Celebrate Your Now

 

By Andrea Merrell

This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 NLT

 

The woman was miserable. In every conversation with her, she was either stuck in the past or projecting herself into the future, never content with her “now.”

One writer say that now is the greatest moment in our lives. Why? Because it’s all we have.

The psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made.” Today.  Right now.  This moment. His mercies are new when? Every morning (Lamentations 3:23). With each new sunrise, we experience a new day. New beginning. Fresh start. Clean slate. No looking back at yesterday and no longing for tomorrow.

Our days are a gift from God, and He gives them to us one at a time in twenty-four-hour increments because He knows that’s all we can handle. And when we commit each one to Him, rejoicing and being glad in it, He guides our steps and blesses our moments.

Don’t spend your life trying to relive the past or longing for tomorrow. It might be, as the song says, “only a day away,” but the most precious moment you have is now. Celebrate it and be thankful.

Photo by Yulin Wang on Unsplash

Take the High Road

 

By Andrea Merrell

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,

and his ears are open to their prayers.

1 Peter 3:9 NLT

 

My emotions were a jumbled mess. I didn’t know whether I was hurt or angry. Probably both. How could she possibly say something like that to me?

My flesh wanted to lash out. To retaliate. I wanted to make her feel as bad as she made me feel. But when I shared my situation with a close friend, her words were simple: take the high road.

As I prayed about my attitude, Scriptures shot through my mind and heart. Don’t repay evil for evil. Forgive. Bless your enemies. Walk in love. Don’t try to avenge yourself; the battle is the Lord’s.

It all came together in 1 Peter 3: 8-9 (NLT):

Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.  For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

God’s Word is clear, and He gives us a choice to obey.

I choose the high road. How about you?

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Dave Hoefler.

Grow in Grace

 By Andrea Merrell

But grow in the grace and knowledge 

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:18 NIV

 

“What are you thinking?” the woman said to her pastor. “That man is not fit for ministry. He’s a fairly new believer. Look how many times he’s messed up.” With that, she stormed out of the room.

It’s amazing how we tend to size up other believers and critique their level of spiritual maturity. Their readiness—or lack of—for serving. Their dedication and commitment.

When we set ourselves up as both judge and jury, we base our opinion solely on the outside. Thank goodness, God sees the heart.

For example, look at Peter. He was a bit of a rascal. He cut off a man’s ear, denied Jesus, and challenged Him on more than one occasion. But Jesus knew Peter’s heart and never gave up on him. He saw Peter’s potential, not his problems. That’s what grace does.

Just as a newborn has to learn and grow, a babe in Christ has to go through the stages of spiritual childhood and adolescence to reach maturity. And who is qualified to determine the level a believer has reached? Only the Lord.

I’ve seen brand-new baby Christians take off like a rocket while others who have been believers for years are still sitting back in their playpen, holding their bottles, and criticizing those who are zealous for the Lord’s kingdom.

Let’s leave the judging to God while we concentrate on growing in grace.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com and Alex Shute.

Don’t Believe Everything You See and Hear

 

By Andrea Merrell

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,

whether they are of God; because many false prophets

have gone out into the world.

1 John 4:1 NKJV

 

I got excited when Facebook started posting new movies coming out, all with some of my favorite actors. I made a list so I wouldn’t miss any of them.

Then I found out all the posts were AI generated. Bogus. Untrue. Fake. A scam.

There was a heartwarming post that almost made me cry—until I saw that exact same scenario with different people in different settings.

Again … bogus.

In this day of modern technology, folks can post whatever they want, whenever they want, to try and make us believe whatever they want us to believe. It’s nothing more than deceit and manipulation—sometimes for monetary gain, sometimes just for no reason.

The Devil works in the same way, twisting things around to try and make us embrace a lie. The Bible calls him the father of lies. He will package things in a way to make us think they are true, lovely, and desirable.

The Bible tells us to “test the spirits.” How do we do that? The Message translation explains it like this: “Don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you.”

Don’t be gullible or mislead by what is false. Pray. Seek guidance from the Holy Spirit. Use discernment. And make sure what you embrace lines up with God’s Word.

Photo by Hartono Creative Studio on Unsplash.

What Is Your Jericho?

 

By Andrea Merrell

See! I have given Jericho into your hand

Joshua 6:2 NKJV

 

The situation appeared overwhelming, much like the walls of Jericho—immovable, indestructible, and impenetrable.

 I thought about all the Jerichos we face in this life. Regrets of the past. Fear of the future. Anger. Rejection. Lost relationships. Discouragement. Anxiety. Loss. Health issues. The list could go on and on. Anything that prevents us from fully experiencing God’s perfect love, joy, and peace becomes a fortress, a prison of our own making that must be torn down.

But how? Certainly not by mere human measures. As one writer reminded me, Joshua didn’t bring down the walls—God did.

Just as the Lord told Joshua, “See! I have given Jericho into your hand,” the Bible tells us He has given us every single thing we need for both life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). All we have to do is believe and receive. The battle is His; the victory is ours—through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Define your Jericho. Then submit it to the Lord and watch the walls come tumbling down.

 Photo by Valdemaras D. on Unsplash