December 24, 2015
Is Jesus Really All I Need?
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
The Lord is my shepherd.I am never in need. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside peaceful waters. He renews my soul. He guides me along the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because You are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and Your staff give me courage. You prepare a banquet for me while my enemies watch. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Certainly, goodness and mercy will stay close to me all the days of my life, and I will remain in the Lord’s house for days without end(Psalm 23:1-6, GWT).
Friend to Friend
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. When our children were young, we always bought our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. We piled into "Old Blue," my husband's well-worn truck, and headed for the tree lot two minutes from our house. When we arrived, Dan and the kids quickly fanned out in search of our tree.
As tradition demanded, Dan immediately began muttering "Bah, humbug" under his breath, but just loud enough for all of us to hear. That was the cue for Danna to begin rolling her eyes and correcting her Scrooge Father. Our son Jered ignored them both as he surveyed the tree lot. He had his own tradition to uphold since he was usually the one who found the perfect tree. "Found it!" he shouted, another verbal tree-finding tradition. We all gathered to inspect Jered's pick, immediately dismissing it as unworthy, and spread out once again in search of our tree.
The owners of the tree lot knew us, understood that it was still early in the process, and waited, content in the knowledge that a tree sale was certain. I considered and dismissed almost every tree on the lot before going back to the first tree Jered picked. Afraid of losing it to another customer, Jered diligently stood guard over his tree until we all came to our senses and realized that he had found the perfect tree … again. We then looked for holes in the branches, evaluating each side to make sure it would display well.
The moment of truth came when Dan, Danna, and Jered all looked at me and asked, “Mom, is this the one?" I took my time but finally said, "Let's get it!"
I am almost certain I heard applause … from my family, from other customers, and certainly from the tree man. My husband wrote the check as Jered loaded the tree in Old Blue, and we headed home where the Christmas tree stand was ready and waiting. Jered, our hulk football player, unloaded the tree, trimmed the tree trunk, placed the tree in the stand, and transported the tree to its new home for the holidays.
The smell was always delicious. The needles were green and fresh ... for about a month. And then every year, the same sad process began. Although I faithfully watered the tree, the needles grew more brittle, the smell was less fragrant, and the limbs eventually began to wither, dry out, and turn brown.
Why? The tree was separated from its source.
The same is true in our lives.
God is our source. If we are separated from Him, we will wither and die spiritually. Jesus really will meet our every need, and not just our material needs. God meets every emotional, physical, and mental need. A loving Father meets the needs of His kids.
He is our source.
Our mate is not our source.
Our job is not our source.
Our children are not our source.
God alone is our source.
As you celebrate the Christmas holiday, don’t let anyone or anything divert your heart and mind from the truth that no matter what you did or did not receive this year, no matter what you gave or were unable to give this year – God is your source. Celebrate Him … and the fact that He is all you need!
Let’s Pray
Father, I come to You today with a heart full of thanksgiving and praise. I am in awe of Your perfect plan that sent Jesus to earth for me. He took my sin. He paid the price I was supposed to pay for my imperfection. I don’t understand that kind of Love, but today I celebrate the fact that You are all I need.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
It is easy to be wrapped up in serving God instead of being wrapped up in Him. We keep doing “the next thing” until one day we discover we have been depending on the wrong source. Yet, the Father stands waiting, arms open wide, ready to be all that we need. Consider the following questions and record your answers in your journal.
- Who or what am I depending on to be my source?
- What “wants” have ruled my life?
- Am I ready to believe and live out the truth that, as a child of God, I lack nothing?
More from the Girlfriends
I am so excited to announce the launch of Friends for the Journey, a dream I have had for some time that is now a reality and part of my ministry. If you are a pastor’s wife, a women’s ministry director, a woman in need of encouragement, or someone who battles depression, I am now available to encourage and coach you via Skype sessions. You can find all of the information on my website or you can email me for details.
Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.
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