Amen (#95 of 365+)

We returned from our Christmas vacation just yesterday. Most of our time was spent in and around Cambria, California. Everywhere we looked we saw the goodness of God’s handiwork.
 The beach, hillsides covered with green clover (my favorite), trees, and moss was everywhere! Lots of wildlife surprised us at every turn including sea lions, elephant seals, pelicans, seagulls, egrets, turkey buzzards, turkeys, and a family of deer. We stayed at my father-in-law’s beach house and browsed through some of the local shops, toured the ground level of historic Hearst Castle, and walked on the boardwalk at Moonstone Beach. If we had stayed a few more days we still would have had a variety of new things to do. On our next trip I hope we’ll visit a few wineries and go surfing at Cayucos. We had a truly wonderful time…

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“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:11-13)

As the year winds down I look back on all that’s happened and changed in my life, and I take comfort in the fact that God’s presence has always remained steadfast. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). As Joni emphasized, “It really is all about Jesus”. Every single one of God’s promises points in one way or another to my savior Jesus Christ. He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). He is the “Word of life” (1 John 1:1), God’s “Yes” and the reason I have the ability to say “Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus is at the center of my life. Anything good in me starts and ends with him. Even when I lack enough faith to do the right thing, or I mess up and do the wrong thing, God will remain true. He will never go against his character and his Word. I can take comfort in that knowledge and enter the New Year with a lightness of heart.

There was a large painting hanging in the stairwell at the beach house. I saw a little aged piece of paper tucked into the lower right-hand corner of the frame. On that paper, many years ago, a typewriter had stamped my father-in-law’s name and the following: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6". I didn’t remember to ask him about it but what I do know is that my father-in-law is a lot older than I am. It would be safe to assume that he has experienced a lot more pain, heartache, disappointments and regrets than I have. I don’t know what other places he has kept the yellowed piece of paper for all these years, but it is currently in a spot he passes at least twenty times a day. It must serve as a constant reminder that God has never stopped working in him and through him.

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)

Lord, thank you for your wonderful gifts and for the experiences we’ve shared this year and especially this past week. As I look forward to the future now may my life shine with your glory and point others to you every day. Amen!