Spring 2024 has come upon us in Broken Arrow, OK

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

The Benefits Program...


Every time one of the folks from Piper’s Hospice group leaves the house they always remind me that if we need anything, that they are available for us 24/7.  So needless to say, I keep their phone number with me at all times.  It is stored away in my cell phone, printed in large letters on a sticker on the refrigerator door and is also on a tag in the car just in case I don’t have my cell phone handy and need to call them through my OnStar system.  And even though I have only had to call them once (late on a Friday evening) in an emergency situation, it is very comforting and reassuring to know that they are only a phone call away!

As a Christian it is also reassuring to know that I have someone to help me in any time of need that is even closer than a phone call away!  With Jesus living inside of me, I am confident of His care for me at all times… and I don’t even have to look for my phone when times of need arise.  In reality, He is closer to me than my next breath!

Piper has been with her hospice group for a little over a year now and during that time I have become fairly well acquainted with all the different aspects that their services entail.  I also have a decent understanding of what percentages and parts of the plan that our insurance policy covers and what it doesn’t.  Keeping up with the different insurance plans we’ve had for Piper over the years has been one of the most involved aspects of her care that I have had to stay on top of since our time in Oklahoma, California and now in North Carolina!

Over the many years of our Christian walk, Piper and I have also become fairly well acquainted with the benefits that are ours “in Christ.”  And how have we done that you might ask?  Well, it is actually quite simple… and believe me… a lot less confusing to understand than most of the insurance policies we’ve had… It is all clearly stated in His Word… and in particular within the epistles due to the fact that they were written specifically to us, the church!  That knowledge of his will gives us the ability to live with a spirit of joy in our hearts on a daily basis… no matter what we may be facing on any given day.

Our familiar scripture in Philippians 4:4 encourages us to “Always be joyful in the Lord! I'll say it again: Be joyful!” (God’s Word ©)  You see, we can be joyful during both the great and not so great times because we KNOW what the eventual solution to any problem will be when we keep our eyes, our mouths and our hearts focused on HIS Word… or to say it in connection to our scripture verse… IN the Lord!

2 Corinthians 1:20 reassures us that “all the promises of God in Him are yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God by us.” (MKJV)  Read that again and then ask yourself: “HOW MANY?”  And the answer is pretty clearly stated: “ALL!”

It is also interesting to see that the word “in” as used in Philippians 4:4 “denotes a fixed position in place, time or state” and comes from a word that “denotes origin or the point whence motion or action proceeds from.” (Strong’s)  Therefore you can picture Paul’s point of Philippians 4:4 as saying “we can rejoice at all times because the origin of what we say and do in the midst of any situation (and its ultimate conclusion) is based on the promises of God in His Word!”

But wait… it gets better!  God puts His icing on the cake by confirming all this and the validity of the new Testament by declaring in Hebrews 7:22 that “… Jesus has become the guarantee of a better promise.” (God’s Word ©) Wow… now that’s a great reason to rejoice 24/7 isn’t it?

I sometimes find it confusing and a bit frustrating when I hear from or see Christian people with a perpetual scowl on their faces or speaking words that are less than uplifting or positive!  What about you?  When one knows what their benefits are in Christ Jesus, they have absolutely NO reason to be anything but encouraged and full of joy… and then want to pass it on to others!

So, chew on all this for a while… and then go out and share Him and His benefit package with others!  Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, keep asking yourself… “Am I expecting to Rejoice 24/7 because of what I KNOW concerning my benefits ‘in Him’?’”


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