What a Friend We CAN Have In Jesus

Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives and remembering what one receives. - Alexandre Dumas

Can you imagine all the things Mary - the mother of Jesus - treasured in her heart? Hmm!

Grandma's hands! Grandpa's jokes! Mom/dad's voice! Coach barking out instructions! Amazingly, we can still 'feel' or 'hear' those voices loud and clear in our moments of reflection, and what joy and inspiration they bring. How much more so then, should we enjoy hearing from Our Lord. He said "my sheep hear my voice and a stranger they will not follow." Is the Word of God and voice of the Holy Spirit inviting and pleasing to us, or do we view them as an intrusion and killjoy to all we would want to do? Though God is God and our ultimate judge, He would rather walk and talk with us daily in relationship as a friend. And maybe, out of all the friends we have, we might consider moving Him up on the list. Amen!

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Botts

"The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend..." - Exodus 33:11

Moving WITH God

You’re now free to move about the country. – Southwest Airlines tagline

God led the Israelites from bondage in Egypt to the Promised Land. Whoa!

Travelling is a great enjoyment of life for most of us. And we live in a time where highways, railways, skyways, and cruise lines can take us anyplace we want to go. Moses told God “don’t send us anyplace without your presence going with us”…! It begs the question of us. Do we or have we ever made the same request of God for our lives? As we move about the hustle and bustle of life, changing jobs, moving from location to location, relationship to relationship; is this our continued request of God? Paul prayed that we might be ‘rooted and established in his love’ so that no matter where we settle, it will be at God’s direction. As we think about making changes this New Year, maybe we need to realize that though we are free to move about, we won’t move unless and until God’s presence goes before us.

Until tomorrow…

Pastor Botts

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” – Exodus 33:14