Stand Out From The Crowd

I said, "Father, I feel like I'm always sticking out like a sore thumb." His reply, "That's because you're designed to stick out like a sore thumb. A city that sits up on a hill cannot be hidden." We are called to stand out.

GOD SEES OUR EFFORTS

Revelation 3:8 (NKJV) "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."

A Good Understanding Makes All The Difference

Proverbs 4:7 NKJV Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes and not become discouraged.

“There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And the judge would not for a while; but finally he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
(Luke 18:1-8)

The widow in Jesus' parable was experiencing injustice from an adversary in the city where she lived. Sometimes the adversary can be someone in your family, on your job or right among the congregation where you worship. But he was close enough to her to be giving her a hard time on a regular basis.

Injustice comes in many forms... Racism. Repression. Radicalization.

She kept coming to the judge who was supposed to be a servant of the people, but he only had regard for his position and those that supported his position. But this widow knew that the judge was the one who could help her and she did not give up pleading for justice which he was sworn to uphold.

The judge ignored her - he had no compassion for her situation, but she kept coming. She came to the court house, she waited outside his house in the morning, she followed him home in the evening until she finally wore him down and he gave her justice.

Jesus told this parable to His disciples because He knew there would be an enemy coming against them to distract them from God's work... giving them (and us) a hard time to cause us to give up on what God has called us to do.

Sometimes the thing we are praying so fervently about seems to never begin to manifest. Finally we stop believing for it in the process of time. But Jesus asked if He would find us in faith if He does not come immediately or if we have to wait a long time.

Our ability to endure is proof of how rooted we are in Christ. Jesus said the Word (or seed) that is sown in us endures only for a while, and the person soon stumbles because of tribulation and persecution. But the heart that is rooted and grounded is immovable like a tree planted by the river whose roots are deeply and firmly planted.

So I will not be offended by the wait or give up on Him who brought me out of darkness into His marvelous light. If I must be reminded on a regular, that He certainly didn't give up on me. I love Him because He first loved me.

Lord help me to stand the test of time... to not grow weary in doing good... to not give up on You in the time of tribulation... when darkness seems to too long before the dawning. If my faith grows weary, let me have a refreshing and tie me to the horns of the altar that my sacrifice be not in vain. Help me to see You in the midst of it all and never forget that You are not slack concerning Your promises.

Judge Not That YOU Be Not Judged

John 8:2-12 (NKJV)
Now early in the morning He (Jesus) came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. [3] Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, [4] they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. [5] Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" [6] This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. [7] So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." [8] And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. [9] Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. [10] When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" [11] She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." [12] Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Happy Father's Day

His eye is on the sparrow and I know He is watching over me. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Be not dismayed whatever betide, God will take care of you;  beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you. If His eyes are on the sparrows then I know He is watching over me.

Me And My FAT Belly (1)

Daughter of The King

This article is my 80th posting here on Voice of the Dove, and I must confess it is the hardest, most uncomfortable, awkward and humiliating piece that I've put on the internet to date. But here it goes...

When I look in the mirror, I hate the reflection looking back at me. Particularly when I turn sideways and my fat belly extends like a woman with child. Some would say, "Well there's a very simple solution for this, get in the gym." And I agree, wholeheartedly. But it doesn't seem to be as cut and dry as that.

Even in my twenties, when I was a size 10, my stomach was bigger than I felt comfortable with. Needless to say, the figure in the mirror has wrecked my self-esteem. When I go to the mall to buy clothes, it becomes a frustrating affair. Issues with my weight go back some 30 years or more. There's got to be more to it than diet and exercise because I have yo-yo'd up and down so many times.

When I look at other overweight women with flat bellies, I get so jealous. How come it doesn't seem to effect them?

Lately, I seem to be praying about this more and more, because it is disturbing my peace of mind more than usual. I do know that God is concerned about the things that seems to be concerning us, which means that it must be on His mind as well.  The apostle Peter admonished us to cast all our care upon the Lord, for He cares for us.

I want to be delivered from this thing once and for all. No more yo-yo dieting, no more heavy sighing when I look in the mirror, and no more leaving the mall frustrated and depressed. I know strongholds can be broken.

More over, with God's help I can learn to love the me that I am right now, and see the beautiful woman that resides inside and outside of me.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment (apostle Peter said)... instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. Man looks mostly at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart. Charm can be deceitful and beauty fades away, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. 31:30).

Mephibosheth was King Saul's grandson, but he had a dead-dog image of himself. So when King David wanted to be kind and bless him, Mephibosheth said why would he want to bless a dead-dog like me? As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. God may want to bless you and use you but He can't get past your dead-dog image of yourself. If you believe you are unattractive, no matter how beautiful you are, you'll be unattractive. I am The King's daughter, why wouldn't He want to bless me?

The children of Israel had been taught that certain animals were unclean. Under Mosiac Law, they were not to have any dealings with those animals. But as a result of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, God does not see those animals as unclean anymore.

The apostle Peter was on the rooftop praying one day and he saw a vision of a large sheet come down out of the sky tied at the four corners. Inside the sheet there were all those unclean animals that they had not been permitted to eat.

Jesus said to Peter, "Arise, kill and eat." Peter said, "No Lord I cannot eat these unclean animals." Jesus corrected Peter, "What I have cleaned up, don't you call it common or unclean."

Jesus is saying the same thing to us, "Don't you dare call what I have cleaned up common or unclean. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, a beautifully cut diamond, My masterpiece and work of art. Should the clay say to the Potter, 'Why have You made me like this?' My thoughts toward you are precious and innumerable, more than every grain of sand in the sea and on the shore. You are beautiful to Me. Don't believe the lie because I am telling you the truth. What I have cleaned up, please don't call it common. You are the crown jewel. Truth is, you are so beautiful to Me."

So, as for me and my fat belly, I will go to the gym. But if I never lose it proportionate to 36-24-36, I will pray God helps me to embrace every part because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Heavenly Father, my King...
Deliver me from trying to fashion who I am based on the world's standards. Let me look to You to be my mirror, and my master makeup artist. You created me after Your likeness therefore, let Jesus be the image in the mirror reflecting back at me. I long to have the peace that passes understanding, and no longer be wearied by what appears to be my flaws. Let Your peace rule my heart. Give me eyes to see the beauty You see and embrace truth and not lies. Make my feet like the hind's feet so I may ascend to the high places with my Savior, Christ Jesus. Amen.

Seeking Success And Finding It

In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success. (Prov. 3:6 TLB)

The road signs to success sometimes lead astray... down a dead end road with no through access. People have written books about this stuff, giving you seven steps to follow to reach success. I am not putting them down, I am just saying there is a more excellent way.

The Lord told Joshua... "Ponder and meditate on My word day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed." (Josh. 1:8 MSG)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might (Eccl. 9:10a)

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men (Col. 3:23)

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matt 6:33)

You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jer. 29:13)

Go in peace.

Blessed Assurance - Jesus is Mine All Mine

Frustrated Christian Woman

I grew up in and around the church, and like the children of Israel, had the benefit of hearing God's word - attending Sunday School and partaking of many sermons.  We were taught that you had to live a perfect life or else you run the risk of waking up in hell when you passed from this life.  So when I finally accepted Christ at the age of 36 I struggled and I struggled with the idea that I was never walking the line straight enough, and thus securing eternal life.

To make matters worse, I was hearing a lot of sermons on sin, nearly every Sunday morning. This made me very, very sin conscious and perpetuated the fear of losing my salvation in greater and greater measure... till I thought I would literally lose my mind.  I love the Lord my God, but He appeared to be an extremely hard task master. And the idea that my salvation was constantly in jeopardy, made me feel like a total loser.

One day I decided to give up trying.  What was the point?  I got down on my knees for one last word of prayer - to say good-bye and fare well to the Lord I loved.  I was done.  When I had finished my good-byes, I got up to walk away and took two steps and collapsed in a heap on the floor in breathless sobs and uncontrollable wailing... the pain in my heart was excruciating, the likes of which I had never seen before.

I could not walk away from the Lord my God. Even I, myself, could not snatch myself out of the good Lord's hands. He sent the Holy Spirit to seal us in, and we are saved.

God knew my heart, even though my struggle with the flesh and sin consciousness kept me feeling like a loser much of the time.  God knew I was sincere.  He knew I did not want to say good-bye that day.  He held me close and did not let me go.

I was at home having Bible study one day and I divinely stumbled across a Bible verse in the book of John where Jesus said, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish."

"What you say? Never?"

"Never!"

"And I don't have to earn it?"

"No, I gave it!"

Who can fathom the love of God?  The apostle Paul prayed that all saints may comprehend the width and length and depth and height of the love of God and come to know the love which Christ has for us that far surpasses our ability to understand.  It took centuries of preparation to get Jesus down to earth and to the cross. Do you think He would just give up on you so easily?  Not happening! He does not even want one of us to perish.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)

The Universe Is Not God

The universe is not God. It contains no divine qualities whatsoever. God created the universe, and He controls the universe. It is God's creation, just like you and me. The universe does not make decisions. The universe does not decide who is blessed and who is not. The universe does not decide who lives and who dies. The universe does not make good and bad happen.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 1 John 2:18-19

Satan is the father of lies and he uses science and ungodly men to confuse the world and believe his lies. These are antichrists.

Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:22-23

If you say you believe in God... He will first introduce you to His Son. You cannot have One without the Other.

For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged." Rom. 3:3-4

Before anything else existed, God existed. He created everything... the universe, planets, galaxies, stars, the sun, and the moon and spirits and humans - all were created by Him and for Him.

The universe was not developed by a Big Bang. That is a lie.

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God (when He said, "Let there be"), so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Heb. 11:3

For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things exist. Col. 1:16-17

The universe is not running things. God is running the universe.

They (who perpetuate these lies) are of the world. Therefore, they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:5-6

Knowing God Through Love

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me, Christ Jesus. Behold, I stand at the door of your heart knocking, please let Me in.

If you have a heart to know the true and living God, you will know that these words are truth, and that Jesus is stirring in your heart even now. Don't let this opportunity pass without responding to Him.

Dear Heavenly Father...
   I now believe that Jesus Christ is Your only begotten Son, that He came down to our earth in the flesh and died on the cross to take away all of my sins and the sins of this world. I believe that Jesus Christ then rose from the dead on the third day to give all of us eternal life.

Lord Jesus Christ...
   I now confess to You all of the wrong and sinful things that I have ever done in my life. I ask that You please forgive me and wash away all of my sins by the blood that You have personally shed for me on the cross. I am now ready to accept You as my personal Lord and Savior. I now ask that You come into my life and live with me for all of eternity.
   Father and Jesus – I now believe that I am truly saved and born again.
   Thank You Father.   Thank You Jesus.

Congratulations, you are now a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and no longer a sinner. His Holy Spirit will welcome you in and guide you on this new path of eternal life.

Go in peace.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Here I sit at the starting gate. Should I stay or should I go? David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?”

Habakkuk said, "What’s God going to say to my questions? I’m braced for the worst. I’ll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I’ll wait to see what God says, how He’ll answer my complaint."

We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken, Enoch pleased God. It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe (A) that He exists and (B) that He cares enough to respond to those who seek Him.

Prayer Will Fix It For You

Before you let the devil win, go back and pray again.

UNCONQUERABLE SOULS IN THE WORKPLACE

Unconquerable is that which cannot be defeated or overtaken... it is an impenetrable fortress.

I have said before that most of my teachings are the result of personal experiences that became a message. I began this study as a result of my dealings with my new boss who loves to use me as a pawn in his leadership chess game.

There are several people reporting to him, but he does not like confrontation. So he uses me as his go-between in order to avoid confronting them. I have confronted him about his behavior but he continues to do it anyway. And the way he goes about it has the potential for destroying my relationships with my co-workers. He comes off looking like the good guy and I look like the stupid-bad guy.

After searching Scripture (and my soul) about this, there is one Bible verse that stuck with me... "He always causes me to triumph." Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage because I have overcome the world."

Some years back there was a minister in my church that was always giving me a hard time. The Lord had been ministering through me in a great way, during that season, and he developed animosity toward me as a result. He couldn't stand me and made no bones about it. He made life so hard for me while I was there that eventually, I stopped going. The Lord gave him a warning to stop this behavior but he did not heed God's warning. One day he woke up and didn't feel well all day. That evening he had a heart attack and passed away. I was able to go back to church and continue to be used by the Lord in ministry.

The apostle Paul said that he was in labors more abundantly and beaten above measure and in prison more frequently than his counter-parts. He received 40 lashes by the Jews five times. He was beaten with rods three times. He was stoned once. He was shipwrecked three times, in peril on the sea, in peril of robbers, in peril of his own countrymen, in peril of sinners, in peril in the city and in the desert and in peril of false teachers that were constantly antagonizing Paul's ministry. He was often weary, and tired, couldn't sleep, hungry and thirsty, and freezing with no coat to put on his back. But Paul's testimony to young Timothy was, "Out of them all, the Lord delivered me." In all he endured, Paul was an unconquerable soul. At the end he said, "I fought a good fight and finished my course."

Y'all... Satan is a defeated foe! Jesus said, "Behold, I give you authority over serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you." He has given us power and authority over the enemy. All we have to do is open our mouths and command the mountain to be removed from here to yonder place. If we believe and not doubt, we can have whatsoever we say.

There is a song I love that says, "Before you let the devil win, go back and pray again."

I feel sorry for people that are working against God's purpose. God is long suffering and patient, but if the antagonizers are determined to be stumbling blocks, God will crush them and move them out of the way.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers us out of them all. We are unconquerable souls. "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men," the apostle Paul said, because God has the final say and He will not always strive with the evil doer.

On a previous job, there were three women that meant to do me harm, but God protected me. Long story short, one-by-one all three were fired and left the company in disgrace. God will not put up with folk messing with His children. If He allows us to endure it for a while (like the minister at my church), He has a greater purpose.

I used to work with a lady named Leslie who seemed to love giving me a hard time. I had prayed many-a-prayer concerning this woman. At long-last, she had gotten into a heated argument with our boss and she terminated her employment. I was rejoicing all the way home from work. Hallelujah!!  God had answered my prayers! I arrived for work the next morning only to find that Leslie had rescinded her resignation. I was Devastated with a capital D. How could the Lord toy with me in such a way? As it turns out, they took her off our team. She said we would never make it without her. The Lord put Leslie far enough, away from me, that I hardly ever saw her, but she was close enough to see that we were thriving quite well without her. The Lord turned on His favor for our team and we began to excel. Every month our statistics was better than the previous month's. The psalmist David said, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies." If she had left the company, she would not have seen first hand, how well we were coping without her, despite her prophecy to the contrary.

I feel sorry for people who attack God's children because I know eventually, it will not turn out well for them. Do not be deceived friends, God will not be mocked, for whatever a man sows, that same he will also reap. They are seeds in his own ground and he will reap his own harvest.

Haman the Agagite, was an enemy of the Jews and had it in for them. He devised a scheme to annihilate them but his plan returned on his own head. The gallows he built to hang Mordecai, was the exact same one on which he himself was killed.

As I was leaving work on Friday, I prayed to the Lord for a refreshing for my soul because I was beginning to feel discouraged about my new job. A few minutes later, Joel Osteen came on my radio with a message that spoke right to my situation. The Lord recharged my battery.

The apostle Paul said, "We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." And He still loves us, so we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?" We walk in victory and we are over comers. We are not under achievers but we are over comers.

The song says,

I shall not,

I shall not be moved.

I shall not,

I shall not be moved

just like a tree

planted by the water,

I shall not be moved.

2 Cor. 2:14 - Now thanks be to God who always leads us to triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (especially in the work place).

Col. 2:15 - Having disarmed principalities and powers, Christ made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Ps. 41:11 - By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me.

Mark 10:27 - Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Jer 32:17 - ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Rom. 8:31 - What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

2 Cor. 9:8 - God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

Phil. 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Zech 4:6 - So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel (and to us): ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.

Rom. 8:37 - Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Numb. 13:30 - Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

1 John 4:4 - You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world.

Go in peace... with your unconquerable soul.

We are soldiers in the army of the Lord.

To God be the glory.

Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove

Harnessing The Law Of Kindness

I was reading Matthew Henry's Bible Commentary yesterday and ran across this phrase... "The law of love and kindness is written in the heart, and shows itself in the tongue." And I could not shake it the rest of the day.

For the last few months, I have had a great burden on my heart concerning violence in the world and the racial and civil unrest America is experiencing right now. It saddens me to see people being bullied and treated disrespectfully by others. Sometimes they do it for no other reason than for sport. It does not make any difference what race or ethnicity we are, we all deserve to be treated with equal respect... following the Golden Rule towards ALL at ALL times.

When the law of love and kindness is ruling the heart, this godly person would dare not mistreat another human being, not for love nor money. That is the kind of world I wished we lived in, where people are just plain old nice to one another and followed the Golden Rule all the time.

That said, I went to Walgreen's and was heading fast down the straight-away when Primadonna dressed to the hills in leopard print (even her 5-inch heel sandles and tippy-toes) almost crashes head on into me coming out of one of the aisles. I was already in a foul mood when I went into the store and instead of her apologizing to me, I apologized to her and Primadonna sashayed on as though it was my fault and I should've apologized to her.

Because I was already in a foul mood, that drove my irritability radar soaring into the red zone. "Miss Thing with her leopard print toe nails thinks she is too good for apologies," I thought. By the time I made it to the check out counter, guess who lands right in front of me? Yes!! Leopard toes herself. So now my irritation is directed to Lord, "You would let her get right in front of me."

At the end of her transaction, she drops twelve cents on the floor. Without thinking, I dove to the floor and picked it all up and handed it to her. She gave me a sincere God bless you and walked out of the store.

In that moment, my heart melted, I forgot about my foul mood and said, "Thank You Lord, You just gave the devil a black eye." I feel bad that all through the store I was thinking bad thoughts about my sister in Christ who happens to dress differently than me. Perhaps if I had not been speeding like a gazelle through the store, we wouldn't have almost had a head on collision. In truth, I did owe her an apology for judging her the way I did, simply because I was angry at someone else.

When I got home and pulled into the driveway, the Lord sent a beautiful bluebird to visit me on my front porch as a reminder that He is with me always... even concerning the thing that initially got me in the foul mood to begin with. I sat in my car and watched the bluebird play in my front yard for a minute or two and the peace of God flooded my soul and washed away the thoughts wreaking havoc in my emotions.

The law of love and kindness is written in the heart.

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:12-14)

Go in peace.

It's A Wonderful Life

While Job was enduring his time of suffering, he questioned God...

“Why is light given to him who is in misery,

And life to the bitter of soul,

Who long for death, but it does not come,

And search for it more than hidden treasures;

Who rejoice exceedingly,

And are glad when they can find the grave?

Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden,

And whom God has hedged in?

For my sighing comes before I eat,

And my groanings pour out like water.

For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,

And what I dreaded has happened to me.

I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;

I have no rest, for trouble comes.”

In the movie, It's A Wonderful Life, George Bailey hit a wall when his life in Bedford Falls culminated into a successful unravelling and he wanted to jump off a bridge and end it all. In the beginning of the movie, he talked about traveling the world and getting out of the sorry town of Bedford Falls which he thought had nothing going for it. But one thing after another kept him from achieving his laufty dreams and he ended up spending his whole life there in that sorry town having never done any of the things he had planned before graduating from high school. Through Divine intervention, George was visited by Clarence, the angel second class seeking to earn his wings. George told Clarence that he wished he had never been born and the angel grants George's wish. Clarence then shows George what a world looks like where he does not exist. When George discovers how valuable his life has been, despite the fact that he had not fulfilled his life long dreams, George no longer wants to kill himself. Clarence convinces George that he had led a wonderful life and it would be a terrible mistake to throw it away. George runs back to that same bridge and prays to God that he wants to live again. And George is given a second chance at life with renewed zest and joy that he had never known.

Jesus said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." The source of life is God so the meaning of life must be derived in Him as well. I wonder if we were all given a chance to see what life would be like without us in it, if we would find significance in our place on this earth like George Bailey did.

Without George Bailey's intervening, Bedford Falls would have become a sleazy and violent town run by the evil Henry Potter.

None of us accidentally appeared on earth. We each have a part to play, some more significantly than others but nevertheless... we are here with a purpose... even the wicked.

For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth."

So, life begins with God and any continuance of life finds its place in Him as well. When Satan requested to try Job's faith, the Lord permitted the trouble but prohibited Satan from taking Job's life. God is the giver of life and no one can end it without His consent. Not even a bird falls to the ground apart from the Father's will.

I once heard a story about a young lady that laid on a train track to end her life. When the train ran over her, it severed her legs but she remained alive. That's why Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." He laid down His life, and after three days, He picked it back up.

Satan couldn't take Job's life and neither could that young lady take her own life without God's consent. He is the beginning and the end of life. Even the evil Egyptian Pharaoh was born with a purpose, that God may through him show His power, that He alone is God and there is no other with power like His.

Living our lives without Jesus is like looking at a jigsaw puzzle of a lighthouse with the light as it's only missing piece. The picture is not complete and the most important piece is missing. Jesus is the light of the world and without Him, we continue to drift in the dark floating aimlessly with no guidance and significance. Jesus said He came that we may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance to the full, till it overflows. He does not get His kicks making life hard for mankind or looking at the enemy thrash us around... or seeing children starve to death... or a sick person writhing in pain. These things have a purpose though we can't see it right now because we walk by faith and not by sight.

Jesus and His disciples passed a man who had been blind from birth and His disciples asked who had sinned that this man would be born blind. His blindness was not a result of sin but it was so that the works of God might be displayed and illustrated through him.

People wonder how a God who is supposed to be so good, could allow evil and suffering to continue. We believe if we behave like good little Christians, God should show up right away and answer all our prayers. When He does not, we feel slighted. How can He allow the prayers of the righteous to go unanswered?

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory.

Truth is, whatever we may think about the fairness of God, we are better off with Him than without Him. He is the bread of life that feeds our hungry souls and the river of life that quenches our thirsty souls. Without God our lives would be drifting like a ship, without a sail.

God's thoughts are nothing like our thoughts and neither His ways like our ways. As far as heaven is from the earth is how far His thoughts are from ours. When we try to figure God out based on our thinking, we are way off base, and cannot reach the truth based on human perspective.

God is love... the very essence of love. Anything we think we know about loving others, we get from God. He's the beginning and the end. Therefore, in love, He does not get His kicks watching His creation suffer.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, king Solomon exclaims that everything is completely meaningless apart from God. Solomon asks a series of rhetorical questions such as:

What good does it do to seek pleasure?

What do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety?

What will happen on this earth after we are gone?

Solomon was very cynical about life, stating that it was meaningless and wearisome beyond description. History merely repeating itself and there is nothing new under the sun. He had devoted himself to searching it out for understanding, but soon discovered that God had dealt a tragic existence to the human race. His observances of everything going on here on earth was as vain as chasing the wind.

But God tells a different story than Solomon's about man's existence, that it is not merely a circular motion of one life after another existing till our time on earth is done.

For thus says the Lord,

Who created the heavens,

Who is God,

Who formed the earth and made it,

Who has established it,

Who did not create it in vain,

Who formed it to be inhabited:

“I am the Lord, and there is no other.

True, it is tragic that Adam and Eve disobeyed God, by eating the forbidden fruit. But even in light of that, God's plan and purpose will still go forth for mankind, with a slight detour through the cross of Christ.

Life is not meaningless and futile and depressing. Life lived in conjunction with the cross of Christ can be quite rewarding. Life takes on new meaning when we open the door of our hearts and begin a life of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When Solomon finally figures that out he said, "Here now is my final conclusion: fear God and obey His commands, for this is the whole duty of man." When Adam and Eve failed to do this, they were evicted from Paradise and life became hard for them and for their descendents. When they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened to evil and it shall thoroughly run its course.

I sometimes wonder why the Lord saved Noah and his family, instead of just wiping us all out. Apparently, it was important to Him to create a family and redeem mankind from a life of tragedies.

We have been promised a time when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. He says that no eye has seen nor ear heard of the things that He has prepared for those that love Him. We may experience some seasons of sorrow and suffering during our journey through this life, but Scripture say that God has promised the crown of life to those that love Him.

My husband said that you cannot see the legacy of a president while he is still in office. It is after he has left the oval office that his legacy begins to unfold. Maybe it is the same with us, that the usefulness and meaningfulness of our lives does not yet appear while we are still on the earth, but after we have passed on. In the same way that George Bailey had been given the unique opportunity to see how many lives he had touched and the significance of his life. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Life is a journey, not a destination." We are only passing through it to our eternity.

The Holy Spirit said to me, "If you're thinking that your destiny ends once you leave earth, then you are thinking too small."

My relationship with the Lord is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I believe when we begin to live our lives in light of GOD and ETERNITY, then life begins to take on a whole new meaning. A life truly surrendered to God finds great significance. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Christ's sake will surely find it.

It's a wonderful life! Live yours to the fullest. :)

Go in peace.