Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture

When God's people are in need, be ready
to help them. Always be eager to practice
hospitality.
Romans 12:13, NLT

Reflection:

Christian hospitality differs from social
entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the
host--the home must be spotless; the food
must be well prepared and abundant; the
host must appear relaxed and good-natured.
Hospitality, by contrast, focuses on the
guests. Their needs--whether for a place to
stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or
acceptance--are the primary concern.
Hospitality can happen in a messy home.
It can happen around a dinner table where
the main dish is canned soup. It can even
happen while the host and the guest are
doing chores together.

Don't hesitate to offer hospitality just
because you are too tired, too busy, or
not wealthy enough to entertain.

(Life Application Daily Devotional)

Good Morning, this is GOD I will
be handling ALL your problems today.

Please remember ... I WILL NOT
NEED YOUR HELP!!!

If life happens to deliver a situation to
you that you cannot handle, do not
attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in
the SFGTD Box (something for God to
do). It will be addressed in My time, not
yours. Once the matter is placed into
the box, do not hold onto it.

Holding on or removal will delay the
resolution of your problem. If it is a
situation that you think you are capable
of handling, please consult me in prayer
to be sure that it is the proper resolution.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't
despair. There are people in this world for
whom driving is an unheard of privilege.

Should you have a bad day at work, think
of the man who has been out of work for
years.

Should you despair over a relationship
gone bad, think of the person who has
never known what it's like to love and be
loved in return.

Should you grieve the passing of another
weekend, think of the woman in dire straits,
working twelve hours a day, seven days a
week to feed her children.

Should your car break down, leaving you
miles away from assistance, think of the
paraplegic who would love the opportunity to
take that walk.

Should you notice a new gray hair in the
mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo
who wishes she had hair to examine.

Should you find yourself at a loss and
pondering what is life all about, asking what
is my purpose? Be thankful! There are those
who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.

Should you find yourself the victim of other
people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or
 insecurities, remember ... things could be worse.
You could be them!!!

Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there
is no need for you to lose any sleep. Rest, my
child.

If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer
away.

Love Eternally, The Lord your God


GodVine

“Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his
rule with trembling.” — Psalm 2:11

Rosh Hashanah has several other names,
one of which is “The Day of Judgment.” On
the Jewish New Year, every single person in
the world stands before God in judgment.
The previous year is taken into review, and
decisions are made regarding the year to come.

It was always hard for me to know how to relate
to Rosh Hashanah. On one hand, it is a day of
joy and celebration. We dress in our finest
clothing and share delicious meals with family
and friends. On the other hand, we spend half of
the time in prayer, contemplating that we are
being judged by the Master of the Universe.
That’s a pretty scary thought!

The psalmist sums up my ambivalence with
words that the Talmud associates with Rosh
Hashanah: “Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate
His rule with trembling.” Well … which is it? Are
we celebrating or are we trembling? It seems
awfully difficult to do both at the same time!

The process of moving from one location to
another can help us understand the words of the
psalm writer. Anyone who has moved houses
knows the process is no picnic, and for many
who have moved to Israel, where everything is
tiny compared to super-sized America, the
process also means downsizing in a major way.
You have to make decisions about every single
thing that you own. Do we really need it? Does
it serve a good purpose?

If you do a good job, you end up throwing a lot
of stuff out. The process of de-cluttering one’s life
and assessing one’s worldly possessions is
downright painstaking. But at the same time, it is
incredibly liberating. It’s painful, but at the same
time it is joyful. There is nothing more cathartic
than throwing junk out!

This process can help us better understand the Day
of Judgment. On Rosh Hashanah we tremble,
knowing that we are being judged. We are forced to
take stock of our inner world: Do I really want to
behave this way? Do I really want to be that kind of
person? Is this the direction I want my life going in?
We take note of all of the junk cluttering our minds
and interfering with our souls and we throw it out!
We say to God, “I’m getting rid of all that garbage!”

And you know what? It feels pretty good to go through
such a thorough cleansing. We feel lighter, clearer,
and yes – joyful.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein