Reading for Today: Luke 10:38-42; John 11, 12:2
Read about Martha, Mary & Lazarus this morning. Feel drawn to Martha when I become so overwhelmed by the tasks at hand and I forget to pray and just focus on God. I want to be more like Mary who stopped everything when Jesus came into the room and she worshipped at His feet. We can all do this simply by readjusting our focus to Jesus instead of the "things/tasks of this world".
I also realized that when Jesus raised Lazarus fromt he dead, death is symbolized in the wrappings that bound Lazarus. When he came out of the tomb and Jesus said to free him from his wrappings, it was the physical manifestations of Jesus freeing Lazarus from the grip of death as He does all of us when we accept Him as Lord and Savior.
If you have yet to come to come to Christ, may this season be your guiding light to the Child who came form heaven to earth to show the Way, from the earth to the cross our debt to pay, from the grave to the sky, Lord we lift Your name on high. May Christ be in your Christmas this year.
<div style="padding: 3px; width: 400px; text-align: center;"><object width="400" height="334"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2cx5YmS7GXQ?fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2cx5YmS7GXQ?fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="334"></embed></object></div><a href="http://www.lyricsty.com">Lyrics</a> | <a href="http://www.lyricsty.com/petra-lyrics.html">Petra lyrics</a> - <a href="http://www.lyricsty.com/petra-lord-i-lift-your-name-on-high-lyrics.html">Lord, I Lift Your Name On High lyrics</a>
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
December?
Read something this morning that I just had to share.
| Luke 2: 1 - 20 | |
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." --Psalm 73:25 A word from the Word: Read Luke 2:1-20 "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." -- Luke 2:6-7 Food for Thought: December? December. What rolls through your mind as you think about December? As we ponder the month of December, we come face to face with a holiday that has much more to do with commercialism than with the holiday that bears his name; Christmas, the birth of Jesus. Every once in a while out in about while we shop for loved ones, we may see a nativity scene or some Christmas cards with the birth narrative depicted. It’s a well attested belief, that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th, and there is no mention in Scripture of God’s people celebrating what we know as Christmas, let alone celebrating the birth of Jesus in the same way we do. But for many, because Christmas bears the name of Christ, many will celebrate in some fashion or another the birth of Mary’s son, Jesus. This time of year, we remember the coming to earth of the Holy One. God trading heavenly garments for garments made of flesh. You would think, that with the arrival of Divinity, that there would have been some sort of royal welcome. The kings of earth rolling out the red carpet for the King of Kings. But this is not the case. Instead of red carpet, and a parade, we are immersed into meager beginnings for this coming King. A manger, full of animals, and stench is where our Savior is born. There were no rooms available for Joseph, and the pregnant Mary that rode along to Bethlehem. Despite, the lack of comfortable sleeping arrangements, and lack of hospitality, Mary and Joseph settle in for the night in the only place they could find, a smelly manger. Only to their surprise, her water breaks, and labor begins. Minutes turn to hours, and finally, with one final push, He has come. Just minutes old, mother and dad are holding the Ancient of Days. Human hands are caressing the Hands of God. The One not bound by time or space is wrapped in dirty cloths made of linen. Nine months of anticipation and wonder are but a small segment of the wonder this baby would bring into their lives. Settling in for their first night together as a family, there is a knock at the door. Shepherds wide eyed with wonder, have come, for they were given an angelic announcement about the birth of the Savior. Shepherds were the lower class of their day, dirty, unclean, and uncivilized. How strange, that God would come the socially unacceptable to announce His arrival. You would have thought that God would announce His coming at the Temple. Wouldn’t the religious elite delight at the news? That would have made sense, but sometimes God just doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t have to, you know? Shepherds just don’t leave their sheep in the field, but then again, it’s not everyday an angelic host announces the birth of the Messiah. The birth of Jesus would bring more guests. Wise men from the east, come roughly two years later with gifts of incense, gold and myrrh. What possibly could this baby need, but still they came, and still they gave gifts. I guess the saying is true, wise men still seek Him. No other birth in history has been so revered. For no other child has held the promise of eternity like this one does. Jesus was no ordinary child. And people come to this event still wide eyed with wonder. The world will slow down, even if for just a moment to remember this baby born in an out of the way manger. What child is this? Have you let Him, grow up in your life? As we go about the hustle and bustle of the holidays, may we keep proper perspective about what this holiday is all about. December will come and go, but the promise of life lingers long after the tree is put away. Take time this year to remember the reason why we are celebrating. It may do you some good. Merry Christmas. By Jason Retherford |
Monday, December 3, 2012
Just The Way You Are
I haven't blogged in almost a month. Sorry. The holidays hit our house hard and fast. From cooking the entire Thanksgiving meal like my Granny does and decorating for Christmas, my hands have been full. But I read something this morning that I just had to share. In all the hustle and bustle of the season, my prayer is that we not only remember the reason for this season- JESUS but also who we are in Him.
This excerpt from Beyond Me by Norma Kvindlog and Esther Lingren Anderson is part of My Daily Sanctuary readings in my NIV Bible. It is entitled Just The Way You Are: Acceptance, Spiritual Growth, Family
God's people tend to suffer a lot of false guilt over sins they have already confessed and received forgiveness for. The big ones and the minor ones. Even attitudes. We long to live lives that are beyond reproach. We want to be perfect partners, perfect children, perfect friends, perfect Christians, perfect people. But we are not always empatheticand forgiving. We have trouble demonstrating unconditional love. We are not always kind. Sometimes we even have temper tantrums. And sometimes we are blanketed by depression.
Why do we have all the struggle? Why is it so difficult to see ourselves as God sees us--on the one hand, sinners who cannot be good enough to please him; on the other hand, his beloved children, forgiven and restored? One reason, as we've discovered, is that we're often preoccupied with the opinions of other people rather than with God's. We've adopted this world's standards. We judge ourselves and others by those standards, forgetting all that the Father has to say about us.
But as we begin to recognize and accept our standing in God's value system, we can be free from the struggle for self-esteem, the maneuvers to bolster our egos, the fight for our place in the pecking order. Freedom will come when our views of ourselves don't depend on looks, physique, or intelligence we inherited, the family we were born into, the size of our bank account, or even how others treat us. A general principle is: When you feel comfortable about yourself, about who you are and what you have, you can direct your focus away from yourself and toward others.
This excerpt from Beyond Me by Norma Kvindlog and Esther Lingren Anderson is part of My Daily Sanctuary readings in my NIV Bible. It is entitled Just The Way You Are: Acceptance, Spiritual Growth, Family
God's people tend to suffer a lot of false guilt over sins they have already confessed and received forgiveness for. The big ones and the minor ones. Even attitudes. We long to live lives that are beyond reproach. We want to be perfect partners, perfect children, perfect friends, perfect Christians, perfect people. But we are not always empatheticand forgiving. We have trouble demonstrating unconditional love. We are not always kind. Sometimes we even have temper tantrums. And sometimes we are blanketed by depression.
Why do we have all the struggle? Why is it so difficult to see ourselves as God sees us--on the one hand, sinners who cannot be good enough to please him; on the other hand, his beloved children, forgiven and restored? One reason, as we've discovered, is that we're often preoccupied with the opinions of other people rather than with God's. We've adopted this world's standards. We judge ourselves and others by those standards, forgetting all that the Father has to say about us.
But as we begin to recognize and accept our standing in God's value system, we can be free from the struggle for self-esteem, the maneuvers to bolster our egos, the fight for our place in the pecking order. Freedom will come when our views of ourselves don't depend on looks, physique, or intelligence we inherited, the family we were born into, the size of our bank account, or even how others treat us. A general principle is: When you feel comfortable about yourself, about who you are and what you have, you can direct your focus away from yourself and toward others.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Simeon & Anna
The Holy Spirit was upon (Simeon) and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah...(Anna) never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer.--Luke 2:25-26, 37
When Joseph and Mary took eight-day-old Jesus to the Temple for his circumcision, they had two unexpected but delightful encounters. Anna and Simeon--well-worn examples of patient waiting--met them. Both of these godly saints recognized Jesus' identity as the Messiah. Anna and Simeon give us a picture of godly expectations in an environment ripe with expectations.
Simeon was certain he would see the Messiah before he died. We don't know how surprised he was to discover the Savior as a baby in Mary's arms. We do know that he recognized Jesus and praised God for his faithfulness. When Simeon saw the baby, he considered his life complete.
Simeon's exuberance caught Anna's attention. She was another regular in the Temple. Anna's brief marriage ended in widowhood, and she had spent the remainder of her eighty-four-plus years serving as a prophetess. Anna overheard Simeon's prophecy about Jesus and immediately adder her own excited words of praise for the Savior.
Anna discovered that God can make every passage of life meaningful and useful. The long years of widowhood were also fruitful years of worship and service. Both she and Simeon dedicated their lives to God and were rewarded in ways we can fully appreciate only if we are willing to live the same way.
As you interact with people at various stages of life today, think about the development of your relationship with God. When you talk to a younger person, ask yourself, How was God involved in my life at that age? When you notice someone older, ask yourself, How do I want my relationship with God to mature by that point in my life?
Lessons from their lives:
- God does give to some of his faithful followers a deeper insight and clarity about his plans.
-There were those in Israel who did recognize Jesus.
-Advancing age does not invalidate a person's usefulness in God's purposes.
Remember today that age doesn't mean you have to be inactive in God's plans. God will continue to use you if you are willing. You can still change lives, bringing people to God no matter what your age because in the long run age is just a number. So go do God's work today, changing this world until you go home to the next.
When Joseph and Mary took eight-day-old Jesus to the Temple for his circumcision, they had two unexpected but delightful encounters. Anna and Simeon--well-worn examples of patient waiting--met them. Both of these godly saints recognized Jesus' identity as the Messiah. Anna and Simeon give us a picture of godly expectations in an environment ripe with expectations.
Simeon was certain he would see the Messiah before he died. We don't know how surprised he was to discover the Savior as a baby in Mary's arms. We do know that he recognized Jesus and praised God for his faithfulness. When Simeon saw the baby, he considered his life complete.
Simeon's exuberance caught Anna's attention. She was another regular in the Temple. Anna's brief marriage ended in widowhood, and she had spent the remainder of her eighty-four-plus years serving as a prophetess. Anna overheard Simeon's prophecy about Jesus and immediately adder her own excited words of praise for the Savior.
Anna discovered that God can make every passage of life meaningful and useful. The long years of widowhood were also fruitful years of worship and service. Both she and Simeon dedicated their lives to God and were rewarded in ways we can fully appreciate only if we are willing to live the same way.
As you interact with people at various stages of life today, think about the development of your relationship with God. When you talk to a younger person, ask yourself, How was God involved in my life at that age? When you notice someone older, ask yourself, How do I want my relationship with God to mature by that point in my life?
Lessons from their lives:
- God does give to some of his faithful followers a deeper insight and clarity about his plans.
-There were those in Israel who did recognize Jesus.
-Advancing age does not invalidate a person's usefulness in God's purposes.
Remember today that age doesn't mean you have to be inactive in God's plans. God will continue to use you if you are willing. You can still change lives, bringing people to God no matter what your age because in the long run age is just a number. So go do God's work today, changing this world until you go home to the next.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Holiday Hospitality
As the holidays are FAST approaching and houses are prepared for guests, tables are set and food prepared, consider and pray for those who open their homes during this blessed time. Remember, hospitality is a fruit of the spirit. Just wanted to share what I read this morning with you and hopefully it will bring you the same peace it gave me.
This reading comes from My Daily Sanctuary reading out of my Bible:
Using The Gifts In Front Of You:
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. --Romans 12:6
Paul tells the Romans not only to figure out their gifts, but to concentrate on using them.
I looked at my first column (where I listed my interests). "Talking, Thinking, Asking questions, Journaling, Cooking, Welcoming unexpected guests, Feeling sympathy." It dawned on me that I already used many of these seemingly disparate attributes. Friends laughingly dubbed our African home "Hotel Van Reken" for the steady stream of people flowing through it. How many meals had I cooked? How many cups of water had I poured? But, again, these things didn't seem special. They were normal. Besides, I enjoyed talking with each visitor!
But now I saw that those people weren't unplanned interruptions in my schedule. Rather, they were God's assignments for me--and ones I could do at home while taking care of my kids! The lengthy conversations at my kitchen door, around meals, or late at nigh, were ways God used my gift of sympathy through "talking, thinking, and asking questions," to comfort and encourage others. Writing in my journal gave me practice for writing follow-up letters as people moved away....
Three years later, author and speaker Jill Briscoe came to our town. By then I'd begun using my gifts of "talking, thinking, asking questions" to lead a small Bible study. After one of Jill's seminars, I approached her. "Jill, we'd like to see our Bible study grow. How did you develop your groups into such a large network?" Jill looked me in the eye and said, "Ruth, just ask God what's in front of your face, and do it. You have eight women in your Bible study now. Prepare as though they were eight hundred. If they become eight hundred, great. If they don't, eight women will have been fed, and you never know what God has planned for them. Lots of poeple never do anything because they can't figure out how to do everything."
Powerful, practical, life-changing words--wherever you live.
-Ruth E. Van Reken
From Closer to God
As a child and into my teenage years, we had a family tradition that is still going on today. All my Grandpa's family, brothers, sisters and ALL their kids came to my grandparents for a family reunion on Thanksgiving Day. I love it. All those people we don't get to see a lot and all the kids running around, not to mention all the food. There is always more than enough to feed an army thanks to everyone bringing food and my Grandma overpreparing as usual. Good times. It got hard for me to enjoy Thanksgiving when I moved away because I couldn't always come home for Thanksgiving mostly due to working in retail. In fact, I missed more Thanksgivings than I attended. So when I got married I prayed and hoped and wished that one day my home could be the house that my family came to for Thanksgiving, kinda carrying on the tradition my grandparents started. Now, a lot of people would ask why I wished to have to cook and clean and do all that preparation instead of just going to someone else's house and relaxing but for me part of the joy of the holidays is providing a good meal and wonderful atmosphere just like my Granny still does to this day. Though we may not all be together, I feel like we are because of the tradition I have started in my own family. I still call Granny for advice on what to cook or how to cook something. It is such a blessing that I can do that. Hospitality is our family tradition. You have to just be careful what you wish for because God will give you exactly what you wish for. What A BLESSING! Today I am thankful for all the hard work and good food that my grandparents put out every year so that others can feel loved and enjoy being with family. THANKS GRANNY & PAPA!! LOVE YOU!!!
Hope you all have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I!
This reading comes from My Daily Sanctuary reading out of my Bible:
Using The Gifts In Front Of You:
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. --Romans 12:6
Paul tells the Romans not only to figure out their gifts, but to concentrate on using them.
I looked at my first column (where I listed my interests). "Talking, Thinking, Asking questions, Journaling, Cooking, Welcoming unexpected guests, Feeling sympathy." It dawned on me that I already used many of these seemingly disparate attributes. Friends laughingly dubbed our African home "Hotel Van Reken" for the steady stream of people flowing through it. How many meals had I cooked? How many cups of water had I poured? But, again, these things didn't seem special. They were normal. Besides, I enjoyed talking with each visitor!
But now I saw that those people weren't unplanned interruptions in my schedule. Rather, they were God's assignments for me--and ones I could do at home while taking care of my kids! The lengthy conversations at my kitchen door, around meals, or late at nigh, were ways God used my gift of sympathy through "talking, thinking, and asking questions," to comfort and encourage others. Writing in my journal gave me practice for writing follow-up letters as people moved away....
Three years later, author and speaker Jill Briscoe came to our town. By then I'd begun using my gifts of "talking, thinking, asking questions" to lead a small Bible study. After one of Jill's seminars, I approached her. "Jill, we'd like to see our Bible study grow. How did you develop your groups into such a large network?" Jill looked me in the eye and said, "Ruth, just ask God what's in front of your face, and do it. You have eight women in your Bible study now. Prepare as though they were eight hundred. If they become eight hundred, great. If they don't, eight women will have been fed, and you never know what God has planned for them. Lots of poeple never do anything because they can't figure out how to do everything."
Powerful, practical, life-changing words--wherever you live.
-Ruth E. Van Reken
From Closer to God
As a child and into my teenage years, we had a family tradition that is still going on today. All my Grandpa's family, brothers, sisters and ALL their kids came to my grandparents for a family reunion on Thanksgiving Day. I love it. All those people we don't get to see a lot and all the kids running around, not to mention all the food. There is always more than enough to feed an army thanks to everyone bringing food and my Grandma overpreparing as usual. Good times. It got hard for me to enjoy Thanksgiving when I moved away because I couldn't always come home for Thanksgiving mostly due to working in retail. In fact, I missed more Thanksgivings than I attended. So when I got married I prayed and hoped and wished that one day my home could be the house that my family came to for Thanksgiving, kinda carrying on the tradition my grandparents started. Now, a lot of people would ask why I wished to have to cook and clean and do all that preparation instead of just going to someone else's house and relaxing but for me part of the joy of the holidays is providing a good meal and wonderful atmosphere just like my Granny still does to this day. Though we may not all be together, I feel like we are because of the tradition I have started in my own family. I still call Granny for advice on what to cook or how to cook something. It is such a blessing that I can do that. Hospitality is our family tradition. You have to just be careful what you wish for because God will give you exactly what you wish for. What A BLESSING! Today I am thankful for all the hard work and good food that my grandparents put out every year so that others can feel loved and enjoy being with family. THANKS GRANNY & PAPA!! LOVE YOU!!!
Hope you all have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Your Thoughts...Build You Up or Tear You Down??
Today, I want to talk about thoughts. They are what drive our actions, compel our words and even control our minds. They can build us up one minute and tear us down the next, as they can also do to others if expressed.
So how do we wrangle our thoughts into control? How do we wrestle this bull to the ground? The only solution that I can find is this: God's Word and prayer.
Seeking truth about our thought processes in God's Word will show us that what we think about ourselves is not correct as least not all the time. It will also shed some light on how to change our perceptions of the negative thoughts and continually encourage us to grow the good and positive thoughts not only about ourselves but about others as well.
Prayer is the other piece of the puzzle. Reading about how to change our mindset is good and great and all but if we don't put into the action the steps we read about and ask for help along the way, then we are simply spitting in the wind. Prayer is our conversation with God, where we get a chance to sit down with God and tell Him all the tactics that have worked and all the others that have gone wrong as well as ask for His guidance in all areas of our lives. This special time is sitting down with your best friend and pouring your heart heart to Him, asking advice and seeking encouragement. It is PRICELESS!!!
So today, instead of letting your thoughts get the best of you, go to God and get the best out of your thoughts.
Verses about thoughts:
I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
II Corinthians 10:5
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
Isaiah 55:8
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine."
I Corinthians 3:20
And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless."
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Prayer for the Day:
Give us grace, O LORD, to work while it is day, fulfilling diligently and patiently whatever duty Thou appointest us; doing small things in the day of small things, and great labors if Thou summon us to any...Go with me, and I will go; but if Thou go not with me, send me not; let me hear Thy voice when I follow. Amen.
Christina Rossetti
You need not cry very loud; he is nearer to us than we think.
Brother Lawrence
Have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I. :)
So how do we wrangle our thoughts into control? How do we wrestle this bull to the ground? The only solution that I can find is this: God's Word and prayer.
Seeking truth about our thought processes in God's Word will show us that what we think about ourselves is not correct as least not all the time. It will also shed some light on how to change our perceptions of the negative thoughts and continually encourage us to grow the good and positive thoughts not only about ourselves but about others as well.
Prayer is the other piece of the puzzle. Reading about how to change our mindset is good and great and all but if we don't put into the action the steps we read about and ask for help along the way, then we are simply spitting in the wind. Prayer is our conversation with God, where we get a chance to sit down with God and tell Him all the tactics that have worked and all the others that have gone wrong as well as ask for His guidance in all areas of our lives. This special time is sitting down with your best friend and pouring your heart heart to Him, asking advice and seeking encouragement. It is PRICELESS!!!
So today, instead of letting your thoughts get the best of you, go to God and get the best out of your thoughts.
Verses about thoughts:
I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
II Corinthians 10:5
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
Isaiah 55:8
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine."
I Corinthians 3:20
And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless."
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Prayer for the Day:
Give us grace, O LORD, to work while it is day, fulfilling diligently and patiently whatever duty Thou appointest us; doing small things in the day of small things, and great labors if Thou summon us to any...Go with me, and I will go; but if Thou go not with me, send me not; let me hear Thy voice when I follow. Amen.
Christina Rossetti
You need not cry very loud; he is nearer to us than we think.
Brother Lawrence
Have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I. :)
Friday, October 26, 2012
Shiphrah & Puah, Sapphira & Ananias
Today's readings about Shiphrah & Puah whose story comes from Exodus 1: 15-22 and Sapphira & Ananias whose story comes from Acts 5:1-11.
Today I began by reading about Shiphrah and Puah who were the midwives of the Egypt during the times of Moses. They were ordered to kill all Israelites' baby boys but they refused because of their obedience to God. Because of their obedience to the direction of God, Moses was saved and later led the Israelites out of slavery.
Lessons From Their Lives:
- Our ultimate authority for making decisions should be God's word, not leaders and popular opinion.
- We need to take a bold stand for what is right even at the cost of personal sacrifice.
I also read a story of a husband and wife team who were at the other end of the obedience spectrum. Their names were Ananias and Sapphira. They were members of the Jerusalem church in its earliest days. The Holy Spirit's presence was powerful among the believers. It was a time of miracles and wonder. The believers lived in a community where everyone shared all they had and would even sale property or possessions in order to provide for those less fortunate. Having the Holy Spirit's presence among them didn't make the believers immune to Satan's temptations. This is where Sapphira and Ananias's story gets more serious. They had sold some land and made some money off the deal. They gave the money to the church, at least some of it but they told everyone that they had given the full amount to the church which was a lie. They actually had kept the majority of it for themselves. They suffered for their disobedience, greed and covetness. It was their choice to sell the land and what amount to give but lying to God and trying to appear more generous than they actually were were the sins for which they were punished. We find out how they were punished in Acts 5:9-10a:
Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too." Instantly she fell to the floor and died.
This may seem harsh but we must remember that God still hates sin as much as he ever did. God's judgement of Sapphira and Ananias produced fear among the believers and helped them realize how seriously God regards sin in the church.
Lessons From Their Lives:
-We should have a healthy fear of God and his holiness.
-We can't afford to treat sin lightly.
So the ultimate question today is ...
Who are you going to take as your model today? Shiphrah and Puah or Sapphira and Ananias?
The choice is yours but the results are God's.
Today I began by reading about Shiphrah and Puah who were the midwives of the Egypt during the times of Moses. They were ordered to kill all Israelites' baby boys but they refused because of their obedience to God. Because of their obedience to the direction of God, Moses was saved and later led the Israelites out of slavery.
Lessons From Their Lives:
- Our ultimate authority for making decisions should be God's word, not leaders and popular opinion.
- We need to take a bold stand for what is right even at the cost of personal sacrifice.
I also read a story of a husband and wife team who were at the other end of the obedience spectrum. Their names were Ananias and Sapphira. They were members of the Jerusalem church in its earliest days. The Holy Spirit's presence was powerful among the believers. It was a time of miracles and wonder. The believers lived in a community where everyone shared all they had and would even sale property or possessions in order to provide for those less fortunate. Having the Holy Spirit's presence among them didn't make the believers immune to Satan's temptations. This is where Sapphira and Ananias's story gets more serious. They had sold some land and made some money off the deal. They gave the money to the church, at least some of it but they told everyone that they had given the full amount to the church which was a lie. They actually had kept the majority of it for themselves. They suffered for their disobedience, greed and covetness. It was their choice to sell the land and what amount to give but lying to God and trying to appear more generous than they actually were were the sins for which they were punished. We find out how they were punished in Acts 5:9-10a:
Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too." Instantly she fell to the floor and died.
This may seem harsh but we must remember that God still hates sin as much as he ever did. God's judgement of Sapphira and Ananias produced fear among the believers and helped them realize how seriously God regards sin in the church.
Lessons From Their Lives:
-We should have a healthy fear of God and his holiness.
-We can't afford to treat sin lightly.
So the ultimate question today is ...
Who are you going to take as your model today? Shiphrah and Puah or Sapphira and Ananias?
The choice is yours but the results are God's.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Peninnah & Elkanah
Today our story comes from I Samuel Chapter 1-2.
This morning my heart was filled with all sorts of emotions due to the "stress" I have been under these last few days. I prayed for a clear message to hlep me through this, a light at the end of the tunnel. God led me to the story of Peninnah and Elkanah.
It is the story of an unknowingly insensitive husband, Elkanah, not of just one wife but two, Peninnah and Hannah. Twice the chance for him to either cause trouble or get into it himself. We don't know much about the kind of man he was but we do know he was oblivious to the turmoil around him. Peninnah had given Elkanah many children yet she was jealous of Hannah because it says Hannah owned Elkanah's heart despite the fact that she had yet to bear him any children. This is where God steps in.
Althoug the events leading up to the birth of Samuel primarily involved Hannah, both Elkanah and Peninnah played significant roles. Peninnah's competitiveness and derision drove Hannah to prayer, Elkanah's simple love allowed Hannah to entrust their first child, Samuel, into God's care. Elkanah didn't realize how a little attention toward Peninnah could have cooled the simmering emotions in his home. Nor did he understand that his love for Hannah didn't make up for the emptiness of her womb.
The glimpse God gives us of that tense household provides a helpful backdrop for God's purposes, which human shortcomings cannot thwart. He worked within the strain and stress of those relationships to bring Samuel-one of the most significant figures in the Old Testament-into the world. When our relational systems seem too gnarled to be unraveled or salvaged, we need to remember that God displays his creativity not only by making things from scratch but also by bringing order and beauty out of messes.
Lessons From Their Lives:
-Ignorance is not a good excuse for insensitivity.
-Jealousy is not a good excuse for bad behavior.
-God works in the middle of family messes.
So remember, you may be in the middle of a mess but God is there as well. God can turn garbage into a masterpiece if you let him.
Have a BLESSED day and remember God loves you and so do I! :)
This morning my heart was filled with all sorts of emotions due to the "stress" I have been under these last few days. I prayed for a clear message to hlep me through this, a light at the end of the tunnel. God led me to the story of Peninnah and Elkanah.
It is the story of an unknowingly insensitive husband, Elkanah, not of just one wife but two, Peninnah and Hannah. Twice the chance for him to either cause trouble or get into it himself. We don't know much about the kind of man he was but we do know he was oblivious to the turmoil around him. Peninnah had given Elkanah many children yet she was jealous of Hannah because it says Hannah owned Elkanah's heart despite the fact that she had yet to bear him any children. This is where God steps in.
Althoug the events leading up to the birth of Samuel primarily involved Hannah, both Elkanah and Peninnah played significant roles. Peninnah's competitiveness and derision drove Hannah to prayer, Elkanah's simple love allowed Hannah to entrust their first child, Samuel, into God's care. Elkanah didn't realize how a little attention toward Peninnah could have cooled the simmering emotions in his home. Nor did he understand that his love for Hannah didn't make up for the emptiness of her womb.
The glimpse God gives us of that tense household provides a helpful backdrop for God's purposes, which human shortcomings cannot thwart. He worked within the strain and stress of those relationships to bring Samuel-one of the most significant figures in the Old Testament-into the world. When our relational systems seem too gnarled to be unraveled or salvaged, we need to remember that God displays his creativity not only by making things from scratch but also by bringing order and beauty out of messes.
Lessons From Their Lives:
-Ignorance is not a good excuse for insensitivity.
-Jealousy is not a good excuse for bad behavior.
-God works in the middle of family messes.
So remember, you may be in the middle of a mess but God is there as well. God can turn garbage into a masterpiece if you let him.
Have a BLESSED day and remember God loves you and so do I! :)
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Monica & Tabitha
Today I read of two wonderful women, Monica & Tabitha. One a mother and the other a giver to the poor. Here are their stories.
Monica (CA 331-387)-The Ultimate Mom:
She was raised in a Christian family but married a pagan man named Patricus who had a violent temper. That must have been a rough start to the marriage. But he later came to the faith of Christ. They had three children, Augustine being Monica's favorite. Augustine fell into a life of sin as a young man, which would sadly be considered the norm today. Monica prayed earnestly for his conversion. He then went away to Italy to pursue his studies (AD 383), college by today's means. Monica, unlike most parents today, followed Augustine to Rome. They then both moved to Milan, where Augustine came to the faith under the ministry of Ambrose and chose the celibate life of a priest. Believing her mission accomplished, Monica set out for home but died while she was waiting to set sail.
Later, Augustine recorded in his Confessions stories of his mother's devotion to God and to him. In the end, Monica's commitment to her son and to Christ helped to lead Augustine into the ministry and to become one of the greatest theologians in the history of Christianity.
-For more on praying effectively, read Matthew 6:5-18; 7:7-11; 21:21-22.
Tabitha (Greek name: Dorcas):
Her story is in Acts 9:36-41
Tabitha was a woman from Joppa. She was a crafter, making coats and other garments for the needy and helping the poor. When she died, the apostle Peter was in Lydda. In response to news of his healing ministry there, two men were sent to bring Peter to Joppa. When he arrived, they were already having Tabitha's funeral. The room was filled with mourners, very likely many of the people she had helped. When Peter brought her back to life, the news of the miracle spread throughout the town.
It was because of Tabitha's acts of kindness that the people around her discovered God's love for them. And after she was raised to life, they also discovered the truth that God has power even over death.
God uses great preachers like Peter and Paul, but he also uses those who have gifts of kindness, like Tabitha's. Rather than wish we had other "more important" gifts, we need to make good use of the gifts God has given to us. An act of undeserved kindness is the only "preaching" many people will ever hear.
Remember today that God loves you and so do I. Have a BLESSED day! :)
Monica (CA 331-387)-The Ultimate Mom:
She was raised in a Christian family but married a pagan man named Patricus who had a violent temper. That must have been a rough start to the marriage. But he later came to the faith of Christ. They had three children, Augustine being Monica's favorite. Augustine fell into a life of sin as a young man, which would sadly be considered the norm today. Monica prayed earnestly for his conversion. He then went away to Italy to pursue his studies (AD 383), college by today's means. Monica, unlike most parents today, followed Augustine to Rome. They then both moved to Milan, where Augustine came to the faith under the ministry of Ambrose and chose the celibate life of a priest. Believing her mission accomplished, Monica set out for home but died while she was waiting to set sail.
Later, Augustine recorded in his Confessions stories of his mother's devotion to God and to him. In the end, Monica's commitment to her son and to Christ helped to lead Augustine into the ministry and to become one of the greatest theologians in the history of Christianity.
-For more on praying effectively, read Matthew 6:5-18; 7:7-11; 21:21-22.
Tabitha (Greek name: Dorcas):
Her story is in Acts 9:36-41
Tabitha was a woman from Joppa. She was a crafter, making coats and other garments for the needy and helping the poor. When she died, the apostle Peter was in Lydda. In response to news of his healing ministry there, two men were sent to bring Peter to Joppa. When he arrived, they were already having Tabitha's funeral. The room was filled with mourners, very likely many of the people she had helped. When Peter brought her back to life, the news of the miracle spread throughout the town.
It was because of Tabitha's acts of kindness that the people around her discovered God's love for them. And after she was raised to life, they also discovered the truth that God has power even over death.
God uses great preachers like Peter and Paul, but he also uses those who have gifts of kindness, like Tabitha's. Rather than wish we had other "more important" gifts, we need to make good use of the gifts God has given to us. An act of undeserved kindness is the only "preaching" many people will ever hear.
Remember today that God loves you and so do I. Have a BLESSED day! :)
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Clare & Rhoda
Today I discovered or should say rediscovered Clare and Rhoda. One from a convent and the other from the Bible. Here are their stories.
Clare (ca 1193-1253):
She was 60 years old when she died which was quite old for that era. She was born into wealth but felt led to the Lord. Her journey began when at 16, she ran away from home to join the ministry of Francis who started the order of the Franciscan friars. Later her sister, Agnes and a few others came to join her. Francis placed them at Saint Damian in a convent he started for them. He made Clare abbess. Though she would have preferred a traveling ministry to the poor and sick, she took on this role of abbess with all she had and did so for the rest of her life.
Despite coming from a world of privilege, Clare gave up everything to follow Jesus in a life of poverty and service. As a result, through the ministry of her order, she became a blessing to those less fortunate. Most of us, too, have been born into a world of wealth and privilege in one way or another. The call of Christ is no less real today than in the days of Clare and Francis.
Rhoda whose story is from Acts 12:12-16:
The next "lady" we meet is Rhoda. She was a servant girl at the time. She was a servant in the house of Mary the mother of John Mark, who would someday become the author of the Gospel of Mark. Their home was described as having an outer gate, which depicts them as a wealthy family, who used their home as a gathering place for believers. A home church you would say. So Rhoda was constantly surrounded by believers and apparently was one herself. She had a great opportunity to be a part of a wonderful miracle. Let me paint the picture for you.
The believers in the home that night had just finished praying Peter's safety, when there was a knock at the door. A wave of fear must have swept through the house. The apostle James had recently been killed for his faith, and Peter was in prison facing possible execution. So the other believers likely wondered if they would be next. *A little sidebar: You can read about Peter's escape from prison in Acts 12: 6-19.* Rhoda, a young servant girl, was sent to answer the door.
When Rhoda saw Peter at the door, she got so excited that she ran to tell the others, leaving him locked outside. She had a hard time convincing everyone that God had answered their prayers. For Luke to include this story in his account of the early church, it must have been a favorite among the early Christians. Rhoda was not an important person by any one's reckoning. But for the rest of her life, she had a special story to tell how God answered the church's prayer for Peter's safety. God still answers prayer, and we can tell others about it.
Challenge for the Day:
What is your special "Rhoda"-style story? Go, run and tell someone today about how God has answered your prayers. And remember we serve an active and living Lord, not one who just idly sits by and watches.
Clare (ca 1193-1253):
She was 60 years old when she died which was quite old for that era. She was born into wealth but felt led to the Lord. Her journey began when at 16, she ran away from home to join the ministry of Francis who started the order of the Franciscan friars. Later her sister, Agnes and a few others came to join her. Francis placed them at Saint Damian in a convent he started for them. He made Clare abbess. Though she would have preferred a traveling ministry to the poor and sick, she took on this role of abbess with all she had and did so for the rest of her life.
Despite coming from a world of privilege, Clare gave up everything to follow Jesus in a life of poverty and service. As a result, through the ministry of her order, she became a blessing to those less fortunate. Most of us, too, have been born into a world of wealth and privilege in one way or another. The call of Christ is no less real today than in the days of Clare and Francis.
Rhoda whose story is from Acts 12:12-16:
The next "lady" we meet is Rhoda. She was a servant girl at the time. She was a servant in the house of Mary the mother of John Mark, who would someday become the author of the Gospel of Mark. Their home was described as having an outer gate, which depicts them as a wealthy family, who used their home as a gathering place for believers. A home church you would say. So Rhoda was constantly surrounded by believers and apparently was one herself. She had a great opportunity to be a part of a wonderful miracle. Let me paint the picture for you.
The believers in the home that night had just finished praying Peter's safety, when there was a knock at the door. A wave of fear must have swept through the house. The apostle James had recently been killed for his faith, and Peter was in prison facing possible execution. So the other believers likely wondered if they would be next. *A little sidebar: You can read about Peter's escape from prison in Acts 12: 6-19.* Rhoda, a young servant girl, was sent to answer the door.
When Rhoda saw Peter at the door, she got so excited that she ran to tell the others, leaving him locked outside. She had a hard time convincing everyone that God had answered their prayers. For Luke to include this story in his account of the early church, it must have been a favorite among the early Christians. Rhoda was not an important person by any one's reckoning. But for the rest of her life, she had a special story to tell how God answered the church's prayer for Peter's safety. God still answers prayer, and we can tell others about it.
Challenge for the Day:
What is your special "Rhoda"-style story? Go, run and tell someone today about how God has answered your prayers. And remember we serve an active and living Lord, not one who just idly sits by and watches.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Perpetua & Phoebe
Today I read about Perpetua and Phoebe. Both were leaders in their own right and used their riches for the furthering of the Lord's kingdom. Here are their stories.
Perpetua (Martyed in A.D. 203):
Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well befor many witnesses. --I Timothy 6:12
Most of us don't fear our lives when we declare our faith in Christ. But the freedom of religion we enjoy today in western nations is not the historical norm. In the early years of Christianity, many believers gave their lives rather than publicly deny their faith. In A.D. 202, the Roman emperor Septimus Severus outlawed conversions to Christianity. This brought suffering to new converts throughout the empire. In the North African city of Carthage, a young noblewoman named Perpetua and several other converts were imprisoned for their faith and condemned to execution in the arena at Carthage.
Perpetua, the mother of a baby boy, was arrested along with four other converts. Another young woman, Felicitas (perhaps a slave), gave birth prematurely while in prison. They were joined in prison by their teacher, Saturus, who baptized them. All of them died together in the ampitheater. A document known as the Passion of Perpetua recounts the converts' prison experiences, especially the visions of Perpetua and Saturus. The fact that this document was written about the time of the events it records endorses its value as a historical record.
For centuries these martyrs inspired believers in the North African church. Their commitment to Christ should remind us all of its value. When our faith cost us little, it is easy to take it lightly. It is easy for us to forget the price God paid when he sent his Son to suffer a painful death as a sacrifice for our sins. It is easy to forget the value of an eternity of peace with our Creator. It is also easy for us to forget that many still suffer daily for their faith in Christ. We should thank God for our salvation and the freedom we have to celebrate it.
For more on facing difficult trials, read Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:8-11; I Timothy 6:11-16; 2 Timothy 3:10-17
For more about fellow Christians suffering for their faith today, check out www.opendoorusa.org to learn more on how you can help.
Phoebe:
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. -Romans 16:1
Phoebe was known as a "deacon," or servant and helper. Apparently she was a wealthy person and helped support Paul in his ministry. The word deacon describes the work of service she did in the church, but it was also probably an official title of leadership. Phoebe was highly regarded in the church and probably delivered this letter from Corinth to Rome. She lived in Cenchrea, the eastern port for the city of Corinth.
Phoebe's identity as a deacon shows that women played important roles in the early church. The role of deacon was to help the needy in the congregation, a position that required the trustworthy handling of funds. It was her job to help define the needs and then provide the necessary help. Certainly these servant leaders embodied the example of Christ, who taught his disciples that the greatest among them were those who served the most.
As we serve one another, we become more like Jesus. As a wealthy person, Phoebe would likely have been brought up to have an attitude of entitlement. But in Christ, she had discovered the true joy of serving others. And it was with her title of "servant" that Paul commended her to the church in Rome. In the community of the church, this was high praise.
-When we submit our resources to God, we can be an important part of what he is doing in the church.
Hope all have a BLESSED day and know that God loves you and so do I :)
Perpetua (Martyed in A.D. 203):
Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well befor many witnesses. --I Timothy 6:12
Most of us don't fear our lives when we declare our faith in Christ. But the freedom of religion we enjoy today in western nations is not the historical norm. In the early years of Christianity, many believers gave their lives rather than publicly deny their faith. In A.D. 202, the Roman emperor Septimus Severus outlawed conversions to Christianity. This brought suffering to new converts throughout the empire. In the North African city of Carthage, a young noblewoman named Perpetua and several other converts were imprisoned for their faith and condemned to execution in the arena at Carthage.
Perpetua, the mother of a baby boy, was arrested along with four other converts. Another young woman, Felicitas (perhaps a slave), gave birth prematurely while in prison. They were joined in prison by their teacher, Saturus, who baptized them. All of them died together in the ampitheater. A document known as the Passion of Perpetua recounts the converts' prison experiences, especially the visions of Perpetua and Saturus. The fact that this document was written about the time of the events it records endorses its value as a historical record.
For centuries these martyrs inspired believers in the North African church. Their commitment to Christ should remind us all of its value. When our faith cost us little, it is easy to take it lightly. It is easy for us to forget the price God paid when he sent his Son to suffer a painful death as a sacrifice for our sins. It is easy to forget the value of an eternity of peace with our Creator. It is also easy for us to forget that many still suffer daily for their faith in Christ. We should thank God for our salvation and the freedom we have to celebrate it.
For more on facing difficult trials, read Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 3:8-11; I Timothy 6:11-16; 2 Timothy 3:10-17
For more about fellow Christians suffering for their faith today, check out www.opendoorusa.org to learn more on how you can help.
Phoebe:
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. -Romans 16:1
Phoebe was known as a "deacon," or servant and helper. Apparently she was a wealthy person and helped support Paul in his ministry. The word deacon describes the work of service she did in the church, but it was also probably an official title of leadership. Phoebe was highly regarded in the church and probably delivered this letter from Corinth to Rome. She lived in Cenchrea, the eastern port for the city of Corinth.
Phoebe's identity as a deacon shows that women played important roles in the early church. The role of deacon was to help the needy in the congregation, a position that required the trustworthy handling of funds. It was her job to help define the needs and then provide the necessary help. Certainly these servant leaders embodied the example of Christ, who taught his disciples that the greatest among them were those who served the most.
As we serve one another, we become more like Jesus. As a wealthy person, Phoebe would likely have been brought up to have an attitude of entitlement. But in Christ, she had discovered the true joy of serving others. And it was with her title of "servant" that Paul commended her to the church in Rome. In the community of the church, this was high praise.
-When we submit our resources to God, we can be an important part of what he is doing in the church.
Hope all have a BLESSED day and know that God loves you and so do I :)
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Women of the Bible-Part 1
I have felt led lately to read about some of the prominent women of the Bible. I will take a few a day and discuss them. So away we go.
Today, I begin by reading about Euodia and Syntche. They were two active members of the church at Philippi. Many had been led to the Lord by their example. Paul wrote to them directly because word of their disagreement had reached him all the way in Rome. We don't know what the argument was about. I don't suppose it really matters. What does matter was reconciliation before this tiff tore the church at Philippi apart.
Such conflict can do exactly that not only in a church but also in a family. Take it from someone who knows. Don't let the arguments of the past darken your future as a church or family. Work it out so that healing can begin. Trust me, if you take the first step, healing will happen and God will step in and continue the process even when you think you can't.
Read what Paul wrote to Euodia and Syntche in Philippians 4:2-3.
Now let's talk about another woman, Lydia. She is at the other end of the spectrum. She was also from Philippi and who also had an amazing impact on the people there and had contact with the apostle Paul and Silas. Lydia was a business woman dealing in fine purple cloth and dye so she was probably rich. It doesn't speak of a husband but she had a household to care for. I imagine her as a true working mom of this time. She was an active partipant in a prayer group of Gentile women who met outside Philippi on each Sabbath to pray to the God of the Jews.
That is where Paul and Silas find her. She is remembered as Paul's first European convert. How awesome is that! Luke goes on to describe the first steps of her life as a disciple. She was baptized. Then she went home and brought the rest of her household to Paul. They also believed and were baptized. We learn alot about Lydia in these two sentences. Not only did she believe and come to Jesus but she immediately went home and shared the good news with her family, then proceed to bring them to Paul to be baptized so they could become part of the Family of God as well. This tells us that Lydia had been sharing everything she learned about God each Sabbath with the people in her home. I imagine somewhere down deep inside she knew that being surrounded by those who didn't believe or had not heard the Good News would be detrimental to her faith. So why not share, right? Are there people in your "household" today that need you to share the Good News of Jesus? Take Lydia as your example and share the Gospel. Be a Lydia today!
You can read about Lydia's conversion in Acts 16:11-40.
Have a BLESSED day!!!:) Remember God loves you and so do I!
Today, I begin by reading about Euodia and Syntche. They were two active members of the church at Philippi. Many had been led to the Lord by their example. Paul wrote to them directly because word of their disagreement had reached him all the way in Rome. We don't know what the argument was about. I don't suppose it really matters. What does matter was reconciliation before this tiff tore the church at Philippi apart.
Such conflict can do exactly that not only in a church but also in a family. Take it from someone who knows. Don't let the arguments of the past darken your future as a church or family. Work it out so that healing can begin. Trust me, if you take the first step, healing will happen and God will step in and continue the process even when you think you can't.
Read what Paul wrote to Euodia and Syntche in Philippians 4:2-3.
Now let's talk about another woman, Lydia. She is at the other end of the spectrum. She was also from Philippi and who also had an amazing impact on the people there and had contact with the apostle Paul and Silas. Lydia was a business woman dealing in fine purple cloth and dye so she was probably rich. It doesn't speak of a husband but she had a household to care for. I imagine her as a true working mom of this time. She was an active partipant in a prayer group of Gentile women who met outside Philippi on each Sabbath to pray to the God of the Jews.
That is where Paul and Silas find her. She is remembered as Paul's first European convert. How awesome is that! Luke goes on to describe the first steps of her life as a disciple. She was baptized. Then she went home and brought the rest of her household to Paul. They also believed and were baptized. We learn alot about Lydia in these two sentences. Not only did she believe and come to Jesus but she immediately went home and shared the good news with her family, then proceed to bring them to Paul to be baptized so they could become part of the Family of God as well. This tells us that Lydia had been sharing everything she learned about God each Sabbath with the people in her home. I imagine somewhere down deep inside she knew that being surrounded by those who didn't believe or had not heard the Good News would be detrimental to her faith. So why not share, right? Are there people in your "household" today that need you to share the Good News of Jesus? Take Lydia as your example and share the Gospel. Be a Lydia today!
You can read about Lydia's conversion in Acts 16:11-40.
Have a BLESSED day!!!:) Remember God loves you and so do I!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Being A Back Seat Driver?
Haven't written in almost a week. I am not proud of that at all. My last five days have been horrible ranging from computer problems, two sick children, getting sick myself and stress from setting up my business, whih I think is because I haven't been writing, reading my Bible or praying. We've been under SEVERE attack from Satan's forces. Even today, I am sitting down to write at three in the afternoon. I kept putting things ahead of my time with God. Then I sit here and ask forgiveness and for blessings when I can't even give him the beginning of my day let alone a few minutes of prayer during the day. No wonder my days have been difficult.
I have been voluntarily walking alone. Not that God has abandoned me, rather I have abandoned Him. To be honest, if I was God, I would be so utterly angry at me. But you know, I can still feel His love in my heart despite how I yelled at Him and complained all week. We are blessed so far beyond what we deserve. I want to say "I want to change and be better, be the person He wants me to be, made me to be." But it would be just another longing I would fail at, another promise I can't keep.
You know what, this time I want God to change me. I want Him to take the wheel of my life and drive. I just want to sit back and enjoy the ride instead of being a back seat driver. I want to be the little child strapped in the car seat of His love and just enjoy the scenery. Today, this control freak lets go and gives God the wheel.
He only wants what is best for us, so much better than what we want or can even imagine for ourselves.
Power Verses:
Jeremiah 31:3
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."
Proverbs 16:1-3
We can make our own plans but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.
Psalm 68: 19-20
Praise the Lord, God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. Our God is a God who saves! The Soverign Lord rescues us from death.
I have been voluntarily walking alone. Not that God has abandoned me, rather I have abandoned Him. To be honest, if I was God, I would be so utterly angry at me. But you know, I can still feel His love in my heart despite how I yelled at Him and complained all week. We are blessed so far beyond what we deserve. I want to say "I want to change and be better, be the person He wants me to be, made me to be." But it would be just another longing I would fail at, another promise I can't keep.
You know what, this time I want God to change me. I want Him to take the wheel of my life and drive. I just want to sit back and enjoy the ride instead of being a back seat driver. I want to be the little child strapped in the car seat of His love and just enjoy the scenery. Today, this control freak lets go and gives God the wheel.
He only wants what is best for us, so much better than what we want or can even imagine for ourselves.
Power Verses:
Jeremiah 31:3
Long ago the Lord said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."
Proverbs 16:1-3
We can make our own plans but the Lord gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes but the Lord examines their motives. Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.
Psalm 68: 19-20
Praise the Lord, God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms. Our God is a God who saves! The Soverign Lord rescues us from death.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Being A Doubting Thomas Today?
I have been struggling with something, something I am sure others are struggling with as well. Let me explain.
I am a stay at home mom with two boys, age 2 and 3.5 so needless to say I don't have a lot of free time on my hands. But God has blessed me with a gift that I have been able to share with family members, the gift of crochet. Now you may be saying that crochet isn't really a gift but I would have to say that isn't so. Just imagine being sick. What is the first thing you reach for, a blanket but not just any blanket, your favorite blanket. Or imagine it is a rainy day and you want to curl up on the couch and read your favorite book. Well what is missing? Your favorite blanket. People find comfort in the simplest of things. Such comfort can remind a sick person of being home with Grandma and her chicken noodle soup or curling up to watch a good western with Papaw as was my case as a little girl. So comfort can come in such simple things.
Thus my desire to share my craft with the world. I began by getting the necessary licenses and business name and such. Finding a place on the internet to sell my wares wasn't quite as easy and I am still working on it but I have one faithful customer who has given me enough work to keep me busy for the next year. Praise God. I am still working on reaching others in order to grow my business. This is where today's story of Doubting Thomas comes in. I spent much of last night working on making my business facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/#!/FleurDeLisCrochet ,
more business like and just overall more presentable. But when I checked it this morning, no comments, nothing. My heart sank. I felt like all that work was for nothing. I was feeling like a Douting Thomas. Let me pause here and share Thomas' story with you.
John 20: 24-29
But Thomas (who was called the Twin, Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails and put my finger in his side, I will not believe.
Now I have to interject here. That is such blatant disbelief. You might say "Well I wouldn't say that." But how many times have we been right there, staring a blessing in the face and asked for proof?
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Look at Thomas' response. "My Lord and my God!" Notice the exclamation point at the end. He answered in surprise, further showing his doubt. Jesus corrected Thomas with his response. Jesus is just asking us to simply trust Him, that we believe when He says He will do something, it will be done.
I challenge you as well as myself today to look at your life and see the situations that you are viewing as a Douting Thomas. Ask God to change your heart and help you see the blessings from the past where God has proven that He will take care of you and help you remember that He can do it again. For God is a faithful God. As it says in Isaiah 30:18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.
May we always remember that we have a Great Friend at our side through everything and may you have a blessed day today. With all the love in Christ.
I am a stay at home mom with two boys, age 2 and 3.5 so needless to say I don't have a lot of free time on my hands. But God has blessed me with a gift that I have been able to share with family members, the gift of crochet. Now you may be saying that crochet isn't really a gift but I would have to say that isn't so. Just imagine being sick. What is the first thing you reach for, a blanket but not just any blanket, your favorite blanket. Or imagine it is a rainy day and you want to curl up on the couch and read your favorite book. Well what is missing? Your favorite blanket. People find comfort in the simplest of things. Such comfort can remind a sick person of being home with Grandma and her chicken noodle soup or curling up to watch a good western with Papaw as was my case as a little girl. So comfort can come in such simple things.
Thus my desire to share my craft with the world. I began by getting the necessary licenses and business name and such. Finding a place on the internet to sell my wares wasn't quite as easy and I am still working on it but I have one faithful customer who has given me enough work to keep me busy for the next year. Praise God. I am still working on reaching others in order to grow my business. This is where today's story of Doubting Thomas comes in. I spent much of last night working on making my business facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/#!/FleurDeLisCrochet ,
more business like and just overall more presentable. But when I checked it this morning, no comments, nothing. My heart sank. I felt like all that work was for nothing. I was feeling like a Douting Thomas. Let me pause here and share Thomas' story with you.
John 20: 24-29
But Thomas (who was called the Twin, Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails and put my finger in his side, I will not believe.
Now I have to interject here. That is such blatant disbelief. You might say "Well I wouldn't say that." But how many times have we been right there, staring a blessing in the face and asked for proof?
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
Look at Thomas' response. "My Lord and my God!" Notice the exclamation point at the end. He answered in surprise, further showing his doubt. Jesus corrected Thomas with his response. Jesus is just asking us to simply trust Him, that we believe when He says He will do something, it will be done.
I challenge you as well as myself today to look at your life and see the situations that you are viewing as a Douting Thomas. Ask God to change your heart and help you see the blessings from the past where God has proven that He will take care of you and help you remember that He can do it again. For God is a faithful God. As it says in Isaiah 30:18 So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.
May we always remember that we have a Great Friend at our side through everything and may you have a blessed day today. With all the love in Christ.
Friday, September 28, 2012
God: Our Creator, Our Provider
First, I must apologize to you, my faithful readers. I have been dealing with a lot. I know that is no excuse not to share God's Word. But God has opened a door for me that I never imagined would even be possible, He has allowed me to open my own crochet business. My business is where I make items like afghans, throws, baby blankets, hats, scarves and even Christmas stockings along with many more items to sell. You can check it out at facebook.com/FleurDeLisCrochet. This allows me to make an income and be able to do something I love and be home with my two sweet, adorable little boys. In a word, the perfect job for me. I feel truly blessed. God is AWESOME. He always provides.
This is where our reading takes us today. Our reading comes from Psalm 104: 1-15.
Let all that I am praise the LORD. O LORD my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariot; you ride upon the wings of the wind. The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants. You placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved. You clothed the earth with floods of water, water that covered even the mountains. At your command, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away. Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. Then you set a firm boundary for the seas, so they would never again cover the earth. You make springs pour water into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor. You cause grass to grow from the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth--wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.
These verses tell of how God formed the earth and made his home in the heavens as well as provided for all the creatures and people of the earth. It is a reminder that God created us, so He will never abandon us and will always be sure to provide for us. Praise God!! Have a blessed day my friends!
This is where our reading takes us today. Our reading comes from Psalm 104: 1-15.
Let all that I am praise the LORD. O LORD my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariot; you ride upon the wings of the wind. The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants. You placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved. You clothed the earth with floods of water, water that covered even the mountains. At your command, the water fled; at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away. Mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. Then you set a firm boundary for the seas, so they would never again cover the earth. You make springs pour water into the ravines, so streams gush down from the mountains. They provide water for all the animals, and the wild donkeys quench their thirst. The birds nest beside the streams and sing among the branches of the trees. You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor. You cause grass to grow from the livestock and plants for people to use. You allow them to produce food from the earth--wine to make them glad, olive oil to soothe their skin, and bread to give them strength.
These verses tell of how God formed the earth and made his home in the heavens as well as provided for all the creatures and people of the earth. It is a reminder that God created us, so He will never abandon us and will always be sure to provide for us. Praise God!! Have a blessed day my friends!
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Doing A Little Spring Cleaning
Today's Reading: Psalm 101 A psalm of David
I will sing of your love and justice, O LORD. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life--when will you come bo help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.
I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the LORD from their grip.
David is pleading himself to God to serve the kingdom of Israel justly. He speaks of cleansing his house from all kinds of wickedness, naming a few in particular that plagued Israel more than others: vile and vulgar things which perhaps refers to prostitution; crooks; slanderers and gossipers; liars and deceivers just to name a few.
We can totally understand David here. This describes in a nutshell the world we live in today. So don't you think we should follow David's example and do a little spring cleaning of our "Isreal". What in your life, be it friends, neighbors, co-workers, situations or circumstances, do you think needs a good cleaning-weeding out the bad and keeping the good-in order that the light of the Lord may so shine in our lives?
Thought for the Day:
I urge you therefore...to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. --Romans 12:1-2
The weapons God provides for us are spiritual. We must become proficient with such an arsenal before it can be effective. So, if the LORD says His Word is a weapon, we've got to read it, know it and follow it.
I will sing of your love and justice, O LORD. I will praise you with songs. I will be careful to live a blameless life--when will you come bo help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.
I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the LORD from their grip.
David is pleading himself to God to serve the kingdom of Israel justly. He speaks of cleansing his house from all kinds of wickedness, naming a few in particular that plagued Israel more than others: vile and vulgar things which perhaps refers to prostitution; crooks; slanderers and gossipers; liars and deceivers just to name a few.
We can totally understand David here. This describes in a nutshell the world we live in today. So don't you think we should follow David's example and do a little spring cleaning of our "Isreal". What in your life, be it friends, neighbors, co-workers, situations or circumstances, do you think needs a good cleaning-weeding out the bad and keeping the good-in order that the light of the Lord may so shine in our lives?
Thought for the Day:
I urge you therefore...to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. --Romans 12:1-2
The weapons God provides for us are spiritual. We must become proficient with such an arsenal before it can be effective. So, if the LORD says His Word is a weapon, we've got to read it, know it and follow it.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Following the Good Shepherd
Today, I feel led to share the words from my devotion out of my women's Bible. They apply to me today along with a few others in my life that God has placed on my heart. You know who you are. But I know I am not alone so for those out there who are in similar boats, my prayer is that these words give you the hope, direction and light for the future that your heart so desperately seeks.
The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." --Psalm 32:8
Repeat these familiar words over to yourselves afresh: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want."
Who is it that is your shepherd?
The Lord! Oh, my friends, what a wonderful announcement! The Lord God of Heaven and earth, the Almighty Creator of all things, He who holds the universe in His hand as though it were a very little thing, He is your Shepherd, and has charged Himself with the care and keeping of you, as a shepherd is charged with the care and keeping of his sheep.
If your hearts will only take in this thought, I can promise you that your religion will from henceforth be fullof the profoundest comfort, and all your old uncomfortable religion will drop off forever, as the mist disappears in the blaze of the summer sun...
You need not be afraid to follow Him whithersoever He leads, for He always leads His sheep into green pastures and beside still waters. No matter though you may seem to yourself to be in the very midst of a desert, with nothing green about you inwardly or outwardly and you may think you will have to make a long journey before you can get into any green pastures, the good Shepherd will turn the very place where you are into green pastures; for He has power to make the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose; and He has promised that "instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle-tree"; and "in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert."
Or perhaps you may say, "My life is all a tempest of sorrow or of temptation, and it will be a long while before I can walk beside any still waters." But has not your Shepherd before this said to the raging seas, "Peace! be still. And there was a great calm"? And can He not do it again?
--Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911)
From The God of All Comfort
The LORD says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." --Psalm 32:8
Repeat these familiar words over to yourselves afresh: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want."
Who is it that is your shepherd?
The Lord! Oh, my friends, what a wonderful announcement! The Lord God of Heaven and earth, the Almighty Creator of all things, He who holds the universe in His hand as though it were a very little thing, He is your Shepherd, and has charged Himself with the care and keeping of you, as a shepherd is charged with the care and keeping of his sheep.
If your hearts will only take in this thought, I can promise you that your religion will from henceforth be fullof the profoundest comfort, and all your old uncomfortable religion will drop off forever, as the mist disappears in the blaze of the summer sun...
You need not be afraid to follow Him whithersoever He leads, for He always leads His sheep into green pastures and beside still waters. No matter though you may seem to yourself to be in the very midst of a desert, with nothing green about you inwardly or outwardly and you may think you will have to make a long journey before you can get into any green pastures, the good Shepherd will turn the very place where you are into green pastures; for He has power to make the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose; and He has promised that "instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle-tree"; and "in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert."
Or perhaps you may say, "My life is all a tempest of sorrow or of temptation, and it will be a long while before I can walk beside any still waters." But has not your Shepherd before this said to the raging seas, "Peace! be still. And there was a great calm"? And can He not do it again?
--Hannah Whitall Smith (1832-1911)
From The God of All Comfort
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Always Remember....
Today's Reading: Psalm 16
Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, "You are my LORD; I have no good apart from you." As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit. You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
This psalm is about an act of personal faith in God's power to save. This is a psalm of trust from David who has wandered away and come back to God may times, as have we all.
This psalm finds David in a state of trouble. He is asking God to deliver him and while in the midst of trouble, he is remembering how God has saved him in the past. He says that God is faithful and he won't let those who are faithful fall into the Pit or the grave (Sheol). David knows God will guide him through this rough time and bring him to a place of peace. We are reminded of this in another psalm.
Psalm 23:
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
No matter how dark this moment may seem or how lost you may feel, there is a light-a true hope-that will see you through. It is the memories of moments when God has led you through tough times in your past. Let such memories give you the hope you seek as you tred through this day.
Also remember you are blessed because of the sacrifices of others as we remember those who sacrificed their very lives for us on this day eleven years ago.
ALWAYS REMEMBER 9/11/2001
Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, "You are my LORD; I have no good apart from you." As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit. You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
This psalm is about an act of personal faith in God's power to save. This is a psalm of trust from David who has wandered away and come back to God may times, as have we all.
This psalm finds David in a state of trouble. He is asking God to deliver him and while in the midst of trouble, he is remembering how God has saved him in the past. He says that God is faithful and he won't let those who are faithful fall into the Pit or the grave (Sheol). David knows God will guide him through this rough time and bring him to a place of peace. We are reminded of this in another psalm.
Psalm 23:
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff--they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
No matter how dark this moment may seem or how lost you may feel, there is a light-a true hope-that will see you through. It is the memories of moments when God has led you through tough times in your past. Let such memories give you the hope you seek as you tred through this day.
Also remember you are blessed because of the sacrifices of others as we remember those who sacrificed their very lives for us on this day eleven years ago.
ALWAYS REMEMBER 9/11/2001
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Feast or Famine
I am going to begin a little different today. As I sit here and write these words, I think of all that I have been through this week, spiritually speaking that is. On the outside, my days have been filled with normal every day tasks of taking care of my boys, washing clothes and cooking meals. On the inside, it was a totally different scene. It was one of a battlefield where the smoke has just cleared. Stop for a moment and imagine that scene. It is a scene of desolation, pain and weariness. I know there are those who read this today that are in the same boat, feeling wiped out from the battle that has been waged inside of them this week. I can't promise a quick recover but there is hope for us as believers. That hope of healing and a fresh start is found in God's Word and it speaks of His love. It is by His love we are healed. This is what I discovered when I read today's devotion.
Return to the LORD, Say to Him, "Take away all inquity, and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruits of our lips..."I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them. --Hosea 14:2, 4
Our holy God is not obligated to forgive us. Yet what hope would we have for change if God didn't wipe the slate of our past failures clean and provide us with the strength to start afresh?
To gain new strength we must turn to God's Word. Like it says in 2 Peter 2: 1-5: Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. We must ask forgiveness for our sins so we can start afresh and then weary from battle we must feed on the Word of God in order to not only recover but to grow in strength and knowledge so that when the next battle comes we are prepared and strong enough to fight off the attacks of our ultimate enemy, Satan.
What will you choose to do today? Will you be overcome by the muck and mire of the battlefield or will you dig your way out and be cleansed by the power of the Lord, gaining strength from His Word and be refreshed as a new day dawns? The decision is yours.
Return to the LORD, Say to Him, "Take away all inquity, and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruits of our lips..."I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them. --Hosea 14:2, 4
Our holy God is not obligated to forgive us. Yet what hope would we have for change if God didn't wipe the slate of our past failures clean and provide us with the strength to start afresh?
To gain new strength we must turn to God's Word. Like it says in 2 Peter 2: 1-5: Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. We must ask forgiveness for our sins so we can start afresh and then weary from battle we must feed on the Word of God in order to not only recover but to grow in strength and knowledge so that when the next battle comes we are prepared and strong enough to fight off the attacks of our ultimate enemy, Satan.
What will you choose to do today? Will you be overcome by the muck and mire of the battlefield or will you dig your way out and be cleansed by the power of the Lord, gaining strength from His Word and be refreshed as a new day dawns? The decision is yours.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
God's Compass for the Heart and Mind
Today's Reading: Proverbs 3: 7-12
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body. Honor the LORD with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. My child, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Yesterday we discussed the importance of depending on the Word of God as our compass throughout life. Following the Lord's directions will change behavior and challenge our thinking, attitudes, and desires. He leads us to think differently about ourselves, our values, and even the difficulties facing us.
We naturally want to determine our own course in life. It seems like the only logical way to get where we want to go. But being wise in our own eyes is pride. To combat this tendency, the Lord instructs us to fear Him and turn away from evil. (v.7). This "fear" is not a horrified dread of the Father, but an attitude of respect that motivates us to obey Him for both our good and His glory.
We naturally want to keep our money for ourselves. A desire for a better lifestyle or fear of not having enough leads us to hang onto everything we get. But our compass directs us to honor God by giving Him the first part of all we have, trusting Him to provide for our needs (v. 9-10).
We naturally hate God's discipline. His painful reproofs seem to imply that He doesn't care about us. But our heavenly Father says His discipline is th evidence that confirms His love and delight in us as His children (v. 11-12).
Early Light:
Sometimes in our desire to follow the Lord, we focus on obedient actions--doing what He says--but miss His directions concerning our attitudes and thought patterns. To stay on God's path for our lives, we must make course corrections not only in our behavior but also in our hearts and minds.
--Charles F. Stanley
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body. Honor the LORD with your substance and with the first fruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. My child, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.
Yesterday we discussed the importance of depending on the Word of God as our compass throughout life. Following the Lord's directions will change behavior and challenge our thinking, attitudes, and desires. He leads us to think differently about ourselves, our values, and even the difficulties facing us.
We naturally want to determine our own course in life. It seems like the only logical way to get where we want to go. But being wise in our own eyes is pride. To combat this tendency, the Lord instructs us to fear Him and turn away from evil. (v.7). This "fear" is not a horrified dread of the Father, but an attitude of respect that motivates us to obey Him for both our good and His glory.
We naturally want to keep our money for ourselves. A desire for a better lifestyle or fear of not having enough leads us to hang onto everything we get. But our compass directs us to honor God by giving Him the first part of all we have, trusting Him to provide for our needs (v. 9-10).
We naturally hate God's discipline. His painful reproofs seem to imply that He doesn't care about us. But our heavenly Father says His discipline is th evidence that confirms His love and delight in us as His children (v. 11-12).
Early Light:
Sometimes in our desire to follow the Lord, we focus on obedient actions--doing what He says--but miss His directions concerning our attitudes and thought patterns. To stay on God's path for our lives, we must make course corrections not only in our behavior but also in our hearts and minds.
--Charles F. Stanley
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Life-preserver in Rough Seas
Today's Reading: Psalm 96
O Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nation, "The LORD is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity." Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
This is a psalm of praise to God. It is also a "command" for us to worship God for He is worthy to be praised. As I stand on the brink of despair and frustration, this psalm reminds me to see the blessings in my life and praise God for them and they will be my life-preserver pulling me out of the rough waters I am in to the safety of God's arms.
Read this devotion this morning and just felt led to share it with you.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. --Romans 5: 1-2
People have scoured every nook and cranny of the globe in search of peace. But every new road eventually leads to the dead end of dissatisfaction. The only true and lasting peace comes from Jesus Christ.
Read this also and felt led to share:
A Compass For Life's Journey:
Proverbs 3:1-6
My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare they will give you. Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and of people. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
If you've ever been lost in the woods, you know the concerns, confusion, and panic this situation causes. Now think what a difference it would make to know that a compass was in your pocket.
Spiritually speaking, we have such a compass--God's Word. But it does no good unless we let it guide us. Yet at times, we may fail to follow its direction because of ...
1. Neglect. Sometimes we are so busy walking through life that we forget to look at God's compass to make sure we're headed in the right direction.
2. Pride. Oftentimes we want to determine the destiny ourselves. Relying on our own strength, understanding, and abilities, we plan our own route.
3. Distractions. God's path of obedience isn't always easy. In fact, sometimes it can be extremely challenging. Satan offers other trails that promise pleasure and ease if we will just ignore the compass and follow him. Although these trails seem pleasant at first, they lead to heartbreak and discouragement.
4. Difficulties. Whenever obstacles appear on the trail, our natural tendency is to try and find a way around them. But by ignoring God's compass and stepping off the path, we'll miss the blessings He wants to give us through the rough patches--strong faith and godly character.
Early Light:
Why should we wander when the Lord's compass is available? Let Scripture be your guide on life's journey. God promises to give you productive days and fruitful years if you follow His path. He'll direct each step of your way, and His peace will sustain you, even during difficult times.
--Charles F. Stanley
O Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth. Say among the nation, "The LORD is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity." Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
This is a psalm of praise to God. It is also a "command" for us to worship God for He is worthy to be praised. As I stand on the brink of despair and frustration, this psalm reminds me to see the blessings in my life and praise God for them and they will be my life-preserver pulling me out of the rough waters I am in to the safety of God's arms.
Read this devotion this morning and just felt led to share it with you.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. --Romans 5: 1-2
People have scoured every nook and cranny of the globe in search of peace. But every new road eventually leads to the dead end of dissatisfaction. The only true and lasting peace comes from Jesus Christ.
Read this also and felt led to share:
A Compass For Life's Journey:
Proverbs 3:1-6
My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare they will give you. Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and of people. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
If you've ever been lost in the woods, you know the concerns, confusion, and panic this situation causes. Now think what a difference it would make to know that a compass was in your pocket.
Spiritually speaking, we have such a compass--God's Word. But it does no good unless we let it guide us. Yet at times, we may fail to follow its direction because of ...
1. Neglect. Sometimes we are so busy walking through life that we forget to look at God's compass to make sure we're headed in the right direction.
2. Pride. Oftentimes we want to determine the destiny ourselves. Relying on our own strength, understanding, and abilities, we plan our own route.
3. Distractions. God's path of obedience isn't always easy. In fact, sometimes it can be extremely challenging. Satan offers other trails that promise pleasure and ease if we will just ignore the compass and follow him. Although these trails seem pleasant at first, they lead to heartbreak and discouragement.
4. Difficulties. Whenever obstacles appear on the trail, our natural tendency is to try and find a way around them. But by ignoring God's compass and stepping off the path, we'll miss the blessings He wants to give us through the rough patches--strong faith and godly character.
Early Light:
Why should we wander when the Lord's compass is available? Let Scripture be your guide on life's journey. God promises to give you productive days and fruitful years if you follow His path. He'll direct each step of your way, and His peace will sustain you, even during difficult times.
--Charles F. Stanley
Friday, August 24, 2012
Making A Bigger Mess?
Today's Reading: Psalm 94
O LORD, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth! Arise, O judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve. How long, O LORD? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat? How long will they speak with arrogance? How long will these evil people boast? They crush your people, LORD, hurting those you claim as your own. They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans. "The LORD isn't looking," they say, "and besides, the God of Israel doesn't care."
Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on? Is he deaf--the one who made your ears? Is he blind--the one who formed your eyes? He punishes the nations--won't he also punish you? He knows everything--doesn't he also know what you are doing? The LORD knows people's thoughts; he knows they are worthless!
Joyful are those you discipline, LORD, those you teach with your instructions. You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug to capture the wicked. The LORD will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. Judgement will again be founded on justice, and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.
Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, "I am slipping!" but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side--leaders whose decrees permit injustice? They gang up against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the LORD is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide. God will turn the sins of evil people back on them. He will destroy them for their sins. The LORD our God will destroy them.
Verses 1-7 are explaining setting the scene: the wicked seem to ahve the upper hand. They are prospering while the innocent, the widows, orphans and foreigners, are paying the price for their prosperity. The wicked are taking pleasure from others' pain. They believe God isn't looking and doesn't care.
Verses 8-11 are the writer's response to these outrageous claims. He answers in this way: Is he deaf--the one who made your ears? Is he blind--the one who formed your eyes? He punishes the nations--won't he also punish you? He knows everything--doesn't he know what you are doing? The LORD knows people's thoughts; he knows they are worthless!
Verses 12-15 are God's promise to protect those who seek his teaching. Judgement will again be founded in justice and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.
In verses 16-19, the writer admits even he felt the pain and injustice of the wicked. He admits openly that if it had not been fro the LORD's help he would have died. But the LORD comforted him. He says it this way in verse 19: When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
How often does your mind fill with doubts? Doubts about your job, money, whether or not your doing the right thing, raising your kids the right way. The list goes on and on. Well, that is where I have been this week. Like my Granny says, I've been "running around like a chicken with its head cut off." I've been going through the motions of the day with no true sense of direction because like the writer of this psalm, my mind has been filled with doubts. I will be honest and say while I was running around in this state of mind I never once thought to come to the one place where I knew it could be fixed--GOD. I was too busy trying to fix it myself, too busy playing Mrs. Fix-It and all I wound up doing was making a bigger mess.
So if you are in this state of running around today, STOP! Know that with God there is hope and renewed strength, you just have to come to him before you make the mess worse.
Power Verse:
Isaiah 40:31
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Will you soar or tumble to the ground? The choice is yours.
Thought for the Day:
Just as you learn who your children are as well as their unique traits as they grow so too God longs for you to seek Him and learn who He is and in the process love Him for His uniqueness. He longs for a relationship with you.
If you don't know the LORD today, now is the perfect time to introduce yourself to Him and start that relationship. He is waiting with open arms. Here's how:
1. Know that God loves you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. --John 3:16
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. --John 10:10
2. Admit to God that you are a sinner and that you are turning from your sins.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. --Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. --Romans 6:23
And just as each person is destined to die once and aft that comes to judgement. --Hebrews 9:27
3. Believe in Jesus by thanking Him for dying on the cross and rising from the dead for you sins.
I have one message for Jews and Gentiles alike--the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. --Acts 20:21
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. --John 14: 6
4. Commit yoru life to Jesus by asking Him to come into your life as your Savior and Lord through prayer. After you have received Jesus Christ into your life, tell a Christian friend and follow Christ in believer's baptism and church membership.
"Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." --Romans 3:20
O LORD, the God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, let your glorious justice shine forth! Arise, O judge of the earth. Give the proud what they deserve. How long, O LORD? How long will the wicked be allowed to gloat? How long will they speak with arrogance? How long will these evil people boast? They crush your people, LORD, hurting those you claim as your own. They kill widows and foreigners and murder orphans. "The LORD isn't looking," they say, "and besides, the God of Israel doesn't care."
Think again, you fools! When will you finally catch on? Is he deaf--the one who made your ears? Is he blind--the one who formed your eyes? He punishes the nations--won't he also punish you? He knows everything--doesn't he also know what you are doing? The LORD knows people's thoughts; he knows they are worthless!
Joyful are those you discipline, LORD, those you teach with your instructions. You give them relief from troubled times until a pit is dug to capture the wicked. The LORD will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. Judgement will again be founded on justice, and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.
Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, "I am slipping!" but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side--leaders whose decrees permit injustice? They gang up against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the LORD is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide. God will turn the sins of evil people back on them. He will destroy them for their sins. The LORD our God will destroy them.
Verses 1-7 are explaining setting the scene: the wicked seem to ahve the upper hand. They are prospering while the innocent, the widows, orphans and foreigners, are paying the price for their prosperity. The wicked are taking pleasure from others' pain. They believe God isn't looking and doesn't care.
Verses 8-11 are the writer's response to these outrageous claims. He answers in this way: Is he deaf--the one who made your ears? Is he blind--the one who formed your eyes? He punishes the nations--won't he also punish you? He knows everything--doesn't he know what you are doing? The LORD knows people's thoughts; he knows they are worthless!
Verses 12-15 are God's promise to protect those who seek his teaching. Judgement will again be founded in justice and those with virtuous hearts will pursue it.
In verses 16-19, the writer admits even he felt the pain and injustice of the wicked. He admits openly that if it had not been fro the LORD's help he would have died. But the LORD comforted him. He says it this way in verse 19: When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
How often does your mind fill with doubts? Doubts about your job, money, whether or not your doing the right thing, raising your kids the right way. The list goes on and on. Well, that is where I have been this week. Like my Granny says, I've been "running around like a chicken with its head cut off." I've been going through the motions of the day with no true sense of direction because like the writer of this psalm, my mind has been filled with doubts. I will be honest and say while I was running around in this state of mind I never once thought to come to the one place where I knew it could be fixed--GOD. I was too busy trying to fix it myself, too busy playing Mrs. Fix-It and all I wound up doing was making a bigger mess.
So if you are in this state of running around today, STOP! Know that with God there is hope and renewed strength, you just have to come to him before you make the mess worse.
Power Verse:
Isaiah 40:31
But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Will you soar or tumble to the ground? The choice is yours.
Thought for the Day:
Just as you learn who your children are as well as their unique traits as they grow so too God longs for you to seek Him and learn who He is and in the process love Him for His uniqueness. He longs for a relationship with you.
If you don't know the LORD today, now is the perfect time to introduce yourself to Him and start that relationship. He is waiting with open arms. Here's how:
1. Know that God loves you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. --John 3:16
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. --John 10:10
2. Admit to God that you are a sinner and that you are turning from your sins.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. --Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. --Romans 6:23
And just as each person is destined to die once and aft that comes to judgement. --Hebrews 9:27
3. Believe in Jesus by thanking Him for dying on the cross and rising from the dead for you sins.
I have one message for Jews and Gentiles alike--the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus. --Acts 20:21
Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. --John 14: 6
4. Commit yoru life to Jesus by asking Him to come into your life as your Savior and Lord through prayer. After you have received Jesus Christ into your life, tell a Christian friend and follow Christ in believer's baptism and church membership.
"Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends." --Romans 3:20
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Stressed? Anxious? Trust in God
Today's Reading: Psalm 93
The LORD is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannnot be shaken. Your throne, O LORD, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past. The floods have risen up, O LORD. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore--the LORD above is mightier than these! Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O LORD, is holy forever and ever.
Continous praise of God from Psalm 92 and continues on through Psalm 97. This psalm is one describing the Lord's might and his unchanging ways. It serves as a reminder that unlike everything else in the world the Lord does not change ever.
In times of trouble, stress or worry, learning to trust in the Lord is important. The word trust in greek means to believe in. We are asked to believe the Lord can do what He says. John 14:1 says: "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." I know that not letting the worries, anxiety and stress of this world get the best of us is easier said than done but we are challenged to give all these things to God and know that He cares for us and wants better for us than to live in such strain on our minds and our very souls. John 14:27 says: I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.
I wanted to share a video by Mark Brown that I watched last night after having a day full of anxiety and stress. I can tell you it was a gift from God and I was able to rest after watching it and I hope and pray that if you are feeling the stress and strain of this world on your shoulders this video will give you a new outlook and lighten your load by knowing that God is there and will show you how to handle stress and anxiety in a world where we fight it every day. God Bless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Qld3G4knk
The LORD is king! He is robed in majesty. Indeed, the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength. The world stands firm and cannnot be shaken. Your throne, O LORD, has stood from time immemorial. You yourself are from the everlasting past. The floods have risen up, O LORD. The floods have roared like thunder; the floods have lifted their pounding waves. But mightier than the violent raging of the seas, mightier than the breakers on the shore--the LORD above is mightier than these! Your royal laws cannot be changed. Your reign, O LORD, is holy forever and ever.
Continous praise of God from Psalm 92 and continues on through Psalm 97. This psalm is one describing the Lord's might and his unchanging ways. It serves as a reminder that unlike everything else in the world the Lord does not change ever.
In times of trouble, stress or worry, learning to trust in the Lord is important. The word trust in greek means to believe in. We are asked to believe the Lord can do what He says. John 14:1 says: "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me." I know that not letting the worries, anxiety and stress of this world get the best of us is easier said than done but we are challenged to give all these things to God and know that He cares for us and wants better for us than to live in such strain on our minds and our very souls. John 14:27 says: I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.
I wanted to share a video by Mark Brown that I watched last night after having a day full of anxiety and stress. I can tell you it was a gift from God and I was able to rest after watching it and I hope and pray that if you are feeling the stress and strain of this world on your shoulders this video will give you a new outlook and lighten your load by knowing that God is there and will show you how to handle stress and anxiety in a world where we fight it every day. God Bless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Qld3G4knk
Monday, August 20, 2012
Our Eternal Father
Today's Reading: Psalm 91-Second part of a prayer of Moses
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.
If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."
This is a psalm of prophesy. He speaks of one who will be protected by God, whom no disease will touch and whom angels will hold with their hands so that he will not hurt his foot on a stone. Moses even says that he will be one who can crush fierce lions and serpents under foot. He is speaking of Jesus!
In verses 14-16, we hear the very voice of God. He promises the same things he said of Jesus, thus making us heirs with Jesus!
How awesome to know that God will protect and keep us just as He did Jesus! We are His children after all and as our Eternal Father, He will care for us and love us.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.
If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon fierce lions and serpents under your feet!
The Lord says, "I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation."
This is a psalm of prophesy. He speaks of one who will be protected by God, whom no disease will touch and whom angels will hold with their hands so that he will not hurt his foot on a stone. Moses even says that he will be one who can crush fierce lions and serpents under foot. He is speaking of Jesus!
In verses 14-16, we hear the very voice of God. He promises the same things he said of Jesus, thus making us heirs with Jesus!
How awesome to know that God will protect and keep us just as He did Jesus! We are His children after all and as our Eternal Father, He will care for us and love us.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Ripping It Out And Starting Over
Today's Reading: Psalm 90: Prayer of Moses, the man of God
Lord, through all generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, you mortals!" For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. You sweep away people like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you--our secret sins--and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan.
Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see your work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful.
Have you ever blundered or simply slipped up in life? Made a step you thought was good but turned out to be so wrong? Well, that is where I have been this week. Trying to recover from my slip up. It feels horrible to have to go so long being "successful" then with one wrong stitch you have to rip all your work out and start over. It's painful but in the long run it's worth it. I suppose you could continue on as if the mistake never happened but like my Granny and Papa taught me, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right."
This is where the people of Israel were when Moses prayed Psalm 90. They had slipped up yet again and Moses was praying for deliverence and restoration.
Verses 1-6 are a hymn-like introduction declaring God's eternity and the transience of human life. Verses 7-10 speak of the brevity and sorrow of human existance. Verses 11-12 are a prayer that the people may learn wisdom from considering this. Verses 13-17 are a prayer that Israel be delivered from its difficulties.
Remember, even if you have take a few steps back or have to undo some of your "work", God will see you through.
Power Verses:
I Cornithians 10:12-13
If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
James 1:2-3
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Matthew 26:41
Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!
Thoughts from chapter 17, pg. 192-194 of Espresso for a Woman's Spirit by Pam Vredevelt
I want you to share your food with the hungry and bring right into your own homes those who are helpless, poor and destitute. Clothe those who are cold and don't hide from relatives who need your help. If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, and goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then, when you call, the Lord will answer. "Yes, I am here," he will quickly reply...
And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you will all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an everflowing spring. --Isaiah 58:7-9, 11 TLB
It is not my ability but my response to God's ability that counts. --Corrie ten Boom
You can give without love, but you cannot love without giving. --Amy Carmichael
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. --Matthew 5:2 MSG
Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune. --William James
Lord, through all generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, you mortals!" For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. You sweep away people like dreams that disappear. They are like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you--our secret sins--and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath, ending our years with a groan.
Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.
O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see your work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful.
Have you ever blundered or simply slipped up in life? Made a step you thought was good but turned out to be so wrong? Well, that is where I have been this week. Trying to recover from my slip up. It feels horrible to have to go so long being "successful" then with one wrong stitch you have to rip all your work out and start over. It's painful but in the long run it's worth it. I suppose you could continue on as if the mistake never happened but like my Granny and Papa taught me, "If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right."
This is where the people of Israel were when Moses prayed Psalm 90. They had slipped up yet again and Moses was praying for deliverence and restoration.
Verses 1-6 are a hymn-like introduction declaring God's eternity and the transience of human life. Verses 7-10 speak of the brevity and sorrow of human existance. Verses 11-12 are a prayer that the people may learn wisdom from considering this. Verses 13-17 are a prayer that Israel be delivered from its difficulties.
Remember, even if you have take a few steps back or have to undo some of your "work", God will see you through.
Power Verses:
I Cornithians 10:12-13
If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
James 1:2-3
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Matthew 26:41
Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!
Thoughts from chapter 17, pg. 192-194 of Espresso for a Woman's Spirit by Pam Vredevelt
I want you to share your food with the hungry and bring right into your own homes those who are helpless, poor and destitute. Clothe those who are cold and don't hide from relatives who need your help. If you do these things, God will shed his own glorious light upon you. He will heal you; your godliness will lead you forward, and goodness will be a shield before you, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then, when you call, the Lord will answer. "Yes, I am here," he will quickly reply...
And the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy you will all good things, and keep you healthy too; and you will be like a well-watered garden, like an everflowing spring. --Isaiah 58:7-9, 11 TLB
It is not my ability but my response to God's ability that counts. --Corrie ten Boom
You can give without love, but you cannot love without giving. --Amy Carmichael
"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. --Matthew 5:2 MSG
Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune. --William James
Monday, August 13, 2012
Walking Through Fires
Prayer for today from the words of Psalm 119: 143-144:
As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. Today's Reading: Psalm 88
O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night. Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave, I am forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O LORD; I lift my hands to you for mercy. Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you?Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness? O LORD, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. O LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me?
I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desparate before your terrors. Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.
This psalm is from a man's heart-the heart of one who has been ill since his youth, who has been abandoned by loved ones and friends, who sees death coming for him. Verses 10-18 are a prayer for deliverance, notable for the absence of even a spark of hopefulness. Sounds like someone else we know from just one book before Psalms-Job. He was in the same situation as I am sure there tons of people in the world feeling this way right now. You may be one. If you aren't, feel blessed and go out today and help someone who is in this situation of despair. For we are called as children of God to do just that, HELP!
Power Verses:
Hebrews 4:14-16
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would like them to do to you. AKA the Golden Rule
Today's Devotion:Then Nebuchadnezzar...said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking in the midst of the fire without harm and the apperance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." --Daniel 3:24-25
Jesus was with Daniel's friends in the fire. Lord, be my faithful God, just as You were to Daniel's friends. Keep me from harm as I walk through the fires in my life.
As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. Your laws are always right; help me to understand them so I may live. Today's Reading: Psalm 88
O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to you at night. Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave, I am forgotten, cut off from your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave you have engulfed me.You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for your help, O LORD; I lift my hands to you for mercy. Are your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise you?Can those in the grave declare your unfailing love? Can they proclaim your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can the darkness speak of your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about your righteousness? O LORD, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day. O LORD, why do you reject me? Why do you turn your face from me?
I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desparate before your terrors. Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.
This psalm is from a man's heart-the heart of one who has been ill since his youth, who has been abandoned by loved ones and friends, who sees death coming for him. Verses 10-18 are a prayer for deliverance, notable for the absence of even a spark of hopefulness. Sounds like someone else we know from just one book before Psalms-Job. He was in the same situation as I am sure there tons of people in the world feeling this way right now. You may be one. If you aren't, feel blessed and go out today and help someone who is in this situation of despair. For we are called as children of God to do just that, HELP!
Power Verses:
Hebrews 4:14-16
So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would like them to do to you. AKA the Golden Rule
Today's Devotion:Then Nebuchadnezzar...said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking in the midst of the fire without harm and the apperance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." --Daniel 3:24-25
Jesus was with Daniel's friends in the fire. Lord, be my faithful God, just as You were to Daniel's friends. Keep me from harm as I walk through the fires in my life.
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