Zechariah 7:11 - "Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing."
God is telling the people that they need to get their hearts in the right place. They haven't changed much during their exile. They are mourning and fasting over the loss of the temple, not over their broken relationship with God. God is trying to tell them that they got it all wrong, and that through His previous prophets, He has been trying to give them the same message. But they don't want to hear it. They are being like stubborn children and putting their fingers in their ears so they don't have to hear what they don't want to hear.
Remember when we were kids, and someone would start to tell us something that we didn't want to hear? We would stick our fingers and say, "La la la la la...I'm not listening." Didn't that just drive you crazy when someone would do that to you? I would get so mad when someone did that to me, but then, I would turn around and do it to other people.
Often times that is what we are doing to God when He is trying to tell us something that we don't want to hear. God will speak to us in that still, quiet voice and we put our fingers in our ears and say, "La la la la la...I'm not listening." Why? Because we think we know better? Because we are convinced that what we are doing, or the path we are taking, is the right one? It could be that we aren't necessarily doing anything wrong, just that God has something better planned for us (Jeremiah 33:3). It could be that He wants us to step out of our comfort zone, and grow in our relationship with Him.
Like the Israelites that were in exile, God still extends His salvation to us. Even when we act like stubborn and insubordinate children. He extends His love and grace to everyone (Titus 2:11). We don't deserve it - we never could. But, in the words of Clint Eastwood, "Deserves got nothin to do with it" (Unforgiven). Yeah, I just went there and quoted Clint Eastwood. But it makes the point.
Am I still being stubborn and resistant to God's leading? Am I listening to God's still, quiet voice or am I putting my fingers in my ears like the kid in the toy store?
Dear Father, thank You for reminding me how stubborn and childish I have been at times when I don't want to hear something different. Thank You for pushing me out of my comfort zone, and showing me just how great it is to be different and to do things different than I'm used to. Thank You for all the great examples in my life that You have shown me through other people. I truly have been blessed, and to You goes all the glory and praise. I pray for those that don't want to listen. My prayer is that they will take that step of faith into Your great glory, and begin to trust Your plan for them, and that they will trust that You will never lead them astray, and You will never forsake or abandon them as You have always promised. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Right Turn Ahead
Isaiah 55:8-9 - "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."
God knows better than us. It really is that simple. His thoughts are pure, righteous, and holy. And His ways are pure, righteous, and holy. Ours...leave a lot to be desired sometimes...
You mean I'm not always right?! That's a bitter pill to swallow for a perfectionist like me. I'm supposed to be right all the time, and know the best course of action for me to take too. I mean, that's the rule isn't it?
Well...not quite. Fortunately for me, I'm not always right. I have had to learn, albeit the hard way, to listen and trust God's prompting and His guidance. I still have a tendency to tune a deaf ear to Him sometimes, but those situations have become fewer and farther between.
A friend of mine bought me a sign for my desk once that said, "To save some time: Let's just assume that I'm always right." It was a running joke between me and her, and it fit my attitude well. Still does, sometimes...
Doesn't it sometimes feel like when God is pointing us in a certain direction that doesn't make any sense to us, that we have a tendency to say, "That can't be right. God wouldn't lead me that way." He wouldn't? How do we know? His thoughts and ways are higher than anything we could imagine. Just because our human instinct is telling us something, doesn't mean it knows better than God, or that our human instinct is always right. I know that I've personally demonstrated more than a few times, that my human instinct sometimes just sucks. It can be way off.
Ever walk down the road with someone, and they take an unexpected turn? You stop and ask where are you going? They say well this is the best way to go. You disagree and say you're going to go a different way, because you trust your sense of direction better? That's how it is with God. He's walking with us all the time, and He makes a turn that we weren't expecting. Do we listen and follow, or do we trust our own instinct and continue on our own path?
Sadly, more often than not, we continue on our own path. We encounter bumps in the road, and get bruised and beat up some. That doesn't mean that God didn't circle back and walk with us. Of course He did. He keeps us from doing more than stubbing our toes on the wrong path. Later on, He makes it easier for us to be prepared. He'll put bigger warning signs on the road to keep us following the path we are on that lead us away from what He has for us. Sometimes those bigger signs are very obvious like "Right Turn Ahead" or "Don't Go This Way". Do we follow then? Hopefully we do, but a lot of times, we still don't. We trust our own instinct more than His wisdom and guidance.
When we aren't trusting God and His perfect plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28), we are telling God that we're good on our own. Or that we'll call Him when we need Him. Nothing could break our Father's heart more than for us to tell Him that we don't really need Him. But He still loves us, and will happily welcome us back with arms wide open and waiting. When we confess and repent and ask for His forgiveness, He not only forgives but He also completely forgets. He is excited to fulfill His promise in Jeremiah 33:3 that when we call to Him he WILL answer and tell us great and mighty things that we do not know. God loves to fulfill His promises, and He always will when we seek Him first.
Dear Father, thank You. Thank You for always being there to guide me and show me the right way to go. I know I have a tendency to follow my own bumpy path sometimes, and for that I beg Your forgiveness. I pray that I will seek Your guidance and wisdom so that I will remember to make the right turn ahead when You point it out to me. I pray for those that aren't seeking Your guidance. I pray for those that do the same thing I do, and have a tendency to believe that they know what's best for them. My prayer is that they will see that following Your guidance is the best thing for them, and that You will fulfill Your promise in Jeremiah 29:11 to give them a future and a hope. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God knows better than us. It really is that simple. His thoughts are pure, righteous, and holy. And His ways are pure, righteous, and holy. Ours...leave a lot to be desired sometimes...
You mean I'm not always right?! That's a bitter pill to swallow for a perfectionist like me. I'm supposed to be right all the time, and know the best course of action for me to take too. I mean, that's the rule isn't it?
Well...not quite. Fortunately for me, I'm not always right. I have had to learn, albeit the hard way, to listen and trust God's prompting and His guidance. I still have a tendency to tune a deaf ear to Him sometimes, but those situations have become fewer and farther between.
A friend of mine bought me a sign for my desk once that said, "To save some time: Let's just assume that I'm always right." It was a running joke between me and her, and it fit my attitude well. Still does, sometimes...
Doesn't it sometimes feel like when God is pointing us in a certain direction that doesn't make any sense to us, that we have a tendency to say, "That can't be right. God wouldn't lead me that way." He wouldn't? How do we know? His thoughts and ways are higher than anything we could imagine. Just because our human instinct is telling us something, doesn't mean it knows better than God, or that our human instinct is always right. I know that I've personally demonstrated more than a few times, that my human instinct sometimes just sucks. It can be way off.
Ever walk down the road with someone, and they take an unexpected turn? You stop and ask where are you going? They say well this is the best way to go. You disagree and say you're going to go a different way, because you trust your sense of direction better? That's how it is with God. He's walking with us all the time, and He makes a turn that we weren't expecting. Do we listen and follow, or do we trust our own instinct and continue on our own path?
Sadly, more often than not, we continue on our own path. We encounter bumps in the road, and get bruised and beat up some. That doesn't mean that God didn't circle back and walk with us. Of course He did. He keeps us from doing more than stubbing our toes on the wrong path. Later on, He makes it easier for us to be prepared. He'll put bigger warning signs on the road to keep us following the path we are on that lead us away from what He has for us. Sometimes those bigger signs are very obvious like "Right Turn Ahead" or "Don't Go This Way". Do we follow then? Hopefully we do, but a lot of times, we still don't. We trust our own instinct more than His wisdom and guidance.
When we aren't trusting God and His perfect plan for us (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28), we are telling God that we're good on our own. Or that we'll call Him when we need Him. Nothing could break our Father's heart more than for us to tell Him that we don't really need Him. But He still loves us, and will happily welcome us back with arms wide open and waiting. When we confess and repent and ask for His forgiveness, He not only forgives but He also completely forgets. He is excited to fulfill His promise in Jeremiah 33:3 that when we call to Him he WILL answer and tell us great and mighty things that we do not know. God loves to fulfill His promises, and He always will when we seek Him first.
Dear Father, thank You. Thank You for always being there to guide me and show me the right way to go. I know I have a tendency to follow my own bumpy path sometimes, and for that I beg Your forgiveness. I pray that I will seek Your guidance and wisdom so that I will remember to make the right turn ahead when You point it out to me. I pray for those that aren't seeking Your guidance. I pray for those that do the same thing I do, and have a tendency to believe that they know what's best for them. My prayer is that they will see that following Your guidance is the best thing for them, and that You will fulfill Your promise in Jeremiah 29:11 to give them a future and a hope. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, June 27, 2014
Our Tutor
John 14:26 - But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative - that is, the Holy Spirit - He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
When we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, the Holy Spirit essentially become our tutor. When we seek God for guidance and counsel, the Holy Spirit guides us and teaches us what we need to know and where we should go.
I have never really thought of the Holy Spirit in this context, but it makes a lot of sense to me. God is our Creator and He gives us the textbook (the Bible) for our class (life) - (2 Timothy 3:16-17). He gave us Jesus Christ to be (among so much more) our Teacher (John 13:13). And then He gives us the Holy Spirit to guide and counsel us when we raise our hands and ask questions.
Since the Holy Spirit is given to us by God, the Holy Spirit will never lead us astray or down a path that is outside of the will of God. The Holy Spirit shows everyone in a different way, but for me it is usually through Scripture reference. When He shows us through Scripture the answers we are looking for, He will always give us the practical application of it as well.
But it's up to us to raise our hands. We have to first accept Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives, and submit to Him and His teaching in order for the Holy Tutor (Spirit) to come. And when He does come, it is also our responsibility to follow through with what He leads us to. We have that option, it's called free will.
If you're doing Algebra (a spawn of Satan's evil schemes), and your Math tutor points you to the answer and you see the answer to your equation is 8. You still have to write the answer down as 8. If you write the answer down as 10, whose fault is that? The tutor's? How is it his fault. He gave you the answer, but you chose to ignore it and write your own answer down.
It's very easy for us to play the blame game when things aren't going the way we want or expect them to. God, since He isn't here in the physical sense (like you and I are) to defend Himself (as if He needed to do so), is an easy target. We say things like, "I've been faithful in my church attendance," or "I've been tithing regularly, so why isn't God blessing me?!" Search your heart, and more importantly, search the textbook (the Bible) for the answer. Maybe God will reveal something to you that you didn't realize you were doing that needs to be corrected. He's done that to me so many times that I lost count a long time ago. When that happens, thank Him for His gentle corrections, and then listen to the Teacher and the Tutor.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for everything You have given us. You have given abundantly more as You have always promised to do, and walked us through what we need to know in Your Word. I am so grateful to have a loving Father like You that has also provided a great Teacher in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a great Tutor in Your Holy Spirit. I know I may come up with the wrong answer frequently, but Your gentle correction is more than enough to put me on the right path. I pray that I will always seek You first. I also pray for those that don't know You. My prayer is that they someone will reach out to them and show them just how much You love us all, and they will begin to seek You in Your Textbook and then invite Jesus Christ into their hearts for the great teaching and guidance they need to live a life dedicated to You and Your Holy Kingdom. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, the Holy Spirit essentially become our tutor. When we seek God for guidance and counsel, the Holy Spirit guides us and teaches us what we need to know and where we should go.
I have never really thought of the Holy Spirit in this context, but it makes a lot of sense to me. God is our Creator and He gives us the textbook (the Bible) for our class (life) - (2 Timothy 3:16-17). He gave us Jesus Christ to be (among so much more) our Teacher (John 13:13). And then He gives us the Holy Spirit to guide and counsel us when we raise our hands and ask questions.
Since the Holy Spirit is given to us by God, the Holy Spirit will never lead us astray or down a path that is outside of the will of God. The Holy Spirit shows everyone in a different way, but for me it is usually through Scripture reference. When He shows us through Scripture the answers we are looking for, He will always give us the practical application of it as well.
But it's up to us to raise our hands. We have to first accept Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives, and submit to Him and His teaching in order for the Holy Tutor (Spirit) to come. And when He does come, it is also our responsibility to follow through with what He leads us to. We have that option, it's called free will.
If you're doing Algebra (a spawn of Satan's evil schemes), and your Math tutor points you to the answer and you see the answer to your equation is 8. You still have to write the answer down as 8. If you write the answer down as 10, whose fault is that? The tutor's? How is it his fault. He gave you the answer, but you chose to ignore it and write your own answer down.
It's very easy for us to play the blame game when things aren't going the way we want or expect them to. God, since He isn't here in the physical sense (like you and I are) to defend Himself (as if He needed to do so), is an easy target. We say things like, "I've been faithful in my church attendance," or "I've been tithing regularly, so why isn't God blessing me?!" Search your heart, and more importantly, search the textbook (the Bible) for the answer. Maybe God will reveal something to you that you didn't realize you were doing that needs to be corrected. He's done that to me so many times that I lost count a long time ago. When that happens, thank Him for His gentle corrections, and then listen to the Teacher and the Tutor.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for everything You have given us. You have given abundantly more as You have always promised to do, and walked us through what we need to know in Your Word. I am so grateful to have a loving Father like You that has also provided a great Teacher in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a great Tutor in Your Holy Spirit. I know I may come up with the wrong answer frequently, but Your gentle correction is more than enough to put me on the right path. I pray that I will always seek You first. I also pray for those that don't know You. My prayer is that they someone will reach out to them and show them just how much You love us all, and they will begin to seek You in Your Textbook and then invite Jesus Christ into their hearts for the great teaching and guidance they need to live a life dedicated to You and Your Holy Kingdom. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Unfailing Love
Psalm 66:20 - Praise God, Who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me.
How easy would it be for God to blow us off? How convenient would it be for Him to just say, "I'm done with these crazy people," or "If they want to talk to Me, they know where to find Me."? Thankfully, He never does that.
The writer of Psalm 116 (I'm assuming it's David) says that God bends down to listen, and because of that he will pray while he still has breath (Psalm 116:2). No matter how far we remove ourselves from a relationship with God, one prayer is all it takes for God to bend down to listen to us.
I read once in a devotional that God's love was like a vast sea in its ability to transport us like a ship from a shore of sin to a shore of salvation, from a port of pain to a port of peace, and from a harbor of hell to a harbor of Heaven. I thought that was a great way to describe God's love.
Love like that would never blow off the one's that it's directed towards. It never gives up. God loves us with an unfailing love that knows no end. He never removes Himself from a relationship with us. He is the unchanging one (yesterday, today, and tomorrow). We are the ones that remove ourselves. Either we walk away from our faith, or never have it to begin with. But that one prayer is all it takes for Him to bend down to listen and say, "I'm here my child."
Now how easy is it for us to blow people off? How convenient is it for us to just say, "I'm done with these crazy people," or "If they want to talk to me, they know where to find me."? We do it all the time, don't we? I have, that's for sure. I'm not the most patient person (I know...shocking right?). I have to keep praying every day for God to give me the patience and strength to love people like He loves me. Like He expects me to love them. I fall short quite a bit, and sometimes I want to give up, but when I do I pray to God, I ask for His forgiveness and strength and He is right there to listen and say, "I'm here my child."
Dear Father, thank You for never abandoning me. I know You said that You would never leave or forsake me, and time and time again, You have followed through on Your promise. I thank You for forgiving me when I fall short and lose my patience. I am blessed by Your patience for me, and I praise You for all that You are and all that You mean to me. To You be the glory forever because of Your unfailing love. I pray for those that believe that they have strayed too far, and think that You don't want to hear from them anymore. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will do a work in their heart and remind them that while they have breath, they can still pray to You, and You will bend down to hear them and forgive them. In the Blessed name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How easy would it be for God to blow us off? How convenient would it be for Him to just say, "I'm done with these crazy people," or "If they want to talk to Me, they know where to find Me."? Thankfully, He never does that.
The writer of Psalm 116 (I'm assuming it's David) says that God bends down to listen, and because of that he will pray while he still has breath (Psalm 116:2). No matter how far we remove ourselves from a relationship with God, one prayer is all it takes for God to bend down to listen to us.
I read once in a devotional that God's love was like a vast sea in its ability to transport us like a ship from a shore of sin to a shore of salvation, from a port of pain to a port of peace, and from a harbor of hell to a harbor of Heaven. I thought that was a great way to describe God's love.
Love like that would never blow off the one's that it's directed towards. It never gives up. God loves us with an unfailing love that knows no end. He never removes Himself from a relationship with us. He is the unchanging one (yesterday, today, and tomorrow). We are the ones that remove ourselves. Either we walk away from our faith, or never have it to begin with. But that one prayer is all it takes for Him to bend down to listen and say, "I'm here my child."
Now how easy is it for us to blow people off? How convenient is it for us to just say, "I'm done with these crazy people," or "If they want to talk to me, they know where to find me."? We do it all the time, don't we? I have, that's for sure. I'm not the most patient person (I know...shocking right?). I have to keep praying every day for God to give me the patience and strength to love people like He loves me. Like He expects me to love them. I fall short quite a bit, and sometimes I want to give up, but when I do I pray to God, I ask for His forgiveness and strength and He is right there to listen and say, "I'm here my child."
Dear Father, thank You for never abandoning me. I know You said that You would never leave or forsake me, and time and time again, You have followed through on Your promise. I thank You for forgiving me when I fall short and lose my patience. I am blessed by Your patience for me, and I praise You for all that You are and all that You mean to me. To You be the glory forever because of Your unfailing love. I pray for those that believe that they have strayed too far, and think that You don't want to hear from them anymore. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will do a work in their heart and remind them that while they have breath, they can still pray to You, and You will bend down to hear them and forgive them. In the Blessed name of Jesus I pray, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Go In The Name Of Love
Matthew 7:22-23 - "On judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed miracles in your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws'."
The people Jesus was talking about here were doing all these things so that they would have something to brag about for themselves. They were doing it for their glory. If we aren't sharing or teaching God's Word in love and for His glory, then we are doing it wrong. It is all about His glory.
How often have we attended a church where it seemed like the Pastor was putting himself forward, and not God's Word. I doubt that the message that God gave him to share was supposed to be about how great of a Christian he is, and how he never falls short. How often do we do the same thing when we are sharing the Gospel with someone? When we do that, we short-change the message we are trying to share, and we short-change the person we are trying to share it with. We are robbing them of the opportunity to hear about God's righteousness and salvation.
In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus gave us the two most important commands to follow. Love God and love others as yourself. If we love God, why aren't we talking about Him and what He's done in our lives instead of what we've done? If we love them as we love ourselves, why are we not sharing with them the proper message that would bring God the glory and lead them to salvation?
God doesn't need us to show up in Heaven and brag about what we've done. He already knows what we've done. He told us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19)...plural. Not go and make one and never shut up about it. Yes, Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents and is saved than 99 who don't think they need to (Luke 15:7), but how are we ever going to have a chance with the other 99, if we don't stop bragging about the 1 we helped?
Am I more concerned with the good things I have done than with the good things that God can and will do through me because of the gifts He has given me? I pray that I don't rest on my laurels over one good thing and miss out on 99 other opportunities.
Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that it is all about You. It is about Your message of love and salvation, and not the one good thing I may do because of it. I pray that I will never be too proud to share Your love with anyone, and that when I come before You on that day, I will hear 'Well done, good and faithful servant' instead of 'I never knew You'. I pray for those that think that it is okay to focus on the 1 good thing, and not worry about those 99 missed opportunities. My prayer is that they will feel the conviction in their heart, and remember that it's all about Your love, and their love for You and others. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
The people Jesus was talking about here were doing all these things so that they would have something to brag about for themselves. They were doing it for their glory. If we aren't sharing or teaching God's Word in love and for His glory, then we are doing it wrong. It is all about His glory.
How often have we attended a church where it seemed like the Pastor was putting himself forward, and not God's Word. I doubt that the message that God gave him to share was supposed to be about how great of a Christian he is, and how he never falls short. How often do we do the same thing when we are sharing the Gospel with someone? When we do that, we short-change the message we are trying to share, and we short-change the person we are trying to share it with. We are robbing them of the opportunity to hear about God's righteousness and salvation.
In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus gave us the two most important commands to follow. Love God and love others as yourself. If we love God, why aren't we talking about Him and what He's done in our lives instead of what we've done? If we love them as we love ourselves, why are we not sharing with them the proper message that would bring God the glory and lead them to salvation?
God doesn't need us to show up in Heaven and brag about what we've done. He already knows what we've done. He told us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19)...plural. Not go and make one and never shut up about it. Yes, Heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents and is saved than 99 who don't think they need to (Luke 15:7), but how are we ever going to have a chance with the other 99, if we don't stop bragging about the 1 we helped?
Am I more concerned with the good things I have done than with the good things that God can and will do through me because of the gifts He has given me? I pray that I don't rest on my laurels over one good thing and miss out on 99 other opportunities.
Dear Father, thank You for reminding me that it is all about You. It is about Your message of love and salvation, and not the one good thing I may do because of it. I pray that I will never be too proud to share Your love with anyone, and that when I come before You on that day, I will hear 'Well done, good and faithful servant' instead of 'I never knew You'. I pray for those that think that it is okay to focus on the 1 good thing, and not worry about those 99 missed opportunities. My prayer is that they will feel the conviction in their heart, and remember that it's all about Your love, and their love for You and others. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Confidence
1 Timothy 6:3 - Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life.
One of Paul's qualities that I have admired, is his confidence. Throughout his writings in the New Testament (and there are a few...), he is always confident that he is doing right. His trust in God is unwavering which feeds his confidence.
Some could easily mistake his confidence for arrogance. It is very easy to do this, and with a lot of people it is justified. But not with Paul.
In 1 Corinthians 1:31, Paul reiterates the words of God to the prophet Jeremiah to boast only about the Lord. To boast that they know Him and recognize that He is the Lord (Jeremiah 9:24).
Since Paul was commissioned by Jesus Christ, he knew that he was doing right. He was confident that his message was the right one. That is not being arrogant, that is trusting and knowing that God will never lead you astray or abandon you.
I really liked Paul's final instructions to Timothy in this chapter when he tells him to fight the good fight for the true faith, and to hold tightly to the promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus (verse 21). Paul is encouraging Timothy that he has been doing it right (teaching), and he needs to trust his abilities that he has been given by God to keep going and never give up. I love that!
It's very easy when things get strained for us, that we give up. We tell ourselves, "Well it just wasn't meant to be," or "I guess I wasn't as good at this as I thought I was." God doesn't call us because we are qualified. He qualifies us because we are called. We just have to do the trusting part, and follow His lead. When we get to where He is taking us, we can have confidence that we fought the good fight and did it right, because we did it His way and not our own.
Am I trusting God to lead me? I saw a picture with a caption that said, "If God is your co-pilot, switch seats." That was a bit of a reality check for me. How often do I try to take control, and just consult Him when I am not sure of something? Am I going where He leads, or am I trying to take Him for the ride? I need to remember to switch seats with my Lord and Savior, and confidently trust Him to lead me where I was always meant to be.
Dear Lord, thank You for showing me the difference between confidence and arrogance. I ask Your forgiveness for any arrogance I have, and ask only for the quiet confidence that You give when I am trusting in You for everything I do. I pray for those that may give up at the first sign of adversity. My prayer is that their confident trust in You to lead them through everything will not waver beyond their breaking point, and they will switch seats with You and let You be the pilot. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
One of Paul's qualities that I have admired, is his confidence. Throughout his writings in the New Testament (and there are a few...), he is always confident that he is doing right. His trust in God is unwavering which feeds his confidence.
Some could easily mistake his confidence for arrogance. It is very easy to do this, and with a lot of people it is justified. But not with Paul.
In 1 Corinthians 1:31, Paul reiterates the words of God to the prophet Jeremiah to boast only about the Lord. To boast that they know Him and recognize that He is the Lord (Jeremiah 9:24).
Since Paul was commissioned by Jesus Christ, he knew that he was doing right. He was confident that his message was the right one. That is not being arrogant, that is trusting and knowing that God will never lead you astray or abandon you.
I really liked Paul's final instructions to Timothy in this chapter when he tells him to fight the good fight for the true faith, and to hold tightly to the promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus (verse 21). Paul is encouraging Timothy that he has been doing it right (teaching), and he needs to trust his abilities that he has been given by God to keep going and never give up. I love that!
It's very easy when things get strained for us, that we give up. We tell ourselves, "Well it just wasn't meant to be," or "I guess I wasn't as good at this as I thought I was." God doesn't call us because we are qualified. He qualifies us because we are called. We just have to do the trusting part, and follow His lead. When we get to where He is taking us, we can have confidence that we fought the good fight and did it right, because we did it His way and not our own.
Am I trusting God to lead me? I saw a picture with a caption that said, "If God is your co-pilot, switch seats." That was a bit of a reality check for me. How often do I try to take control, and just consult Him when I am not sure of something? Am I going where He leads, or am I trying to take Him for the ride? I need to remember to switch seats with my Lord and Savior, and confidently trust Him to lead me where I was always meant to be.
Dear Lord, thank You for showing me the difference between confidence and arrogance. I ask Your forgiveness for any arrogance I have, and ask only for the quiet confidence that You give when I am trusting in You for everything I do. I pray for those that may give up at the first sign of adversity. My prayer is that their confident trust in You to lead them through everything will not waver beyond their breaking point, and they will switch seats with You and let You be the pilot. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, June 23, 2014
Learning To Love
2 Peter 3:18 - Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to Him, both now and forever! Amen.
When we are growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, we learn to love like Jesus loves. This is something that should be on the top of all of our lists.
I have to be honest, when I first started my walk with Jesus a few years ago, I didn't really get the whole "love" thing. Being a product of a fallen world, people just really annoyed me and the last thing I wanted to do was love them. When I really started to study Scripture, I did it because I knew that God had instructed us to, and I was only concerned with a relationship with Him. The first time I came across the passage in Matthew 22, where Jesus said that we are to love God and our neighbor as ourselves and that everything was centered around these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40), I knew I was in trouble. I was only interested in God, not all these other annoying people.
But something has happened to me over the last few years. God really has worked on my heart, just as He said He would. He has transformed me into someone that strives to follow both of these commandments that Jesus gave us. I have come to the realization that loving my neighbor IS loving God. We are all God's people (whether we accept it or not).
Jesus' words in Matthew 25:40 really strike a chord with me. The way we treat those we deem "the least" of our brothers and sisters, is how we treat Jesus. If I'm not following that second command from Jesus in Matthew 22, then it's not possible for me to follow His first command. Although I have read both of these passages several times over the last few years, I never really had that "light bulb moment". This only comes from learning more about God through prayer, study, and solid teaching. That is how we begin to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and really learn to love the way He has always wanted us to.
I know I am certainly not perfect, and I will slip in this area from time to time. People will annoy me, and I will more than likely let them know about it too. But there's another great thing about the grace and knowledge of Jesus. He will forgive me. This doesn't give me free reign to be a jerk, but it does give me comfort in knowing that God will forgive me when I confess, repent, and ask for His forgiveness. What an awesome Savior we serve. How could I not love Him?!
Dear Abba Father, thank You for teaching me to love like You love. I pray that I will always be able to show love to everyone the way You have shown me love and the way You show us all love. I know that I will make mistakes and fall short, but I am grateful for Your grace that picks me back up and puts me back on the path You have always had for me. I pray for those that don't know how to love like You love. My prayer is that they will seek You in Your Word and through prayer and great teaching so that they will grow in the grace and knowledge of You, and truly learn how to love. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When we are growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, we learn to love like Jesus loves. This is something that should be on the top of all of our lists.
I have to be honest, when I first started my walk with Jesus a few years ago, I didn't really get the whole "love" thing. Being a product of a fallen world, people just really annoyed me and the last thing I wanted to do was love them. When I really started to study Scripture, I did it because I knew that God had instructed us to, and I was only concerned with a relationship with Him. The first time I came across the passage in Matthew 22, where Jesus said that we are to love God and our neighbor as ourselves and that everything was centered around these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40), I knew I was in trouble. I was only interested in God, not all these other annoying people.
But something has happened to me over the last few years. God really has worked on my heart, just as He said He would. He has transformed me into someone that strives to follow both of these commandments that Jesus gave us. I have come to the realization that loving my neighbor IS loving God. We are all God's people (whether we accept it or not).
Jesus' words in Matthew 25:40 really strike a chord with me. The way we treat those we deem "the least" of our brothers and sisters, is how we treat Jesus. If I'm not following that second command from Jesus in Matthew 22, then it's not possible for me to follow His first command. Although I have read both of these passages several times over the last few years, I never really had that "light bulb moment". This only comes from learning more about God through prayer, study, and solid teaching. That is how we begin to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and really learn to love the way He has always wanted us to.
I know I am certainly not perfect, and I will slip in this area from time to time. People will annoy me, and I will more than likely let them know about it too. But there's another great thing about the grace and knowledge of Jesus. He will forgive me. This doesn't give me free reign to be a jerk, but it does give me comfort in knowing that God will forgive me when I confess, repent, and ask for His forgiveness. What an awesome Savior we serve. How could I not love Him?!
Dear Abba Father, thank You for teaching me to love like You love. I pray that I will always be able to show love to everyone the way You have shown me love and the way You show us all love. I know that I will make mistakes and fall short, but I am grateful for Your grace that picks me back up and puts me back on the path You have always had for me. I pray for those that don't know how to love like You love. My prayer is that they will seek You in Your Word and through prayer and great teaching so that they will grow in the grace and knowledge of You, and truly learn how to love. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, June 20, 2014
Attitude Check
2 Kings 4:31 - Gehazi hurried on ahead and laid the staff on the child's face, but nothing happened. There was no sign of life. He returned to meet Elisha and told him, "The child is still dead."
Why wasn't Gehazi able to heal the boy as Elisha eventually did? He had his instructions from Elisha, and he had the prophet's tools, and he followed the instructions. But he couldn't make them work for him like Elisha did. Why was that?
I believe it was because Gehazi had the wrong motives. He was in the business he was in as this great prophet's assistant just to get rich, and God knew that, because God knows our hearts. We see in the next chapter, that Gehazi believed that he and Elisha should be getting paid for what they were doing. When things weren't happening the way he thought they should be, he deceived Naaman in order to make a quick buck. And he eventually paid a price for that.
How often are our hearts pointed in the wrong direction? I have caught myself more times than I care to count saying, "Ok, I'll do it because I'm sure that's what I'm supposed to do." It may be what I am supposed to do, but not with that attitude. The Apostle Paul tells us that God loves a person who gives cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7). That doesn't just apply to giving. I believe that it applies to everything, including doing. It's all about our attitude.
I want to be a cheerful doer of God's Word. Not a begrudging and reluctant one. God doesn't want me to do it if my heart isn't it. And who could blame Him? I know if I was asking someone to do something and they responded like that, I would tell them nevermind. I wouldn't want that attitude put into it, because it won't be done right and it won't turn out the way it should. I have to apply that to my own heart and motives too. I know that I don't have the abilities to do certain things, but with God on my side, it becomes 99% attitude and the faith of a mustard seed to accomplish all things by His power. I pray that I give myself an attitude check every time I feel like not doing something I have been called to.
Dear Father, thank You for putting me in check. I needed this today (and many other days). I am so grateful for Your loving reminders to keep my attitude and heart focused on You, so that I am being a cheerful doer of Your Word, and not a reluctant one. I pray for those that have their focus in the wrong places, and are only doing because they feel obligated to. My prayer is that they will realize that we should never do out of obligation, but out of love. As You gave Your Son as a sacrifice, You did it out of love and not obligation, I pray that we all show that love to everyone. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Why wasn't Gehazi able to heal the boy as Elisha eventually did? He had his instructions from Elisha, and he had the prophet's tools, and he followed the instructions. But he couldn't make them work for him like Elisha did. Why was that?
I believe it was because Gehazi had the wrong motives. He was in the business he was in as this great prophet's assistant just to get rich, and God knew that, because God knows our hearts. We see in the next chapter, that Gehazi believed that he and Elisha should be getting paid for what they were doing. When things weren't happening the way he thought they should be, he deceived Naaman in order to make a quick buck. And he eventually paid a price for that.
How often are our hearts pointed in the wrong direction? I have caught myself more times than I care to count saying, "Ok, I'll do it because I'm sure that's what I'm supposed to do." It may be what I am supposed to do, but not with that attitude. The Apostle Paul tells us that God loves a person who gives cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7). That doesn't just apply to giving. I believe that it applies to everything, including doing. It's all about our attitude.
I want to be a cheerful doer of God's Word. Not a begrudging and reluctant one. God doesn't want me to do it if my heart isn't it. And who could blame Him? I know if I was asking someone to do something and they responded like that, I would tell them nevermind. I wouldn't want that attitude put into it, because it won't be done right and it won't turn out the way it should. I have to apply that to my own heart and motives too. I know that I don't have the abilities to do certain things, but with God on my side, it becomes 99% attitude and the faith of a mustard seed to accomplish all things by His power. I pray that I give myself an attitude check every time I feel like not doing something I have been called to.
Dear Father, thank You for putting me in check. I needed this today (and many other days). I am so grateful for Your loving reminders to keep my attitude and heart focused on You, so that I am being a cheerful doer of Your Word, and not a reluctant one. I pray for those that have their focus in the wrong places, and are only doing because they feel obligated to. My prayer is that they will realize that we should never do out of obligation, but out of love. As You gave Your Son as a sacrifice, You did it out of love and not obligation, I pray that we all show that love to everyone. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Leaving Our Mark
2 Corinthians 3:3 - Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.
In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he reminds them that the legacy he will leave is them, namely their faith in Christ. He tells them that this is much more important than any letter of introduction he could ever need.
Ever wonder what kind of mark you're going to leave on the world when you're gone? I try not to think about it too much, but I definitely do from time to time. Maybe it's just a part of getting older (wait, I'm only 21...). I think a lot of us think about it, especially if you have kids. You may think, "What am I leaving my children with?" "What kind of mark am I going to make in their lives?" Well the best mark any of us could make is their faith.
Since I don't have kids, I have to think about how am I supposed to impact anyone? What kind of mark am I going to leave behind? The best legacy any of us could leave, is to help someone come to faith, or lead them back to the faith they walked away from. I believe that nothing could ever be so impressionable on someone else as that.
Paul understood that. He knew what it meant to finish strong, and it didn't matter how he started. He knew that his past persecution and rejection of Christ had been forgiven and forgotten, and that through the power of the Holy Spirit, he was leaving a different kind of memory of himself with the new believers he was bringing to Christ. He didn't need any letter of introduction anymore. And neither do we. Jesus Christ is our letter of introduction.
Jesus told us, "In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!" (Luke 15:7). Imagine what it would feel like when someone asks you what you've done with your life and you say, "I made heaven rejoice. I led someone to Christ." That's a mark we should all be trying to leave behind, because nothing could ever be more important.
Dear Father, thank You for making Your mark on my heart. I pray for the strength and wisdom to lead someone back to You. I want heaven to rejoice over the lost soul that returns to You. I am willing to go where You lead, because I know You will always lead me down the right path. I pray for those that are concerned about leaving a mark in this world before they leave. My prayer is that they will see that the best thing they could do is to share their faith with someone, and help lead them to You. I pray that they will not hesitate to answer Your call. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, he reminds them that the legacy he will leave is them, namely their faith in Christ. He tells them that this is much more important than any letter of introduction he could ever need.
Ever wonder what kind of mark you're going to leave on the world when you're gone? I try not to think about it too much, but I definitely do from time to time. Maybe it's just a part of getting older (wait, I'm only 21...). I think a lot of us think about it, especially if you have kids. You may think, "What am I leaving my children with?" "What kind of mark am I going to make in their lives?" Well the best mark any of us could make is their faith.
Since I don't have kids, I have to think about how am I supposed to impact anyone? What kind of mark am I going to leave behind? The best legacy any of us could leave, is to help someone come to faith, or lead them back to the faith they walked away from. I believe that nothing could ever be so impressionable on someone else as that.
Paul understood that. He knew what it meant to finish strong, and it didn't matter how he started. He knew that his past persecution and rejection of Christ had been forgiven and forgotten, and that through the power of the Holy Spirit, he was leaving a different kind of memory of himself with the new believers he was bringing to Christ. He didn't need any letter of introduction anymore. And neither do we. Jesus Christ is our letter of introduction.
Jesus told us, "In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!" (Luke 15:7). Imagine what it would feel like when someone asks you what you've done with your life and you say, "I made heaven rejoice. I led someone to Christ." That's a mark we should all be trying to leave behind, because nothing could ever be more important.
Dear Father, thank You for making Your mark on my heart. I pray for the strength and wisdom to lead someone back to You. I want heaven to rejoice over the lost soul that returns to You. I am willing to go where You lead, because I know You will always lead me down the right path. I pray for those that are concerned about leaving a mark in this world before they leave. My prayer is that they will see that the best thing they could do is to share their faith with someone, and help lead them to You. I pray that they will not hesitate to answer Your call. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Hold On Loosely
Philippians 3:8 - Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
No matter what we have in our lives, or who we have in our lives, it pales in comparison to the importance of having Christ in our lives.
How often do we hold onto someone, or something, too long while they bring us down? These people succeed in bringing us down the rabbit hole and further away from Christ because we allow it to happen. We think, "Well if I pray harder for them, they will change." Yes, we should pray for them, but that doesn't mean we should do it while we're going for a ride that's taking us down a dark hole and away from Christ.
When I first started to really focus on my relationship with Christ about five years ago, I had a couple of really close friends. The three of us were friends for over 25 years, and we grew up together. When Christ started to change my heart and attitude towards Him and away from the activities that we were doing, they didn't like it and they started to treat me differently. There was never any conversations about it specifically where they threatened to walk away if I didn't walk away from Christ and resume our normal activities. They just walked away. Do I miss those guys? To a degree, yes. We shared a lot of memories in those 25+ years, some good and some bad.
When I think about them from time to time, I remember Paul's words to the Corinthians. He said, "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things" (1 Corinthians 13:11). While we are called to have faith like a child, that doesn't mean we are to act like a child. There is a time when we have to grow up, and take responsibility for our lives, and our faith. I could have easily walked away from my relationship with Christ, and stayed with the comfortability that I had for all those years. But I really felt the Holy Spirit nudging me in another direction. Sure I miss the guys from time to time, but I learned it was more important to hold on to them loosely, and hold on to Jesus tightly.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing me the right path for my life. Thank You for showing me a glimpse of the plans You have for me, and nudging me away from the dead end path I was on. I pray for the people in my old life that I don't hear or see anymore. My prayer is that they will feel Your nudging at their heart, and let You in. I also pray for those that are struggling to let go of the easy (comfortable) life they are accustomed to. My prayer is that they will finally see that it is indeed dragging them down and away from You, and that they will finally let go of it, and grab hold of You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
No matter what we have in our lives, or who we have in our lives, it pales in comparison to the importance of having Christ in our lives.
How often do we hold onto someone, or something, too long while they bring us down? These people succeed in bringing us down the rabbit hole and further away from Christ because we allow it to happen. We think, "Well if I pray harder for them, they will change." Yes, we should pray for them, but that doesn't mean we should do it while we're going for a ride that's taking us down a dark hole and away from Christ.
When I first started to really focus on my relationship with Christ about five years ago, I had a couple of really close friends. The three of us were friends for over 25 years, and we grew up together. When Christ started to change my heart and attitude towards Him and away from the activities that we were doing, they didn't like it and they started to treat me differently. There was never any conversations about it specifically where they threatened to walk away if I didn't walk away from Christ and resume our normal activities. They just walked away. Do I miss those guys? To a degree, yes. We shared a lot of memories in those 25+ years, some good and some bad.
When I think about them from time to time, I remember Paul's words to the Corinthians. He said, "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things" (1 Corinthians 13:11). While we are called to have faith like a child, that doesn't mean we are to act like a child. There is a time when we have to grow up, and take responsibility for our lives, and our faith. I could have easily walked away from my relationship with Christ, and stayed with the comfortability that I had for all those years. But I really felt the Holy Spirit nudging me in another direction. Sure I miss the guys from time to time, but I learned it was more important to hold on to them loosely, and hold on to Jesus tightly.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for showing me the right path for my life. Thank You for showing me a glimpse of the plans You have for me, and nudging me away from the dead end path I was on. I pray for the people in my old life that I don't hear or see anymore. My prayer is that they will feel Your nudging at their heart, and let You in. I also pray for those that are struggling to let go of the easy (comfortable) life they are accustomed to. My prayer is that they will finally see that it is indeed dragging them down and away from You, and that they will finally let go of it, and grab hold of You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
The Missing Piece
Ephesians 3:19 - May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
How long did I live my life not knowing Christ? Too long. For far too long I was missing that piece of the puzzle that made me complete. Now that I have begun to experience the love of Christ, I don't know how I ever got along without it.
I'm not saying that I have everything figured out now. Hardly. But I have the missing piece of the puzzle that completes my life, in my heart. I look forward to every day so that I can begin with spending time with my Creator and getting to know Him better. As Paul said here, it is too great to understand fully, and I am fine with that. I have learned that I don't have to have all the answers right now (that was a tough lesson). God has shown me enough to know that He is in charge and He only has great things for those who love Him and are called to Him. I am blessed to have been called.
Paul's words in Philippians ring so true for me. He said, "No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it (perfection), but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (Philippians 3:13-14). Focusing on what lies ahead - God's Heavenly and eternal Kingdom - is such an amazing thing to look forward to. While I forget about my past, I do need to make sure that I have learned from my mistakes so that I don't repeat them. I want to finish the race strong, and receive God's Heavenly prize.
My prayer for everyone today is that we all can experience the love of Christ. Even though it is not fully comprehensible, it is understandable enough that it can be life changing when You open your heart and let Him in.
Dear Father, thank You for loving me when I was unlovable. Thank You for calling me towards the Heavenly prize through Jesus Christ. I pray that I will keep my heart focused on You and Your purpose for me as I go out into the world today. I pray for those that don't know Your love. My prayer is that they will open their hearts just enough to let some of Your light shine in so that they will experience a taste of what You have for them, because when they do that, I am confident they will open them up completely and surrender themselves to You. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How long did I live my life not knowing Christ? Too long. For far too long I was missing that piece of the puzzle that made me complete. Now that I have begun to experience the love of Christ, I don't know how I ever got along without it.
I'm not saying that I have everything figured out now. Hardly. But I have the missing piece of the puzzle that completes my life, in my heart. I look forward to every day so that I can begin with spending time with my Creator and getting to know Him better. As Paul said here, it is too great to understand fully, and I am fine with that. I have learned that I don't have to have all the answers right now (that was a tough lesson). God has shown me enough to know that He is in charge and He only has great things for those who love Him and are called to Him. I am blessed to have been called.
Paul's words in Philippians ring so true for me. He said, "No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it (perfection), but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us" (Philippians 3:13-14). Focusing on what lies ahead - God's Heavenly and eternal Kingdom - is such an amazing thing to look forward to. While I forget about my past, I do need to make sure that I have learned from my mistakes so that I don't repeat them. I want to finish the race strong, and receive God's Heavenly prize.
My prayer for everyone today is that we all can experience the love of Christ. Even though it is not fully comprehensible, it is understandable enough that it can be life changing when You open your heart and let Him in.
Dear Father, thank You for loving me when I was unlovable. Thank You for calling me towards the Heavenly prize through Jesus Christ. I pray that I will keep my heart focused on You and Your purpose for me as I go out into the world today. I pray for those that don't know Your love. My prayer is that they will open their hearts just enough to let some of Your light shine in so that they will experience a taste of what You have for them, because when they do that, I am confident they will open them up completely and surrender themselves to You. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Perspective
1 John 5:21 - Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.
The Apostle John's plea for us to keep our hearts focus on God and to keep away from anything that might take us away from him, is a also a good reminder that anything can be an idol. No matter how insignificant or trivial it may seem.
During my Quiet Time with God this morning, I came across this passage in one of the devotionals I read every day. Pastor Chuck Swindoll put the issue of idol worship into great perspective for me. He said, "I don't have many temptations to worship evil things. It's the good things that plague me." How true is that! How often do I catch myself enjoying good things more than I should, or taking them more seriously than I should?
This message this morning really touched my heart the day after my favorite Hockey team won the Stanley Cup Championship. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I love Baseball and Hockey very much. I enjoy watching and attending games whenever I am able. I was able to watch the game last night and celebrate with some other fans, but now that I look back on the events of the evening, was I putting the excitement and thrill of the sport in front of God in my heart? I have to say that I think I was. Usually during exciting games like last night when the tension gets high, I can't relax. I can't sit down, and I have a tendency to pace the floor, and last night was certainly no exception.
There's nothing wrong with enjoying sports for what they are - ENTERTAINMENT. Yes, they are a job and a way of life for those who play the game, but they are intended to be entertaining for the rest of us. I remember years back when the Chicago Cubs would lose a game (and it happens very often), people knew not to talk to me. I was in a bad mood for most of the next morning, and I did not want to talk to anyone. Talk about letting something replace God as first in your heart. I eventually learned to relax and not let it bother me (as much), because I finally learned just how insignificant a game really is. That doesn't mean that I have it all figured out. Far from it. I still get bothered by the poor play of the Cubs (did I mention it happens often?) and overexcited by the great play of the Los Angeles Kings (did I mention they won the Championship?), but I have gotten better about keeping them in perspective.
One thing I promised myself that has really helped me, is that I would never involve God in sports. What I mean is, during my prayers I would never ask God to intercede for one of my teams to win. I realize that may sound silly, but I know people that do this, and I don't believe I should be praying for something like that. I do pray that God will protect the players and keep them healthy and safe, but I never say to God, "Lord, I really want them to win, because they are playing their rival", or something like that (did I mention the Kings eliminated the Ducks from the playoffs this year?).
While I have enjoyed the great season the Kings had (did I mention it was their 2nd Championship in 3 years?), and am enjoying (as much as possible) watching the Cubs play to the best of their ability, I have to remember that it is just a game (did I mention the victory parade is on Monday?). It is just intended to be a respite for a few hours (double overtime win last night!), and not consume all of my thoughts and energies. That should be reserved for the Lord.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for giving me perspective I need at the right time. I love Your timing, and am thankful for Your corrections as well as Your love and grace. I pray that I will keep everything in the proper perspective in my life, which means You are at the forefront of everything I do, and I will seek Your will for everything, not my own. I pray for those that have trouble with idol worship as I have, and still do sometimes. My prayer is that we will see that they are replacing You in our hearts with things that are not as important as they may seem, and we will turn from that behavior, and seek You first. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
The Apostle John's plea for us to keep our hearts focus on God and to keep away from anything that might take us away from him, is a also a good reminder that anything can be an idol. No matter how insignificant or trivial it may seem.
During my Quiet Time with God this morning, I came across this passage in one of the devotionals I read every day. Pastor Chuck Swindoll put the issue of idol worship into great perspective for me. He said, "I don't have many temptations to worship evil things. It's the good things that plague me." How true is that! How often do I catch myself enjoying good things more than I should, or taking them more seriously than I should?
This message this morning really touched my heart the day after my favorite Hockey team won the Stanley Cup Championship. Anyone who knows me well enough, knows that I love Baseball and Hockey very much. I enjoy watching and attending games whenever I am able. I was able to watch the game last night and celebrate with some other fans, but now that I look back on the events of the evening, was I putting the excitement and thrill of the sport in front of God in my heart? I have to say that I think I was. Usually during exciting games like last night when the tension gets high, I can't relax. I can't sit down, and I have a tendency to pace the floor, and last night was certainly no exception.
There's nothing wrong with enjoying sports for what they are - ENTERTAINMENT. Yes, they are a job and a way of life for those who play the game, but they are intended to be entertaining for the rest of us. I remember years back when the Chicago Cubs would lose a game (and it happens very often), people knew not to talk to me. I was in a bad mood for most of the next morning, and I did not want to talk to anyone. Talk about letting something replace God as first in your heart. I eventually learned to relax and not let it bother me (as much), because I finally learned just how insignificant a game really is. That doesn't mean that I have it all figured out. Far from it. I still get bothered by the poor play of the Cubs (did I mention it happens often?) and overexcited by the great play of the Los Angeles Kings (did I mention they won the Championship?), but I have gotten better about keeping them in perspective.
One thing I promised myself that has really helped me, is that I would never involve God in sports. What I mean is, during my prayers I would never ask God to intercede for one of my teams to win. I realize that may sound silly, but I know people that do this, and I don't believe I should be praying for something like that. I do pray that God will protect the players and keep them healthy and safe, but I never say to God, "Lord, I really want them to win, because they are playing their rival", or something like that (did I mention the Kings eliminated the Ducks from the playoffs this year?).
While I have enjoyed the great season the Kings had (did I mention it was their 2nd Championship in 3 years?), and am enjoying (as much as possible) watching the Cubs play to the best of their ability, I have to remember that it is just a game (did I mention the victory parade is on Monday?). It is just intended to be a respite for a few hours (double overtime win last night!), and not consume all of my thoughts and energies. That should be reserved for the Lord.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for giving me perspective I need at the right time. I love Your timing, and am thankful for Your corrections as well as Your love and grace. I pray that I will keep everything in the proper perspective in my life, which means You are at the forefront of everything I do, and I will seek Your will for everything, not my own. I pray for those that have trouble with idol worship as I have, and still do sometimes. My prayer is that we will see that they are replacing You in our hearts with things that are not as important as they may seem, and we will turn from that behavior, and seek You first. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, June 13, 2014
Doing It Together
Matthew 18:20 - For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.
Jesus encourages us to be together in community with (and for) each other. We weren't built to do life alone. We were meant to share our experiences and our faith with each other, and to keep each other accountable.
Solomon also spoke about this when he said that two can stand back to back and conquer, and that three were even better because a triple-braided cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). The more of us that are standing together in faith, the less chance the enemy can gain a foothold in one of our lives. Even the devil will flee when we resist him in the name of God (James 4:7).
For someone like me, who has always been a very contented loner, this whole idea of community was really foreign and difficult to wrap my head around. I remember always thinking, "Other people?! I gotta talk to other people?! But I don't like people!" Well, God isn't calling me to be comfortable. He's calling me to step out of my comfort zone, and share life with these other people. And I have to say that it has been a real blessing to me.
In his book Pursued, Jud Wilhite talks about community, and makes a great point. He says, "God wants to make all things new in us and then He wants to work through us to make all things new in our communities! God doesn't just want to save and forgive us, but He also wants to use us to bring hope and restoration to the world through the community of faith" (Chapter 11).
I thought about this after I read it, and it made me think about the people you see and pass on the street that are handing out Bible tracts, or trying to just share Jesus with those passing by. The one thing I have seen that they have typically had in common, is that they are alone. No one is there to help them, or keep them accountable, or share the experience of sharing Jesus. In years past when I would see them I would think, "Who are these crazy people?" And I'm sure I am not the only person who has thought that. What would make less people think they're crazy? What would give these people more credibility? Community, that's what. If there were two or three of them, they would probably be taken a little more seriously instead of just waved off as some religious nut jobs.
I'm not saying to never share God's Word and love with people if you are by yourself. By all means, share whenever you have the opportunity. But don't overlook being in community with others. Never believe that you can do it all by yourself. In Pursued, Jud Wilhite answers a common question with a very unique perspective (in my opinion). He says, "People sometimes ask, 'Can you be a Christian without attending church?' The truth is, yes, you can be a Christian and never go to church, just like you can be married and never go home to be with your spouse. But in both cases, as someone said, your relationship with your significant other will suffer" (Ch. 11). The last thing I want, is for my relationship with God to suffer because I'm stubborn.
We don't necessarily need the community to survive. But God doesn't want us to just survive. Surviving is boring. He wants us to thrive. God said he has great and mighty things planned for us (Jeremiah 33:3), that hardly sounds boring to me. The community of God's believers (the church) is where we can thrive.
Dear Father, thank You for Your Word, and thank You for the amazing community You have given me to be a part of. I have been so blessed since I have finally found my church home and a great Bible study group, and I can't imagine not having those people in my life. I pray for those that don't have that. Maybe they don't feel they need it, or simply don't want it. My prayer is that You will show them just how much better it can be when we are all doing life together and sharing our faith with each other. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Jesus encourages us to be together in community with (and for) each other. We weren't built to do life alone. We were meant to share our experiences and our faith with each other, and to keep each other accountable.
Solomon also spoke about this when he said that two can stand back to back and conquer, and that three were even better because a triple-braided cord is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12). The more of us that are standing together in faith, the less chance the enemy can gain a foothold in one of our lives. Even the devil will flee when we resist him in the name of God (James 4:7).
For someone like me, who has always been a very contented loner, this whole idea of community was really foreign and difficult to wrap my head around. I remember always thinking, "Other people?! I gotta talk to other people?! But I don't like people!" Well, God isn't calling me to be comfortable. He's calling me to step out of my comfort zone, and share life with these other people. And I have to say that it has been a real blessing to me.
In his book Pursued, Jud Wilhite talks about community, and makes a great point. He says, "God wants to make all things new in us and then He wants to work through us to make all things new in our communities! God doesn't just want to save and forgive us, but He also wants to use us to bring hope and restoration to the world through the community of faith" (Chapter 11).
I thought about this after I read it, and it made me think about the people you see and pass on the street that are handing out Bible tracts, or trying to just share Jesus with those passing by. The one thing I have seen that they have typically had in common, is that they are alone. No one is there to help them, or keep them accountable, or share the experience of sharing Jesus. In years past when I would see them I would think, "Who are these crazy people?" And I'm sure I am not the only person who has thought that. What would make less people think they're crazy? What would give these people more credibility? Community, that's what. If there were two or three of them, they would probably be taken a little more seriously instead of just waved off as some religious nut jobs.
I'm not saying to never share God's Word and love with people if you are by yourself. By all means, share whenever you have the opportunity. But don't overlook being in community with others. Never believe that you can do it all by yourself. In Pursued, Jud Wilhite answers a common question with a very unique perspective (in my opinion). He says, "People sometimes ask, 'Can you be a Christian without attending church?' The truth is, yes, you can be a Christian and never go to church, just like you can be married and never go home to be with your spouse. But in both cases, as someone said, your relationship with your significant other will suffer" (Ch. 11). The last thing I want, is for my relationship with God to suffer because I'm stubborn.
We don't necessarily need the community to survive. But God doesn't want us to just survive. Surviving is boring. He wants us to thrive. God said he has great and mighty things planned for us (Jeremiah 33:3), that hardly sounds boring to me. The community of God's believers (the church) is where we can thrive.
Dear Father, thank You for Your Word, and thank You for the amazing community You have given me to be a part of. I have been so blessed since I have finally found my church home and a great Bible study group, and I can't imagine not having those people in my life. I pray for those that don't have that. Maybe they don't feel they need it, or simply don't want it. My prayer is that You will show them just how much better it can be when we are all doing life together and sharing our faith with each other. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Under New Ownership
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Being a recovered drug addict, I am more than aware of the effects that drugs have on your body. Even after more than 15 years of sobriety, it is still a struggle to say clean. While it isn't necessarily the same daily struggle that it was in the beginning, there are certainly some days that are hard. Usually they come with stressful situations.
A couple of years ago, when my ex-wife and I separated, a close friend who was aware of my struggles with addiction said to me, "Don't use this as an excuse to start using again." I was kind of caught off guard by the comment. I remember telling my friend that it was going to take a lot more than what my ex-wife had to cause me to end my sobriety. I also said that I wouldn't put my body through that again, because it didn't belong to me anymore.
My body belongs to God. While I may not take the best care of it (hey, round is a shape!), it's still a temple that the Holy Spirit lives in. When I re-committed myself to Christ a few years ago, I remembered Paul's message to the Galatians. In Galatians 2:20 Paul said, "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." That passage has always held special to meaning to me in regards to my sobriety. I gave up my old self and am under new ownership in Christ.
It's easy for those who struggle with addiction and other things like it, to fall back to what we know when we have a setback in life, particularly in the beginning of our sobriety. I don't pretend to know everything when it comes to struggling with addiction and sobriety, because everybody struggles in their own way. If you are having a hard time overcoming it, what I can tell you is to put your faith in Christ. He WILL get you through it. He got this idiot through it, He can and will do the same for you.
Don't expect that You will be instantly healed either, because we are all a work in progress that will not be completed until we are with Jesus in Heaven, or He returns to earth (Philippians 1:6). God doesn't expect us to be instantly healed, but He does want us to trust in Him for our daily provision of healing and strength. He knows how complex our minds are, and He knows every struggle we have. Trust in Him, and He will take care of you. And remember that you're not alone. I know that it may feel that way from time to time. It's easy to think that no one understands what you're going through. As I said before, everyone struggles in their own way, but that doesn't meant that no one else understands struggle. Reach out to people that you trust to help you through it. If you don't have anyone, you are welcome to always get in touch with me. Whether or not we know each other that well, I'm happy to listen and help you through in whatever way God will use me.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for Your healing and strength that get me through every day, some harder than others. I am grateful that You don't expect me to be completely healed instantly, and that You are willing to put in the time to make me more like You every day. I pray for those that don't know the power of Your strength and healing. My prayer is that in their struggles, they will come to You, the One who can and will heal all and make everything new. I pray that they don't hesitate to reach out to someone when their struggles become too tough to bear. I pray this in the powerful and mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Being a recovered drug addict, I am more than aware of the effects that drugs have on your body. Even after more than 15 years of sobriety, it is still a struggle to say clean. While it isn't necessarily the same daily struggle that it was in the beginning, there are certainly some days that are hard. Usually they come with stressful situations.
A couple of years ago, when my ex-wife and I separated, a close friend who was aware of my struggles with addiction said to me, "Don't use this as an excuse to start using again." I was kind of caught off guard by the comment. I remember telling my friend that it was going to take a lot more than what my ex-wife had to cause me to end my sobriety. I also said that I wouldn't put my body through that again, because it didn't belong to me anymore.
My body belongs to God. While I may not take the best care of it (hey, round is a shape!), it's still a temple that the Holy Spirit lives in. When I re-committed myself to Christ a few years ago, I remembered Paul's message to the Galatians. In Galatians 2:20 Paul said, "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." That passage has always held special to meaning to me in regards to my sobriety. I gave up my old self and am under new ownership in Christ.
It's easy for those who struggle with addiction and other things like it, to fall back to what we know when we have a setback in life, particularly in the beginning of our sobriety. I don't pretend to know everything when it comes to struggling with addiction and sobriety, because everybody struggles in their own way. If you are having a hard time overcoming it, what I can tell you is to put your faith in Christ. He WILL get you through it. He got this idiot through it, He can and will do the same for you.
Don't expect that You will be instantly healed either, because we are all a work in progress that will not be completed until we are with Jesus in Heaven, or He returns to earth (Philippians 1:6). God doesn't expect us to be instantly healed, but He does want us to trust in Him for our daily provision of healing and strength. He knows how complex our minds are, and He knows every struggle we have. Trust in Him, and He will take care of you. And remember that you're not alone. I know that it may feel that way from time to time. It's easy to think that no one understands what you're going through. As I said before, everyone struggles in their own way, but that doesn't meant that no one else understands struggle. Reach out to people that you trust to help you through it. If you don't have anyone, you are welcome to always get in touch with me. Whether or not we know each other that well, I'm happy to listen and help you through in whatever way God will use me.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for Your healing and strength that get me through every day, some harder than others. I am grateful that You don't expect me to be completely healed instantly, and that You are willing to put in the time to make me more like You every day. I pray for those that don't know the power of Your strength and healing. My prayer is that in their struggles, they will come to You, the One who can and will heal all and make everything new. I pray that they don't hesitate to reach out to someone when their struggles become too tough to bear. I pray this in the powerful and mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
A Faithful Father
Hosea 2:14 - "But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there."
One of the most endearing qualities of God is His love for His people. He certainly has many more (too many to count), but I don't have all day here. God's love for us is just so mind blowing sometimes.
The story of Hosea is such a great image of God's love for His people. This second chapter starts out with God talking about how done He is with His unfaithful bride, but then does a complete 180. It's like God is saying to us, "I can't quit you because I love you too much." God could easily punish us for our unfaithfulness. He could violate our free will if He wanted to and make us serve and worship Him. But He doesn't work that way.
Verse 13 in this chapter starts out saying that He will punish His bride for all those instances of unfaithfulness, but in verse 14, He flips the switch and says He will win us back and speak tenderly to us to convince us of His love for us. He wants to punish, and would be justified to do so, but He can't do that because He loves us too much. He just wants to love us. He wants to woo us and court us. Anyone who claims that God is a vengeful and mean-spirited God, don't know the God of the Bible. He is none of those things.
God is love, and there is no getting around that. In 1 Corinthians 13, verses 4-7 give a much better listing of God's qualities (much better than I could ever list). One of my favorites in this list, is verse 5 when Paul says that love (God) does not demand its own way. I am so thankful that God let me come to Him in my time and in my way. That's the loving and faithful Father that I have come to know.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for loving me with a love that knows no end. Thank You for showing me how much You really do love me, and want nothing but the best for me. I pray that I learn to show that love to others so that they will see just how much You really love us all. I pray for those that don't know Your love. They listen to misguided notions about the nature of Your character, and trust in the wrong things. My prayer is that Your Spirit will reach their heart and show them just how much You want them to be home with You for eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
One of the most endearing qualities of God is His love for His people. He certainly has many more (too many to count), but I don't have all day here. God's love for us is just so mind blowing sometimes.
The story of Hosea is such a great image of God's love for His people. This second chapter starts out with God talking about how done He is with His unfaithful bride, but then does a complete 180. It's like God is saying to us, "I can't quit you because I love you too much." God could easily punish us for our unfaithfulness. He could violate our free will if He wanted to and make us serve and worship Him. But He doesn't work that way.
Verse 13 in this chapter starts out saying that He will punish His bride for all those instances of unfaithfulness, but in verse 14, He flips the switch and says He will win us back and speak tenderly to us to convince us of His love for us. He wants to punish, and would be justified to do so, but He can't do that because He loves us too much. He just wants to love us. He wants to woo us and court us. Anyone who claims that God is a vengeful and mean-spirited God, don't know the God of the Bible. He is none of those things.
God is love, and there is no getting around that. In 1 Corinthians 13, verses 4-7 give a much better listing of God's qualities (much better than I could ever list). One of my favorites in this list, is verse 5 when Paul says that love (God) does not demand its own way. I am so thankful that God let me come to Him in my time and in my way. That's the loving and faithful Father that I have come to know.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for loving me with a love that knows no end. Thank You for showing me how much You really do love me, and want nothing but the best for me. I pray that I learn to show that love to others so that they will see just how much You really love us all. I pray for those that don't know Your love. They listen to misguided notions about the nature of Your character, and trust in the wrong things. My prayer is that Your Spirit will reach their heart and show them just how much You want them to be home with You for eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Truthful Guidance
Mark 12:24 - Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God."
When the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with their questions, He saw through it and put it back on them. He pointed out that they didn't really know what they were teaching and the power behind it.
How often do we see political leaders talk about their faith, but not have any meaning or conviction behind it? We see a candidate maybe even quote a Scripture or two so that they can sound religious and win a few extra votes. But it doesn't work that way. The power of God's Word isn't supposed to be some tool to try and influence people like that. It is a truthful guide for our lives.
The candidates we elect to office on a local, state, or national level should have their hearts governed by God. When we fail to do that, we do a disservice to ourselves and our God. We should seek His guidance in every way for our lives, and our expectations for the leadership we elect should be grounded in God's Word, not the words they say that sound good and right. How can we expect them to lead like Christ if they don't comprehend or apply His Scripture.
King David said it well in Psalm 18:30 when he said, "God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection." God's instructions to Joshua to study and meditate on His Word (Joshua 1:8) are instructions for all of us. We should demand nothing less from the ones we elect into office.
Am I studying Scripture every day for the right reasons? Am I seeking to know the words, or to know the One who is the Word, and to have His truthful guidance in my every day life?
Dear Father, I pray that my heart is in the right place and seeking Your truthful guidance for my life. I know I will fall short and stray from Your path from time to time. When that happens, I pray that I will confess, repent, and ask for Your forgiveness so that I may stay close to You, my Shield of protection. I pray for those that don't know You. They may be reading Your Word regularly, but not for the right reasons. My prayer is that they will feel the emptiness inside that only a right relationship with You can fill. I pray for the leadership of this country. I pray that they will turn their hearts to You to let Your loving influence guide their decisions for us. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When the Sadducees tried to trap Jesus with their questions, He saw through it and put it back on them. He pointed out that they didn't really know what they were teaching and the power behind it.
How often do we see political leaders talk about their faith, but not have any meaning or conviction behind it? We see a candidate maybe even quote a Scripture or two so that they can sound religious and win a few extra votes. But it doesn't work that way. The power of God's Word isn't supposed to be some tool to try and influence people like that. It is a truthful guide for our lives.
The candidates we elect to office on a local, state, or national level should have their hearts governed by God. When we fail to do that, we do a disservice to ourselves and our God. We should seek His guidance in every way for our lives, and our expectations for the leadership we elect should be grounded in God's Word, not the words they say that sound good and right. How can we expect them to lead like Christ if they don't comprehend or apply His Scripture.
King David said it well in Psalm 18:30 when he said, "God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection." God's instructions to Joshua to study and meditate on His Word (Joshua 1:8) are instructions for all of us. We should demand nothing less from the ones we elect into office.
Am I studying Scripture every day for the right reasons? Am I seeking to know the words, or to know the One who is the Word, and to have His truthful guidance in my every day life?
Dear Father, I pray that my heart is in the right place and seeking Your truthful guidance for my life. I know I will fall short and stray from Your path from time to time. When that happens, I pray that I will confess, repent, and ask for Your forgiveness so that I may stay close to You, my Shield of protection. I pray for those that don't know You. They may be reading Your Word regularly, but not for the right reasons. My prayer is that they will feel the emptiness inside that only a right relationship with You can fill. I pray for the leadership of this country. I pray that they will turn their hearts to You to let Your loving influence guide their decisions for us. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Friday, June 6, 2014
One Day at a Time
Exodus 16:19 - Then Moses told them, "Do not keep any of it until morning."
When God provided the manna for the Israelites, He gave Moses specific instructions regarding it. But the people weren't interested in hearing instructions and rules. God wasn't, and still doesn't, give us rules and instructions just to be some hard schoolmaster. He does it for a good reason.
He does it, as is shown by the story of the bread from Heaven, to teach us to rely on Him daily. To trust in His provisions and guidance one day at a time.
A misconception among new believers, is that now that they have received Christ into their hearts, and are pursuing a relationship with God, everything should come easier for them. They should suddenly have all the answers and God should provide for all their needs right away. But it doesn't work that way.
Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. We are made to know God, and have a relationship with Him, but our minds are not capable of understanding everything. In this same verse, Solomon says that God has made everything beautiful for its own time. That doesn't mean all at the same time. The Apostle Paul also talked about this in Philippians when he said that God will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Phil. 1:6).
It's very easy for us, especially in the fast-paced technology-driven culture we live in today, to want it all now. I still struggle with this quite a bit, particularly with my schoolwork. I still have 2 years to go before I finish my Bachelor's degree, but I am already starting to think about what I'm going to do after. Well I can't do anything after until I finish this first. There's nothing wrong with being prepared for the future, but not at the expense of the moment. The more we focus on things we can't control, the more the things in front of us will suffer. God doesn't want that for us.
He has great and mighty things for us (Jeremiah 33:3). His plans for us are to prosper us and give us a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11). If our prayer in the morning is, "Dear Lord, give me all I need now," maybe we should start over. I have to take time out throughout my day to pray and ask God to give me wisdom to get me through the moment (it's a good stress reliever), forget about the rest of the day, week, month, or years. During my busy season at work, stress levels are usually very high. It's very easy to want to pray and ask God to fast forward to the end of June when it will be all over. But that won't grow my faith. Only praying for God's guidance, wisdom, and strength every day (and regularly throughout that day) will accomplish that. Doing things one day at a time like this can be very difficult to accept, but well worth it.
Dear Father, thank You for providing for me every day. Thank You for planting eternity in my heart so that I will come to know You more every day. I know I get impatient that things don't happen fast enough for me, and for that I am sorry. Help me to remember that You are in control, and You are working everything out for my benefit and Your glory because You love me. I pray for those who are also struggling with impatience. My prayer is that they will take a moment to breathe deep and focus on You, and feel Your Holy Spirit guiding them every step of the way, and faithfully providing for them day by day. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
When God provided the manna for the Israelites, He gave Moses specific instructions regarding it. But the people weren't interested in hearing instructions and rules. God wasn't, and still doesn't, give us rules and instructions just to be some hard schoolmaster. He does it for a good reason.
He does it, as is shown by the story of the bread from Heaven, to teach us to rely on Him daily. To trust in His provisions and guidance one day at a time.
A misconception among new believers, is that now that they have received Christ into their hearts, and are pursuing a relationship with God, everything should come easier for them. They should suddenly have all the answers and God should provide for all their needs right away. But it doesn't work that way.
Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. We are made to know God, and have a relationship with Him, but our minds are not capable of understanding everything. In this same verse, Solomon says that God has made everything beautiful for its own time. That doesn't mean all at the same time. The Apostle Paul also talked about this in Philippians when he said that God will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Phil. 1:6).
It's very easy for us, especially in the fast-paced technology-driven culture we live in today, to want it all now. I still struggle with this quite a bit, particularly with my schoolwork. I still have 2 years to go before I finish my Bachelor's degree, but I am already starting to think about what I'm going to do after. Well I can't do anything after until I finish this first. There's nothing wrong with being prepared for the future, but not at the expense of the moment. The more we focus on things we can't control, the more the things in front of us will suffer. God doesn't want that for us.
He has great and mighty things for us (Jeremiah 33:3). His plans for us are to prosper us and give us a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11). If our prayer in the morning is, "Dear Lord, give me all I need now," maybe we should start over. I have to take time out throughout my day to pray and ask God to give me wisdom to get me through the moment (it's a good stress reliever), forget about the rest of the day, week, month, or years. During my busy season at work, stress levels are usually very high. It's very easy to want to pray and ask God to fast forward to the end of June when it will be all over. But that won't grow my faith. Only praying for God's guidance, wisdom, and strength every day (and regularly throughout that day) will accomplish that. Doing things one day at a time like this can be very difficult to accept, but well worth it.
Dear Father, thank You for providing for me every day. Thank You for planting eternity in my heart so that I will come to know You more every day. I know I get impatient that things don't happen fast enough for me, and for that I am sorry. Help me to remember that You are in control, and You are working everything out for my benefit and Your glory because You love me. I pray for those who are also struggling with impatience. My prayer is that they will take a moment to breathe deep and focus on You, and feel Your Holy Spirit guiding them every step of the way, and faithfully providing for them day by day. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
More Than Enough
Proverbs 30:8 - First, help me to never tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
How easy is it to get caught up in the rat race? How often do we always look for the bigger, better deal? We get a raise or a bonus at work and we complain that it wasn't enough. Maybe we work in a bad situation because of the way our bosses treat us, but will only seek and accept a new job if it's paying more money.
Why do we always need more? God is always more than just enough. He will always provide far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). The wealth or possessions we accumulate here on earth, aren't coming with us when we die. Is it nice to have certain creature comforts? Of course it is. Did you have it 10 years ago? 5 years ago? How did we ever get along without them before?!
God will always take care of those that are faithful to Him. In Malachi 3, when they were robbing God of what was His by not giving their tithes and offerings, God didn't strike them down and punish them as He surely could have. He told them to test Him. Our tithes are a way of worshiping God by giving back to Him what was His to begin with. When we faithfully tithe, it is our way of telling God that we trust Him to continue to provide for us and bless us. God told them that if they would remain faithful in their tithing, He would bless them more than what they would ever know what to do with (Malachi 3:10).
What kind of God does that? What kind of God lets His people test Him and His faithfulness to them? The One who loves like no one could ever love. The One who provides far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. All you need is God's love. He is always more than enough.
Dear Father, thank You for showing me Your faithfulness every day. You have certainly provided far more abundantly beyond anything that I could ever ask for, and not just materially. You have given me the peace of mind and heart to make it through every trying situation that tries to tempt me away from You. I have been blessed beyond measure by Your love and faithfulness. I pray for those that haven't had that feeling. My prayer is that they will turn their hearts to You in faith and trust You to provide for them, as You have always promised to do. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How easy is it to get caught up in the rat race? How often do we always look for the bigger, better deal? We get a raise or a bonus at work and we complain that it wasn't enough. Maybe we work in a bad situation because of the way our bosses treat us, but will only seek and accept a new job if it's paying more money.
Why do we always need more? God is always more than just enough. He will always provide far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). The wealth or possessions we accumulate here on earth, aren't coming with us when we die. Is it nice to have certain creature comforts? Of course it is. Did you have it 10 years ago? 5 years ago? How did we ever get along without them before?!
God will always take care of those that are faithful to Him. In Malachi 3, when they were robbing God of what was His by not giving their tithes and offerings, God didn't strike them down and punish them as He surely could have. He told them to test Him. Our tithes are a way of worshiping God by giving back to Him what was His to begin with. When we faithfully tithe, it is our way of telling God that we trust Him to continue to provide for us and bless us. God told them that if they would remain faithful in their tithing, He would bless them more than what they would ever know what to do with (Malachi 3:10).
What kind of God does that? What kind of God lets His people test Him and His faithfulness to them? The One who loves like no one could ever love. The One who provides far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think. All you need is God's love. He is always more than enough.
Dear Father, thank You for showing me Your faithfulness every day. You have certainly provided far more abundantly beyond anything that I could ever ask for, and not just materially. You have given me the peace of mind and heart to make it through every trying situation that tries to tempt me away from You. I have been blessed beyond measure by Your love and faithfulness. I pray for those that haven't had that feeling. My prayer is that they will turn their hearts to You in faith and trust You to provide for them, as You have always promised to do. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Hiding Places
Obadiah 1:3 - You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. 'Who can ever reach us way up here?' you ask boastfully.
God was angry at Edom because of their treatment of His people. They had been celebrating the misfortunes of Israel and Judah. They believed they were safe from everything, including God's anger and judgment, because they were nestled in the rock cliffs of a canyon. But no one can hide from God.
How common is it for us to have our own sort of hiding place? We have our man caves or getaway vacation spots that no one knows about, and we think we're safe when we're there. We believe that we can do whatever we want because no one will find out about it. As the slogan for Las Vegas commercials says, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Do we really believe that God isn't in Sin City?
God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He expects to be honest with Him. He knows when we sin, and all He really expects is for us to confess our sin, repent, and try not to continually do it. We can't hide our sin in some rock cliff buried in a canyon. But we can turn our sin over to our Rock who promises refuge and safety (Psalm 91:1-2) from those who would celebrate our shortcomings, and those who seek to exploit them as an example of the hypocrisy of Christians.
Am I trying in vain to hide my sins from God, or am I resting in the shadow of the Almighty, my Rock and Redeemer? Sometimes, I have to remind myself that nothing I do is too great for Him to forgive. I just have to remember to take it to Him.
Dear Father, thank You for removing the hiding places in my life, one by one. I know that I am a work in progress, but I know You are faithful to forgive and forget when I seek You in confession and repentance. I pray for those that are trying to hide from You. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will stir their hearts to see that hiding their sins from You is futile, and the only way to truly heal and feel better is through confession and repentance. May they turn to the true Rock and Refuge of Safety - You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
God was angry at Edom because of their treatment of His people. They had been celebrating the misfortunes of Israel and Judah. They believed they were safe from everything, including God's anger and judgment, because they were nestled in the rock cliffs of a canyon. But no one can hide from God.
How common is it for us to have our own sort of hiding place? We have our man caves or getaway vacation spots that no one knows about, and we think we're safe when we're there. We believe that we can do whatever we want because no one will find out about it. As the slogan for Las Vegas commercials says, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Do we really believe that God isn't in Sin City?
God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He expects to be honest with Him. He knows when we sin, and all He really expects is for us to confess our sin, repent, and try not to continually do it. We can't hide our sin in some rock cliff buried in a canyon. But we can turn our sin over to our Rock who promises refuge and safety (Psalm 91:1-2) from those who would celebrate our shortcomings, and those who seek to exploit them as an example of the hypocrisy of Christians.
Am I trying in vain to hide my sins from God, or am I resting in the shadow of the Almighty, my Rock and Redeemer? Sometimes, I have to remind myself that nothing I do is too great for Him to forgive. I just have to remember to take it to Him.
Dear Father, thank You for removing the hiding places in my life, one by one. I know that I am a work in progress, but I know You are faithful to forgive and forget when I seek You in confession and repentance. I pray for those that are trying to hide from You. My prayer is that Your Holy Spirit will stir their hearts to see that hiding their sins from You is futile, and the only way to truly heal and feel better is through confession and repentance. May they turn to the true Rock and Refuge of Safety - You. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Altruistic
Luke 6:35 - "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from Heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked."
What exactly is altruism? According to the dictionary, it is the practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (I looked it up to be accurate). Jesus' words here in Luke's Gospel give a pretty accurate example of altruism.
I'd say that God is very altruistic. After all, He gave His only Son as a free and willing sacrifice to redeem us, even though we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) and might not even love Him back and accept His free gift.
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins considers altruism to be nothing more than genetic selfishness. In other words, we do for others in order to keep our species alive. There is also reciprocal altruism where someone behaves altruistically with expectations of reciprocation. These, by definition, are not altruism, regardless of how they are labeled. Unfortunately, they are the prevailing thought among a large portion of society. We are, and have been for some time, a 'what have you done for me lately' culture.
We have to share, give, and love, without expecting anything in return if we want to be doing it right. This is something I have struggled with a lot throughout my life. When I start acting this way, I have felt the Holy Spirit convict me in my heart that I am not acting the way Christ would act. I am thankful and blessed by the conviction, because I want to have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Although I know I won't have it while I am on earth, it is the prize I am striving for (Philippians 3:14).
I know I can be better. God has called me to love, give, and share, without expectations of reward or reciprocity. I trust that the more I keep my heart focused on His will, I will be better. He will give me what I need to carry out His will, and share His love.
Dear Abba Father, search my motives and remove anything that doesn't reflect Your will. I want to give and love without any expectation of reward, as You do and demonstrated for us by sacrificing Your Son for all of us. I know I can be more like Jesus with Your help, and I trust that You will give me the strength and courage to think and act differently than the world says I should. I pray for those that share this struggle with me. My prayer is that they will seek You in prayer and ask that You search their heart for misguided motives, and replace them with Your will for them - to love. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
What exactly is altruism? According to the dictionary, it is the practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others (I looked it up to be accurate). Jesus' words here in Luke's Gospel give a pretty accurate example of altruism.
I'd say that God is very altruistic. After all, He gave His only Son as a free and willing sacrifice to redeem us, even though we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) and might not even love Him back and accept His free gift.
Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins considers altruism to be nothing more than genetic selfishness. In other words, we do for others in order to keep our species alive. There is also reciprocal altruism where someone behaves altruistically with expectations of reciprocation. These, by definition, are not altruism, regardless of how they are labeled. Unfortunately, they are the prevailing thought among a large portion of society. We are, and have been for some time, a 'what have you done for me lately' culture.
We have to share, give, and love, without expecting anything in return if we want to be doing it right. This is something I have struggled with a lot throughout my life. When I start acting this way, I have felt the Holy Spirit convict me in my heart that I am not acting the way Christ would act. I am thankful and blessed by the conviction, because I want to have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). Although I know I won't have it while I am on earth, it is the prize I am striving for (Philippians 3:14).
I know I can be better. God has called me to love, give, and share, without expectations of reward or reciprocity. I trust that the more I keep my heart focused on His will, I will be better. He will give me what I need to carry out His will, and share His love.
Dear Abba Father, search my motives and remove anything that doesn't reflect Your will. I want to give and love without any expectation of reward, as You do and demonstrated for us by sacrificing Your Son for all of us. I know I can be more like Jesus with Your help, and I trust that You will give me the strength and courage to think and act differently than the world says I should. I pray for those that share this struggle with me. My prayer is that they will seek You in prayer and ask that You search their heart for misguided motives, and replace them with Your will for them - to love. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
Monday, June 2, 2014
Priorities
Romans 12:2 - Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
How often do we allow ourselves to get caught up in the (un) importance of status? With social media being such a dominating factor in almost everyone's life, it's very easy to find ourselves checking in to see what everyone is doing and saying, and more importantly, if they are paying attention to what we are doing and saying.
I don't normally pay much attention to how many Twitter and Instagram followers or Facebook friends I have, but I caught myself yesterday (actually a couple of times yesterday), looking to see. 90% of what I post is Scripture (the other 10% is sports), so I'm not really worried about saying something wrong or offensive (if Scripture offends you, there are other problems to worry about).
Yesterday, someone favorited one of my Tweets, and I found myself getting excited about it. As if their approval of what I said made it all the more better. Later, I caught myself checking to see how many Twitter followers I had. As if the number of followers made the things I say more important. I don't have that many followers on Twitter, and I don't really care. I use it to share God's word with whoever may be listening, and He is the only one that I should be concerned about. I'm not seeking to make a Twitter follower out of God, but I do want to be careful that I am not saying anything that fails to bring Him glory.
It can be frustrating for me when I catch myself focusing on the behavior and customs of this world, and not on God's glory. I know God doesn't expect me to be perfect, but it doesn't mean I can just blow things off that I do when I know they are wrong. I have to make sure that I am seeking status (entry) in heaven, and focusing on following His behavior and customs, so that He will be glorified in what I do. That is the only status that should ever matter.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for humbling me, and pointing out my shortcomings. I ask for Your forgiveness for my transgressions, and pray that You will strengthen my resolve to keep my heart focused on You and Your Kingdom so that I may bring You glory. I pray for those that don't have their priorities in order, and are focused on pleasing and getting approval from people of the world, instead of the One who created the world. My prayer is that they will turn their hearts around toward You and live for You and Your glory, instead of more followers here. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
How often do we allow ourselves to get caught up in the (un) importance of status? With social media being such a dominating factor in almost everyone's life, it's very easy to find ourselves checking in to see what everyone is doing and saying, and more importantly, if they are paying attention to what we are doing and saying.
I don't normally pay much attention to how many Twitter and Instagram followers or Facebook friends I have, but I caught myself yesterday (actually a couple of times yesterday), looking to see. 90% of what I post is Scripture (the other 10% is sports), so I'm not really worried about saying something wrong or offensive (if Scripture offends you, there are other problems to worry about).
Yesterday, someone favorited one of my Tweets, and I found myself getting excited about it. As if their approval of what I said made it all the more better. Later, I caught myself checking to see how many Twitter followers I had. As if the number of followers made the things I say more important. I don't have that many followers on Twitter, and I don't really care. I use it to share God's word with whoever may be listening, and He is the only one that I should be concerned about. I'm not seeking to make a Twitter follower out of God, but I do want to be careful that I am not saying anything that fails to bring Him glory.
It can be frustrating for me when I catch myself focusing on the behavior and customs of this world, and not on God's glory. I know God doesn't expect me to be perfect, but it doesn't mean I can just blow things off that I do when I know they are wrong. I have to make sure that I am seeking status (entry) in heaven, and focusing on following His behavior and customs, so that He will be glorified in what I do. That is the only status that should ever matter.
Dear Abba Father, thank You for humbling me, and pointing out my shortcomings. I ask for Your forgiveness for my transgressions, and pray that You will strengthen my resolve to keep my heart focused on You and Your Kingdom so that I may bring You glory. I pray for those that don't have their priorities in order, and are focused on pleasing and getting approval from people of the world, instead of the One who created the world. My prayer is that they will turn their hearts around toward You and live for You and Your glory, instead of more followers here. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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