The Day After

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: - 1 Peter 3:15.


Holidays are wonderful! You have a great meal, and enjoy fellowship with relatives or friends. But, then, there is the 'day after'. The day after leaves you with the clean up job. It leaves you with the leftovers that seem to last and last. There's nothing like having leftovers and not having to cook, but when they keep lasting, it does get a little old. And, being from the 'old school', one hates to throw out anything. But, nevertheless, the dog gets lots of leftovers!


Then, there are the 'day after' blues. You've all had them. You built yourself up for the holiday to a big high. And, immediately after everyone left, you started feeling lonely. You miss the celebration already! And, then, the day after, you are so down, it's hard to function. Holidays can certainly be a bummer!


Remember reading about the 'day after' in the Bible? Jesus was crucified and placed in a tomb. But, after three days, when the women went to check on him, the angels told them that he was not there - he had Risen!


God's Word is Truth. There will be a 'day after' again. The world will realize that, indeed, He has come for His people, and they have been left behind. You don't want to experience that 'day after'. So, be prepared, get ready, dress in the full armor of God, and keep your light shining! HE is coming back!

People Pleasers

"In the temple courts he [Jesus] found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, 'Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!'" - (John 2:14-16, NIV).

Of one thing we can be certain: Jesus was not a "people pleaser." The reality is that "people pleasers" inevitably end up getting frustrated and angry because they are not getting the response they want from trying to please everybody, and ultimately end up pleasing nobody.

It isn't possible to please everybody. When we try to, we do it out of our own need for approval—an empty substitute for love. As one person said, "If you have to stand on your head to make others happy, all you can expect to get is a big headache."

Or as another put it, "If you stand for something you will have some people for you and some against you. But if you stand for nothing, you will have nobody against you—and nobody for you."

As already noted, Jesus was not a "people pleaser." He stood for truth and right regardless of what anybody thought of him. May God help you and me to do the same.