Blessing

God is Watching Out the Window

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments 
May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
 May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
 and give you support from Zion!
Psalm 20:1-2 ESV

One day when our seven-year-old son was walking home from school, a group of three older boys began pushing him, throwing his books in the snow and giving him a hard time. Unfortunately for them, my wife, Nancy, happened to be watching out our apartment window, and immediately went into action. In seconds she flew down the stairs and out the door. You never saw three kids runs so fast once they had caught sight of their victim’s angry mom bearing down on them. Fortunately for everyone involved she never quite caught them, but it was the last time that they picked on Chris that year! In the same way God is looking out the window and watching for us as we are on the way home to Him. But you might think that asking God for help when we have problems is a spiritual no-no or even a bit selfish. But nothing could be further from the truth. God loves to answer our cry. Just as Nancy was not annoyed to immediately come Chris’ defense, the Lord eagerly runs to our aid. Today’s verse also tells us that the name of the Lord is our protection. When we call for help in Jesus’ name, our enemies are terrified and scurry for cover, not because of us but because they see Him angrily chasing them down! Finally, the Psalm tells us that God sends help from His sanctuary. Now this sanctuary is not some place that God goes to hide, instead it is the holiest place in Heaven. It is where the Father sits on His throne, surrounded by millions of angels and saints falling down in worship. Its floor is pure gold, and its support columns shake at the sound of His voice. Yet surrounded by all this eternal splendor, God is not irritated when He hears our cry. He does not mind putting down what He is doing to get involved in our life. No! God rushes to our rescue because we are His. He cares about us and we are precious and loved. So, if you are facing trouble, grief or even life-threatening circumstances today, remember that your Heavenly Father is watching over you. He is listening for your cry and will eagerly answer our prayers when we cry to Him in the day of our trouble!

What Is Your Name?

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”  And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”  Genesis 32:26-27 ESV

All Jacob’s life he had struggled for blessings. Jacob had tricked Esau, his older brother into selling him the right of the first born (Quite a significant financial advantage in his day). Later when their father had decided to give Esau the family blessing, Jacob ran in ahead of Esau and fooled his blind father into giving him that blessing instead. When news of Jacob’s deceit got to Esau there was murder in his heart and Jacob fled to his mother’s family. So, instead of getting his father’s blessings he spent 20 years working for his uncle Laban. In today’s verse, Jacob was finally and totally alone in his struggle with God’s angel.

By this time, he was entirely out of strength and yet he hung on to his attacker, refusing to let him go. Jacob had gotten so much along the way. He was rich; he had married the girl of his dreams and had many sons and daughters. Jacob had all these accomplishments, but he feared his brother Esau. He had so much stuff and yet so little of God’s blessing of peace. As Jacob continued to struggle the angel finally agrees to bless him, but not as Jacob had imagined. Instead of giving him more things, the angel changed Jacob’s name.

 “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”  Genesis 32:28 

What a strange victory God had planned for Jacob, and He has that same strange and yet wonderful victory available for you and me. Whenever we truly meet with God, we come away with a new name, a new future and a new hope. When we choose a name, that name can be changed. But when God chooses our name, it sticks forever. The name God offers to give us is our greatest blessing, because it is written down in Heaven. It is the name that Jesus calls us when we find him by faith and refuse to let go! What is your name?

Photo by Heiner on Pexels.com

Through Windowpanes

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

First, I would like to credit my friend Denise Balog of Grace Filled Devotions https://denisebalog.wordpress.com/.

Her post this morning brought back memories of my childhood, days, while watching the rain on the windowpanes of our tiny apartment. Whenever I read the verse that,” Now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face (1 Corinthians 13) I recall those raindrops streaming over the glass as I peered our wondering about the world. I hope this little poem and then the Joni Eareckson Tada and Laura Story video will bless you today with that longing to fully behold the face of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Through Windowpanes 

I looked out from the upstairs window 
Of my little childhood home
Watching rain stream down the pane
And wishing I was grown
 

And striding through the great big world
Free to walk about and splash
With important things to do and say
Outside my window sash

Now these older nose eyes look out
And wonder at God’s grace
That though now rain clouds windowpanes
I’ll one day see His face!


Through Windowpanes by Peter Caligiuri copyright 2021 all rights reserved