In my discussions with and ministering to people over the last year Father, I’ve noticed that one topic of concern seems to rear it’s head more often than any other…
Economic fear and uncertainty.
Our country, and the world in general hasn’t seen financial turmoil like this in a very long time Lord, and it’s made many who thought they were secure and stable feel quite vulnerable. I know in my case, this has been the most financially difficult year Shannon and I have ever faced, so I understand the concerns completely. Unemployment is near all-time highs, the cost of gasoline, electricity and home-heating fuel has skyrocketed, and the general sense among many I speak with each day is that it’s isn’t going to get better anytime soon…
Prosperity seems out of reach.
But it’s not… We’re just looking for it in the wrong place.
In today’s society, prosperity is commonly linked with so many worldly states Father; wealth, fame, status, and beauty to name a few. By defining our self-worth using earthly yardsticks, we’re chaining ourselves to the changing world around us:
Money is gained and lost…
Fame is fleeting…
You can’t “keep up with the Jones’” forever…
Our physical looks change as we age…
None of these things define us, unless we allow them to.
And that’s not who we are in Your eyes. You love us Father; each and every one of us:
Whether we make millions in the stock market or live out a humble existence; You love us all the same.
Whether we rise to stardom, or spend our days in quiet contemplation; You love us all the same.
Whether we spend our leisure time at the country club playing golf, or taking our kids to the public park to play; You love us all the same.
Whether our face adorns the cover of the latest Glamour Magazine, or we’re suitable to be the next contestant on “What Not to Wear”; You love us all the same.
You love us all the same…
Your desire is that we should all be prosperous Father, but not necessarily in the way that society describes. True prosperity doesn’t come from the accumulation of wealth or the achievement of worldly power; those things are finite, and just of this earth. True prosperity in our lives is found in the riches we store in our eternal home; in Your Heavenly Kingdom.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:19-21 (ESV)
True, Eternal Prosperity… It’s within our reach, we simply need to claim it by living our lives in Your service:
Giving of ourselves to help others…
Reading, studying and living by Your Word…
Joining with others in Fellowship to strengthen the Body of Christ…
Opening ourselves to You in prayer, and seeking Your presence in our lives.
Now that’s true success Father… That’s the prosperity that I seek.
Heavenly Father,
In today’s uncertain times Lord, we thank You for the one assuredness we can all cling to; Your unconditional love for us. Please help us focus not on the transient idols of existence this world holds dear, but instead on building riches in Your Heavenly Kingdom.
Well Father, I couldn’t have asked for a lovelier weekend. Coming off of a tiring and complicated week, Shannon, the boys and I were all well-worn by the time Friday evening rolled around. With that being the case, we made the decision to spend a good bit of our “down time” as the description implies… down. Friday evening we curled up on the couch together and watch movies until bedtime. Saturday morning we lounged around the house in the morning, and then headed outside to do our “Fall clean up” of the planting beds along the house. The rest of the day was split between miscellaneous housework, and more movie-time with the kids. Sunday morning began with an uplifting service at church, then back to the house for a tasty, fun breakfast of Cinnamon Roll Pancakes (Thanks for pointing me to the recipe Alida :-)). Jonathan, Aidan and I then gave Mommy some quiet time and headed out to Blackbird State Forest for a long walk in the beauty and abundance of Your Creation. The rest of the day was spent finishing up some odds-and-ends around the house, and then yet another quiet evening on the couch with the boys. This was the first weekend in quite some time where we didn’t have a packed schedule of activities, and it was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. Thank You so much for that much-needed respite Lord!
This week’s Meditations Monday Scripture is actually inspired by something John Waller talked about at the worship concert we attended last Thursday. One of the songs he played discussed his desire to be used to bring Your light into other people’s lives. The song is appropriately titled “Somebody Else’s Story”:
Out of all the wonderful music he shared with us that night Lord, this is the one that really hit home with me. As a Christian, I can think of no greater joy than bringing Your message to the hearts of those around me; to show them the true wonder of Your love for us, and to share the gifts You’ve Blessed me with in Your service.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” – Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
I take that Commission very seriously Father, and when I get the opportunity to be a part of someone else’s “Story”, It’s a Blessing beyond words for me. Mr. Waller’s song captures that desire beautifully, and I thank You for placing it in his heart to share with us.
Heavenly Father,
As we begin the week Lord, please help guide our choices and actions to best reflect Your desire for our lives. Inspire us to reach out and share Your message of love and redemption with those we encounter each day, and to faithfully serve Your will.
To begin with Lord, I want to thank You for this morning’s time together. As I explained in yesterday’s post, I’ve been feeling convicted as of late that I wasn’t spending adequate “still” time in Your presence. Following Jesus’ example in Mark 1:35, I got up a good bit earlier than usual this morning, and spent that time quietly absorbed in Your Word. It was a wonderfully refreshing way to launch the day, and will be my “new normal” going forward.
Last night Father, we were Blessed to host the first of six gatherings to go through a Small Group Study called “Treasures of the Transformed Life: Satisfying Your Soul’s Thirst for More”. It was a wonderful group of people, and while our children played happily together we spent the evening in fellowship and exploration of Your desire to bring us closer to You.
The message title for this week was “Priming the Pump”. In a nutshell, the author of the study teaches that in order to satisfy our thirst for Your presence in our lives, we need to first “prime the pump” before Your Living Waters will begin to flow. We do that by making a genuine and real commitment to seeking You; deliberately putting Your desires for us first, and allowing You to guide our lives along Your path. As part of that commitment, he emphasized the need to determine our role in the Body of Christ, and to step out in faith, working together with others to accomplish Your work on earth.
“Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.” – Psalm 37:5-6 (ESV)
The information presented was quite thought provoking, and it led our group to branch out and discuss a variety of tangential topics about seeking Your presence, and more thoroughly involving You in our daily lives. It was a truly enlightening and Blessed evening Father, and I thank You for bringing us together to share in that fellowship.
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Lord, for being so powerfully present in Your Children’s lives. We thirst for You Father, and pray that You will continue to fill us, that we may more fully quench our need for Your presence each day.
To begin our week’s conversations Father, I want to start by thanking You for yet another wonderful weekend spent in the company of my family and some dear friends. We were Blessed to have a couple of our “extended family” (our kids call them Uncle Robert and Aunt Katie, although there’s no blood relationship) visiting with us for the weekend, and we enjoyed their our time with them immensely. We also managed to host a “Mexican Feast” themed dinner party Saturday evening, and cooked up a Fellowship brunch after church on Sunday as well. We feel very thankful for the people You bring into our lives Lord, and it seems only fitting that we should celebrate those relationships whenever we’re able to. So for the friends, the family, the food and the fellowship Father (wow, that’s a lot of F’s… 🙂 ), thank You!
This weekend held one other significant event for me as well Father.
Last week was rough. It seemed as if each new day brought with it another list of problems to solve, and headaches to endure. By the time Friday evening rolled around I was tired; emotionally, physically and yes… spiritually. Saturday morning I vowed to put all those nagging, earthly worries and concerns behind me and enjoy the festivities we’d planned, but through all my attempts to refocus on You, those unsettling whispers still haunted me.
Saturday was a beautiful day weather-wise, with temperatures in the low 70s and a very comfortable fall breeze in the air. I got my lists for the day prepared, and headed out to pick up groceries and supplies for the evening’s event. As I pulled up to the traffic light in front of my destination, I felt the warmth of the sunlight radiate on my face through the open sunroof…
And suddenly, tears began to stream down my face.
In that perfect moment Father, I felt Your overwhelming presence all about me. It was an amazingly peaceful, joyous feeling; quite difficult to describe actually. But as I was able to pull the truck into the shop parking lot, I remember feeling wonderfully relieved. It was if all the weight in my heart was in that moment, lifted away from me. The sensation itself was short-lived unfortunately, but the after-effects remain vivid. My problems certainly haven’t gone away, but I was afforded a powerful reminder that I’m not dealing with them by myself; You’re here with me, and You care.
Therefore Father, with that experience still fresh in my heart I chose today’s Meditations Monday Scripture to align with Your wonderful message to me:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 (ESV)
One of my favorite inspirational verses Lord, and a very powerful promise as well.
Heavenly Father,
As we go into this week’s activities Lord, please fill our hearts with Your Holy Spirit that we may draw strength from Your presence within us. Lead us to make decisions that best justify Your will for our lives, and guide our actions that we may share Your bountiful glory with all those around us.
Last night Father, as I was preparing to shut down and head to bed for the night, a message appeared on my Facebook wall that made me pause, and then to pray.
On August 15, I wrote to you regarding an inspiring story of faith I’d heard on 88.7 The Bridge on my way to work that morning. It described the Baptism of Kim Miller; a young lady dealing with terminal cancer, who instead of dwelling on the terrifying and painful nature of her situation, chose to give thanks and praise for Your Blessings in her life. The church she attends made a video of her powerful testimony, which was then shared on the radio that morning.
Following that conversation Father, I emailed Kim on Facebook to let her know that her story had touched me, and that I was praying for her. We ended up “friending”, and I’ve been following her journey since.
Last night, the message came across my screen that Kim had gone home… Into Your waiting arms Lord. And while my spirit aches knowing the hole this undoubtedly leaves in her family’s hearts, I’m rejoicing in the knowledge that she’s arrived in the one place where her pain and troubles are surely at an end.
“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”” – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 (NIV)
Kim’s powerful and courageous testimony of faith touched so many lives Father, including mine. Yet while we nurse the sorrow of her passing, Kim has achieved that victory the Apostle Paul spoke of, continuing on alive and well in her eternal home.
Death has no sting for those who dwell in Christ. You’ll be missed here Kim, but we’ll see you again soon enough.
Heavenly Father,
We thank You Father, for the victory over death You delivered us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray that You keep the family of Kim Miller wrapped in Your holy presence, and comforted in the knowledge that she rests in Your loving embrace.
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day.
Hi, I’m Phil Malmstrom, a.k.a. Phather Phil. I’m self-employed, father of two wonderful young men, an ordained minister who delights in spreading Jesus’ Message of Hope and Love, a science-fiction junkie, an aspiring photographer and above all that one of God’s Children who rejoices in His Blessings each day. 
