“For we are God’s masterpiece.
        He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
        so we can do the good things he planned
       for us long ago.”   Ephesians 2:10

Have you noticed that there have been an unusual number of births and funerals recently?  Everyone loves babies and celebrating their births.  But funerals can be hard, especially when we are not sure where that person has gone after death.
 
Recently I have been to at least three memorable funerals where the person being honored lived a full and amazing life of loving well and serving God.  Those caused me to wonder how people would remember me when I died.  How about you?  What legacy would you leave?

I was led to John 17.  In it Jesus is praying aloud to his Father at the last supper with his disciples.  In essence, Jesus prays his own eulogy. I realized in that prayer he presented his legacy, a life that fulfilled God’s plan and purpose for his life on earth.  I urge you to read it and see what jumps out to you.  These are a few verses that were highlights for me.

John 17:4 – “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”  Our Creator God has created us for specific purposes that only we can accomplish through his power.

John 17:20 - “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.”  The Father had given a message to Jesus that he entrusted to his disciples, and through them, to all who would believe.  The heavenly Father loves them and always has.  That includes you and me.

John 17:26 – “I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”  Christ’s legacy has not ended.  When we carry his message and revelation of who God is, we carry on his legacy.  That blows my mind!

Dear friends, may you believe the Good News that the Father loves you and has given you the same legacy as Jesus.  May you put your hand in Jesus’ and trust him to empower and guide you into accomplishing your shared legacy.  Rejoice!  It’s not too late.  Amen.

Mary Sumner ~ April 29, 2025

    “The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
     He delights in every detail of their lives.”
     Psalm 37:23

Have you discovered that we seldom stay very long on our spiritual mountaintops?  The memories may linger, but the power seems to slowly fade away.  So, we live our mostly ordinary lives for the glory of God.  How do we glorify God in the humdrum of our ordinary lives? 

Sometimes it feels like the Lord knows we are on autopilot and allows us to drift off his path.  We read our Bible and say our prayers, but, if we are honest, some days we are not very alert to the schemes of our spiritual enemy.  Could it also be that the humdrum is the enemy of our relationship with God?   How can we grow closer to Jesus when we take our eyes off of him?   If we were alert, we would see that our enemies are hiding in the weeds waiting for us to doze off and leave the path God has prepared for us.

I was reading Psalm 37 recently and suddenly the Holy Spirit highlighted verse 23, above.  It says that God not only knows us, but he delights in every detail of our lives!  I stopped to ponder that.  The Creator of the universe, not only knows our names, but actually delights in EVERY detail of our lives? Then a reread the first sentence in that verse. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly.”

The Lord has the best plan for our lives.  It makes sense that God wants us to follow his lead.  If we actively listen to Jesus and asked him to direct our steps every day, as the sentence before says, maybe our lives wouldn’t be so humdrum?!  Maybe the Lord would actually delight in every detail.   Then, we would delight in glorifying him.

Dear friends, may the Holy Spirit stir the Father’s desires in your hearts and give you the power to daily do what pleases him.  May your hearts be filled with overflowing love and joy as it becomes easier to choose the path the Lord directs you to take.  No more humdrum!  Amen.

Mary Sumner ~ April 8, 2025