Thank you for coming by and reading my devotionals. I’ve recently moved to a new home and you can read all my new devotionals for kids and parents at http://ruthwillms.com/devotionals. See you there!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Come Visit Me at My New Home
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
What does it mean to “repent”?
What does it mean to “repent”?
Memory Verse
“Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin!” John 1:29 [The Living Bible]
While Jesus was growing up in Nazareth, his cousin John was growing up in the desert country of Judea. John spent a lot of time listening to God. God had chosen him to prepare the people for what Jesus would soon be teaching.
John preached, “Repent and be baptized”. The Jews then and all of us now, need to repent before we can do what Jesus teaches us to do. Repent simply means to stop doing wrong and begin to do right. People were baptized by John to show that they were sorry for their sins and chose to obey God from now on; that’s why he was called ‘John the Baptist’.
If we had seen John the Baptist we would have probably thought he was weird. He didn’t wear ordinary long flowing clothes like the custom of the day required. He wore an outfit made from camel’s hair. The Bible says he ate locusts and wild honey. Locusts are grasshoppers.
We lived in Lethbridge, Alberta for years. One of the things that Lethbridge is known for is its many windy days and dryness. We lived at the edge of the city and our back yard skirted a farmer’s field. One summer we had a huge infestation of grasshoppers. They were everywhere. I couldn’t walk across the back yard without grasshoppers jumping all over me. The back of our house was covered with grasshoppers. I was thinking: too bad we didn’t have John the Baptist’s craving for locusts. We could have had a feast.
When people were baptized by John, that didn’t mean their sins were forgiven. Jesus still had to do that. But they were showing that they were sorry for their sins and wanted to obey God.
John the Baptist told the people that if they wanted to please God they should be unselfish and help the poor people. He taught the soldiers to not hurt people and to be contented with the money they earned. He was teaching them the way to live is to practice love and peace; just what Jesus would soon teach.
This year you saw the running of the global torch relay on TV. Just as the torch relay got people ready for the 2008 Olympic Games this year in Beijing, John the Baptist was making people aware that Jesus was coming.
John the Baptist didn’t only have the honor of preparing the way for Jesus; he also had the honor of baptizing Jesus. Jesus didn’t have to be baptized for repentance of His sins, because He never sinned. He is God. Jesus was baptized to show people it was the right thing to do and also it prepared the people to accept Him. When He was coming out of the water, the Spirit of God came down from heaven in the form of a dove and God the Father’s voice from heaven spoke: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This proved to John and the people that this man was Jesus, God’s Son.
So when the Bible says that we need to repent it means we need to be sorry for our sins, the wrong things we do, and stop doing them. Then we turn to Jesus and say we want to do things His way. We live the way the Bible, His Word, teaches.
Going Deeper for Parents:
According to the Nelson NKJV Study Bible, the Greek verb ‘repent’ means a change of attitude and outlook which may result in sorrow for one’s sins. True repentance is more than regret. True repentance always brings a change in one’s life. One turns from wrong doing to doing right.
People in John the Baptist’s time were just as hypocritical as we sometimes are today. John saw the multitudes come to be baptized with the baptism of repentance but he also saw that not everyone truly repented. They were there to impress others or to follow the crowd.
It’s easy to say “I’m sorry, forgive me” to God or to a person we have offended. Change only happens if this is our inward attitude.
I remember when my son was very young and saying ‘sorry’ came so easily to him. After supper I would remind him that he forgot to take the garbage out before he went out to play. He would say, what I thought was a glib ‘I’m sorry’ but the next day he still failed to oblige me. Obviously he wasn’t too interested in turning from his neglect or in pleasing me. He only wanted to be left alone and only said ‘sorry’ because he thought that would put him on my good side.
Often we treat God the same way. We say ‘sorry’ because we know we are in the wrong but we are not ready to change our ways.
We often struggle before we repent. First God shows us what we need to change in our life. We ignore His voice. After awhile He nudges us again.
We tell Him it’s too hard, we can’t do it. What we are really thinking, is we don’t want to deal with it. Then He reminds us how much He loves us and He wants us to deal with that issue because He wants to grow us.
Even in our struggle to repent, God has His time frame. He has to start somewhere with us so we start to surrender to Him. You, like I, can find consolation in God’s mercy as He continues to chip away at our stubbornness.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
Memory Verse
“Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin!” John 1:29 [The Living Bible]
While Jesus was growing up in Nazareth, his cousin John was growing up in the desert country of Judea. John spent a lot of time listening to God. God had chosen him to prepare the people for what Jesus would soon be teaching.
John preached, “Repent and be baptized”. The Jews then and all of us now, need to repent before we can do what Jesus teaches us to do. Repent simply means to stop doing wrong and begin to do right. People were baptized by John to show that they were sorry for their sins and chose to obey God from now on; that’s why he was called ‘John the Baptist’.
If we had seen John the Baptist we would have probably thought he was weird. He didn’t wear ordinary long flowing clothes like the custom of the day required. He wore an outfit made from camel’s hair. The Bible says he ate locusts and wild honey. Locusts are grasshoppers.
We lived in Lethbridge, Alberta for years. One of the things that Lethbridge is known for is its many windy days and dryness. We lived at the edge of the city and our back yard skirted a farmer’s field. One summer we had a huge infestation of grasshoppers. They were everywhere. I couldn’t walk across the back yard without grasshoppers jumping all over me. The back of our house was covered with grasshoppers. I was thinking: too bad we didn’t have John the Baptist’s craving for locusts. We could have had a feast.
When people were baptized by John, that didn’t mean their sins were forgiven. Jesus still had to do that. But they were showing that they were sorry for their sins and wanted to obey God.
John the Baptist told the people that if they wanted to please God they should be unselfish and help the poor people. He taught the soldiers to not hurt people and to be contented with the money they earned. He was teaching them the way to live is to practice love and peace; just what Jesus would soon teach.
This year you saw the running of the global torch relay on TV. Just as the torch relay got people ready for the 2008 Olympic Games this year in Beijing, John the Baptist was making people aware that Jesus was coming.
John the Baptist didn’t only have the honor of preparing the way for Jesus; he also had the honor of baptizing Jesus. Jesus didn’t have to be baptized for repentance of His sins, because He never sinned. He is God. Jesus was baptized to show people it was the right thing to do and also it prepared the people to accept Him. When He was coming out of the water, the Spirit of God came down from heaven in the form of a dove and God the Father’s voice from heaven spoke: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This proved to John and the people that this man was Jesus, God’s Son.
So when the Bible says that we need to repent it means we need to be sorry for our sins, the wrong things we do, and stop doing them. Then we turn to Jesus and say we want to do things His way. We live the way the Bible, His Word, teaches.
Going Deeper for Parents:
According to the Nelson NKJV Study Bible, the Greek verb ‘repent’ means a change of attitude and outlook which may result in sorrow for one’s sins. True repentance is more than regret. True repentance always brings a change in one’s life. One turns from wrong doing to doing right.
People in John the Baptist’s time were just as hypocritical as we sometimes are today. John saw the multitudes come to be baptized with the baptism of repentance but he also saw that not everyone truly repented. They were there to impress others or to follow the crowd.
It’s easy to say “I’m sorry, forgive me” to God or to a person we have offended. Change only happens if this is our inward attitude.
I remember when my son was very young and saying ‘sorry’ came so easily to him. After supper I would remind him that he forgot to take the garbage out before he went out to play. He would say, what I thought was a glib ‘I’m sorry’ but the next day he still failed to oblige me. Obviously he wasn’t too interested in turning from his neglect or in pleasing me. He only wanted to be left alone and only said ‘sorry’ because he thought that would put him on my good side.
Often we treat God the same way. We say ‘sorry’ because we know we are in the wrong but we are not ready to change our ways.
We often struggle before we repent. First God shows us what we need to change in our life. We ignore His voice. After awhile He nudges us again.
We tell Him it’s too hard, we can’t do it. What we are really thinking, is we don’t want to deal with it. Then He reminds us how much He loves us and He wants us to deal with that issue because He wants to grow us.
Even in our struggle to repent, God has His time frame. He has to start somewhere with us so we start to surrender to Him. You, like I, can find consolation in God’s mercy as He continues to chip away at our stubbornness.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
Monday, May 26, 2008
Do you want to be smart?
Memory Verse:
“If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it.” James 1:5 [The Living Bible]
Do you ever wish that you could be the smartest kid in your class or maybe in the whole world? Do you think it would give you a sense of power?
I love to watch the show “Jeopardy”. I am amazed at the knowledge the contestants have and the ability they have to retain all that knowledge. They can pull the right answer out of their brain in a split second. I admire them for that because I can’t do that.
The Bible tells us that the smartest man that ever lived was King Solomon. Of course, Jesus was wiser but He wasn’t just a man, He was also God.
As a young boy, Jesus lived in Nazareth with his mother, Mary, and His father, Joseph, and His brothers and sisters. The Bible says He grew and became strong in spirit; He was filled with wisdom and God’s grace was upon Him.
Nazareth was almost seventy miles from Jerusalem where the temple was. The families in Nazareth couldn’t travel to Jerusalem every week to worship so they built a synagogue. Here Jesus and the other boys went to school to learn to read and write. Here they also learned the teachings of Moses and the other prophets.
When Jesus turned twelve, He joined His parents in going to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. Other people, along with their relatives, travelled with them. It took days because they had to walk; some probably rode their donkeys.
The feast was held in the beautiful temple with its wide porches and huge pillars of stone. The Jews from all over Asia Minor came to this feast so huge crowds filled the courts and the temple.
After the feast was ended, Mary and Joseph travelled toward home. At the end of the first day they looked for Jesus. The group they travelled with was big and they hadn’t seen Jesus. They thought He must be in the group somewhere, hanging out with his friends or his cousins.
But they couldn’t find Him and no one had seen Him. They made their way back to Jerusalem. They were worried. They couldn’t imagine what had happened to Him. Jesus was a good child and never gave them any trouble.
Finally, after searching for three days, they found Him. He was in the temple, sitting among the wise teachers of the day, the Scribes and Pharisees. He was having deep spiritual discussions with them about the things of God and the prophets. They were amazed at His answers and that He understood everything. They did not yet realize that Jesus knew everything because He is the Son of God.
Do you know that God wants to share His wisdom with you also? It’s true. God says if we want wisdom all we need to do is ask Him for it. The only thing He asks of us is faith that He will give it to us. The kind of wisdom He gives us is not necessarily just any kind of information but understanding to learn from your difficulties. Don’t we all want that kind of knowledge?
Godly wisdom begins with a reverence for God. We need to spend a lot of time with Him. It’s the same as spending time with your older brother or sister or a good friend. The more time you spend with that person the better you get to know him and to become like him.
The more time you spend with God in prayer and reading His Word, the more you become like Him and begin to think like Him. God says that all the knowledge we need to handle everything in life well is in His Word; we need to read it, ask for understanding and do it.
Going Deeper for Parents:
God’s wisdom leads to freedom. Our obedience to the wisdom He gives us leads to freedom from our sinful nature. God gives us wisdom but we still need to choose to live it.
I think of King Solomon. He was so wise. He was a man of vast knowledge which touched every area of his life. Then I wonder- why was he so foolish to set up hills of worship for his ungodly wives? Why did he even choose ungodly wives?
God gives us His wisdom and reveals Himself to us but it is still our choice to act upon it. We can be like King Solomon whose son lost most of his kingdom because of Solomon’s sin. Or we can be like Jesus, who chose obedience to the wisdom He had and surrendered to God’s way, going the way of the cross.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
“If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it.” James 1:5 [The Living Bible]
Do you ever wish that you could be the smartest kid in your class or maybe in the whole world? Do you think it would give you a sense of power?
I love to watch the show “Jeopardy”. I am amazed at the knowledge the contestants have and the ability they have to retain all that knowledge. They can pull the right answer out of their brain in a split second. I admire them for that because I can’t do that.
The Bible tells us that the smartest man that ever lived was King Solomon. Of course, Jesus was wiser but He wasn’t just a man, He was also God.
As a young boy, Jesus lived in Nazareth with his mother, Mary, and His father, Joseph, and His brothers and sisters. The Bible says He grew and became strong in spirit; He was filled with wisdom and God’s grace was upon Him.
Nazareth was almost seventy miles from Jerusalem where the temple was. The families in Nazareth couldn’t travel to Jerusalem every week to worship so they built a synagogue. Here Jesus and the other boys went to school to learn to read and write. Here they also learned the teachings of Moses and the other prophets.
When Jesus turned twelve, He joined His parents in going to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. Other people, along with their relatives, travelled with them. It took days because they had to walk; some probably rode their donkeys.
The feast was held in the beautiful temple with its wide porches and huge pillars of stone. The Jews from all over Asia Minor came to this feast so huge crowds filled the courts and the temple.
After the feast was ended, Mary and Joseph travelled toward home. At the end of the first day they looked for Jesus. The group they travelled with was big and they hadn’t seen Jesus. They thought He must be in the group somewhere, hanging out with his friends or his cousins.
But they couldn’t find Him and no one had seen Him. They made their way back to Jerusalem. They were worried. They couldn’t imagine what had happened to Him. Jesus was a good child and never gave them any trouble.
Finally, after searching for three days, they found Him. He was in the temple, sitting among the wise teachers of the day, the Scribes and Pharisees. He was having deep spiritual discussions with them about the things of God and the prophets. They were amazed at His answers and that He understood everything. They did not yet realize that Jesus knew everything because He is the Son of God.
Do you know that God wants to share His wisdom with you also? It’s true. God says if we want wisdom all we need to do is ask Him for it. The only thing He asks of us is faith that He will give it to us. The kind of wisdom He gives us is not necessarily just any kind of information but understanding to learn from your difficulties. Don’t we all want that kind of knowledge?
Godly wisdom begins with a reverence for God. We need to spend a lot of time with Him. It’s the same as spending time with your older brother or sister or a good friend. The more time you spend with that person the better you get to know him and to become like him.
The more time you spend with God in prayer and reading His Word, the more you become like Him and begin to think like Him. God says that all the knowledge we need to handle everything in life well is in His Word; we need to read it, ask for understanding and do it.
Going Deeper for Parents:
God’s wisdom leads to freedom. Our obedience to the wisdom He gives us leads to freedom from our sinful nature. God gives us wisdom but we still need to choose to live it.
I think of King Solomon. He was so wise. He was a man of vast knowledge which touched every area of his life. Then I wonder- why was he so foolish to set up hills of worship for his ungodly wives? Why did he even choose ungodly wives?
God gives us His wisdom and reveals Himself to us but it is still our choice to act upon it. We can be like King Solomon whose son lost most of his kingdom because of Solomon’s sin. Or we can be like Jesus, who chose obedience to the wisdom He had and surrendered to God’s way, going the way of the cross.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
God Gave His Best
Memory Verse:
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 [The Living Bible]
Did you ever receive a gift even better than you ever expected: something you really wanted but didn’t think was possible so you just never thought of asking for it?
A friend told me of such a gift. It happened years ago before you could readily buy special baseball equipment. Even if it was available, it wasn’t always affordable. Now, this boy’s family had very limited income and could only afford the necessary things of life.
My friend was a great baseball player but he had a handicap. He was left-handed and at that time only right-handed baseball gloves were available. He knew he would play a lot better if he had a left handed glove,
His team mates had acquired a new kind of baseball shoes with cleats. He really wanted a pair but he also knew his parents had other things to buy. Yet, for Christmas he dared to ask them for a pair.
Anxiously he waited for Christmas Eve. After the Christmas Eve service his family gathered around the Christmas tree. My friend noticed that the gift wrapped box in the corner did not seem to be the size for a pair of baseball shoes. But he kept hoping anyway.
Then the moment arrived. As his mom handed him the gift, my friend’s father winked at him. His mom couldn’t stop smiling. Now my friend was very hopeful.
Not being able to wait a second longer, he whipped the glossy wrapping paper off. He stopped. The box did not seem heavy enough for baseball shoes with cleats. He decided that whatever he found in the box he would be grateful and smile at them and graciously say thank you. He knew that whatever it was his parents had sacrificed some of their own needs.
He lifted the lid and pulled at the paper covering the gift. For a moment he just sat there, spellbound. He couldn’t believe his eyes but there on his lap lay a southpaw baseball glove. His whole body began to shake as he tried on the left handed glove. Of course, it fit perfectly.
Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would get such a glove. When he learned that his parents had scrimped and saved and searched for a company to make such a glove and then sent away for it because they knew how much it would mean to him, he jumped up and down, shouting with joy.
We all have many needs. We bombard God to please give us this and to please give us that. And we are very grateful when he gives us spiritual blessings plus material blessings. But sometimes we neglect the best gift He gave us, Jesus.
Jesus is God’s only Son. He loved Him more than anything but He also loved us. He knew that if He didn’t make a way for us to be cleansed from sin we could never know Him. The only way possible was through Jesus.
Jesus became man but was also God. He was sinless and so was able to die for our sins so we can have a relationship with God. When Jesus was born of Mary, God gave us His very best.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 [The Living Bible]
Did you ever receive a gift even better than you ever expected: something you really wanted but didn’t think was possible so you just never thought of asking for it?
A friend told me of such a gift. It happened years ago before you could readily buy special baseball equipment. Even if it was available, it wasn’t always affordable. Now, this boy’s family had very limited income and could only afford the necessary things of life.
My friend was a great baseball player but he had a handicap. He was left-handed and at that time only right-handed baseball gloves were available. He knew he would play a lot better if he had a left handed glove,
His team mates had acquired a new kind of baseball shoes with cleats. He really wanted a pair but he also knew his parents had other things to buy. Yet, for Christmas he dared to ask them for a pair.
Anxiously he waited for Christmas Eve. After the Christmas Eve service his family gathered around the Christmas tree. My friend noticed that the gift wrapped box in the corner did not seem to be the size for a pair of baseball shoes. But he kept hoping anyway.
Then the moment arrived. As his mom handed him the gift, my friend’s father winked at him. His mom couldn’t stop smiling. Now my friend was very hopeful.
Not being able to wait a second longer, he whipped the glossy wrapping paper off. He stopped. The box did not seem heavy enough for baseball shoes with cleats. He decided that whatever he found in the box he would be grateful and smile at them and graciously say thank you. He knew that whatever it was his parents had sacrificed some of their own needs.
He lifted the lid and pulled at the paper covering the gift. For a moment he just sat there, spellbound. He couldn’t believe his eyes but there on his lap lay a southpaw baseball glove. His whole body began to shake as he tried on the left handed glove. Of course, it fit perfectly.
Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would get such a glove. When he learned that his parents had scrimped and saved and searched for a company to make such a glove and then sent away for it because they knew how much it would mean to him, he jumped up and down, shouting with joy.
We all have many needs. We bombard God to please give us this and to please give us that. And we are very grateful when he gives us spiritual blessings plus material blessings. But sometimes we neglect the best gift He gave us, Jesus.
Jesus is God’s only Son. He loved Him more than anything but He also loved us. He knew that if He didn’t make a way for us to be cleansed from sin we could never know Him. The only way possible was through Jesus.
Jesus became man but was also God. He was sinless and so was able to die for our sins so we can have a relationship with God. When Jesus was born of Mary, God gave us His very best.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
God Knows Your Name
Devotionals for Kids
Memory verse:
“But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says, Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43: 1 [The Living Bible]
We all like to be called by our name. Our name is important to us because it identifies us. None of us like to be called, “hey, you”. When someone calls us that it makes us feel that they don’t even care enough about us to bother to find out what our name is. Although, when we get into trouble we might sometimes wish they would forget our name so they can’t tell the teacher or our parents who did the mischievous deed.
I grew up in a large family. I have 7 sisters and 6 brothers; I am the thirteenth child. We lived in the country and we younger five kids spent a lot of time playing with our neighbor’s kids. If something was amiss the adults might not always know all of our names. But if they thought I was to blame they would just tell my dad or mom or older siblings, “Oh, it was the tall girl.” My sisters were of average height. Of course, because I was a quiet kid I didn’t get into trouble very often; I think.
People might not remember our name or care enough about us to use it, but God calls us by name. Do you know He even calls each star by name? In the Bible, Psalm 147:4 says, “He counts the stars and calls them all by name.” [The Living Bible]
During Bible times God sometimes told the parents what to name their child. God told Hagar to call her son Ishmael. He told Mary, the mother of Jesus, to call her baby boy, Jesus.
Often in Bible times and in a lot of cultures today, the meaning of the name is very important. Or, people change their name because after a meaningful experience they have changed; such as Saul, who persecuted the Christians. After Jesus appeared to him in a vision, on the road to Damascus, his name became Paul.
The Bible tells us of a priest, Zacharias. Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, had grown old and they had no children. Zacharias served in the temple.
It was his turn to burn the incense on the golden altar, in the holy place, where only the priests could enter. He was shocked to see an angel standing beside the altar.
The angel said, “Do no be afraid, Zacharias! For I have come to tell you that God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son! You are to name him John.”
But Zacharias didn’t believe the angel. He claimed that he was too old to have a child. Then the angel told him that he wouldn’t be able to speak again until the child was born because he wouldn’t believe. So Zacharias lost his voice until his son was born. It was only after he wrote, “His name is John,” that he could speak again.
When God names a child, greatness usually follows. So it was with John. He became John the Baptist, who prepared the way, telling people that Jesus was coming.
I hope you like your name. But one day God will give you a new name. All of God’s children will one day receive a new name in heaven.
You are each special to God. Although there are billions of people you are important to God. Important enough that He calls you by name.
Going Deeper for Parents:
Sometimes we change our names like Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law did. When she returned to Bethlehem her friends welcomed her, calling her Naomi. But she said, “Don’t call me Naomi for God has dealt bitterly with me.” She had left with a husband and two sons. Both had died while she was in Moab. Now she felt empty and wanted to be called ‘Mara’ which means ‘bitter’.
When Abraham was 99 years old and God told him he and Sarah would now have a son, God renamed him. At that time his name was ‘Abram’ which means ‘exalted Father’. God changed his name to ‘Abraham’ which means ‘Father of many’. God did the same thing for Abraham’s wife at the same event. He changed her name ‘Sarai’ to ‘Sarah’. Both of her names mean ‘princess’. The name changes reflected a new relationship for Abraham and Sarah with God.
When we become God’s children we become new creatures in Christ. I have read that some people even chose a new name at this time.
I enjoy my given name Ruth but I am looking forward to my new name in heaven chosen by God, as I hope you are too. We will begin a new relationship with God for all eternity.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
Memory verse:
“But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says, Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43: 1 [The Living Bible]
We all like to be called by our name. Our name is important to us because it identifies us. None of us like to be called, “hey, you”. When someone calls us that it makes us feel that they don’t even care enough about us to bother to find out what our name is. Although, when we get into trouble we might sometimes wish they would forget our name so they can’t tell the teacher or our parents who did the mischievous deed.
I grew up in a large family. I have 7 sisters and 6 brothers; I am the thirteenth child. We lived in the country and we younger five kids spent a lot of time playing with our neighbor’s kids. If something was amiss the adults might not always know all of our names. But if they thought I was to blame they would just tell my dad or mom or older siblings, “Oh, it was the tall girl.” My sisters were of average height. Of course, because I was a quiet kid I didn’t get into trouble very often; I think.
People might not remember our name or care enough about us to use it, but God calls us by name. Do you know He even calls each star by name? In the Bible, Psalm 147:4 says, “He counts the stars and calls them all by name.” [The Living Bible]
During Bible times God sometimes told the parents what to name their child. God told Hagar to call her son Ishmael. He told Mary, the mother of Jesus, to call her baby boy, Jesus.
Often in Bible times and in a lot of cultures today, the meaning of the name is very important. Or, people change their name because after a meaningful experience they have changed; such as Saul, who persecuted the Christians. After Jesus appeared to him in a vision, on the road to Damascus, his name became Paul.
The Bible tells us of a priest, Zacharias. Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth, had grown old and they had no children. Zacharias served in the temple.
It was his turn to burn the incense on the golden altar, in the holy place, where only the priests could enter. He was shocked to see an angel standing beside the altar.
The angel said, “Do no be afraid, Zacharias! For I have come to tell you that God has heard your prayer, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son! You are to name him John.”
But Zacharias didn’t believe the angel. He claimed that he was too old to have a child. Then the angel told him that he wouldn’t be able to speak again until the child was born because he wouldn’t believe. So Zacharias lost his voice until his son was born. It was only after he wrote, “His name is John,” that he could speak again.
When God names a child, greatness usually follows. So it was with John. He became John the Baptist, who prepared the way, telling people that Jesus was coming.
I hope you like your name. But one day God will give you a new name. All of God’s children will one day receive a new name in heaven.
You are each special to God. Although there are billions of people you are important to God. Important enough that He calls you by name.
Going Deeper for Parents:
Sometimes we change our names like Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law did. When she returned to Bethlehem her friends welcomed her, calling her Naomi. But she said, “Don’t call me Naomi for God has dealt bitterly with me.” She had left with a husband and two sons. Both had died while she was in Moab. Now she felt empty and wanted to be called ‘Mara’ which means ‘bitter’.
When Abraham was 99 years old and God told him he and Sarah would now have a son, God renamed him. At that time his name was ‘Abram’ which means ‘exalted Father’. God changed his name to ‘Abraham’ which means ‘Father of many’. God did the same thing for Abraham’s wife at the same event. He changed her name ‘Sarai’ to ‘Sarah’. Both of her names mean ‘princess’. The name changes reflected a new relationship for Abraham and Sarah with God.
When we become God’s children we become new creatures in Christ. I have read that some people even chose a new name at this time.
I enjoy my given name Ruth but I am looking forward to my new name in heaven chosen by God, as I hope you are too. We will begin a new relationship with God for all eternity.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Accuser
Memory verse:
“He is able to save completely all who come to God through him.” Hebrews 8:25a [The Living Bible]
Do you know there is something out there much worse than a wild animal or a dragon trying to give us a bad day; worse than that, he is trying to give us a bad life and a terrible eternal life?
The Bible says, “Be careful – watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart.” 2 Peter 5:8 [The Living Bible]
Job experienced an attack from Satan first hand. Job lived way back in the Iron Age in the land of Uz. That sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale but it isn’t. Everything in the Bible really happened.
The Bible says that Job was a good man who obeyed God and stayed away from evil. So how did he get into trouble?
One day Satan confronted God. God asked him if he had noticed Job. God said that Job was the best man in the entire world who would do nothing wrong.
“Well, yeah,” replied Satan. “You have always prospered and blessed him. You always protect him and You have made him rich. But just take Your blessings away from him and he will turn away from You.”
God knew Job’s heart and so He knew that this was a lie. He allowed Satan to test Job.
Job was very rich. He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, plus five hundred female donkeys and many servants. He also had a large family: seven sons and three daughters. And, of course, he had a wife.
Satan sent nomadic raiders to steal all of Job’s oxen and donkeys. They even killed his servants. After that he sent fire to burn up his sheep and all the herdsmen taking care of them. Then more bad things happened. Satan sent three bands of marauding tribes to drive off his camels. Job was devastated. He couldn’t believe all these bad things were happening to him at once.
What did Job have left? His wife and children. Then one day Job’s sons and daughters were having a party in their oldest brother’s house. Satan sent a great storm which destroyed the house and killed all of Job’s children.
Job was very, very sad. He loved his children very much. Even though all these awful things happened to him he still loved and worshipped God. He had no idea that God was allowing Satan to test him.
Then Satan struck Job with the very worst case of painful boils ever seen. His whole body was covered with great ugly sores from his head to his feet. He sat in the ashes and scraped his sores.
His wife told him to curse God and die. She didn’t think he should love a God who allowed all this to happen to him. But Job stayed true to God.
Job had three good friends. Their names were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. They all accused Job of sinning. They said that was why God was punishing him. This made Job even sadder. He knew that he had not sinned. Friends should comfort one another and not put each other down.
Finally God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind and Job bowed to God and worshipped Him. God told Job He was very pleased with him.
After this, Job’s sores healed and he became well. God blessed him with twice as many riches as He had before. He also blessed Job with seven sons and three daughters. The Bible says these three daughters were the most beautiful women in that country. Job lived to be an old, old man.
The Bible says that Satan accuses us, His children, too. But God has put His hedge of protection around us so Satan can’t harm us unless God allows him to.
We are so blessed. We don’t have to worry. We have Someone much stronger on our side. Let’s say I sin. Then Satan says to God, “Look at Ruth. Everybody thinks she’s so good but she sinned today. She got mad at her neighbor because of their dog who barks all day long. She doesn’t deserve to get to heaven.”
And then Jesus, who is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, turns to Him and says,” Just a minute here. I died on the cross for everyone’s sins. Ruth has accepted me as her Savior. Her sins are covered by my blood.”
Jesus will always be there for us His children. “He is able to save completely all who come to God through him. Since he will live forever, he will always be there to remind God that he has paid for their sins with his blood.” Hebrews 8:25 [The Living Bible]
Going Deeper for Parents:
We learn a lot about human suffering in the book of Job. In Job God also opens a window for us to learn of Satan and his relationship to God. The first two chapters confirm to us that even though Satan is in rebellion to God he is still accountable to Him.
We can rest assured that Satan’s power is not as great as God’s. He tries to hamper God’s work but he is limited by what God allows him to do. He is not all powerful like God and he can only be in one place at a time while God is omnipotent and omnipresent. That is why his fellow fallen angels must help him.
God is also omniscient. Satan is not. He can’t know our minds nor our future but God can.
God uses all of our hardships for good just as He used Job’s trials for good. Through them He tested Job’s love for Him and it grew stronger than before. And all could see that God was sovereign and compassionate.
God promises He will not allow us to be tempted more than we are able to bear. He also promises us strength to go through whatever He allows to come our way and He promises to deliver us.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
“He is able to save completely all who come to God through him.” Hebrews 8:25a [The Living Bible]
Do you know there is something out there much worse than a wild animal or a dragon trying to give us a bad day; worse than that, he is trying to give us a bad life and a terrible eternal life?
The Bible says, “Be careful – watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart.” 2 Peter 5:8 [The Living Bible]
Job experienced an attack from Satan first hand. Job lived way back in the Iron Age in the land of Uz. That sounds like the beginning of a fairy tale but it isn’t. Everything in the Bible really happened.
The Bible says that Job was a good man who obeyed God and stayed away from evil. So how did he get into trouble?
One day Satan confronted God. God asked him if he had noticed Job. God said that Job was the best man in the entire world who would do nothing wrong.
“Well, yeah,” replied Satan. “You have always prospered and blessed him. You always protect him and You have made him rich. But just take Your blessings away from him and he will turn away from You.”
God knew Job’s heart and so He knew that this was a lie. He allowed Satan to test Job.
Job was very rich. He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred teams of oxen, plus five hundred female donkeys and many servants. He also had a large family: seven sons and three daughters. And, of course, he had a wife.
Satan sent nomadic raiders to steal all of Job’s oxen and donkeys. They even killed his servants. After that he sent fire to burn up his sheep and all the herdsmen taking care of them. Then more bad things happened. Satan sent three bands of marauding tribes to drive off his camels. Job was devastated. He couldn’t believe all these bad things were happening to him at once.
What did Job have left? His wife and children. Then one day Job’s sons and daughters were having a party in their oldest brother’s house. Satan sent a great storm which destroyed the house and killed all of Job’s children.
Job was very, very sad. He loved his children very much. Even though all these awful things happened to him he still loved and worshipped God. He had no idea that God was allowing Satan to test him.
Then Satan struck Job with the very worst case of painful boils ever seen. His whole body was covered with great ugly sores from his head to his feet. He sat in the ashes and scraped his sores.
His wife told him to curse God and die. She didn’t think he should love a God who allowed all this to happen to him. But Job stayed true to God.
Job had three good friends. Their names were Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. They all accused Job of sinning. They said that was why God was punishing him. This made Job even sadder. He knew that he had not sinned. Friends should comfort one another and not put each other down.
Finally God spoke to Job out of a whirlwind and Job bowed to God and worshipped Him. God told Job He was very pleased with him.
After this, Job’s sores healed and he became well. God blessed him with twice as many riches as He had before. He also blessed Job with seven sons and three daughters. The Bible says these three daughters were the most beautiful women in that country. Job lived to be an old, old man.
The Bible says that Satan accuses us, His children, too. But God has put His hedge of protection around us so Satan can’t harm us unless God allows him to.
We are so blessed. We don’t have to worry. We have Someone much stronger on our side. Let’s say I sin. Then Satan says to God, “Look at Ruth. Everybody thinks she’s so good but she sinned today. She got mad at her neighbor because of their dog who barks all day long. She doesn’t deserve to get to heaven.”
And then Jesus, who is sitting at the right hand of God the Father, turns to Him and says,” Just a minute here. I died on the cross for everyone’s sins. Ruth has accepted me as her Savior. Her sins are covered by my blood.”
Jesus will always be there for us His children. “He is able to save completely all who come to God through him. Since he will live forever, he will always be there to remind God that he has paid for their sins with his blood.” Hebrews 8:25 [The Living Bible]
Going Deeper for Parents:
We learn a lot about human suffering in the book of Job. In Job God also opens a window for us to learn of Satan and his relationship to God. The first two chapters confirm to us that even though Satan is in rebellion to God he is still accountable to Him.
We can rest assured that Satan’s power is not as great as God’s. He tries to hamper God’s work but he is limited by what God allows him to do. He is not all powerful like God and he can only be in one place at a time while God is omnipotent and omnipresent. That is why his fellow fallen angels must help him.
God is also omniscient. Satan is not. He can’t know our minds nor our future but God can.
God uses all of our hardships for good just as He used Job’s trials for good. Through them He tested Job’s love for Him and it grew stronger than before. And all could see that God was sovereign and compassionate.
God promises He will not allow us to be tempted more than we are able to bear. He also promises us strength to go through whatever He allows to come our way and He promises to deliver us.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Returning Good for Evil
Memory Verse
“Don’t let evil get the upper hand but conquer evil by doing good.” Romans 12:21 [The Living Bible]
Have you ever tried to do something and nothing seems to come together but you know this is the right thing for you to do? Let’s say you want to join a certain team or activity in school or in church. But as it turns out, the scheduled time doesn’t work for you or for your parents to take you there. Or maybe you don’t make the team and the coach tells you to try again next year.
You keep trying and eventually you make it; you’re accepted in the team. Usually the delay occurs because the timing just isn’t right for you at the time. Maybe you have to practice more and improve your skills or maybe a position has to become available to accommodate you. A lot of things have to come together for it to happen but at the time you can’t understand why it doesn’t work. Suddenly everything falls into place.
That’s how it was for Joseph and his brothers. Joseph couldn’t understand why God would let him be sold as a slave and then be put into prison. Jacob couldn’t understand why God would let a wild animal attack his favorite son. He didn’t know it was all a terrible lie. Joseph didn’t know it would end with him saving his family from starvation and poverty.
Joseph’s brothers did bring Benjamin with him when they returned for more grain. Joseph was so glad to see his brother but he didn’t let on who he really was. He wanted to test his brothers to see if they would protect Benjamin or desert him also, as they had him.
First he invited them to a meal in his home. He saw to it that they were seated in order of their ages, from oldest to youngest. He sent food from his table to each of his brothers, but to Benjamin he sent five times as much. Maybe he was testing his brothers to see if they would be jealous.
After the meal his steward filled the brothers’ sacks with grain and put Joseph’s silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. In the morning the brothers left for home. They hadn’t gone far when Joseph sent his steward after them to retrieve his silver cup.
When the steward finally caught up to them he demanded to know why they had stolen the ruler’s silver cup. Of course, they denied taking it because they had no idea that it was in one of their sacks.
They assured the steward that they were honest men and if he found the cup in one of their sacks that brother must die and the rest of them would be the steward’s slaves for ever.
“No,” said the steward. “I will take the brother for my servant in whose sack I find the cup and the rest of you can go free.”
How surprised they were when the steward found the cup in Benjamin’s sack. They didn’t know what to do. They had promised that he would be the steward’s slave. But they couldn’t go through with that. They all accompanied the steward back to the ruler with Benjamin.
When they arrived at the ruler’s house, Joseph was waiting for them. He asked them why they had taken his silver cup. It was a very special cup. He demanded that only Benjamin stay and he would punish him but the rest could return home.
“No!” said Judah. “Our father will die of grief if Benjamin doesn’t return. I will stay in Benjamin’s place and be your servant. I promised our father that nothing bad would happen to Benjamin.”
Finally Joseph was satisfied. He saw that his brothers had changed. They weren’t jealous that Benjamin was now their father’s favorite. He knew they were better men now and he longed to tell them who he was.
So he sent all the Egyptians out of the room and then he talked to his brothers in their language. “I am your brother, Joseph, who you sold into Egypt; is my father still alive?”
The brothers stood there in amazement and fear. They probably had a hard time believing Joseph. Also they must have been afraid of what he would do to them to repay them for their mean deed.
But Joseph assured them that he really was their brother. He cried because he was so overcome with deep feelings for his brothers. He told them to come close to him and then he told them why they shouldn’t be afraid.
“It was God who sent me to Egypt,” he said. “He sent me here to save your lives. The famine will last for five more years. I want you to bring your families and everything you have to Egypt.”
They hugged each other and with joy and relief they cried on each others’ shoulders. Joseph was generous in returning good for evil. He urged them to hurry home and come back quickly, bringing his father with them.
Even Pharaoh was glad to hear that Joseph’s brothers had come. He too invited them to come live in Egypt. So the jealous feelings that the brothers had acted on years ago brought good things to Joseph and his father, Jacob, and to his brothers.
That’s what God can do in our lives too. If we give Him our problems, even if we don’t know what to do, and wait for Him to act, He pulls everything together in His time. He can use our failures and even our sins to bring glory to Him in the end.
Sometimes we have to go through a lot of pain and misunderstanding. Sometimes it takes years for us to know why something happened or didn’t happen after we prayed and waited so long. We might never know the reason why God allowed certain hard things to happen to us or our family until we see Jesus in heaven. But as we wait we can know that God loves us very much. He says we are the apple of His eye. And He is planning beautiful things for us.
Going Deeper for parents:
As adults we have lived long enough to see the cycle of returning good for evil work out. Possibly you have also observed the vicious circle of returning evil for evil take its toll on people. And maybe you, like me, have sometimes shivered as you even saw people return evil for good.
The Bible it's easy to love someone who loves us, but God requires that we love those who don't love us nor show love to us. I think returning good for evil is forgiving in progress. As you do good, forgiving begins to spring up in your heart. That’s what returning good for evil is all about: forgiveness.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
“Don’t let evil get the upper hand but conquer evil by doing good.” Romans 12:21 [The Living Bible]
Have you ever tried to do something and nothing seems to come together but you know this is the right thing for you to do? Let’s say you want to join a certain team or activity in school or in church. But as it turns out, the scheduled time doesn’t work for you or for your parents to take you there. Or maybe you don’t make the team and the coach tells you to try again next year.
You keep trying and eventually you make it; you’re accepted in the team. Usually the delay occurs because the timing just isn’t right for you at the time. Maybe you have to practice more and improve your skills or maybe a position has to become available to accommodate you. A lot of things have to come together for it to happen but at the time you can’t understand why it doesn’t work. Suddenly everything falls into place.
That’s how it was for Joseph and his brothers. Joseph couldn’t understand why God would let him be sold as a slave and then be put into prison. Jacob couldn’t understand why God would let a wild animal attack his favorite son. He didn’t know it was all a terrible lie. Joseph didn’t know it would end with him saving his family from starvation and poverty.
Joseph’s brothers did bring Benjamin with him when they returned for more grain. Joseph was so glad to see his brother but he didn’t let on who he really was. He wanted to test his brothers to see if they would protect Benjamin or desert him also, as they had him.
First he invited them to a meal in his home. He saw to it that they were seated in order of their ages, from oldest to youngest. He sent food from his table to each of his brothers, but to Benjamin he sent five times as much. Maybe he was testing his brothers to see if they would be jealous.
After the meal his steward filled the brothers’ sacks with grain and put Joseph’s silver cup in Benjamin’s sack. In the morning the brothers left for home. They hadn’t gone far when Joseph sent his steward after them to retrieve his silver cup.
When the steward finally caught up to them he demanded to know why they had stolen the ruler’s silver cup. Of course, they denied taking it because they had no idea that it was in one of their sacks.
They assured the steward that they were honest men and if he found the cup in one of their sacks that brother must die and the rest of them would be the steward’s slaves for ever.
“No,” said the steward. “I will take the brother for my servant in whose sack I find the cup and the rest of you can go free.”
How surprised they were when the steward found the cup in Benjamin’s sack. They didn’t know what to do. They had promised that he would be the steward’s slave. But they couldn’t go through with that. They all accompanied the steward back to the ruler with Benjamin.
When they arrived at the ruler’s house, Joseph was waiting for them. He asked them why they had taken his silver cup. It was a very special cup. He demanded that only Benjamin stay and he would punish him but the rest could return home.
“No!” said Judah. “Our father will die of grief if Benjamin doesn’t return. I will stay in Benjamin’s place and be your servant. I promised our father that nothing bad would happen to Benjamin.”
Finally Joseph was satisfied. He saw that his brothers had changed. They weren’t jealous that Benjamin was now their father’s favorite. He knew they were better men now and he longed to tell them who he was.
So he sent all the Egyptians out of the room and then he talked to his brothers in their language. “I am your brother, Joseph, who you sold into Egypt; is my father still alive?”
The brothers stood there in amazement and fear. They probably had a hard time believing Joseph. Also they must have been afraid of what he would do to them to repay them for their mean deed.
But Joseph assured them that he really was their brother. He cried because he was so overcome with deep feelings for his brothers. He told them to come close to him and then he told them why they shouldn’t be afraid.
“It was God who sent me to Egypt,” he said. “He sent me here to save your lives. The famine will last for five more years. I want you to bring your families and everything you have to Egypt.”
They hugged each other and with joy and relief they cried on each others’ shoulders. Joseph was generous in returning good for evil. He urged them to hurry home and come back quickly, bringing his father with them.
Even Pharaoh was glad to hear that Joseph’s brothers had come. He too invited them to come live in Egypt. So the jealous feelings that the brothers had acted on years ago brought good things to Joseph and his father, Jacob, and to his brothers.
That’s what God can do in our lives too. If we give Him our problems, even if we don’t know what to do, and wait for Him to act, He pulls everything together in His time. He can use our failures and even our sins to bring glory to Him in the end.
Sometimes we have to go through a lot of pain and misunderstanding. Sometimes it takes years for us to know why something happened or didn’t happen after we prayed and waited so long. We might never know the reason why God allowed certain hard things to happen to us or our family until we see Jesus in heaven. But as we wait we can know that God loves us very much. He says we are the apple of His eye. And He is planning beautiful things for us.
Going Deeper for parents:
As adults we have lived long enough to see the cycle of returning good for evil work out. Possibly you have also observed the vicious circle of returning evil for evil take its toll on people. And maybe you, like me, have sometimes shivered as you even saw people return evil for good.
The Bible it's easy to love someone who loves us, but God requires that we love those who don't love us nor show love to us. I think returning good for evil is forgiving in progress. As you do good, forgiving begins to spring up in your heart. That’s what returning good for evil is all about: forgiveness.
Ruth Willms
Author: The Lion Tree
http://ruthwillms.com
ruth.willms@gmail.com
Want to know more about how God can help you every day? Check out my new book The Lion Tree at http://ruthwillms.com
Look for my new unpublished story, The Rubik's Cube, at http://ruthwillms.com
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