Tuesday, December 31, 2019

2020

New Year, New steps, New hopes, New prayers, New opportunities to trust… New joys to you in all!
Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD. Psalm 40:4 (NLT2)

©2019 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow, all rights reserved.

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Giver: Our Christmas Blessing

God- the name of the Giver.
So loved the world- the heart of the Giver.
That He gave- the generosity of the Giver.
His only begotten Son- the Gift of the Giver.
That whoever believes in Him- the invitation of the Giver.
Should not perish- the mercy of the Giver.
But have everlasting life- the promise of the Giver.

John 3:16 (NKJV)


May your Christmas be filled with the goodness of the Giver...
Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley for Meeting in the Meadow.


©2019 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Friday, December 20, 2019

A Heart for Jesus, Part 4

Anna: A praying heart that trusts God’s word

One of the things that has always stirred my heart during the Christmas Season is the depth of meaning found in the lyrics of many classic Christmas Carols. In a little known Carol written in 1781, The People That in Darkness Sat, is this brief prayer, “Lord Jesus reign in us, we pray, And make us Thine alone.”
This prayer seeks to have Jesus in His proper place in our lives. The Christ child was born to be King, not just of the Jews, but also to be the King of our hearts. We were born to belong to Him, to know Him, to adore Him, and to live for Him. This prayer of surrender to the Lordship of Christ was evident in the life of Anna. Her heart was set upon the Lord, and her life was set apart to the Lord, long before Jesus came into the world.
We are introduced to Anna in Luke 2:36-38. It is the only place where she is mentioned in Scripture. We are only given a snapshot of her life, but what a powerful image it is! The Scriptures tell us Anna was a very old woman at the time of Jesus’ birth. She was widowed as a young woman, having lost her husband after seven years of marriage. After her husband’s death, she lived a life separated unto the Lord, frequently being at the Temple to pray and worship
Anna was a Jewish prophetess from the tribe of Asher. Asher was identified by Moses as “Happy and blessed…whose feet would be bathed in olive oil.” (Deuteronomy 33:24). This was certainly true of Anna, for she was bathed with unspeakable joy and blessing at the appearing of God’s Anointed One, the Messiah, Jesus Christ the Lord.
While at the Temple one morning, after a night of seeking God through worship, fasting, and prayer, Anna came upon Joseph and Mary at the very moment they entered the Temple with their newborn Son. We don’t know how many times Anna had prayed for the coming of the promised Messiah during her decades of intercession, but when she saw the child before her, she was infused with excitement and filled with gratitude. The promise of the Word of God that she held in her heart concerning the coming of the Redeemer of Israel had been fulfilled!
The life of Anna is another witness to the believer that God keeps His promises! The coming of God’s Son to earth, and His redemptive work upon the cross, are the greatest demonstrations of God’s love for us. The richest people are those who live their lives carrying the treasures of God’s promises in their hearts.
May the testimony of Anna stir our hearts to prayer this Christmas Season. The God who cares for us, invites us to call upon Him, and His invitation assures us that He hears and answers prayer. What a privilege it is to pray, and what a blessing it is to focus our prayers upon the promises of God. Prayer is one of the greatest gifts our loved ones can receive from us. We should also be thankful for all the blessings we have in our lives because of those who have prayed for us.
This Christmas Season, may the following prayer draw you closer to God’s gift, the One who is too wonderful for words…
Lord Jesus, I open my heart to You. You are the One who came for me, died for me, and rose for me. You are my Savior! Thank You for being present in my life as my Daily Bread, my Living Water, my Word of Life, my Prince of Peace, and my Song of Songs. I acknowledge You as the Guardian of my way, the Keeper of my heart, the Provider of my needs, the Security of my future, the Sustainer of my hope, and the Foundation of my faith. In darkness I receive Your light, in weakness I receive Your strength, in uncertainty I receive Your wisdom, in conflict I receive Your victory, and in hard times I receive Your overcoming grace. Thank You for being the Way that leads me to the Father’s heart, for being the Truth that keeps me from confusion, and for being the Life that can never be depleted or taken away. Amen!
Anna, returned thanks to God and talked of Jesus…And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him. Luke 2:38,40 (AMP)

©2019 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

A Heart for Jesus, Part 3

Simeon: A peaceful heart that holds salvation
A well-known line from a frequently sung Christmas carol includes these powerful words of hope and consolation, “Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!" It is a truth that was upon the lips of Simeon long before it appeared in a carol.
Simeon was quite a man! In eight short verses from the Gospel of Luke we learn what was in his heart, and the treasures of grace that were in his life. The first thing we learn is that he is identified as a man. No other title. He may not have been a nobleman, but he was a gentleman; he may not have had great wealth, but He had heaven’s riches; he may not have been known by the multitudes, but He was known by God.
Simeon’s relationship with God meant everything. He took his commitment to God seriously, and that commitment shaped his character. The Scriptures tell us that he was a just and devout man. Simeon lived to do the right thing before God and others. If he was your neighbor, you could count on him to be a person of integrity.
He paid attention to the Scriptures. He knew the promise of the prophets concerning the Messiah, and his eyes of faith looked for His appearing. One of the most powerful statements concerning his life is from Luke 2:25, “The Holy Spirit was upon him.” The Holy Spirit upon any life makes that life beautiful!
Simeon carried within him a specific revelation. He was told by the Holy Spirit that he wouldn’t die and go to heaven until he had seen the Messiah alive upon the earth. One morning, as Simeon got ready to face the day, he sensed a leading in his heart to go to the Temple. A heart that is led by the Holy Spirit is a heart that is led with peace.
He was at the Temple just before Joseph and Mary arrived. They had come to dedicate Jesus and to bring an offering according to the Law of the Lord. What timing! It wasn’t fate that brought Simeon to the Temple that day, in that moment, it was the Holy Spirit. (The Scriptures tell us, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.”)
Simeon approached the child with outstretched arms. He was about to hold in his hands God’s salvation! Simeon was overjoyed. His eyes looked upon the tender life of God in human flesh; His heart embraced the presence of the Prince of Peace; His soul rejoiced in the fulfillment of God’s promise; His words declared and affirmed the Gospel of the Redeemer—the One who would be a light to the Gentiles and the glory of God’s people, Israel. Simeon was now ready to depart in peace and go to his heavenly home.
No matter how much we do during this Christmas season, if we miss God’s Salvation, we have missed it all. God’s Salvation is a person…that is why God’s Son left heaven and came to earth. That is why the angel said to Mary that His name would be called Jesus (meaning Salvation) because he would save us from our sins. Salvation is God’s gift to us. It is the greatest love gift ever given—Jesus is the heart’s one true light, the heart’s everlasting joy, and the heart’s perfect peace.

Peace on Earth?
Did peace really come to earth, The time of baby Jesus’ birth? If you mean, “Did sin decrease, Anger stop, and warfare cease?” The answer would, of course, be “no,” For Jesus faced a hateful foe. But peace did come through Him that day, From heaven’s home, to manger’s hay— For He’s the gift that will impart, Peace to every trusting heart. -Roy Lessin

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:14 (NKJV)



©2019 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Friday, December 13, 2019

A Heart for Jesus, Part 2

The Shepherds: A praising heart that celebrates God’s presence

For some shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem, a routine night of watching their flocks was about to turn into the most glorious night in history. An angel of the Lord, to be followed by a great number of the heavenly host, all filling the air with praises to God, were far beyond anything they could have expected to visit them that evening. And the message that was delivered to them from heaven was far beyond anything they could have imagined. Yeshua, (the Savior) is born? The Messiah? Now? To us? Here? In a manger? Their hearts embraced it all! What an AMAZING presentation God used to make the greatest birth announcement ever heard!

They moved as quickly as they could to the place where the angel had told them they would find the child. When they arrived in Bethlehem, they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby in the manger. It was just as the angel had told them…God had invited the lowly shepherds to be among the first ones to see the newborn Lamb of God. They couldn’t contain the wonder and the joy of it all! After leaving the manger, the shepherds could not stop giving praise and glory to God for the amazing things they had heard and seen that night.

The breath taking, heart pounding excitement about the birth of Jesus Christ that the Shepherds experienced is not only because “a child had been born and a son was given”, but that God was now present in human form. The God who dwelt in the Tabernacle and the Temple of Israel, now dwelt among them. Jesus Christ was everything God had to say to us, all He wanted to be to us, and all He wanted to do for us. Jesus was in reality, God become man.

To Israel, Jesus’ birth meant that God was now more than the God of the cloud and the pillar, more than the God of Mt. Sinai, more than the God who gave them the commandments written on stone, and more than the God whose awesome glory was manifest behind the vale in the Holy of Holies. The Apostle John writes to us about the daily wonder of being in the company of the Son of God…“ (Jesus Christ) the One which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life.” 1 John 1:1 (NKJV)

Jesus was the Word made flesh who tabernacled among us…

— It was Jesus’ hands that lifted the weary, that comforted the sorrowful, that blessed the children, that welcomed the sinner, that touched the leper, that healed blind eyes, that opened deaf ears, that fed the multitude, and that washed the disciple’s feet.
— It was His voice that calmed the sea, that spoke peace to the fearful, that cast out demons, that brought life from death, that delivered the captives, that brought peace to the fearful, , that reassured the doubter, and that gave hope to the downcast.
— It was His face that looked upon the needy with compassion, that shed tears of sorrow at the loss of a loved one, that shone like the sun with eternal glory, and that expressed the joy of doing His Father’s will.

— It was His hands and feet that were nailed to a cross.
— It was His side that was pierced with a spear.
— It was His body that died and was raised from the dead.

The eyewitness accounts of the coming of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospels is a declaration of praise to each of us this Christmas Season—
Jesus came in a way that fulfilled so much;
Spoke in a way that taught so much;
Lived is way that revealed so much;
Blessed in a way that gave so much;
Died in a way that provided so much;
Arose in a way that conquered so much;
Loved in a way that meant so much.

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. Luke 2:20 (NKJV)

©2019 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

A Heart for Jesus: Mary, A prepared heart

Mary:  A prepared heart that receives God’s promise

“Are you ready for Christmas?” I couldn’t begin to add up the amount of times I have been asked this challenging question by friends, coworkers, and store clerks throughout the years. No one likes the thought of being unprepared, especially at Christmas when there are so many things we need to do.

Whenever our lives get busy it’s important that our hearts don’t become overwhelmed. We need to be watchful that our Christmas preparation and celebration of Jesus does not distract us from our relationship with Jesus.

In the opening chapters of the book of Luke we are introduced to a few individuals whose hearts were prepared to “receive their King.” Included are Mary, Simeon, Anna, and the Shepherds. Although they lived at a different time, and were under different circumstances from our lives today, we can be encouraged to know that the things we see in their hearts can also be in ours.

When the book of Luke begins there was no Christmas Season. “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night” had not yet been written. The #1 song for believers at that time could have been titled, “How Long, O Lord? How Long?” The story of Mary begins in Luke’s first chapter. She lived during a very dark time in the history of her people. Nearly 400 years had passed since the words of Malachi had been written, and the Jewish people were still waiting for the promised Messiah. It is in the midst of this darkness, and the crushing presence of Rome that the spotlight of God’s mercy and grace shines the brightest. Mary is about to receive the greatest blessing ever given to any woman!

When Mary awoke on the day the angel Gabriel was going to pay her a visit, she had no idea who was coming to her house, or what the reason for the visit would be. She didn’t know this was God’s appointed time for the promise of the Messiah to be fulfilled, and she didn’t know she was to be God’s chosen vessel to carry the life of her Savior within her.

Mary’s story is one of a heart prepared for God’s visitation. When Mary first heard the words that Gabriel spoke to her, she was perplexed and responded with her mind. None of it made sense and so she asked, “How can this be since I am a virgin?” When the angel gave her more details, Mary’s next response was not from her mind, but from her heart. She knew this was not a time to reason, but a time to believe.

Here is a paraphrased version of her response, “I hear and receive your words, for I know they are God’s Words. I will keep them and cherish them in my heart. I am His servant-vessel and welcome Him to do in me all that He has promised.” This is an amazing, in-the-moment response from a young, engaged, teenage girl who just heard she was about to become pregnant through the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit.

Mary didn’t resist or argue. She didn’t offer another option or try to come up with a better plan. She didn’t try to put the angel off or ask for a few more weeks to think it over. She didn’t say, “This is not a good time for me! I love what you said and want to be the one chosen for this amazing privilege, but could it happen after I’m married so I won’t have the reproach of carrying a child without a husband.”

Mary’s heart was ready to trust, and ready to receive. It was a listening heart, a yielded heart, and a welcoming heart! It was a heart that heard God’s promise, and a heart of faith that was reassured by the words, “With God nothing will be impossible.”

This holiday season, as we remember Jesus’ birth and the first Christmas, our hearts can also welcome the reality of His presence. As we experience one of the busiest times of the year we can be assured—that His peace will fill our hearts, that His praise will be upon our lips, and that His joy will flood our souls. May your faith respond to His presence and to His promises, and may your heart-response to Him always be, “Let Your will be done in me according to all that You have spoken.”

©2019 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. This article first appeared at DaySpring.com  

Friday, December 6, 2019

Today We Pray...

It's been a while since we have featured a prayer day here at Meeting in the Meadow.
I know that holidays can be wonderful times of celebration, but I also know that for many they are a sad reminder of those we have lost, of things not being the way we think they should be, or we are missing not getting to be near family and friends that are not so far away...just too far to get to.

I'd like for each of us to pray today. Please use discretion in your prayer requests by not naming other people's names. You can use initials, or just say "a friend", etc. as we trust that God knows who your prayer is meant for.

Please indicate you have prayed for another person by placing a "like" or "heart" (or whatever emoji you would like) at the items you have prayed for. It is easy if you will pray for the prayer need listed above yours, but please feel free to pray for as many people as you would like to!

Next week we will begin our Advent Series from Roy, but today, let's pray...

Blessings on your Advent Season,
Marina

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

I Believe God Loves Me

We love, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 ASV
I believe God loves me consistently, faithfully, righteously. He loves me to the height, to the breadth and length and depth of His being. His love sought me, wooed me, received me, embraced me, adopted me, brought me into His family, and made me His child and heir.
I believe His love assures me of His acceptance, extends to me His mercies, and covers me with His grace.
The signature of His love is written over my life—it feeds me in my hunger, upholds me in my trials, and heals me in my pain. It bathes me with comfort, soothes me with oil, and clothes me with kindness. It protects me in the battle, holds me in the storm, guides me in the journey, and keeps me to the end.
.......
This is an adaptation of an excerpt from Roy's latest book, A Place at His Table - 365 Daily Devotions, which will be releasing in December 2019. It may be pre-ordered here.
©2019 Roy Lessin, DaySpring, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
#DaySpring #MeetingintheMeadow #APlaceatHisTable #Devotions