Tag: god

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Little Peeps

“How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Armies! My soul longs and yearns
For the Lord’s courtyards. My whole body shouts for joy to the living God. Even sparrows find a home, and swallows find a nest for themselves.
There they hatch their young near Your altars, O Lord of Armies, my King and my God…”
Psalm 84:1-3

God’s LIVING WORD never disappoints! Even passages that we’ve heard repeated throughout our lives can take on a brand new meaning, because His Word is LIVING and ACTIVE!

That was my experience this morning. Unexpected. Not even requested… But as I read the
familiar words, God’s Spirit pointed out parts of the verses and shed whole new Meaning to my soul. And I’d love to share it with you!! Let’s take a walk through His Home . . .

“How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Armies!” I don’t know about you, but
somehow I do not picture the top official of armies (plural) to be living in a house that another man would call “lovely.” (Somehow I would picture lots of maps and battle plans and documents. Weapons on display, Pictures of military officials and battlefields. But this Lord of Armies (plural) lives in a place of amazing beauty.)

The writer goes on . . . “My soul longs and yearns for the Lord’s courtyards…” The writer
(male) is so impacted that in his deepest being, he wants to just stay there. And that’s just the outside area! before he has even gone through the inside entrance to His Host’s Home!

“My whole body shouts for joy to the living God. . . “ Have you ever “shouted for joy? It’s
not an everyday experience, is it! The rare Moments in our lives that would evoke such an
emotional reaction are remembered for a long time. . . often for the rest of our lives. The
experience this writer is having is likely a once-in-a-lifetime Moment. (And he’s not even inside the Lord of Armies’ Home yet!)

Even sparrows find a home. . . Remember . . . we’re talking about the literal Dwelling Place
of God. The sparrows are not privy to the inside of God’s Home, but they can build their nests and live in the nearest place to it. . . just outside, in the courtyard. Jesus used the little sparrow imagery to describe people who seem to be the most common, small, insignificant creatures of our world. But that is purely human perspective. God sees them differently. To Him, each one has value. . . significance. . . are noteworthy to Him. . . even when one sparrow falls! Mind-boggling!!!


“. . . and swallows find a nest for themselves.”
Swallows are small, agile, insect-eating birds, known for their stream-lined bodies, pointed
wings and often, forked tails, spending most of their lives in the air to catch insects. They spend most of their time building mud nests under the eaves of buildings, and are widely-spread migrants.

“There they hatch their young, near Your Altars, O Lord of Armies, My King and my God.
Blessed are those who live in Your House. They are always praising You.”

Can you imagine that? Picture your church building . . .and as you walk inside, you notice the
little muddy “nests” under the eves near the entrance. Swallows. . . flitting and swooping the
people coming in and out of the church building on a Sunday morning. We would see ladies
whooping and covering their heads, men and ushers scrambling for brooms or sticks to keep them away from the entrance. Surely, the muddy nests would be knocked down and smashed ASAP. There would be human and bird voices throughout the whole experience!

So, why would God via the Psalmist use that imagery as a POSITIVE example for those who
worship Him?

Have you ever headed to church, feeling like a real mess? As a human being. . . as a
worshipper . . . as the head of a family . . . as a frazzled mother feeling like an emotional mess?

The Psalmist uses the imagery of the swallows . . . messy, in a space not designed for nor
appreciated by humans, yet in that Space. Uninvited. Unwelcome. Messy. Leaving poop all
over the place (excuse the term.)

Not only does the Psalmist mention the swallows and that they are living in the Temple space, but in spite of their rather messy nature, he blesses them as an example of creatures that build their messy nests right inside. . . To God, they are welcome and have a place there
to live in safety.

Imagine our churches today . . . what happens when someone “who doesn’t belong there”
comes into our space of worship? I remember hearing a story from someone from a lovely, big church telling about a Sunday morning when a very ragged-looking young man came into the church, bare–footed, ragged jeans, long scraggly hair. The guy had never been in that church before, and the church people were seated and ready for the service to begin.

As the young man hesitated at the main entrance, he started to walk down the center aisle towards the front. Church attendees began taking note of this young man . . . obviously not uncomfortably wondering what was going to happen. The young man reached the front row, and sat down.

Then, the uncomfortable congregation noticed the elderly head usher begin walking slowly to the front row. The room was silent, with all eyes on the elderly usher. The observers were
thinking . . .”Well, he’s going to handle this situation. You can’t blame him.” This barefooted,
ragged guy isn’t anyone we know. He’s clearly not part of our church. It’s understandable that our old head usher would want to have a word with him. . . and usher him out for security reasons.”

As the elderly man came to the front pew, he quietly took the young man’s arm . . . and seated himself next to him, with a handshake and a smile. He stayed beside him throughout the service, guiding him through the hymnal and Bible passages being read. At the end of the service, he put his arm around the young man and welcomed him to come back anytime. The congregation and leaders had experienced first-hand what the Psalmist had described in Chapter 84.

May we, as the Church . . . the Body of Christ . . . welcome and care about all those who, by
God’s Spirit make their ways into our places of worship, and experience His Presence and
Love.

Check out Janet’s book Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Drudgery

"And beside this...add..."
2 Peter 1:5
  • Make the bed, . . . start the coffee . . . make breakfast . . . pack lunches. . .
  • remind George to change his shirt from yesterday. . . remind George to change his socks,
  • Find his backpack.   Check if he has a clean pair of pants.   Find his socks.  Where’s his 
  • homework?   And that’s just the normal list for George . . . There are three other “bodies” to 
  • check on before they’re out the door.
  • How are you doing with the everyday task list you have to shoulder in your life?  

Peter gave us a great list to help us do a self-check of our own lives in the context of our relationship with Jesus.  We can “do the right things” in our daily routines, ,  . . . good things. .

But God always puts a higher Value on what is going on in our hearts than what we are “doing.”

We can have the neatest lawn on the block . . . the most beautiful flowers bordering the picket fence  . . . the best wax job on the car . . . the whitest sheets on the clothes line (do people still use clotheslines?)

Peter’s list is not about things we DO.  The list is about what comes out in the way we live and the way we treat people throughout our daily lives.

Read through the list Peter gives us about what should come out of our lives as followers of Jesus.  The list may have familiar words, but does your life reflect those words in practical ways?  That piece is directly tied to our relationship with Jesus.  He lived out those qualities perfectly during His time on earth.  We can look to His examples as He interacted with people, and with His Father. 

Doing all the right things can be done by anyone with that determination.  But God always seems to prioritize what comes out of our lives and hearts . . . attitudes:   loving interactions . . .forgiveness… kindness … patience….long-suffering….etc.  And in the midst of our day-to-day, 

those attitudes and actions show up in the unguarded moments of life.  It’s a daily piece of our human nature.  

Peter surely struggled with his own human nature. . . just as we do.  And he gives us a little check-list for our Journey through that Battle. . . our human nature vs. God’s Nature,  which He works within us as we learn to follow  Him each day.  

2 Peter 1:5 – 10  is his checklist.  Why not use his checklist!  I’m sure he wouldn’t mind!

Check out Janet’s book Not Forgotten on Amazon

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ANCHORED  for LIFE

"We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure."
 Hebrews 6:18

This two-sentence verse is loaded with visual images for us to contemplate.   The writer gave us images that we can picture in our minds. . . which is a foundational piece of human learning and retention.  Since the foundational HOPE subject is, in itself,  intangible, it’s hard for us to see it as a reality.  

God, via Paul, gives us a tangible word picture to help us understand  a very foundational Truth that needs to be solidly central to our minds, hearts, and life.   It is not some ethereal concept that we can simply state but not allow it to permeate the entire core of our lives…it becomes a reality, not just a concept.  Paul is talking about the inner sanctuary that God created in every person He brought into being. God formed each of us with the God-space inside of us to be able to be in relationship with Him on a deeply personal level.  Our “soul” space.

Paul is using the world picture of the Temple in Jerusalem, the place that was a visual image of God’s desire to be with His people on this earth. God designed it, in detail, and provided a tangible image for us to “see” how we can come to Him and connect with Him.  There were layers of the Temple that were visuals of how to move towards Him, beginning with entering, getting physically cleaned up, moving into His Presence, and communicating with Him…  and preparing to listen to Him communicating with us.

Paul uses an “anchor” image, critically essential for humans in any boat when a storm comes, the waves toss, rocks loom, masts tear, and the rains and winds wreak havoc.  Human control is limited to simply trying to keep one’s head and boat above water.   We desperately scramble to save ourselves from the storm  .  .   .  from our boat taking on too much water . . . grabbing our life-jackets. . . getting “all hands on deck”…

bailing out water.  But in reality, it’s beyond our control.  

Jesus’ 12 disciples experienced that exact crisis on the sea, with Jesus in the boat.  They had witnessed Him doing some amazing miracles, but when they were in a terrible situation beyond their control, they panicked.  And Jesus was right there in it with them…but sleeping.  His panicking friends frantically woke Him up. From what must have been a deep, needed sleep, He simply addressed the wind and waves with two Words, “Be still.”  BOOM!  Done. 

But I wonder, was Jesus only addressing the wind and waves?  The storm?  Or was He really addressing His friends?    “Be still.”   

When the storms take over your life, there is fear.  You try to fix it.  You try to bail.  You panic.  You wish you’d never even gotten into the boat, no matter who else was in it with you.  You cling to anything that might work.  

But if Jesus is in the boat with you, He is the One you need to talk to.  When we’re in a seemingly hopeless situation, and we’re scrambling to fix it or find some way out, we truly have to go to Him with the situation.  It’s beyond you.  

No matter what “it” is, it is not beyond Him.  Have you been trying to bail yourself out?  Grabbing life jackets to save yourself?  Shooting off flares for someone to rescue you?  

Is Jesus in your boat?  Have you forgotten His Presence and His Power in the midst of your familiarity of following Him?  Has your sea been calm for a while?  Have you felt like He is “sleeping” and unaware of you?

If you have chosen to follow Him, there is nothing that will separate Him from you.  He’s

there, even if you’ve been so busy “bailing” that you forgot that fact.   Take the step to come to Him.  Tell Him about your fears, and  what is causing them.  Talk to Him.  Ask Him.  Remind yourself of His Presence “in your boat.”

He is able to still the waves in your life.  HE is the Anchor that steadies it.  Focus on His Presence, no matter what is causing you to fear.  He is there..

Read Janet’s book Not Forgotten, Available on Amazon

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While The Light is Still On, Love Warmly

"While you have light, 
Believe in the Light."
John 12:36

The Clock of Heaven was ticking.  Jesus was fully aware of that Fact, as well as the experiences that were to come  in the next few days. . . Experiences that were spoken of by ancient Prophets of His Father.  It’s extremely   poignant that Jesus spoke these Words to His closest friends at this Moment. Although his friends would not have known what was about to shatter their world in the coming hours, Jesus knew.  His Light was about to be extinguished.  He knew the “how”, the timing, the circumstances, the individuals that would be involved, and the horrific blow that would be dealt to this circle of friends with whom He had lived His Life for the past 3 years.  He knew exactly what He would experience in the coming hours.  He knew what His close friends would go through.  And He knew of the blow it would be to them and to the Faith they now carried in their minds and hearts..  Their knowledge of Him and shared experience was about to be challenged beyond anything they could imagine.  But He knew.  

Jesus continues to be Present in our daily lives.  He knows what lies ahead.  He has given Himself to each of us who have trusted Him with our lives.  And His Promises will remain true for us as we walk through each day.  He showed us with His own human life

as the  Picture of the “how,” “when” and the “what” comes into our lives.  He continues to give us His Light… each day, whether we are aware of that or not.  


We have His Light in us, if we have invited Him in.  That is His Promise.  And NOW . . . while we have it, is the time to believe in His Light.  Don’t let that Light be switched off by sin’s choices. . . Don’t step out of that Light, whether in hiding or shame,

or choices to invite darkness into our minds, hearts, homes, relationships.  Tend to that Light. Don’t cover it.  Don’t “unplug” it from its source.  Keep your eyes focused on that Light.  Let its rays guide you each day.  Tend to the Oil of His Spirit in you.  Don’t let it deplete through neglect.  Keep returning to its Source everyday, allowing it to be re-filled in your soul.  Watch for any dimness beginning to come on a whisper to your heart.

Eyes open, ears attuned, heart uncluttered. . . 

Live saturated with His Light.

Read Janet’s book Not Forgotten, Available on Amazon

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  When the Darkness Comes

LESSONS from a KING

When I was a young teenager, I went through a period of depression.  At that time, I was not aware of “depression,” and had never knowingly encountered anyone living with that reality.  In the “church world” in which I was fully immersed, there was no talk of someone battling depression.  People who followed God should not struggle with such things, it seemed.  As a young teenager, I was completely unaware that a young person might have such struggles.  And if they did, it was just something in my shy personality that caused me to be alone in my room so much.   But I knew that what I was experiencing was not good . . . it was not something that God would have put in my life.  

I will never forget the day when, at 14 years old, all alone in my bedroom, (which was becoming my “new normal,”)  I was sitting on the edge of my bed, filled with the deep sadness that I could not seem to escape.  I began to cry, and asked God to help me. . . I knew “it” wasn’t good . . . not something from God.  But I had no idea what to do about it.  In desperation, I picked up my Bible, and silently asked God to show me something in it that would help me get out of the dark cloud that was closing in on my life.  I simply let my Bible fall open with my silent plea.  The words that caught my attention were not words I had ever read before.   

  • Isaiah 42:3
    “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;”

  • And it is repeated in the New Testament. . . 
  • Matthew 12:20
    A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.

My tears began to flow.  I knew that I was that “bruised reed” about to break.  I was that fragile, smouldering wick that would need only a wisp of air to snuff it out completely.

And I knew that God was holding me in that moment . . . He would not let my fragile heart be broken.  That was the Moment that will always be a turning-point in my Journey

with Jesus . . . when He met me there in the midst of my sadness and longing for Purpose,  and Hope, in my life.  He was with me . . . ME . . . personally, and permanently.  That very personal certainty was a major turning  point in my life.  And I never again had any doubts of His Presence, His Love, and His Purposes for my life.  That Bedrock of Truth has remained a reality from that Moment on, despite extremely difficult and painful seasons, He has faithfully protected and sustained that Flame, though flickering at times, that was lit in my heart as a young teenage girl.  And He is not finished!  He will continue to keep that Flame alive . . . even when it is barely smoldering, until justice (just as the reality should have been before the damage occurred) has been brought through to Victory.)   What a Promise!!!

Read Janet’s Latest Book – Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Talking to Yourself?

“Praise the Lord, my soul!

Praise His holy Name,

All that is within me!

Praise the Lord, my soul,

And never forget all the good He has done.”

Psalm 103:1

OK, . . . be honest.   Do you talk to yourself?   Do you say out loud what you are thinking, and you are the only one in the room?  Do you ask questions to yourself?   Do you answer them, too?

Well, though you may be teased by others who overhear your verbal activities, it’s nothing to worry about.  The Bible has lots of passages that are words spoken to the person saying them.  David did that quite a bit.  Out in those fields with just a bunch of sheep whose entire vocabulary was “Baah” or “Maah”.  David would have probably gone crazy if he hadn’t had someone to talk to.  David learned early on to talk to himself, . . . and to God.  He also put music to the words swirling in his heart and mind as he spent his days and nights with only the “Baah” and “Maah” vocabulary of his field-mates.  

David was never faulted for that, in God’s estimation.  God was listening.  And enjoying the boy’s words to himself.  And David’s words to himself seamlessly became words to God Himself. . . even adding melodies to those words.

Do you ever intentionally speak to yourself   . . . your soul . . . your heart . . . putting words to the emotions that can overwhelm you, especially when nobody else is there?  Well, you are in good company!   

But  there IS Some One there. . . near.. . .in the room.  Unseen, but real.  Present.  Hearing.  Understanding.  And Responding. . . .although we may not realize all that is true.  He is listening.  And He wants to hear all of it.   Yes, He knows it already, but He wants us to hear ourselves expressing those things that we don’t easily say out loud.  There is an old saying I’ve heard spoken in many Jewish homes  . . . “my lips to God’s ears.”    It’s a good, simple reminder.  Even if we are “talking to ourselves”, God hears it all.  Present.  Understanding.  Responding . .  whether we are aware or not.  Believing it or not.  

So next time you or someone near to you says something to himself or herself, or to nobody at all, pause a moment and think of what God is hearing….with full Knowledge of the thoughts behind the words.  Then listen for that “still, small Voice” . . . with your heart.

Read Janet’s Latest Book – Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Our On-going Conflict

"Stand fast, therefore,
In the Liberty wherewith
Christ has made us free."
Galatians 5:1

Paul, the writer of the Book of Galatians, was well-acquainted with conflict.   Paul literally met Jesus in the midst of creating conflict… targeting and wreaking havoc in the Christian world that was grappling with the effects of Jesus’ physical visit to Earth.  Paul had turned the religious world upside-down in his former life’s Mission to uphold the Faith of the God of Israel.  But then Paul whole-heartedly turned to Faith in the Messiah Jesus, following his dramatic, personal Encounter with Him.

Paul’s words echo through the ages to us, and the experiences each of us have had as a result of our own personal encounters with Christ . . . now in the 21st Century of history.  Paul presents the “Great Conflict” with which each follower of Christ must grapple throughout all of our days here on Earth.  As we individually choose to step out of the Kingdom of Darkness and step into the Kingdom of Light, we have each experienced the personal impact of choosing to stand with Christ in our life’s Journey here.  The world we each entered from the beginning of our tiny life is not the World that God had created before sin entered and became a permanent part of Life on Earth.  

Although the Kingdom of this World incessantly works to draw us into its Darkness,  Jesus stands with each of us who have chosen to follow and serve Him, having won our Freedom from that Darkness and bringing us into His Kingdom of Light.  Paul’s words give us a picture of that very real, very hard-fought Liberty that Jesus offers and provides for each of us.  It is our new Reality.  Always available.  Always True.  

“Stand fast” . . . not shaking in our boots . . . not turning and running . . . not hiding in a bunker . . . not running home to escape the dangers. . . not pretending there is no risk in our life’s reality.   

“Stand fast, therefore . . .  in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.”  Period.  

Do we realize that our Liberty is a reality NOW?   We don’t need to cower in fear, peeking out of our bunker to check for danger.  We don’t need to hide behind someone else who seems to offer protection.  “Stand fast…”  He’s got you.  He’s got me.  That is the Reality, despite the Battle that rages around us.  We are His.  We are free.

See Janet’s book Not Forgotten on Amazon:

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God Protects His Tiny Sacrifice Lamb

“This is how you will recognize Him:
You will find
An infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:12

Jerusalem is an easy walk from Bethlehem. The Gate used for lambs to be brought to the Temple for sacrifice is within sight of Bethlehem.  Flocks of sheep have filled the fields between the two cities for centuries.

God’s Son, the Perfect Lamb of God, came into this world in that small town of Bethlehem.   His Purpose was to be the only perfect One who could be the ultimate Atonement Sacrifice for sin, making it possible for our forgiveness and the Hope of Eternal Life.

The town of Bethlehem provided the most convenient sacrifice lambs for all those who came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the God of Israel.  The flocks of Bethlehem were the key source of lambs used in the nearby Temple.  

But, considering how sheep are quite defenseless, the newborn lambs were the most defenseless of all.  And Mama could not be of much help.  So, the shepherds had to not only watch over all of the sheep, but those “perfect lambs” born within their flocks had to be protected above all.  If mama sheep are defenseless, how much moreso are their newborn lambs at risk.  And here is the missing piece of the puzzle (for me anyway) concerning those little, defenseless, newborn lambs that were the key piece of Temple sacrifices to the God of All Creation.

The shepherds used a simple system put in place for the survival of those perfect lambs.  They would wrap a perfect, newborn lamb in strips of cloth.  This would protect them from cold, as well as bites or cuts  that they might experience in the sheepfold.  If you’ve ever seen sheep get wind of the their shepherd coming with his buckets of food for them, you would understand the danger of anything getting in the way of those pushing, baaa-ing…pawing, shoving, trying to get on top of one another in order to get to their food.  The tiny, newborn lambs do not stand a chance!   

The ancient solution to this “manger danger” was for the shepherd to swaddle the newborn lamb with strips of cloth and put that tiny lamb into a manger  away from the rest of the sheep. 

Ring a bell?   The Wise men who were coming to find this Holy Child. . . the Lamb of God, were to look for “ an infant wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger.”  

The established protocol for protecting the perfect lambs destined for sacrifice was exactly the same protocol that Baby Jesus, the Perfect Lamb of God, followed from His first breath as God-became-man in tiny human form.  

His Story never becomes old.  It is alive . . . active, drawing us deeper and deeper into His Love and Purposes for our lives and our world.   

May this Christmas season continue to unfold in  your own heart, and from your heart to this world that so desperately needs Him.

Read Janet’s book, Not Forgotten. Now available on Amazon

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Trusting God with Your Child’s Future Mate

“God will send His angel ahead of you,
And you will get my son a wife from there.”
Genesis 24:7

It’s scary when our kids reach an age of hormones and butterflies.  We are brought back to our own youthful season of awakening desires and the “yuckiness” of their previous aversion to the opposite sex becomes a thing of the past.  

Abraham knew that his son was reaching that point, and that they were in a land inhabited by people who had no consciousness of the True Creator-God that Abraham’s family worshiped.  Where was he going to ever find a young lady “good enough” for his precious son Isaac!

Abraham went to God with his quandary.  And God was faithful, as always.

Although Abraham’s family was in a “world” that did not have the Truth or connection with the God of Abraham,  Creator God was looking at the heart of a young woman to bring into their little family.  Abraham could have taken things into his own hands, but his Journey with God was proving again and again that God Knows . . . He is Able . . . His Ways are best.  Finding a young woman of virtue and character in that world was highly unlikely.  But “unlikely” is when God does some of His finest work.

It would require that Abraham be “hands-off” in finding his son a wife in their very un-Godly environment.  But unlike us, God sees the heart, knows the story, sees the future, and knows the Path that will lead to fulfilling His Purposes in this world.  

Even when it seems highly unlikely that He can really do that.

Abraham chose to put his trust in his servant.  As he had instructed, Abraham’s servant went to the land of his master’s birth, and the God of Abraham guided him to the woman who God had chosen for the beloved son.  

Sometimes God chooses to use people in our children’s lives to bring about His Purposes for them.  Trusting The Father of All Fathers is always best.

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Your Treasure Trove


“Your heart will be where your treasure is.
Store up treasures for yourselves in Heaven,
where moths and rust don’t destroy and
thieves don’t break in and steal.”
Mathew 6:20-21

Throughout my life, I have had a strong tendency to spot and then collect little
“treasures” . . . often treasures that other people may or may not see as anything
special. Something that had caught my eye. And then, later,I would re-discover my
little treasure, having completely forgotten about it. The drawtowards a “treasure” is a
human thing. Children seem to always find little treasures that quickly find their way into
a pocket or a little container, often forgotten in a short time.

As those children grow into adulthood, the “treasures” change . . . often becoming of
greater earthly value, and taking up more space in our lives. It’s a prevalent reality in
our human nature. Our hearts are filled with personal treasures . . . both good and bad.

What “treasures” have come to occupy the precious spaces of your heart? When was
the last time that you took an inventory of the contents of your heart? What are the true
treasures? What are the “treasures” that are more “trash” than “treasure”?

Jesus’ Words, recorded by Matthew, are just as important today as they were when
Matthew was hearing them from the Heart of Jesus, in “real time.”

We would all do well to take a regular inventory of the “storehouse” of our own hearts.
How much rust has accumulated? How much damage has been done by the “moths”
that have taken up residence there? Rust and moths don’t do their damage overnight
… it takes time. Thieves do a quicker job of their damage . . . much more intentional
and sneaky. In and out . . . and it may take a while for us to realize that “something”
of value has been stolen from our hearts. It’s a slow process of realization . . . silent. . .
intentionally secretive.

The only Safe Place in which to place our treasures of this life is in Heaven, into the
nail-scarred Hands of Jesus. That act in itself helps us to consider those treasures with
a deeper awareness of just how precious they truly are.