When Jesus Touches Our Lives We Are Changed

September 17, 2024 by 2 Comments

Think back today to the years when Jesus walked the earth. When he interacted face to face with those around him, when his hands touched their needs. Those folks walked away different than they were before they met Jesus.

Blinded eyes saw again. Deaf ears opened. People were fed. Fevers disappeared. Shame fell away. The lame leapt with joy. Persecutors became followers. And on and on it goes. All of these things happened because people had encounters with Jesus.

You see, when Jesus touches our lives, we are changed. The people that Jesus met during his days on earth saw not only healings and physical changes, but they experienced spiritual transformation as well.

Consider the story of the jailer told in Acts 16:31-34. He stood guard over Paul and Silas when they were thrown in a Roman prison. In fact, after being told to guard them carefully, he was the one who put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in stocks. They would not escape on his watch.

Little did the jailer know that God had other plans. While Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, an earthquake rocked the prison. All the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.

The jailer, gripped by fear and the certain knowledge that escaped prisoners meant his own execution, drew his sword and prepared to kill himself. When Paul stopped him by shouting that they were all still there, the jailer fell to his knees and asked what he needed to do to be saved.

Paul and Silas said, “‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’” (v. 31) They could have turned a deaf ear to the one who had mistreated them, but Paul and Silas extended the love—the touch—of Jesus. The jailer believed and his life forever changed.

Because he met Jesus, the man who had thrown these men of God into the inner cell and put them in stocks now washed and tended their wounds. He took them into his home and set a meal before them. Why? Jesus had touched his life, and he was a changed man.

Jesus is still touching lives today. Lives are still being changed. And I am among them. Because Jesus touched my life with love, grace,  and forgiveness, I can offer the same to others. Because Jesus has given me hope and peace, I can share these precious gifts with those around me. My life is changed, I am changed, because Jesus touched—and continues to touch—my life.

Do you need the loving, healing touch of Jesus in your life today? He’s as close as your next breath. Use it to whisper his name. Call on him. He will not fail you. He will extend his touch to you. And you will be forever changed.

“‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’” Revelation 3:20 KJV

*How has Jesus touched your life?

*If you don’t have a personal faith in Jesus, you can come to know him today. Just talk to him. Tell him you believe that he died for your sins and the sins of the world and that he rose from the dead to bring victory over sin and give eternal life to those who believe in him. Ask him to forgive your sins and to come into your life and be your Savior. He loves you and is waiting to hear from you!

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early November. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

Photo by AMONWAT DUMKRUT on Unsplash

Filed Under: change, encouragement, faith, forgive, free, grace, heal, joy, life, love, mercy, pair, peace, salvation, touch, trust, victory, Word of God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Time to Abandon Plans and Move On

June 20, 2023 by 2 Comments

Remember how I told you in May about the robin I saw several years ago who stayed focused and built her nest in spite of my interloping presence? Unfortunately, the story didn’t end there. Something went wrong a few weeks later.

I’m not sure what happened. She faithfully sat on her eggs during the height of that summer’s heat wave. She watched over her nest and tongue-lashed other birds who came too close. When she wasn’t in the nest, she never seemed far away or gone for long.

When we left for vacation, I wondered if the sound of baby birds would greet us on our return. But it didn’t—no cheep-cheep-cheeps could be heard. No little upturned beaks gaped wide for a meal from momma.

Instead, momma bird was there, still faithfully sitting on the nest, still panting through the heat. I was glad I’d be on hand for the hatching. Glad I’d get to witness the birth of new life.

But one morning a few days after our return, the momma bird wasn’t in her nest. I thought it odd but not too unusual. When I checked that evening, again she was gone.

The next day the empty nest met me once more as I made my rounds. Now I feared something was indeed wrong. No sight of the momma bird in the days that followed confirmed my suspicions. The nest had been abandoned.

What would cause such a faithful and focused momma to walk away—or fly away, as in this case? More than likely, something happened to the eggs. Maybe some sort of predator got them, but I also wonder if the unrelenting heat we had that summer was the culprit. What a disappointment—for the momma bird and for me as well.

Poor momma bird. If the problem was the heat, I wonder how long past the normal time she waited, hoping to see her babies pecking their way out into the world. I wonder how many hot days she soldiered through, doing all in her power to succeed. I wonder how she knew it was time to move on.

Some of us have had plans and projects that didn’t work out. A few of us may be in the midst of one right now. We’ve worked faithfully and done all we know to do. We’ve kept trying and we’ve waited—and then waited some more.

We finally reach a point when we know it’s over, when we know it’s time to move on. Our hearts, heavy with the disappointment of an unfulfilled dream, sometimes want to cling to the pain and nurse our wounds. And that’s okay for a time. But like the momma bird, we need to abandon the dashed plans and move forward to what life has to offer now.

We’ll certainly learn from the experience and grow stronger, but for now—for today—it’s time to lift our eyes to the future and fly away.

“I lift my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 NIV

*Have you ever had to fly away from one of your hopes or dreams? Did a future blessing await you?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE. *Temporary problem with Life Notes sign-up. To sign up, just contact me.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*My photo

Filed Under: action, challenge, change, determination, disappointment, disaster, dream, faithfulness, goal, growth, learn, life, nature, new thing, perseverance, preparation, strength, summer, work Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Prayer Can Transform Faces

October 6, 2020 by 2 Comments

As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.” Luke 9:29 NIV

We’ve all heard that familiar saying that prayer changes things, but can prayer actually change our faces? I think it can.

The Bible gives us examples of faces transformed by prayer. The scripture above refers to the day Jesus took three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—up onto a mountain to pray with him. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined what was about to unfold. As Jesus prayed, his face changed and his clothes turned bright as lightning. A transformation (known to Christians as the transfiguration) took place and the disciples were allowed to see Jesus in his glory. Just thinking of it leaves me in awe.

Moses’ face was also changed by spending time with God. After God met with Moses on Mt. Sinai and engraved the Ten Commandments on stone tablets for the Israelites, the Bible tells us that “[Moses’] face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” (Exodus 34:29 NIV)

Think of Paul and Silas. After they were severely flogged and thrown into prison, they prayed together and even sang hymns as the other prisoners listened to them. Scripture doesn’t mention the expression on their faces, but it’s safe to assume that as their prayers gave way to hymns, the distress on their faces must have been replaced by peace and even joy.

Yes, our faces often reflect what’s going on in our hearts and lives, don’t they? When we pray and tell God our burdens and hopes and as we give him our thanks and praise, our faces will indeed show the peace and comfort, joy and refreshment, and even strength or determination he’s imparted to us.

So is prayer transforming our faces today, this week, this year? Can people see God’s love and care reflected there? Oh, may it be so! Let’s allow prayer—time we spend with God—to change our faces!

“Those who look to him are radiant;” Psalm 34:5 NIV

*When was the last time you felt your face change as you prayed?

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early November. One lucky subscriber (new or current) will receive a $15 gift card to Starbucks and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.) p.s. If you sign up after Oct. 30th, you will be included in all future Life Notes giveaways but not in this current giveaway.

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Photo by Radu Florin on Unsplash

Filed Under: appearance, body, change, joy, peace, prayer, refresh, signs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Prayer Transforms—Prayer Changes Me

February 27, 2018 by 8 Comments

You’ve heard it said that prayer changes things. Well, sometimes.

Sometimes we see God answer our prayers through changed circumstances or hearts, but other times things don’t change. The house goes into foreclosure. The divorce is finalized. The cancer rages on and finally wins the battle. For whatever reason, God, in his infinite—and loving—wisdom has not seen fit to change the thing we’ve brought to him in prayer time and again.

But one thing I’ve found to be true about prayer is that even when God doesn’t grant the change I desire— when he says “no” or “wait”—prayer still brings about change. It changes me.

As I bring my burdens to him in prayer, changes take place in my heart. Sometimes they’re dramatic and instantaneous, but more often than not, they blossom a step at a time as God does the work in my life that will draw me closer to him, that will conform me into his image.

Anxiety and worry melt into peace and calm assurance in my heavenly Father. Anger and unforgiveness grow into grace, like the grace given so freely to me. Bitterness that may have crept in gets uprooted while negative feelings about someone are replaced by compassion and love. My wisdom and need to control give way to the blessed relief of trusting utterly in him.

So even when it seems prayer is not changing circumstances the way I’d like, I’m grateful to know that coming to God in prayer is indeed doing a transforming work. I’m grateful to know that prayer changes me. How about you?

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV

*When has the Lord changed you as you’ve prayed to him?

*I hope you enjoyed this encore post from February 2011!

*The new issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, came out in early February. It’s not too late to receive it. Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*Flickr photo by kabils, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: change, encouragement, faith, growth, prayer, unfailing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

5 Ways to Make Valleys of Weeping into Places of Springs

August 31, 2015 by 2 Comments

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“As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs . . .” Psalm 84:6a

People have had to travel through tough times and places since the beginning of time. Ever since sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, difficulty and suffering have touched our lives.

In the verse from Psalm 84 above, pilgrims on their way to observe the religious festivals in Jerusalem (see v. 5) passed through the Valley of Baca—a valley of suffering. My NIV text note tells me that “Baca” means either “weeping” or “balsam trees.” It goes on to say that balsam trees were common in arid valleys. So whether the meaning here is a place of weeping or an arid place, both paint pictures of difficulty and suffering. The pilgrims didn’t have it easy. They had to travel through tough places.

Today believers are still pilgrims traveling through tough places, through valleys of weeping or struggles. Each one of us is walking life’s road toward our heavenly home. Each one of us faces tough places along the journey. Places and times when grief, trials, or spiritually dry times overwhelm us. Like the pilgrims of old, we don’t have it easy.

But notice how the scripture tells us that these Old Testament pilgrims made their valleys of weeping into places of springs. If you’re like me, you’re wondering how in the world they did that. Again, an NIV text note gives further insight. It says that the pilgrims’ expectations of joy transformed the difficult ways into places of refreshment. The promise of coming joy helped see them through.

So how can we transform our valleys of suffering into places of springs? Here are five ways that might help us:

1. Keep our eyes on the Lord and turn to him for solace. Even during our toughest times, he can supernaturally give us comfort, strength, refreshment, and even joy when we look to and depend on him.

2. Like the Old Testament pilgrims, expect and look forward to future joy. Instead of focusing only on the grief or difficulties we are currently dealing with, let’s keep an eye on future days when joy will be our portion again.

3. Find something every day to be thankful for. Expressing gratitude for something—for anything positive we see in the midst of our struggles—can lighten the moment, lift our spirits, or give us a fresh perspective.

4. Instead of isolating ourselves, stay involved with others and allow them to provide the comforting touch or encouraging word we need. Remember, God uses people to apply balm to our hurting hearts.

5. Read from the Bible every day—even if it’s just a few verses. God’s Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). It can provide refreshment and comfort and wisdom and everything else we need on any given day. It has been a lifeline for me nearly all my life.

As we apply these strategies—and others you may be thinking of—I can almost guarantee that God will bless us with moments of refreshment in the tough places of our lives.

God wants to show us his love and he will honor the efforts we make as we look to him. We may not have it easy all the time, but we do have a God who walks with us and is able to transform our valleys of weeping into places of springs. Let’s keep our eyes on him.

“He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;” Psalm 107:35

*Which of these strategies have made a difference in your life during tough times? What else could you add to the list?

*My photo

Filed Under: change, comfort, grief, help, life, provision, refresh, spring, trial, victory Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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