Christ

God’s got this & why Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays

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Do you ever get down hearted? Just worried & concerned about your family, your finances, your health? Not to mention loved ones around you. It’s the holidays, y’all.  I don’t know about you, but sometimes it seems those are the times we get anxious. We also have a lot of reasons to miss those who have passed on.  I know I miss my mama & grandparents more than ever this time of year.  On another hand, it’s so easy to get caught up in a friend’s well being, or how about the world around us? I promise, I stopped watching the news on t.v. awhile ago. It’s just too much, sometimes. For one thing, it’s depressing. So many terrible things are happening all around us. The shootings, drugs, and just in general how people are turning away from God. It makes you think everyone is bad & wonder where is God when you need Him? If you are like me, you pray & you wait. Then, when things just don’t work out, like I think they should, I start to doubt. I doubt my prayers. I doubt my thoughts. I doubt how things are playing out in my life. I wonder if the Lord is even listening? Or if He has time, with all the other foolishness all around, to even care about my problems. That’s when I have to stop myself, dead in my tracks, & remember Who, the God I pray to, is.

The God I pray to is the same God that created Adam from the dust of the ground. Just made a real, living, breathing, human being straight out of dirt. (Genesis 1:26)

He’s the One who promised Abraham & Sarah a child in their old age. And you know what? Issac was born. (Genesis 17:19)

He’s the One who had never let rain fall on the Earth & promised Noah, if he would go out and build a boat, he would save him. Noah didn’t even know what rain was, but since God said do it, he did & boy, I bet he was proud he did. (Genesis 6: 13-22)

God is the One that promised to send a savior, and then sent Jesus. Not in a big braggadocious, royalty like way. But to a common, every day mom & dad. (Luke 2: 4-7)

The Lord raised people from the dead, made people whole that could not be healed by anyone else on Earth, put the stars in the sky, and made a donkey talk. (Numbers 22: 28)

For one second, I should never think He ain’t able to help me. Sometimes, I have to remind myself Who I am talking to. Because He can do more than I could ever think or imagine. All He needs from me, as a Christian, is to believe He can. Then, He will.

Matthew 21:22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive

The same God that can create a universe out of nothing, can answer my prayers. Just knowing that should make my faith big. When I get to feeling things are hopeless, I think about how the Lord has a way of working things out in our lives. We may not understand what is happening, at the time. However, the Lord has always provided for me & my family. Even when I didn’t know what the outcome would be, He was right on time. He will do the same for you. Don’t ever doubt it. Things are going to happen to us. We are going to have to deal with things, we wish we didn’t. However, with God, you never have to worry.

Isaiah 54:17 says:    

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

 

It does not say weapons (problems) will never form. Problems will arise. However, God will not let them prosper (continue). Our job is to keep a Christ like attitude about it, pray about it, & wait for God to work it out.

I love this saying:

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week. Are you ready for the big day on Thursday? I know we are so excited to be with family and friends over Thanksgiving.  This is one of my most favorite holidays. My daddy called me last night & we planned what we were going to have for breakfast that day. Y’all eating is very serious with us. I just cannot wait to get all my people in my house. Those guys are pretty important to me. And I love, love, love being in their company. Family, friends, & eating too much. My favorite. I hope you have a truly wonderful Thanksgiving. As for me, I must be going, because I should be washing clothes.

Behind these sweet smiles were some cold girls!

Parade time! We love a parade!

Miss Neenee enjoyed her birthday cookies. Since she loves to cook, it was only fitting she had cooking themed cookies.

Look how cute! These were made by Meg Makes and Bakes. They tasted as good as they were pretty!

On an unrelated note, I almost had bread crumbs for breakfast instead of oatmeal the other morning. Darn those same looking containers. And my old eyes.

 

photo credit: Amazon, Pinterest

 

 

Just what I needed & clouds. Just clouds.

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humble

Today, after I dropped Miss Neenee off at school, per my usual, I turned on my Bible app.   When I turned it on, it was on John 2.  WHAT??  I’m supposed to be somewhere in Isaiah.  Sometimes I just think these dadgum technological devices have a mind of their own.  So, there I was listening to John while I was on track to hear Isaiah. AND y’all, it was King James Version & I listen to the New King James Version.   To add to my confusion, it was a different man reading.  He had some sort of thick foreign accent & I thought for a minute I didn’t know if I could tolerate the sound of his voice that early in the morning.  Now go ahead & tell me how many foreign talking people I just offended there.   But y’all, just to balance things out, I myself have a pretty thick southern accent, that some people might not like.  So, I suppose it all works out.  ANYWHOO, I figured I might as well not fuss with it.  I love the book of John.  So, I decided not to fight the Bible app & go ahead & listen.  You can imagine my delight, when I got to chapter 3 & heard this verse-

John 3:30

He must increase, but I must decrease.

This verse is such a wonderful example of humility.  John the Baptist was saying this about Christ.  John was sent to be the forerunner for Jesus.  An introduction before the big show, if you might.  However, once Jesus’s ministry started, John stepped back, to let his cousin take center stage.  How many times in life do we find ourselves in situations to be humble?  It’s hard.  Being humble means you have to forget about yourself.  Being humble means putting the wants & wishes of others before your own.

Webster’s dictionary gives the meaning of humble-

as not proud : not thinking of yourself as better than other peoplebe humbleJesus recognized the importance of being humble and kind.  He showed His love & humility toward a Samaritan woman at a well.   He could have turned His nose up when He saw her.  But my Lord is not like that.  He knew who she was & what kind of woman she was.  He told her that.  Not in a sense of condemnation, but in love, humility, & kindness.  Because of that, the woman & lots of people in Samaria came to believe that Jesus was the Savior of the world (John 4:5-42).  Jesus changed those people’s lives that day.  And thousands of years later, He’s still doing the same thing.  Not with an attitude of hate & anger, but of love, humility, & kindness.

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek,
    For they shall inherit the earth. (NKJV)

Philippians 2:5-8

 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

I have so enjoyed visiting with you today.  I love it when you stop by.  Sorry for all the new testament drama.  Because when it was all over, it was just what I needed to hear.  Enjoy the pictures below.  These are some clouds I came across on my way from work, the other day.  Pretty big fan of the One that put them up there.  And some GRAND kids.  (Did you see what I did there?) Until next time, I should be washing clothes.

ZCLOUDS IIzcloudszclouds I

Newlywedded bliss

Newlywedded bliss

Some sweet boys by the water.

Some sweet boys by the water.

There was a bird making an awful commotion. My son in law went over to check on it. Mr. Sweetie Pants, or should I say the fearless one, was right on his heels.

There was a bird making an awful commotion. My son in law went over to check on it. Mr. Sweetie Pants, or should I say the fearless one, was right on his heels.

photo credits: http://www.thegirlcreative.com & http://www.lovethispic.com

5 things to do when you don’t know what to do

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  • a seek
    Do y’all ever have those days, weeks, years, that you wonder why
    you haven’t given up yet? I’m talking about just a good ol’ throwin’
    your hands up in the air & saying,
    “Y’all can have this, I quit!”
    Sometimes, it just seems like nothing is going right. When there’s
    too much month & not enough money, not enough time in the day
    to do it all, piled up laundry, stacked up dishes, legal problems,
    deteriorating health (whether yours or a loved one), relationship
    problems, or worse- you may feel like you don’t know where to turn.
    It’s sadly a reality that people are hurting & sometimes the grief of
    life can overwhelm us. However, sweet friends, I wanted to share
    with you how you can get through these things in life & oddly
    enough, come out ok.
    Here are my 5 reasons not to go hollaring and screaming into the
    sunset:
    1. Remember that everything in life is temporary. If everything is going good,enjoy it, because it won’t last forever. And if things are going
    bad, don’t worry, that won’t last either.
    James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (NKJV)
    2. Know you have to trust the Lord. When God says you can do this,
    you can. Know that the Lord will not let you go so far, you
    can’t see your way back.
    I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.  (NKJV)
    God’s team is the winning team. Be on that team.
    3. Don’t forget the prize. Keep your eye on the prize (heaven). Do
    all you can to be faithful, so that you may be able to have that
    prize. God’s plan for your life, far exceeds the circumstances
    of your day. So, know if you just hang on there, the Lord’s
    going to come right in & take care of it all. But we have to do
    our part, too.  Be sure you don’t forget to continue to be a beautiful Christian like example.  God won’t forget you for it.
    Job 23:10 But He knows the way that I take,
    when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. (NKJV)
    4. Be aware that with the good, comes the bad. Hard times are a fact of life.
    How we view them & handle them is up to us.
    Job 2:10 Shall we indeed accept good from God & shall we not accept
    adversity?(NKJV)

    5. Most of all know you are not in this by yourself. There are billions of people on this ol’ earth. Know when to ask someone for help. I had a dear friend tell me once, “You can get through anything with a lot prayer & a lot of Paxil.” I love her light hearted take on life. It’s reality that sometimes we have to ask our medical care providers for help. Don’t be afraid to do that.  But do know that Jesus is right there waiting to help you no matter what.  If the Lord does not seem close to you, seriously, who moved?  It wasn’t Him. Just seek Him, because He’s there.  Acts 17:27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; (NKJV)

Let me stop here & say something about Job. He lost everything he ever worked hard for.  His wife turned against him. His friends gave him bad advice. He had health & financial problems. In one day his whole world was turned upside down. However, it was in his attitude, his God fearing, God loving, God trusting attitude that helped him make it through. It seemed like sometimes that God had forgotten Job. But He didn’t. It was over years before Job’s life ever turned around. What did he do during the mean time? He was faithful. Don’t get me wrong. He was upset & didn’t like what was going on. However, he never turned his back on God.He knew the Lord would deliver him. And guess what y’all? He did & Job was more blessed in the end, than the beginning.

a seek I

Now that’s a beautiful reason to keep your head up & keep
going. I have been through times in my life, that it was day by
day, minute by minute that I had to try to focus on getting
through something tough. The good news is, I did it. I know I
prayed a lot, stayed faithful to the Lord, & just kept going.
Sometimes that’s all we can do.
I am so glad you came by to visit me today.  It is SUNSHINING here.  Am I really here in NE Mississippi or is this heaven?  So glad to see the sun after all the cold & gloomy days.  I hope you have had a blessed week.  As for me, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.
photo credit: pinterest

You think it’s hot here 

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Two boys & a bucket of water

Two boys & a bucket of water

It’s funny. We know summer comes every year. But when it starts getting scorching hot, ya’ll, we act so shocked. Like,

“Lord have mercy, where in the WORLD did this come from?”  

The heat, the humidity is just atrocious.  Thank the Lord, I have lived in the south all my life & ya’ll, I will tell you, you never get used to the heat. You just survive it. Just today I talked to a man, that lives in Texas.  He said OUR heat was stifling. And he’s from Texas!  Is Texas not hot??  And we DID say after all of the cold this winter we would not say a WORD, a WORD, I tell you, when it got hot.  But, here we are.

I love the church sign I saw once, in the dead of summer, that simply stated

“You think it’s hot here…..”  

What would we do without the temperature showing up in our cars?

What would we do without the temperature showing up in our cars?

Well, that’s true. There is a place that’s going to be hotter than Northeast Mississippi (Yes, we are from the North.  And we are o.k. with that.) in June that’s why we do everything we can to avoid it.

Galatians 5 talks about the fruit of the spirit. Not fruits, plural but fruit singular as in meaning one. It means you have to be ALL of it. Not just a part.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (NKJV)

19706052-apple-representing-the-fruit-of-the-holy-spirit

Let’s back up a little & see what we can do to avoid an eternity of “hotter than a $2.00 pistol” surroundings:

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders,[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (NKJV)

When my all my kids were still at home, I had all of these listed & posted on the front of the refrigerator.  Since our most sensitive & highly classified topics came up in the kitchen, of all places, one of them would bring up a situation. It could be from what was being worn to school, to how someone was handling a certain situation, or maybe how someone was acting.    I would point to the refrigerator & say ,

“Do you see it on this list?”  

With that, they would know the rest of the story.  Lots of good conversations came from having that list out where we could see it all the time.

I am so glad you stopped by to visit with me today.  Don’t forget this weekend is Father’s Day.  If your daddy is still living, make sure to visit or call him.  It’s the right thing to do.  We will be having Sunday lunch at my house for our Daddys.  I will be sure to post some pictures later.  Also, see below for my pet peeve of the week. Until then, I have to be going because I should be washing clothes.

Thanks for the lesson Gary.

Thanks for the lesson, Patrick.

photo credits: Facebook, 123RF, junk gypsy

 

 

Are you blood kin? & Mamaw’s Sunday Dinner

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blood-of-Jesus

I am so fortunate & blessed to be surrounded by good people.  And when I say good, I mean Godly folks.  I come from a family full of Christians.  My church family is wonderful, as well.  It is such a great feeling to know my blood kin are related to me through Christ, too.  My Sunday School teacher made such a terrific point Sunday about our relationship with Jesus.  He posed the question,

“Ain’t it wonderful to be blood kin to Christ?”

He went on to say that we are made “kin” to Jesus through His blood that He shed on the cross.  We come into contact with that blood through baptism.  I always knew that, but it was a nice warm fuzzy reminder that Christ is my blood kin.

Matthew 26:28 (NKJV)  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Acts 2:38 (NKJV) “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost“

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

 

In the South, we take kinfolk pretty seriously.  We take care of our own.  We love our own.  We are proud of our own.  We are loyal to our own.  It doesn’t matter if one of our relatives is a little off or strange.  We just shake our heads & say bless their heart.

I remember very well the Sundays growing up.  My Daddy was the preacher.  So, we got up & went to church every Sunday.  We worshipped with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins.  We ate Sunday dinner, that my Mamaw fixed, every Sunday.   She cooked fried chicken every Sunday.  Her table was full of peas, potatoes, slaw, casseroles, deviled eggs, homemade pickles, cornbread & whatever else this sweet lady came up with.  She always made a cake, a cobbler, or some sort of delicious dessert type dish.  It did not matter what you had going on.  If you weren’t there for Sunday dinner, well, let’s just say she did NOT understand.  Also, she made such a big dinner so that if a visitor showed up at church, she could invite them over.  My Mamaw was just awesome like that.

Blood kin means a lot to me.  That’s where I feel safe & secure. My Mamaw’s brother, my great uncle would hug us kids up, every Sunday.  He would say,

“Ya’ll my kinfolks.”

As I get older, I love knowing about my ancestors & where I came from.  I have pictures of my great grandparents hanging in my house.  I look into their eyes & there I see who I am.  It’s an interesting thing to know what you are made of.  From a religious standpoint, I am made up of my blood kin- Jesus.  I love that!  I just want others to see less of me, in me, & more of Jesus.  That’s the kind of resemblance I want to have.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today.  Thank ya’ll for always listening to me & what I think.  The weather has turned back off H-O-T.  It rained & stormed some this weekend.  Since then, it’s been so muggy.  I think we are making up for the nice weather we got in July.  Ne’er a summer passes in Mississippi without hot, humid, can’t let the kids out outside to play kind of weather.  Before I go, Miss Neenee came home & asked could she be in the chess club at school.  Since she does not actively play chess, I asked the crazy question,

“What made you interested in the chess club?”

She matter of factly replied, “Well, that’s the only club they have for us.”

Oh well, then.  Looks like we will be learning to play chess.  Until then, I will be going because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits:writtenreality.com, pinterest

More stuff that I think:

big biscuit

An unforgiving spirit

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Forgiveness is not something we do for other people.

We do it for ourselves- to get well & move on.

Our preacher taught a lesson about those with unforgiving spirits.  Since I have fallen victim to this before, I took notes & have studied this.  People who have an unforgiving spirit are in for a lot of uncalled for things.

This list is what our minister gave regarding those with an unforgiving spirit:

  1. You will develop emotional problems.
  2. You will ruin your physical health.
  3. You will withdraw from God.
  4. The devil will harbor hatred in you heart.
  5. You will lose your soul.

On the Mayo Clinic website, there is an article which talks about the benefits of forgiving.

What are the benefits of forgiving someone?

Letting go of grudges and bitterness can make way for compassion, kindness and peace. Forgiveness can lead to:

  • Healthier relationships
  • Greater spiritual and psychological well-being
  • Less anxiety, stress and hostility
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Fewer symptoms of depression
  • Lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse

True forgiveness is possible.  Here’s how:

  1. Determine when you forgive, to let that issue go & do not raise that issue again. Expect occasional imperfections from people in your life.
  2. Ask the Lord for strength, to not take revenge.  God is the only One qualified & has the right to be in the vengeance department.  He is a righteous judge.  He tries to teach us- “I’ll do to you what you did to me” will never balance it’s self out. Try to learn this as early as possible.  It will save you much heartache.
  3. Remember those you have hurt.
  4. Rebuild the relationship.
  5. Pray for that person each day.
  6. Remember the cross of Christ.

If the hurtful event involved someone whose relationship you otherwise value, forgiveness can lead to reconciliation. This isn’t always the case, however. Reconciliation might be impossible if the offender has died or is unwilling to communicate with you. In other cases, reconciliation might not be appropriate. Still, forgiveness is possible — even if reconciliation isn’t.   See my blog “When God says forgiveness just isn’t enough”. It is a good lesson reminder on how just because you say you are sorry, does not guarantee the relationship will be put back together as it once was.

Always remember kindness is free.  If we are committing ourselves to kindness, then we will be less likely to be needing forgiveness.

Thank you for stopping by today.  I hope you are inspired to forgive, in some way.  I have to be going now, because I should be washing clothes!

 

Stumbling block inventory

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Finding faults in others is a popular pastime.  Unfortunately, a lot of us find it’s easy to join the fun. Concentrating on the flaws of others can be a great way to feel better about ourselves.  That’s typically, the problem!  Avoiding the faults that need to be fixed in our own lives, not only dampers our spiritual growth, it too gets in the way of God’s work through us. God’s effectiveness through our lives is made better or is hindered by the way we live.

In Romans 14:13 the apostle Paul tells of the character we should have.

Therefore, let us not judge one another, anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

Back up in verse 10 he states:

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

We are all in this together.  Why be so petty about things?

If we want to be authentic & useful for the Lord, we must continually take a stumbling block inventory.  At times stumbling blocks are things that in and of themselves may be real.  Yet in certain contexts, may be inappropriate.  But sin is clearly a stumbling block to others.  Gossip, slander, boasting, bitterness, greed, abuse, anger, selfishness, and revenge all close the hearts of those around us to the message God sends through us.  Just to think, our lives, may be the only Bible some people ever see.  Now, that’s a big responsibility that we have.  To keep ourselves clean & unspotted from the world. (James 1: 27)  You may say, “but you just don’t know how mean this person is or how hurtful they have been to me.” I do know this, there is no problem too big that you & God can’t work out. Let God have His way with people.  In life people will be mean, rude, unfair, gossipy, hurtful, and greedy.  Pray for those people.  Don’t let their hatred consume your heart & make you the same things they are. We must be the bigger person.

In Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus preaching his sermon from the mountain said this:

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. v.44 But I say to you, love our enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” 

Now, that’s a tough pill to swallow!  Pray for someone who has said bad things about me?  Pray for someone who has embarrassed me?  Pray for someone whose selfishness has caused me to hurt?  You may ask,”Why does that person deserve my prayers?”  If you look at it from God’s perspective- these prayers are for your benefit.  For you to keep a heart that’s willing to mention a person who does not deserve God’s graciousness.  Those people are the ones who need it the most.  And it’s hard to keep bitterness locked up in a heart full of prayer.  God does not want us to be angry.  He wants us to love.  And what better way to keep that love in your heart, than to lift up someone in prayer? It’s hard to be selfish or mad when you are asking a blessing over someone who’s wronged you.  Get the picture?  God loves us & does not want us to be someone who lets a situation eat at them.  He wants us praying for each other & not being someone with so much emotional baggage that His work can’t be seen in us.

I Cor 13: 4-5 says thatprov love is kind, does not envy, does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.

We should strive to condition ourselves to be kind, no matter what.  God says in order to love, we must be kind.  In the end, our kindness is what matters the most.  We have to be responsible for what we have done in our lives, how we have acted & treated people, not how they have treated us.  God will have His day with those folks! He even says so –

Romans 12:19…”Vengence is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 

Now, don’t you think God can handle these hard to deal with people better than you?  Of course He can.  A dear friend of mine has said her mother used to say, “Kill them with kindness.”  I think that is a very good lesson.  When someone hurts your feelings, just be kind.  When someone says mean things about you, be kind.  When someone is rude to you, be kind.  That way, they can see God living in you.  That will either turn them toward God, or just make them mad.  Either way, you have done your part by being what God wants you to be- kind.

So, let’s replace our faults with the wonderful ways of Jesus.  This will help others to see our Savior more clearly.

Some of this message was taken from an Our Daily Bread article written by Joe Stowell.  I have so many thoughts about this subject.  Maybe I will write more about it later.  But for now, I have to go because I should be washing clothes………..

Respect for Someone wiser

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My 17 year old daughter, just recently, had the privilege of being a Page for the Senate of our awesome state! When she got back home, she told stories of how she met all different kinds of people, how she heard many opinions & witnessed bills being turned into laws. She got to meet the governor & have her picture made with him. She got to have a great experience learning about how our great state functions, in the heart of the capital. One thing that really made an impression to her was how the house of representatives & the senate conducted themselves. She said at times, there was yelling, squabbling, and even a representative doing a compelling depiction of a snake (to get his point across about how he felt regarding other representatives votes). It was very entertaining. However, she noted there was one senator, that had the floor when he spoke. She said it was as if everyone was in awe of him. That their respect for him was great & no one would fancy the idea of being anything less than attentive when he made his thoughts known. She said it was if when he spoke, he imparted wisdom.

Jesus is the perfect example of someone people wanted to listen to. In Luke 6, it is told how the multitudes followed Christ.

In verse 17, “He came down with them, and stood on a level place with a crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases.”

Can’t you imagine such a large group of people listening & hanging on every word of Jesus? Following Him around, just to see what He was going to say next? These people were hungry for the Lord’s words of wisdom. They fed on his righteous teachings. That’s why where ever Jesus went, there was always a crowd. Sometimes He would have to “withdraw” from the group of followers, just to get some rest. (Luke 5: 16) Those folks were longing for the love & saving grace Jesus had to offer to the lost & dying world.  It says in Luke 4:32 that Jesus’s word was with authority.  These people knew they had someone magnificent in their presence.

When did we quit wanting to listen to Jesus? Was it when we got that job that takes up so much of our time, that we hardly have a minute to spend reading the Bible? Was it when we bought that new car or house or boat, that we think we paid for with OUR money? We get too worried with what I can gain, what I can do, what I can be, to remember, we would be nothing, have nothing, or even be in existence without our Lord & Savior. Let’s take a minute to be like these multitudes, that followed Jesus around, in awe of His presence. We should respect Him, when He speaks to us through His word. By faith, we can be like these weary people, who’s main concern was listening to Jesus. In Luke 4: 42 it tells how the crowds sought Jesus & tried to keep Him from leaving them.  Their hearts were in the right place.  Is yours?