“For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Col. 1:29 ESV) 

Out of gas on the Golden Gate Bridge! 

Sometime in the later part of the 1970’s, I ran out of gas on the Golden Gate Bridge! I still don’t know how I hadn’t noticed that the gas gauge was on empty; I usually pay attention to such things. Susan and I were in a small hatchback car with our small son, Matthew, in the back, and suddenly we just ran out of fuel right there on one of the busiest bridges in the world! The engine just quit, and we stopped without any power to move off the bridge. The situation looked hopeless. I felt panic rising within me. And I said a desperate prayer for help. Then, suddenly, a large 4x4 pickup pulled up behind us, put its bumper on our bumper, and pushed us safely off the bridge to a place where we could get some gas. It was an amazing, miraculous, and most welcome rescue in our desperate time of need! After we reached the clearing off the bridge, the truck sped off as fast as it appeared. We did not even get a chance to say “thank you” to the driver. The power of that rescue truck gave us the needed energy to move our vehicle when we had none of our own! In a way, it’s a picture of how God rescues us with His energy in times of need. (Phil. 4:19).

Strengthened with all power

“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.” (Col. 1:11 ESV)

God gives power to the faint

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:28-31 ESV)

Therefore…

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Eph. 5:19 ESV)

Ella Fitzgerald, known as the “Queen of Jazz,” once said that she lived “With a Song in My Heart,” the title of her 1959 jazz classic, to express the deep joy and happiness she felt from music. The Apostle Paul, in the passage at the top of the page, described singing psalms and hymns as “making melody to the Lord in your heart.” The literal translation of the Greek phrase “making melody in your heart to the Lord” is “to sing praises from one's inner self to the Lord; sometimes with accompaniment of strings or other instruments.” From the earliest days of the church, singing and making melody to the Lord continued to be an essential part of the believer’s life and worship (see Matt. 26:30; Acts 16:25).

Therefore

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16 ESV)

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!” (Psalm 57:7 ESV)

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!” (Psalm 149:1-3 ESV)

“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20 KJV)

When a Roman centurion asked Jesus for his help because his boy servant was ill, Jesus offered to go heal him. But, the Centurion told Jesus to send His Word to do the job. Jesus did, and the servant was healed.

Jesus sent His Word to heal the servant boy

“When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matt. 8:5-9 ESV)

Jesus marveled at a Roman centurion’s great faith

“When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.” (Matt. 8:10-13 ESV)

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 ESV) 

Delight: pleasure, happiness, joy, glee, gladness; excitement.

How God shows His delight

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zeph. 3:17 ESV) 

“But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jer. 9:24 ESV)

“He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:19 ESV)

Delight in the law of the Lord

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:2 ESV)

“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.” (Psalm 119:92-93 ESV)

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matt. 11:15 ESV)

Pay attention to what you hear

“And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.” (Mark 4:24 ESV)

Faith comes from hearing

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10:17 ESV)

Listen with faith

“Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” (Gal. 3:2 ESV) 

Hear the Word and hold it fast

“As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.” (Luke 8:15 ESV)

“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness.” (Heb. 3:7-8 ESV)

Take care how you hear

“Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” (Luke 8:18 ESV)

Hear the Word, accept it and bear much fruit

“But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:20 ESV)

“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” (Eccles. 3:4 ESV)

Why did the chicken cross the road?

There are lots of funny answers and variations to why the chicken crossed the road. Such as, “Why did the chicken run across the road, roll in the dirt, and run back across?” The answer, “Because it is a dirty-double-crosser.” Just a reminder here that humor is very subjective. Whether this joke is funny or not to you, laughter is a wonderful gift that God has given and it is good like medicine (Prov. 17:22). And according to the Mayo Clinic, laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that's no joke. Here is more of what they say about laughter's benefits. 

Laughter’s short-term benefits

A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can:

·       Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.

·       Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response, and it can increase and then decrease your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.

·       Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which can help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Laughter’s long-term effects

Laughter isn't just a quick pick-me-up, though. It's also good for you over the long term. Laughter may:

·       Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.

·       Relieve pain. Laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.

·       Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make it easier to cope with difficult situations. It also helps you connect with other people.

·       Improve your mood. Many people experience depression, sometimes due to chronic illnesses. Laughter can help lessen your stress, depression and anxiety and may make you feel happier. It can also improve your self-esteem.

Laughter is a gift from God

·      God will fill your mouth with laughter

“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.” (Job 8:21 ESV) 

·      Laughter from great things God has done

“Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” (Psalm 126:2 ESV) 

·      God will make laughter for you

“And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.” (Gen. 21:6 ESV)

“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.” (Job 8:21)

Therefore

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” (Luke 6:21 ESV)

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matt. 6:22-23 NIV)

The passage above gives a stern warning to be careful about “what you see.” Because what you look at affects the whole body, physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. The Bible says that we are what we think about (Prov. 23:7); therefore, we must be on constant guard as to what we look at and allow into our minds and hearts (Prov. 4:23-27). In the world of instant entertainment of all kinds on cell phone screens, it is easy to watch anything, even evil material. It has the power to lead you downward into great darkness inside.

Don’t set worthless things before your eyes

“I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.” (Psalm 191:3 ESV)

“Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” (Psalm 119:37 ESV)

Make a covenant with your eyes to not gaze at sin

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1 ESV)

“Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.” (Prov. 21:4 ESV) 

Pray that God will open your eyes

 “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” (Acts 26:18 ESV)

Therefore

“Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” (Prov. 22:9 ESV)

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21 NIV)

Things to know about earthly treasure 

·      Earthly treasure is a good gift (James 1:17)

·      Earthly treasure is a major temptation (James 1:14)

·      Earthly treasure is a terrible master — you can’t serve two masters (Matt. 6:24)

·      Everything you have belongs to God (Psalm 89:11)

·      Be thankful for what you have (James 1:17)

·      Cultivate an attitude of contentment (Phil. 4:11)

·      Be generous (Prov 3:9)

Overflowing to bless others

“Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work. As it is written, “He scatters everywhere and gives to the poor; his righteousness lasts forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness. In every way you will grow richer and become even more generous, and this will cause others to give thanks to God because of us,” ( 2 Cor 9:8-11)

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Heb. 13:8 KJV)

Same: identical, not different, equal, changeless, consistent, constant, unchanging, unfailing, invariable, invariant, regular, steady.

God does not change

“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Mal. 3:16 ESV)

There is no variation or shadow due to change

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV)

Now and for eternity

“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.” (Jude 1:25 NIV)

God’s Word will stand forever

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Num. 23:19 ESV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Is. 40:8 ESV)