  Who else could but our God?!

Revelation 7:17   For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

In the midst of a pandemic you realize how much you miss being together with other believers.  One day we will be together, and that day will never end.  There will be no more sickness or death, and no more sin.

​Jesus Himself will lead us to springs of living water.  What a day that will be!

Luke 24:32   They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 

When Jesus joined 2 disciples on their way to Emmaus on the day that He walked out of His tomb, He taught them all of the Old Testament prophecies about the Christ.  But they still didn't know that it was Jesus who was walking with them.

It wasn't until the Bread of Life broke the bread for them that their eyes were opened.  But they knew that as He taught them, their hearts burned within them.  A deep desire was awakened.  A desire that can only be satisfied in Jesus.  Do you desire Him?  Have you experience the risen Christ in your life?  Does your heart burn?

John 11:25-26   Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 

That is the question.  Do you believe?  May we have the same answer Martha had in verse 27:  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.

Do you believe in the Resurrection Power of Jesus?  Are you trusting Him to give you New Life?  Do YOU believe?

Isaiah 52:7   How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

​In this time when we can't meet together, when meetings are on Zoom and church services are on Facebook Live, and we are all learning new technology that didn't interest us much before, the important things have never changed.

We are still God's people, His Church.  We still can share together in His Presence and His Word.  And we still need to bring Good News to people who are living in darkness.  They need to experience Jesus as their peace in a world that is filled with fear.  It begins with us.  Do you believe that "Your God reigns"?  Will you share that with someone who needs to know Him?

Do you have beautiful feet?

Habakkuk 3:17-19    Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.  God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

If you are struggling with all of the closures and restrictions of the coronavirus, and having difficulty finding things that you need in stores near you, just remember that Habakkuk was in the middle of a deadly drought.  He had an even more difficult time finding his daily needs than we do.

We need to learn to pray like Habakkuk:  ​Though we are confined to our homes, though there is no toilet paper on the shelves, & there is fear all around us, yet we will rejoice in the Lord; we will take joy in the God of our salvation.  God, you are our strength.  You lift us up, raising us above our circumstances.  Let us live in Your hope continually.  May we praise You yet more and more.  Amen!

Ephesians 4:32   Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

How did God in Christ forgive you?  Jesus gave His life because of His love for you.  How will you love others?  Our forgiveness for them comes out of the richness of Christ's forgiveness for us.  That is why we can forgive one another as Christ forgave us.