Time to Stand Up!

 

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?

Or am I trying to please people?

If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

Galatians 1:10

Maybe there was a time when being sold-out for Jesus was ‘popular’.

But if I’m being honest – I don’t really think that has ever been the case.

I do believe that a person who has given themselves wholeheartedly to God will be at odds with the world.

Speaking of His disciples, Jesus put it this way in the second half of

the twenty-fifth verse of Matthew Chapter Ten –

“...If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!”

In other words – if they insulted Jesus to the point of comparing Him with the devil, how much more should we expect persecution?

Are you easily offended?

Then trying to please others in order to avoid offense is a trap to be aware of.

There was an old adage that fits here and it went something like this –

“Forewarned is forearmed.”

Be prepared to be offended.

Be prepared to not be liked by some.

This is not meant to discourage you but so that you might fully understand that a sold out disciple of Jesus Christ can and should expect opposition from the world.

Not because he or she is behaving in an untoward or obnoxious way but simply because the world and the Kingdom of God are not the same and neither are the citizens of each.

Seek God’s approval.

If that sometimes means you displease man then you should not be surprised!

 

Astonished!

 

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.”

Galatians 1:6

Astonished is a pretty strong word for Paul to use but it aptly describes his feeling at those who are being led astray from the solid teaching he had brought while he was with them.

The word astonish is defined as: feeling or showing great surprise or wonder.

Some synonyms include – astounded or amazed.

Often we loudly AMEN! teaching or preaching we are receiving when we are in the midst of the congregation but later, left with our own thoughts or worse yet by receiving teaching contrary (though deceptively presented) to the truth, we find ourselves straying from what ought to be a firm foundation for us.

We trade the house built on a rock for a sandcastle.

Paul had invested much in the Galatian churches so he would not allow the false teachers to run roughshod over those he had discipled and labored over.

It is important that we know those who labor among us shepherd, teachers and leaders and equally important that we search out in scripture for ourselves what we have been taught.

To do so is not to an indication of suspicion of our teachers but it actually honors them because it shows how we esteem the word and what they have taught us.

We need to continue to build on a sure foundation because most sandcastle construction lasts only until the next wave comes crashing ashore.

Go ahead and astonish those who invest in you by showing them your commitment to building on a solid foundation and leave the sandcastles to others!

Your Rescue Story

 

“who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age,

according to the will of our God and Father, ”

Galatians 1:4

Those words, ‘rescue us from the present evil age’, seem like they could have been written today.

They were, in fact, written sometime around 49 A.D.

That is nearly 2,000 years ago.

But who can argue that they are relevant in the world in which we are now living.

Evil has not taken a day, a decade or a century off.

The good news is – neither has God’s grace and goodness.

As a matter of fact, there will come a day when evil is finally and totally defeated.

Guess which side you want to be on?

The wonderful truth of the message captured in today’s verse is that Jesus gave Himself for Y-O-U!

He became sin for us and rescues us from all that would come against us.

Evil is not new.

But it is doomed.

We overcome evil with good.

God’s goodness working through His rescued ones.

Have you been rescued?

Then let His goodness and love flow through you to those still caught up in the present evil age.

Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to those who are ready to be rescued and then watch God work as you, led by His Spirit, tell your rescue story!

 

Click on the link below to hear the Zach Williams song – “Rescue Story”.

 

https://youtu.be/9Yr48Berkqc

 

  

You Have Been Sent

 

“Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—.”

Galatians 1:1

Paul, in defending His calling to the Churches in Galatia, does not mince words when it comes to who sent Him to the Gentiles.

He was sent by God and not by man.

A messenger truly sent from God carries God’s message and not his own.

This was true of the angel Gabriel in his visitation of Mary.

This was true of the messenger sent to Daniel and a host of other incidences recorded in scripture.

You and I are also a ‘sent’ people with a message.

The message we carry is the Good News of the Gospel and we are commissioned to it in Matthew 28:19-20

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are accompanied by nonetheless than the Holy Spirit of God in carrying and proclaiming this message.

Now, more than ever, the world in which you and I live in need men and women who will not shirk their responsibility but will faithfully proclaim what we have been commissioned to do.

There are no substitutes.

God will not send an army of angels to proclaim the charge given to us.

It is both an awesome responsibility and a distinct privilege.

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you boldness today to speak to someone of the glorious message entrusted to you and then look with expectation for that person or people who need to hear it to cross your path!

 

 

Merry Christmas

 

Wishing you and yours

the most joy filled day as you celebrate Christ –

the true reason for the season!

Wishing you and yours 

the most joy filled day as you celebrate Christ – 

the true reason for the season!

 

I’m Gonna Let it Shine

 

“See, darkness covers the earth

    and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the Lord rises upon you

    and his glory appears over you.”

Luke 14:11

You are a marked man.

You are a marked woman.

The Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you.

You are marked as His.

You can go forth into the darkness as a light bearer.

Those who are stumbling in the darkness will benefit greatly from who you are and whose you are!

We, as believers, have a mandate to be the light where there is none.

Maybe for one it is at their place of employment.

Another may be called to show forth His light in the halls and classrooms of their school. (By the way – don’t believe the lie that God was kicked out of school – are you there? Then God is with you in your school!)

Others can faithfully shine in their homes.

Wherever you are and wherever you go, you are light.

They tell us that the moon reflects the light of the sun.

How much greater the impact when you reflect the light of the SON!

Jesus told us not to hide our light under a bushel.

Don’t be ashamed, embarrassed or intimidated to let your light shine.

We all remember that Sunday school chorus:

This little light of mine –

I’m gonna let it shine!

 

He Came to us in Humility

 

“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled,

and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 14:11

To be humble is, by definition, to not be proud, arrogant, haughty or assertive.

We cannot stand before God in any way other than humility.

We are told it is because of His mercies that we are not consumed.

Those who attempt to stand before Him in pride will know what it is to be resisted by God.

It is not a position any of us should ever want to be in.

God, who Himself is worthy to be exalted, humbled Himself.

He, who spoke the world into existence, took on human flesh.

He made Himself vulnerable, coming to the earth as an infant.  

At Christmas time we remember the humility of God.

That reminder can serve us well when we are tempted to behave too big for our own britches (as the old saying goes!).

Micah 6:8 is a favorite verse of mine and it too reminds us –

“He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

Except to be just, and to love [and to diligently practice] kindness (compassion),

And to walk humbly with your God [setting aside any overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness]?” Amplified Version.

When we quietly and honestly consider what God did in coming to man – God with us – it has a way of cutting away the ‘overblown sense of importance or self-righteousness.’

Take some time today to do that.

Read again how God chose to come to us; in humility and as a servant.

Then we should each go and do likewise!

Can You Find a Way to Shine Today?

  

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,

 and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”

Isaiah 60:1

 

“Joy to the World, the Lord is come“

Let Earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room...”

The earth receives her King but it is in the hearts of men and women where the Spirit of God resides.

Have you opened your heart to the King?

Yes, He was indeed once a babe in the manger.

But He is a baby no longer.

He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

He is the Bright and Morning Star

He is the Alpha and Omega.

He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

 He has chosen us to be a display of His majesty in the Earth!

The world is in desperate need of Him who dwells in you.

Let His light shine brightly through you to others.

That light can shine in as many different ways as there are people that carry it.

Maybe it shines through you as you patiently work with that frustrated special needs child to learn a new skill.

Perhaps His light is bright through you as you shovel the sidewalk of the frail elderly neighbor.

Can you find a way to shine today?

 

 

Is Not This the Carpenter?

 

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses,

 and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?

And they were offended at him.”

Mark 6:3

Have you ever heard someone deliver the truth but it was presented in a way that was different than how you would present it?

You knew they were speaking truth you just were not comfortable with how it was being presented.

In many ways, that is the Christmas story.

How could the rescuing Messiah come as a baby?

Certainly he wouldn’t.

Doesn’t his stature demand he be born in a palace?

Then this same baby grows up only to be crucified.

Come on people – our Messiah – really?

God has a way of fulfilling His Word, His promises to us, which often appears to come out of nowhere.

And that’s because we expect it to come in the ‘normal’ route we envision.

Next time you hear something and you have a sense you might be hearing the truth but you are put off by the way it is presented, remember the Christmas story.

Today I listened to someone speaking.

I truly believe they were speaking the truth.

I was tempted not to listen because their ‘style’ just isn’t me.

But I want to walk in truth more than I want to walk in comfort.

Is that you today?

Don’t reject the message because you resent the messenger.

Jesus had a way of saying things that pushed some away.

He would say “...unless you eat my body and drink my blood...” and the assembled crowd scattered.

But the true disciples remained.

I said it a few days ago and I will end today’s post with this reminder:

Hold fast saints, God is still at work.

Don’t miss the truth because it is presented in a way that may makes you a wee bit (or perhaps a whole lotta) uncomfortable!

 

Are You Bright Enough?

 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:5

 

 

’Tis the season.

As I drove into work today I thought about the words of a Christmas carol.

One of the lines from “O Little Town of Bethlehem” says:

“Yet in thy dark street shineth, the everlasting light.”

What a wonderful encouragement to us that Gods’ light does not go out.

Skeptics and critics cannot extinguish it.

Many have tried over the years and still attempt it today.

But it is indeed an everlasting light.

John’s Gospel reminds us that the darkness cannot overcome or overpower God’s light.

Jesus is the Light of the World.

His light is both everlasting and powerful.

We, as believers, have the light of His life shining in us.

In the dark places, or as the song says, in the dark streets, we bring His light.

Do you know of a ‘dark street’ in your community?

Then be light there.

Bring His everlasting light to shine brightly.

Not just in the Christmas season but throughout the year.

Let His light penetrate the darkness and illumine the corners where there are people bound in sin.

Yes you can!

As a carrier of His light you can set the captives free.

Go and be light in the dark places.  

Emptied For You

 

“who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself,

by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:6-7 ESV

 

The Son of God emptied Himself in order that you might be filled.

 

He emptied Himself so you might be filled with...love.

“We love because he first loved us.” I John 4:19

 

He emptied Himself so you might be filled with...joy.

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and

that your joy may be complete.”  John 15:11

 

He emptied Himself so that you might be filled with...peace.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

 

He emptied Himself so you might be filled with...hope.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,”  Ephesians 1:18

 

It is beyond amazing how God emptied Himself in order

that you might be filled with all good things!

What a wonderful God we serve!

 

P.S. He even emptied a tomb that you might be filled with resurrection life!

  

The God of All Comfort

 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

II Corinthians 1:3

My Heavenly Father is a Father of Compassion and the God of all comfort.

It doesn’t say he is the God of the Comfortable.

He brings comfort to those who are hurting.

He brings compassion to us as well.

Maybe you have just lost a loved one and this season of the year is so difficult.

Let His comfort surround you.  

Have you been struggling with a rebellious son or daughter who has rejected you and the faith they were raised with?

May the God of all comfort bring His love to bear for you.

May His Spirit relentlessly pursue your child and may you find comfort in the knowledge that He will not give up in that pursuit.

He is not called the God of some comfort.

He is the God of ALL comfort.

There is not a heartache you will face alone when you walk with Him

Receive His embrace and let Him apply divine comfort as only He can.

My words to you may mean very little but the truth of His comfort to you cannot be denied.  

May you who are hurting know the salve of comfort given by the...

God of ALL comfort!

Hold Fast Saints

 

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

With this in mind,

since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,

I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Luke 1:1-4

“...so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

The Bible is filled with truth.

Not fairy tales, not fables, not fictional stories made up long ago.

The author, Luke, who penned the verses above, goes on in this same chapter to tell of the angel Gabriel’s visit to a young virgin named Mary.  

Mary was a virgin who conceived of the Holy Spirit and gave birth to Jesus.

That is truth.

If you truly believe it then you may be ridiculed for that belief.

But you can confidently know the certainty of what you have been taught.

Heaven and earth may pass away but the Word of God, that is, the Word of Truth is eternal.

Let others hold to their opinions.

You must hold fast to Gods’ Word.

The world is in a season of great shaking right now.

So much around us is falling away through fear and deceit.

But, let me say it again, hold fast to Gods’ Word.

God’s Word, that you have been taught, is certain in these uncertain times.

It is an anchor for us when all around is sinking sand.

Will you hold fast even when others mock and ridicule?

You are blessed when you make Him and His Word your refuge!

 

 

I’ve Got a Secret

 

“This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;

    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused;

    they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,

    understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

Matthew 13:13-15

 

There was an old television show called:

“I’ve Got a Secret”

Do you remember it?

Probably not, unless you’re 50 or older!

On the show, a celebrity panel would ask the guest questions to try and figure out their secret.

I thought of that show this morning as our Pastor taught on the Parables of Jesus.

You see, Jesus purposely “hid” truth from those who were not hungry enough to discover it.

Yep, He did – you didn’t misread it.

His love pursues us and He delights when we hunger and thirst enough after Him to pursue Him as well.

In a culture accustomed to instant everything, we try too often to have an instant relationship with God and expect that He will download all truth to us without us investing any time and effort in pursuing Him.

Imagine yourself in that kind of one-sided relationship.

It probably wouldn’t endure.

So, let’s introduce a little hidden truth so that those hungry enough pursue it.   

No mystery there.

Jesus has some secrets and He would love to reveal them to you.

Do you have the time, hunger and desire to pursue Him for them?

 

 

From Rags to Riches

 

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of

you has a grievance against someone.

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

And over all these virtues put on love,

which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

Put on love.

After you have ‘gotten yourself dressed’ with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience the ‘overcoat’ we are to put on is love.

The writer tells us that love binds all of these other virtues together in perfect unity.

Two keys in this verse address an issue we sometimes miss.

We are told “…clothe yourselves…” and “…put on love…”

In other words, it is not done for me but I have a choice, a decision if you will, to clothe myself and put on what I present to the world each and every day.

There is an old expression that says:

“He wears his heart on his sleeve.”;

which means that our emotions and our feelings are readily evident to others.

Our verses today are similar in that if we are “God’s chosen people…”

there should be interactions with others that

give evidence to them of Christ in us.

We should be a people dressed in Christ and in His character.

Not just in our hearts and in our personal relationship to Him

but also in how we interact and react to others.

We should be seen and known as compassionate, kind, gentle, patient and humble people. But above all else, we should put on love.

Love should be so evident to others that it would be like an

overcoat that ties the rest of our ‘wardrobe’ together.

If it is true that “clothes make the man” then

be clothed in Christ as you live your daily life.

We can be guilty of sending mixed messages to people.

We talk like a believer but we dress with anger, pride, coarseness and hatred.

When we put on Christ and His love, when we clothe ourselves with His character and the fruit of His Spirit we find our wardrobe goes from...

 rags to riches.

 

The Thrill of Victory or the Agony of Defeat

 

Rejection does not have to rule in your life or ruin your life.

There is a path to victory.

We must determine not to allow it to destroy our lives as is it did with Saul:

“Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly.

“They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought,

“but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?”

And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.”

I Samuel 18:8-11

 

Saul allowed the people’s rejection of him to set the course for his future.

Rather than deal with the rejection before God, he dwelled on it.

We can be so consumed by the rejection of others that we see nothing else and do not look for the way forward.

We allow ourselves to be clothed in it and for it to drive our destiny.

Saul moved forward in his life guided by those words of rejection.

It is an easy thing to do.

But it is also dangerous.

Saul’s path was laid out by the choices he made.

We read the story and try to lay the blame on the people who shouted the refrain, on the future King David or even on God.

Rejection can do that – it can blind us to the choices we make that keep us wallowing in it rather than moving on while all the while blaming others.

Will you dwell on rejection in your life or will you deal with it?

No one else gets to make that choice for you!

Alone With Jesus?

 

“With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them,

as much as they could understand.

He did not say anything to them without using a parable.

But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.”

Mark 4:33-34

 

What a privilege to be alone with Jesus.

In was at those times that Jesus broke down for His disciples the truths of the parables.

To the crowds He spoke the parables.

To His disciples He explained the parables.

Why the difference?

Some of the crowd was antagonistic, some where there to see a miracle, some to be fed like Jesus had down with the loaves and fishes.

The crowd would go home.

They might remember the story but then again they might not.

The disciples, for all of their faults and weaknesses, were in it for the long haul.

Jesus took His time with them.

He was alone with them and explained everything.

They had the opportunity to ask questions, probe a little deeper and gain better understanding.  

Maybe you’re thinking – “I wish I could get some alone time with Jesus.”

You can.

The Holy Spirit is given as a counselor and teacher to us.

Some treat the Holy Spirit like a substitute teacher; thinking of Him as second best to Jesus.

That certainly was not the testimony of the Lord.

Nothing could be further from the truth

He is given to guide us into all truth.

You might say He is now doing what Jesus did in those moments He was alone with His disciples.

The Holy Spirit will open your understanding of the Word of God.

He will teach you as you regularly set apart time to be with Him.

Will you do that today?

Word Search Puzzles

 

“This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.”

Matthew 13:13-15

 

I like word search puzzles.

My son and daughter have both gifted me word search puzzle books.

One time they purchased one at the Dollar Tree.

I breezed through it because nearly every word was in either the vertical or horizontal plane and were very easy to locate.

I am usually more challenged by words that are concealed diagonally – must just be the way my brain is wired.

Parables are much like word search puzzles.

Instead of words hidden in plain sight, a parable has truth hidden in plain sight.

The truth Jesus sought to convey by way of story or illustration reminds me of the diagonal words that mock me as I search diligently to locate them.  

They are there, just beyond my understanding.

Then the Holy Spirit steps in and brings the illumination needed to understand and apply the truth.

But you have to want to know the truth and put it into practice.

That’s that idea of hungering and thirsting for the things of God.

Any puzzle, no matter how easy or difficult, is never solved if it just sits on the shelf in the pages of the book.

The truths Jesus taught through parables are the same.

Are you hungry for the truth?

 

The Spotlight of Heaven

 

“The disciples came to him and asked,

“Why do you speak to the people in parables?”” 

Matthew 13:10

 

My family and I went to see a performance of The Gift of the Magi today.

One of the techniques used to draw the audience’s attention to certain actors on the stage was to illuminate where they were and to darken the rest of the stage.

Our attention and focus was directed through those means.

The spotlight was on them to illuminate them.

In much the same way Jesus taught in parables to illuminate a certain truth.

Like the eye drawn to a striking piece of furniture or some other focal point in a room, Jesus used parables to draw attention to an original truth by placing a comparison story or statement alongside the original truth.

As an example, in answering the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus illustrated and illuminated the point by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan.

After telling the story Jesus ‘shined the spotlight’, so to speak,

on the truth He was conveying:

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

The parables of Jesus can be valuable lessons to any of us as we lean on the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see and our ears to hear what is being taught.  

 

A Contagious Gratefulness

 

“O Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;

Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”  Ps. 95:1-3

 

A grateful heart is contagious.

There is so much talk in recent days about super spreaders.

 Let me ask you: are you contagious?

If so, what is the contagion you carry?

Is it gratitude?

Allow me to read something to you posted by Chris Vallotton recently on his FB feed. (If you don’t know who Chris Vallotton is, he is a Pastor and prophetic voice from Bethel Church in Redding California).

He posted this:

“I met a man in his 50s confined to a wheel chair a while back.

I heard that many years earlier he was in a car accident that crippled him.

He was left to provide for his wife and kids from that chair for the rest of his life!

I asked him how he was doing?

He smiled and said, “I am doing so good!”

“You are,” I questioned, wondering if he was being real?

“Yes, I feel great! He responded, smiling from ear to ear- his face glowing.

I stared at him awkwardly for a moment, sort of lost in his response.

“He’s doing so good yet he is handicapped, confined to that chair forever...how could he being doing good,” I pondered?

“And if he is doing “”so good,”” how come I am not soaring in my condition,”

I asked myself?

I walked away that day realizing that so much of life is determined by the way you think about it.

You can’t always help what happens to you but you can always help what happens in you.

I know others who have had everything handed to them their entire lives, yet they describe themselves as victims...life isn’t working out perfect for them and it’s someone’s else’s fault.

No matter how much you have been given, or how little you started with, life can be tough. And just about the time you start feeling sorry for yourself, some dude rolls up in his wheelchair smiling from ear to ear, and takes away all your excuses for not being thankful for God’s grace in your life.”

 

Let me read again one line from his post – Chris said:

You can’t always help what happens to you

but you can always help what happens in you.

So regardless of all the external circumstances, pressures and issues of life,

let me ask you: What is happening in you?

Are you thankful, content and filled with gratitude for what God has given you?

Sometimes it can be difficult to rise above our circumstances.

Chris observed someone who was grateful in spite of his circumstances.

Not only did he observe him, it caused Chris to evaluate his own attitude as well as the attitude he often saw in others.

We don’t have to be a victim.

Maybe we have had a hard season in life but as Chris pointed out –

You can’t always help what happens to you but you can always help what happens in you.

Allow the gratitude of others to rub off on you.

Greet the day, not with a grumble, but with praise to God for His goodness and mercy toward you. 

If grumpiness is contagious how much more so should gratitude be to those of us who call ourselves believers!