Unlimited Offer

I am always amazed at various cell phone companies which offer "unlimited minutes, data and text."  When looking more closely at the offer, however, one often finds there is a limit to the "unlimited."  

With our particular carrier, "unlimited data" means we can still have data coverage after we have used up to a certain amount, but it is a much slower data plan.  Slow as in s-l-o-w.

I am so glad that Christ's "unlimited" really is unlimited.  His eternal life really is forever.  His everlasting life really has no end.  He will do exactly what He has promised to do.

"For God so loved the world,

that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,

but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

The Time to Pray

The other night I knew we were going to be busy at work, because this time of year patients want to be delivered before the holiday comes and often doctors are only too happy to oblige them.  It was already busy when we left that morning and there were more cases scheduled to come in.   I went to bed dreading the next shift and it was the first thought as I awoke.

My friend Tammye must have felt the same way.  We were in the break-room prior to heading out to the nurses' station and she asked me to pray for us before the start of our shift.  Her simple request humbled  and shamed me at the same time.  

I had spent plenty of time dreading this night, I had even spent time thinking about what we would do to handle the heavy load, but I don't recall praying about it even once.  

How often do I do this?  How often do I let fear or dread take a hold of my heart and never even let the thought of prayer enter in?  Knowing what we do about prayer, knowing how precious our prayers are to the Lord, why is that not my first thought, my first action?

I hope to have learned a great lesson from my dear friend Tammye and seek the Lord's wisdom and guidance before sinking into the temptation to dread and fear.   There is only One source for true comfort, true joy and true peace and His ear is always listening for the sweet sound of the prayers of His children.

"Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto Thee will I pray.

My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; 

in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up."

Psalm 5: 2, 3

Identified

The other day we were sharing a cup of coffee at our favorite coffee shop and the manager passed by.  Glen had heard from one of the other employees that this young gentleman and his wife had recently had a baby, and he inquired as to how mother and baby were doing.

"As well as can be expected," was his surprising response.

It turns out the baby had to be delivered quite early because of a medical condition with the mother.  As he spoke to us about his daughter's time in the neonatal intensive care, I noticed the pink, white and blue band on his wrist.

Being a Labor & Delivery nurse, I knew that this band identified him as the baby's father.  It was -- as I have joked with many a new dad -- his "ticket" into the nursery.  I knew also that he would wear that pink and blue bracelet everywhere he went.  He would not remove it because the only way to do so was to cut it off, thereby removing any chance of being able to get in to visit his daughter.  He was willing to wear a bracelet splattered with pink and blue designs because of his love for and his desire to be with, his daughter.

As I looked at the bracelet on his wrist, I thought of Another who was willing to go through any embarrassment, pain and suffering to be identified with His sons and daughters.

 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."Hebrews 2: 9, 10

Our Lord has chosen to forever identify Himself with the humanity He came to save.  He returned to heaven, not only a spirit, but a resurrected, glorified man and will forever bear that humanity to show that we are His children.

I love the way one preacher said it, "Christ is as much God as if He were not man and as much man as if He were not God."  Or more simply as another said, "There is a Man, Christ Jesus, on the throne of heaven today."

Our identification with Him has nothing to do with what we have done, just as this manager's daughter did nothing to receive his identification with her.  We are born into the family of God by faith in what His Son has done and by that alone.  He is the Author and Finisher of our faith, our salvation and the eternal and everlasting joy we will know with Him as His sons and daughters.

"Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith: 

who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, 

and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.   

For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, 

lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."  

Hebrews 12: 2, 3