Good Morning! I am excited to begin a cheer program tonight at my church, City of Grace. We are doing an IMPACT program there for kids ages 5-14 - this is a program that Cary Coleman, president of FCC (Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders) developed. It's a lot of fun to use the real sport of cheerleading to teach kids about a relationship with Jesus as well as teaching them cheer stuff! Very Cool! Check out the website.
I am also enjoying teaching cheer at ALA (Arizona Lutheran Academy). They have an awesome staff of cheer coaches and the girls are really growing fast in their cheer understanding. Way to go girls. Last night I shared with them one of my new favorite quick lessons from Jeremiah. The Israelites were in captivity to the King of Babylon. listen to God's conversation with Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 24:1-7, "... the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the Lord. One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very poor figs, so bad they could not be eaten. Then the Lord asked me, 'What do you see, Jeremigh?' 'Figs,' I answered. 'The good ones are very good, but the poor ones are so bad they cannot be eaten.' Then the world of the Lord came to me; 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I reguard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.'"
This passage is very encouraging to me because God is so optomistic - He only sees His people as good figs. He believes the best for them. He sees them returning to Him with all their heart. This also convicts me greatly - because when I pray for people, do I see them as turning toward God, or do I pray with the idea that it won't really happen but I should pray anyway. I hate to admitt it, but too many times I have prayed but not believed the best would happen for someone - or that they would choose the best for their own life. I like how God showed Jeremiah that although they were looking at the same scene - God's perspective was completely different than Jeremiah's - and way more optimistic!
So, if you are having a bad day, and it doesn't look like it can turn out very well - maybe God has a different perspective for your day - One where there is a good ending - I like that idea very much! I would tell you to have a good day - but that is a little redundant!
Posts
