Murmurings 1/31

Exodus 16:8 "And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.

It is so easy to be ungrateful sometimes for what the Lord has provided, though not always conscious of my inwardly murmuring spirit. Sometimes when going through a test or trial to see what I am really made of, or to take away what seems like continually reappearing dross, I begin to resist and be ungrateful. The Bible truly is a Living book. If only we, myself included, would get into we would see what we were missing; we would know God like those who walked with Him in scripture, and we would grow to love it; maybe we would even see a revival like that of Wesley or the Great Awakening.

Speaking of complaining, I was not too happy I had to take another year of History this year because of an already busy schedule, but I have been blessed this week by the chapter I read about great revivals and the beginning of modern missions. Also, I have been reminded about where much of our humanist, romantic, and rationalist ideas have come from. Even the
changing of religious views has helped me understand people a little better. One statement that helped me think about my freedom in Christ and as an American in my reading is "A nation is free when its people accept the responsibility for their own welfare. When the people turn that responsibility over to the government by demanding more services and regulations, the nation loses its freedom." -- America has gone so far from its heritage...it hurts. It is also neat to see how Philipp Spener of Germany, by bringing Bible study during the week into the forefront helped start a revival that influenced the spiritual condition throughout
Europe. Something that reminded me of our day in my book says this: "By the early 1700's, the American colonies had fallen into a state of spiritual decline. Prosperity and self-sufficiency had replace the colonists' trust in God, and a cold, formal Christianity had crept into the churches. Most peopl claimed to be Christians, but few had ever accepted Christ..." I had to evaluate myself in reading this as well. It is so easy to paste on a smile, but when I truly have been with the Lord, there is no way to hold back my joy and the new live he has given me... Re-vive...

Rebekah Soffel


My Comments: This message contrasted so much with the one on Exercising Your Joy. I’m sure it was accidental that they arrived in my mailbox just a day apart, hum? Someone must think I need to be grateful... at least I’m getting that message. Then again, I do have a whole lot to be grateful for. Why not be thankful? Why not see how God has worked all things together for my good and His glory? It does make it easier to “take the medicine” when I think of the benefits.

Exercising Your Joy 1/30

I have been exercising a lot more lately. I am not talking about those push-ups and sit-ups I do in the morning, either. The exercise I am talking about lasts all day long and makes me feel better than I have ever felt before. The exercise I am talking about is the greatest work-out in the world and benefits you in every way imaginable. The exercise I am talking about is exercising your joy.

This wonderful exercise can help every part of you everyday of your life. It keeps your mind alert by thinking positive thoughts full of optimism and enthusiasm. It keeps your eyes clear by looking at all the wonders of the world around you and by reading words that inspire you to become the person you want to be. It makes your ears sharp by listening to lovely music, singing birds, tinkling wind chimes, and the three greatest words in the world, "I love you." It keeps your lips fit by giving thanks to God all day long. It keeps your voice strong by singing beautiful songs. It helps your teeth shine by sharing your smile. It gives your arms a workout with hug after hug. It helps out both the taste buds and the stomach by sharing good food with people you love. It keeps those legs firm and healthy by dancing in delight and walking with God. It gives your insides a lot of work with happy and frequent doses of laughter. It makes your heart stronger by giving your love to everyone. It makes your soul even brighter by sharing its light with the whole world. It makes every bit of your life more fit by helping you to do what you were always meant to do and to be the Child of God that you were always created to be.

Don't be afraid to exercise your joy everyday then. It not only helps you to feel good, but it also helps you to be good. It not only makes you better, but it also makes the world better. It not only makes you fit for this life, but it also makes you fit for the next life as well.

….. Joe Mazzella (joecool@wirefire.com) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

My Comments: Although it seems hard at times to ignore the troubles and testing that comes in our lives, recognizing our need for thankfulness and joy makes a difference in how we go through our day. This little message is a challenge to me to let go of the troubles and enjoy the world God has given to me.

You Can Have It... But... I Want It Back!! 1/30

If you have children, or are around young children, then you'll recognize this:

Two toddlers are sitting in the floor playing. They are at Suzie's house, and the floor is filled with toys. Suzie is playing with her blocks, and Davey is trying to decide what to play with. Suzie tells Davey, "Davey, you can play with ANY of my toys. I'm playing with the blocks, but you can use ANYTHING that you want"...so Davey takes her up on it. He picks up her toy telephone, and begins calling his little sister...and he's having a great time...such a great time that Suzie suddenly wants to play with the telephone, so she reaches out and grabs the phone. Davey, of course, is upset, and tells her that HE was playing with the phone because she told him that he could use anything that he wanted to. Her response is, "I know that I gave it to you, but I want it back to play with it myself".

Don't we do the same thing with God? He tells us, in one of my favorite verses (1 Peter 5:7) "Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." But how often do we really cast them to Him, and allow Him to keep them? Don't we take them back to "play with them ourselves for a while?"

I don't know about you, but I'm really good at giving God the burdens of my heart, but taking them back from Him and worrying with them for a bit, and then giving them back to Him. I'm good at SAYING that I'm giving God my cares and worries, but I don't seem to truly let them go...sound familiar?

Worried about your family? Concerned with your finances? Got a health problem keeping you up late? Problems with your relationship with your spouse? Your Boss getting on your nerves?

Philippians 4:6-9 says "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

There it is, my friends - in simple English - by prayer, and in faith, give your concerns to God. Then, again by prayer and in faith, allow Him to KEEP them, and watch as His will is done with your requests. Remember that sometimes He says wait, and sometimes He also says no. The peace that is promised will come as you allow Him to move in your life, and as you align your life with His will.

Want God to help you carry the load? Then give Him your concerns, and DON'T TAKE THEM BACK!

Have a care-free, Jesus filled day!

…..Bill Champion – NailPrints by way of The Daily Encourager (dlangerfeld@HarrisburgBaptist.org) and “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

My Comments: It’s amazing to me that I get so many messages on very similar aspects of the same problem. So many of us struggle with these things in our lives; yet we all think we are the only one affected... Giving our problems to God, then taking them back as if we could do a better job with them than He can... It just doesn’t make sense, yet I do it so often. I’m so glad He is willing to take them again, when I finally yield.

Grudges, Hurts, and Other Problems 1/27

Last evening we met with our regular men's bible study group. The topic was "Getting rid of grudges and hurt feelings". I think it was a very pertinent topic as all of us; me included, at some point has to deal with this spiritual problem.

This morning someone sent me a little quote that said, "In the final analysis it's between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway".

How do you deal with the problem of those who misuse you or abuse you? Not easily if you try to do it by yourself or by man's standards. However when we look at the problem through the eyes of God we see the whole world in a different perspective.

A couple of scriptures come to mind. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life". Also, 1 John 4:10, "Herein is love, not that we we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins". And also, Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

If we understand the context of the message flowing through those verses we will understand that God loved us enough to forgive all of the sins, the hurts, the terrible injustices, even refusals to love, obey and worship him. He loves us enough that even though mankind has been involved in terrible atrocities against His children he forgives us. He had every right to demand satisfaction, to demand that we die for our choices, decisions and lifestyles. He chose however to give us a path to forgiveness, no matter what we have done. If we will change our hearts and love and obey him we can be forgiven.

What is unique about this situation is that he did not demand that we change our lives before he offered us a way to forgiveness. He loved us enough that even when we were still wrapped up in sin and all kinds of filthiness in this world to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. He forgives not because we deserve it, but because Jesus was willing to die that we might be forgiven.

You see, our relationship to others in this world is not based upon what they do, either good or bad. Our relationship is based upon understanding how much God loves you and me, even with all of our hidden faults and sins. If he is willing to forgive us (who caused His Son to die), how can we not forgive those who hurt and misuse us?

Like the quote said, "In the final analysis it's between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway". The apostle John puts it this way in 1 John 4:19, "We love him, because he first loved us".

How about it, do you think that maybe it's time to put away that grudge or whatever it is separating you from others? Yes, I know you can't make them like you or stop hurting you, but neither can God with us. He however did what he could to forgive and heal the rift; can we do any less?

…..Russ Lawson (Messages from the Heart) join-messages-from-the-heart@xc.org by way of Cup O'Cheer (cheer316@sc.rr.com) (Cupocheer316@yahoo.com) and “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com)

My Comments: This message meant something very important to me when I first got it. Now as I read it again, it brought to mind a completely unrelated yet even more difficult struggle that I have dealt with many times. I am seeing again that I just have to let it go. I need to allow God to do the work in the lives of the others involved, and I need to leave my hands off. What a challenge; but I don’t want to fail the Lord in this area of my life.

A Learned Lesson 1/26

It is so easy to be convicted and not to move to action. I struggle with that in many areas of my life as I'm sure you do at
times. Joel 2:12-13 reinforced this when I read it the other day. "Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." Though He punished His people, He desired a restored relationship. God doesn't want an outward show for me to see; He wants a heart change. We don't need to weep and wail over our sin, but we need to CHANGE. In verse 12 is the word “all”... Repentence..holding nothing back..not an emotional show but sincerty and substance.

Rebekah Soffel

My Comments: The meaning of repentance has become so real to me in the past few months. I have finally come to see how the Lord wants us to respond to conviction of the sin in our life. Change is difficult if we rely on our own power, but God’s grace is sufficient.

What Kind of Friends Do You Have? 1/24

There are ‘friends’ who destroy each other, but “there is a friend
that sticketh closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24b

Have you had a good friend, you thought would be your friend for life, turn their back on you?

Have you trusted your best friend with a heartfelt secret, only to have them reveal the depths of your soul to the whole world?

A true friend the Bible tells us sticks closer than a brother, but have you had a long time friend become a long lost friend? Did they leave you wondering what had happened? Often those you think are your dearest friends disappear when they are needed the most. When something is requested of them they have something else more pressing.

Sometimes when your usefulness has been used up by your friends they find other friends they can use. If you ask something of a friend they may see it as an inconvenience to them and decide your friendship isn't worth their time. The second verse in the above chapter, says, "Unfriendly people care only about themselves." There are just some people who don't make best friends.

Some friends like you for what you have and will share with them. If you withhold your generosity, they are no longer your friend.

There are friends who deliberately set out to destroy you for one reason or another. Usually such actions stem from jealousy. If you are too pretty or too successful or have something they desire, they will turn on you feeling the need to damage or ruin you or your reputation.

School will soon be starting and some teens will run into fickle friends as they begin another year of studies. Gossiping and deception will make up many friendships as youngsters are fooled into thinking their best friends are being loyal.

Yet, there are people who remain friends all through school into adulthood and beyond. Some girlfriends have shared loyalty until death separated them in old age, passing their friendship on to the next generation.

True friendships do not wane when one or the other falls on hard times or illnesses occur. It is in those times true friendships are tested and stand the test of time. It is then that giving of one’s self shows what friends are truly made of and seals a close relationship.

One cannot expect always to take, in fusing a relationship. Bonding comes when both parties give of themselves unselfishly and are willing to overlook the mistakes and faults of the other.

Remember if you have a friendship you cherish, don't offend your treasured friend; the Bible also says, "An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city. Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars."

Friendships were important to Jesus. But even some of his closest friends, the disciples who traveled with Him, betrayed Jesus and another denied knowing Him, while others fell asleep when they were supposed to be watching as He prayed.

Do you have a best friend? It has been said, "Your best friend should bring out the best in you." Remember, to have a best friend; you must be a best friend, and even then there will be those who will set themselves against you. You will indeed be blessed if you find a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Remember if all your friends choose to abandon you, God will always be there as your "Best Friend."

…..Betty King (baking2@charter.net) (www.bettyking.net) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com) Betty is a newspaper Life Style and Devotional columnist who has lived with MS for over forty years; she is an author of: It Takes Two Mountains to Make a Valley, But-It Was in the Valleys I Grew, The Fragrance of Life, and Safe and Secure in the Palm of His Hand.

My Comments: This devotional means a lot to me. I recognize that often I stop being the friend I need to be and focus on my needs and wants in the relationship. This is selfish and destroys the bonding on the relationship. Only God can repair the damage done in this kind of situation. I must trust Him to do so, and I must wait on the Lord.

The Vessel 1/24

(Author Unknown)
"The Master was picking a vessel to use; 
On His shelves there were many - which one would He choose? 
"Take me," cried the gold one, "I'm shiny and bright, 
I am of great value; I do things just right. 
My beauty and luster will outshine the rest. 
For someone like You, Master, gold would be best!"
The Master passed on, with no word at all; 
He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall; 
"I'll serve You, dear Master. I'll pour out Your wine. 
I'll be at Your table whenever You dine. 
My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true, 
The silver I'm made of will compliment You."
Unheeding the Master passed on to the brass, 
It was wide-mouthed and shallow and polished like glass. 
"Here! Here!" cried the vessel, "I know I will do, 
Place me on Your table for all men to view."
"Look at me," called the goblet of crystal so clear, 
"My transparency shows my contents are quite dear. 
Although I am fragile, I will serve You with pride, 
I am sure I'll be happy in Your house to abide."
The Master came next to a vessel of wood, 
Polished and carved, it solidly stood. 
"You may use me," dear Master, the wooden bowl said, 
"But I'd rather You used me for fruit, not for bread!"
Then the Master looked down, saw a vessel of clay. 
It was empty and broken where it helplessly lay. 
No hope had the vessel the Master might choose, 
To cleanse it, to fill it, make it whole, fit for use.
"Ah!" said the Master, "This vessel I choose. 
I will mend it and fill it and put it to use. 
I need not the vessel with pride in its self; 
Nor the one who is narrow to sit on the shelf; 
Nor the one who is big-mouthed and shallow and loud; 
Nor one who displays his contents so proud; 
Nor the one who thinks he can do all things just right; 
But this plain earthy vessel filled with My power and might.
He then gently lifted the vessel of clay, 
To mend it and cleanse it, He filled it that day. 
He spoke to it kindly, "There's work you must do, 
Just pour out to others as I pour into you."
Paul wrote Timothy: 
"But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
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My Comments: Don’t we all want to “tout” our value to the Lord? But He is looking for an humble, broken vessel that will reflect His glory in the way that it serves.

Just Say Baaa! 1/23

(by Marybeth Whalen)
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:6)
I spent some time this morning just confessing before God that I am a sheep. And I don't mean that in an "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy" kind of way. I mean in a dirty, smelly, dumb animal kind of way. Let me explain.
As I was praying, I noticed myself once again asking God for some affirmation and encouragement on a specific issue. Now, I have asked for this before - many times, in fact. And God is faithful to answer each and every time. And so, there I was again, asking Him to supply something I know He knows we have already covered. Why can't I accept this covering once and for all? Why can't I rest on His promises and accept Him at His word, once and for all? As I listened to myself asking my Heavenly Father for the same thing all over again, I wondered, "Why doesn't He get tired of me already and tell me to go bother someone else?" And I realized, because I am a sheep. And He expects me to act like a sheep.
As I thought about this, I realized how many other dumb sheep things I do daily. I lose my way. I ask questions for which I already know the answers. My attitude stinks. I ram my head against the same brick wall, hoping for different results. I wander off from Him and then pout because I feel like He's not there for me. I am a sheep. Yet, He is the Shepherd. Ezekiel 34:11-12a says, "For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep..." How I need the comfort, nurture and protection of the Shepherd.
After I spent time just confessing how sheep-like I am, I spent time praising Him for His infinite patience with us, His flock. I praised Him for knowing how dirty, smelly and dumb we are and loving us anyway. I praised Him that He knows how very little we have to offer and accepts it as our gift to Him. A shepherd doesn't expect his sheep to be wolves or eagles or anything other than sheep. Knowing that comforted me in the strangest sort of way. I love knowing that He leaves the 99 to get the one lost, hopeless sheep. (Matthew 18:12-13). He doesn't pick the sheep up and yell at it for acting like a sheep. Instead He patiently, lovingly carries it back to the flock and resumes His watch.
I love knowing that when I bring my little insecurities to Him, revealing my weaknesses and confusion, He doesn't say, "How can you be so stupid?" He says, "I expected nothing less from a sheep" and loves me anyway.
I hope that, like me, this will comfort you today. I hope that when you feel lost, hopeless, and smelly or just plain dumb for making the same mistakes or going to God with the same requests, you will just reflect on being a sheep. Spend time thanking Him for loving you anyway and being your Shepherd every day.
"Dear Lord, thank You for being my Shepherd, and for loving me even when I act like a sheep. In Jesus' Name, Amen."
Additional Verses:
John 10:14-15, "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep."
Psalm 23:1-3a "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul:"
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My Comments: This ties in well with the message about “Limiting God.” Since we act like sheep so often, we don’t trust God to do what He promises to do, and we keep asking for assurance that He will do it. God is faithful to us, no matter what our response is to Him. He loves us and wants to bless our lives in the way He has set out to do it.

Limiting God 1/21

Psalms 78:40-41
 
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!  41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
 
 
      There have been a couple of passages that have been running through my mind lately.  This is one of them.   Our pastor had used this verse during one of his sermons recently.  They were not his text verses but they struck my heart hard.  In my heart, I was struck anew with the thought that God can be limited.   Wait a minute you say.  Isn’t the God we serve Omnipresent (everywhere present at the same time), Omnipotent (All-powerful) and Omniscient (Knowing all things)?   Yes.  Then, you say, how can God be limited?  There’s nothing God can’t do!  Yes.  I’ve grown up with that belief too yet, I have to admit there have been times things have happened (bad things) that I wondered why God didn’t stop it from happening.
      As these verses have been going over and over in my mind, I’ve wondered how that translates to me? Am I limiting God in my life?   In order to know that, we need to know what limits God.   As I read these verses, I started reading the context (the verses surrounding them), This is an account of God’s people moving through the wilderness.  It recounts the many wonderful things God did for them, yet…. They were still prone to complaining. Why? 
      I believe there was a heart attitude problem.  Why would people who had seen God’s provision for them over and over again, complain so much?   Heart attitude.   They had a refusal to believe that God would provide for them.   They knew He could provide but they refused to believe He would in the face of seemingly impossible situations.   I was brought face to face with this heart attitude recently as we have incurred some more medical bills. 
      If you’ve been reading these devotionals very long, you know that financial issues seem to be a struggle for me.   When I knew there would be more bills to pay the hospital my heart sunk and I thought, how are we going to pay for these?  Then the Spirit of God smote my heart with …  “they… tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.”   ouch!   My dispirited attitude toward the provision of God was sin!   In thinking, how are we going to pay for these bills, I was tempting God.  Why?  
      Since Katie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, we have seen God provide over and over again.   It’s not always been in the timing that we’ve desired but He’s NEVER failed to take care of those things.  Furthermore, He’s provided food and clothing for her when it looked impossible for us to provide those things for us.  Here I was in the same boat as those children of Israel. 
      Now let’s go back between 500-600 years and contrast this with the faith of the father of Israel, Abraham.   God had promised to give him a seed.  He’d also promised to make him the father of many nations.    To Abraham at that time, it was an impossible situation because both he and Sarah were “old and well stricken in age”.   It was said that “…it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.”  Yet, in Romans God said of Abraham, that he  “… staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
      You see, Abraham believed God would give him a son.  He didn’t really know how God would do that… in fact, he and Sarah both thought God needed their help to do it, but he never once wavered in his belief that God would do what He had promised.  Romans says, he was “fully persuaded”.  
      Why do we have prayers that go unanswered?  Why do we often feel that God’s not meeting our needs?  Why do we see things happen that we KNOW God could have intervened in and yet He didn’t?  Why do we find ourselves in places where we feel God has led us yet, now we don’t hear His voice and feel He’s deserted us? Is it not because we limit God through our heart attitude of unbelief?   Is it not because we’re not “fully persuaded that what He has promised, He is able also to perform”? 
      Do we “say” we believe God verbally… affirm to others yet in our hearts, we’re afraid God won’t work on our behalf…that He doesn’t love us enough to finish what we know He’s started? Are we afraid this is “name it and claim it” theology?   It is not.  The difference between believing God fulfills His promises and “name it and claim it” theology is:  #1, “Name it and claim it” is not Biblical because it focuses on a person’s own desires.   #2 The fulfillment of God’s promises always has an outcome based on His purposes for our lives and/or those lives of others’ whom we touch.
      If we are guilty of fear of God’s love in our lives, refusal to believe God and/or doubt that He will fulfill His promises to us His children, then we must recognize this as sin and confess it to the Lord who “…is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Then we must ask Him to help us to be “fully persuaded”.    God has promised to take care of ALL our needs.   God not only is able to perform our needs but He will if we do not limit Him by unconfessed sin.  
      I wonder when we get to heaven how many times we’ll see that we limited God’s work on our behalf because we’re not “fully persuaded”. 
      Perhaps you don’t even know God on a personal basis.   If you’re asking God to work on your behalf without having gone through the cleansing blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, He can’t hear your requests.   If you want God to work on your behalf, you must first recognize and confess that you’re a sinner in need of a Savior.   Then you must ask Him to forgive you…. He will.  The request, the plea for a Savior is the one prayer from an unbeliever that God ALWAYS hears.  If you need to do that, won’t you do it today?

Molly Winter
Col. 1:9-10

My Comments: Ouch! I have so often been afraid God won’t finish the job he has started in my life. I know I have doubted His abiding love for me. “Lord, help me to be fully persuaded that You will accomplish all that You desire in my life and please give me those desires in my heart, so that I want what You want for my life.”

What's Inside 1/21

I offered the teens in my Sunday School class a tray of caramel-covered apples. Jon chose the largest one with the most nuts and took a big bite. "Yuck!" he yelled as he spit it out. "That’s no apple. It’s a big onion!" I think Jon learned the lesson: No matter how the outside looks, it’s what’s inside that counts.
Our society focuses on outward appearances. We can easily get caught up in trying to look good to others. But sometimes we look great on the outside and harbor all kinds of not so great stuff inside, like pride, bitterness, resentment, and arrogance. These are opposites of the humble attitude God desires.
Bad attitudes can make our good deeds meaningless. According to the Bible, you can give away all you possess and even sacrifice your life; but it profits you nothing, if your attitude isn't right. (1 Corinthians 13:3)
You may outdo everyone in the good works department, but that won’t earn you an entrance ticket to heaven. You can never be good enough to deserve God’s love. Appearing righteous doesn’t lead you closer to Him. It’s the unseen, hidden matters of the heart (known only to Him) that God cares about. "...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." (I Samuel 16:7b)
Good deeds, church work, and perfect attendance can’t replace a relationship with God. He’s not impressed by how good your life appears. It’s a change of your heart that He yearns for.
Even though King David committed murder and adultery, God said David was a man after His own heart. God could say that because He looked at David’s attitude and into his heart’s intentions. He knew David was humble and wanted to do right. This is what David wrote, after Nathan the prophet rebuked him for his sin: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." (Psalm 51:1-4)
David was truly sorry for his sins and genuinely desired to change his ways and please God. His repentant attitude mattered more to God than what David had done.
How can you tell whether you have a humble, repentant heart like David’s? Here is the acid test: Those who are truly repentant don’t care if they lose the respect of the entire world, as long as they make things right with God. They are glad when their sin is exposed, so it can be dealt with. Instead of justifying or covering up sin, a repentant person will throw himself on the mercy of God.
True repentance is the result of godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10). This means understanding that sins hurt God and wanting to change in order to please Him. A repentant person will be thankful to the one who exposed his sin, even if it caused him pain. He will also be willing to make restoration to those he has hurt.
When God looks within our hearts, He sees who we really are. By outward appearances, we may look like good people, but it’s what’s inside that matters most.
…..Marsha Jordan (tomj@newnorth.net) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com) Marsha is author of Hugs, Hope, and Peanut Butter (www.hugsandhope.org/mj.htm)

My Comments: My heart needs to be sure it is right with God, even if that means there is something I must make right in a public way to those over me, or to those I interact with. Being right with God is more important than any other aspect of my life.

A Second Chance 1/21

"Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry." (2 Timothy 4:11b)
Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher, once remarked that "One should always keep an open mind, but not so open that one's brains fall out." To give irresponsible people a second (or third, or hundredth) chance is often to risk the loss of some gray matter—or worse. But it can also be the right and sensible thing to do.
Mark, later to author the gospel of Mark, had accompanied his uncle, Barnabas, and the Apostle Paul on a ministry journey that had taken them into Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). But for reasons unknown, he abandoned the group just when they were to enter the dangerous midlands and returned to his home in Jerusalem. Paul could not forgive him, and when Barnabas suggested they take Mark on the next journey, there was such a disagreement between them that Barnabas and Paul parted company (see Acts 15:36-39). Mark was out—until, from within a Roman prison, Paul opened his mind and gave him a second chance.
Sometimes we decide that a person is to be kept out of our circle. He wronged me . . . She betrayed my confidence . . . They have proven to be unworthy of my trust. And we think we are being strong in holding to our resolution. But stubbornness is a weak imitation of strength. Dostoyevsky said, "The cleverest person of all, in my opinion, is the man who calls himself a fool at least once a month." Paul was wise enough finally to call himself a fool about this issue, and he called for Mark to rejoin him. Our opinion about another person never contains the whole truth, or the only truth.
My dad once relented on a family rule about no competitive sports on Sundays to let me play in the city championship hockey game. As he drove me to the rink, I asked why he had changed his mind. "Sometimes we make up rules just to keep from having to make decisions," he said. Our resolve not to forgive serves the same purpose. Then we do not need to re-think a decision, re-do a relationship or re-live a hurt. Sometimes we refuse to allow *ourselves* a second chance because we lack the courage to try, to risk failing again. We lack hope.
A second chance made sense to Paul, and he offered it. It meant everything to Mark, and he took it. Both found that it is never too late to be what you might have been.
…..Copyright 2007 Dr. Michael A. Halleen (mhalleen@att.net) by way of Mikey's Funnies (http://www.mikeysFunnies.com) and “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com) Mike is the author of "You Are Rich: Discovering Faith in Everyday Moments" (http://snipurl.com/mHalleen).

My Comments: I tend to read this kind of thing and think about someone giving me a second chance; instead of applying this to the people that I have given up on, or find unworthy of my trust. Then the Lord speaks to me and encourages my heart to turn the story around. Who do I need to give a second chance? Who have I written off? Much more difficult to consider.

My Hand in God's Hand 1/21

(by Florence Scripps Kellogg)
Each morning when I wake, I say, 
"I place my hand in God's today!" 
I know He'll walk close by my side 
my every wandering step to guide.
He leads me with the tenderest care 
when paths are dark and I despair, 
no need for me to understand 
if I but hold fast to His Hand.
My hand in His! No surer way 
to walk in safety through each day. 
By His great bounty I am fed! 
Warmed by His love, and comforted.
When at day's end I seek my rest 
and realize how much I am blessed, 
My thanks pour out to Him, and then 
I place my hand in God's again.

My Comments: I wish I could say that I am faithful at giving God my life every day, for the whole day. I tend to start out well, but it doesn’t take long for me to run ahead or lag behind His leading. Then I have to run back to His tender care to meet the needs I face.

With All Your Might 1/18

By Michael A. Halleen

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." (Ecclesiastes 9:10a)

Clients in my leadership development work often hear me ask them to develop an action plan. It is basic planning, nothing original or profound. So, I ask, what is the goal? What steps are needed to get there? What will be the first step, and when will it be completed? Philip Yancey reminds us that we also need an action plan if we want to move toward being authentic, effective and content human beings. Consider some steps in that direction:

Allow what is good and encouraging to penetrate your spirit as deeply as the bad.
For some reason it takes a dozen encouragements to balance the impact of one negative encounter. The several successes we had yesterday still have not overcome the single failure of last week. A good plan might be to start each morning with a prayer (or even some self-talk) of gratitude for the events and relationships that await us and to fall asleep at night with thoughts of thankfulness rather than self-criticism for what has been. We move toward that upon which we dwell, so let those positive moments come often into focus. Give thanks with all your might.

Let satisfaction be a reward you accept without guilt.
Sometimes, because of messages received in childhood, we imagine that if we feel good we are somehow displeasing God. But it is actions, not feelings, which please or displease God. The Scottish athlete Eric Liddell ("Chariots of Fire") told his sister who wanted him to give up his running in order to be a missionary, "God made me fast. And when I run, I feel his pleasure." Ask yourself what makes you sense God's pleasure. Identify that and do it with all your might.

Make forgiveness your primary response to those who wound you.
A friend told me of a massage therapist who can discern with his fingers which leg a patient usually crosses over the other while sitting. The continuing effect of tension in the muscles gives it away. So also do our bodies and souls store up unresolved tension when we carry resentments with us through the day. They keep us from full health and real contentment. Let them go. When I get a dent in my car I have it pounded out and repainted. For heaven's sake, why would I not do the same for my heart? Forgive with all your might.

So, what's your goal? What steps are needed to get there? What will be the first step, and when will you take it?

My Comments: There were several points in this message that hit home with me, but the message of forgiveness was the primary one I took away. We are wounded so often and easily by the life we live. It is just not worth the effort to carry resentment and anger about those experiences into our lives. We must leave that at the cross of Christ and be healed of our wounds there.

Years Are Valuable - Wisdom More Precious Than Rubies 1/15

I wish I had begun before I began. Do you ever feel that way? I am behind and how will I ever catch up; the years didn't wait on me. They didn't pause while I figured life out, or where my place was in the midst of it.

There is still so much I desire to do, to see and to be. There is still so much I want to achieve and to give of myself to others. Yet, I fear there is not enough left of me that can be given, and not enough years for me to make happen the desires that keep multiplying inside of me.

There is still so much I want to learn, so much life has to teach me. Why couldn't I have listened to the whisperings of wisdom in the early years of my life? Why couldn't I have seen with my heart and soul instead of my eyes?

Parents-to-be, before your children are born, you should pray God will give them wisdom that only He can give. You should not wait until their lives are half over and then begin your prayers.

We all need help from the moment we are born to understand our place in this world, to realize our gifts while we can acknowledge and use them, so start praying early for your children so that they might gain their potential.

We all need to learn to give in order to receive, to laugh more and worry less. To learn happiness comes from joy within, instead of from things we can hold in our hands.

If only we could learn early on that someone else is not going to love us if we don't love ourselves. Also the earlier it is understood that love is more giving than receiving, the sooner the true meaning of love will be found.

It is so easy to be happy, so easy to love appropriately and completely, so easy to find fulfillment when you seek all of those things properly.

It is effortless to work every day when you take pride in your labor; it is so motivating to start your day when you enjoy the challenges before you.

Being the one who is "right" is not a life or death matter; getting your own way will seem a trivial matter twenty years from now.

Things that fill up your home will only require dusting and take away from you the important things you could be spending your time doing.

Achieving that coveted anorexic model look is not healthy and doesn't accomplish beauty within.

Youth is not eternal; no matter how much you long for wrinkles to vanish, or how much you spend to that end, death will not escape you, old age will arrive. So be concerned with expanding the magnificent exquisiteness that resides within you!

No matter how many flaws or sins you are capable of hiding from family, friends or acquaintances, God knows ALL of your transgressions and will forgive you if you ask.

You may judge other people by their past, failing to see changes they've made, or refusing to acknowledge their growth and progressive transformation; you are not their final judge, God is and He will judge you, too, someday.

The spotless perfect house will never take the place of a slightly soiled happy home.

Going to bed mad poisons relationships; not speaking, instead of communicating, erodes understanding.

Belittling someone only shows insecurity in yourself, and complaining all the time shows discontent within.

Always wanting to spend money, to get something you want, is a sure way of knowing there is a deep-seeded need that money will never satisfy.

If accumulating things is your aim in life, you will never have enough things to satisfy that need.

Blaming everyone for your own failures will ensure you shred another person's self esteem, and bury yourself in the shredding.

If you chose your friends because you are smarter than they, and you want to shine, you are assured of diminishing your knowledge, for who will fertilize your growth.

Sarcasm will only cause others to have contempt for you, while respect will bring you admiration.

Deception causes you to hide the truth from yourself and lose sight of who you truly are.

Treat other people the way you wish they would treat you, no matter how they actually behave toward you.

Yes, I wish I had begun to understand the wisdom of living before I begun to die. No matter how many years I have left to live, it will not be enough time; the years will not wait on me while I play catch-up. I can only pray that God will not only grant me more time but bestow His wisdom upon me.

"Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding, For the merchandise of it is
better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She (wisdom) is more precious
than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her (wisdom). Proverbs 3: 13-15

….. Betty King" (baking2@charter.net) (www.bettyking.net) by way of “Christian Voices” (www.ChristianVoicesWorldwide.com) Betty is a newspaper columnist and author of the books, It Takes Two Mountains to Make a Valley, But-It's in the Valleys I Grew, The Fragrance of Life, and Safe and Secure in the Palm of His Hand.

My Comments: So many life lessons are covered in this article. What a message to all of us to make use of the wisdom that has been given to us and shared by others.

Grandma's Hands 1/14



GRANDMA'S HANDS 

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. 
She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands. 

When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the 
longer I sat I wondered if she was OK. 

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her 
at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and 
looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," she 
said in a clear voice strong. 

"I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here 
staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," I 
explained to her. 

"Have you ever looked at your hands," she asked. "I mean really 
looked at your hands?" 

I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them 
over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at 
my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making. 

Grandma smiled and related this story: 

"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have 
served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled 
shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to 
reach out and grab and embrace life. 

"They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the 
floor. 

They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my 
mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled 
on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off 
to war. 

"They have been dirty, scraped and raw , swollen and bent. They were 
uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated 
with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone 
special. 

They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I 
buried my parents and spouse. 

"They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and 
shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand. 

They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the 
rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried 
and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works 
real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to 
fold in prayer. 

"These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life. 

But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out 
and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to 
His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of 
Christ." 

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God 
reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home. 

When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my 
children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and 
caressed and held by the hands of God. 

I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my 
face.

My Comments: I love this picture. It speaks to me of the various stages of life. How wonderful to have had that opportunity to have so many generations together in one place. My mother just died 4 months ago. We would have had three hands in our picture: my baby, mine and my mother’s (unless we included my other daughters). Our generations were much further spread out. It’s hard to think about all that is discussed in this poem, realizing that my mother is gone now until I reach eternity. God has caressed her with His hands. I now must carry on the legacy I have been given by her, with my daughters and son.

It Must Be Settled Tonight 1/14

(Author Unknown)
The burly miner blinked as he left the dark interior of the coal mine. Stopping at a faucet near the mine entrance, he washed the worst of the grime from his face and hands, then headed towards his home on the outskirts of the village. As he trudged along the dusty lane, he passed the open door of a little church. Inside, a small crowd listened intently as an energetic man gesticulated from the pulpit. Interested, the miner stepped to the door. "Absolute surrender is what we must have," the minister was saying. "Are you willing to surrender yourself absolutely into His hand? If not, you are not ready to meet your God." The minister paced back and forth on the platform. "We do not know how much longer our earthly probation will last. Tonight you are living; tomorrow may be too late. Ask yourself, I beg of you, 'Am I ready to meet the Lord?'"
The miner, touched to the quick, slipped into the back pew. I am not ready to meet God, he thought. I have lived a careless, godless life. How can I make peace with Him? The meeting ended, and the people filed out. Still the miner remained in the pew, his head in his hands.
Finally, the minister touched him on the shoulder. "Brother, are you ready to meet the Lord?"
Blindly, the miner shook his head. "I know I am not. Oh, help me find peace!"
An hour passed as the minister shared the plan of salvation; yet something held the miner back from full surrender.
"It's getting late," the minister finally said. "Go home, and continue to seek the Lord."
The miner shook his head. "Stay with me a little longer; it must be settled tonight."
Once again the minister explained the way of salvation and prayed, but in vain. Another hour passed.
"You must go home," the minister told him. "It's late, and I cannot make it any clearer."
"It must be settled tonight," the miner repeated, his eyes burning with earnestness.
"Then we shall stay here together," the minister agreed. Once more he spoke of Jesus, and shared promise after promise. Once more he prayed, but in vain. "I must go," the minister finally said. "It will soon be morning. Go home, and return tomorrow night. Maybe then you will find peace."
"Sir, I cannot leave this place until I find peace."
The poor man's voice trembled. "Tomorrow may be too late. It must be settled tonight."
The minister could not resist his appeal. "By the help of God." he said, "it shall be settled tonight."
Again he explained the steps of conversion; again he prayed. As he spoke, the miner broke into sobs and tears, and at last the light pierced his darkness.
"I see it!" he cried. "I give myself absolutely to God, to His will, to do only what He wants. It is settled.
Praise His name, it is settled!" The two men knelt again, but this time to thank God for bringing light to a sinner's soul.
The next morning the miner went to work as usual. During the day he was sent to a distant part of the mine to fetch some tools. When he did not return, his fellow workers went to look for him. They found that the mine walls had caved in on him, and he was buried in the debris. Working with pick and shovel, they began to dig. Finally, from the fragments of rock and rubbish and stone which hid him from sight, came a faint sound: "Tonight ---- would have been ---- too late. Thank God ---- it was settled ---- last night!"
-Am I ready to meet the Lord?-
Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com/list.html
My Comments: So often we are turned aside from the focus of sharing God’s grace with others due to the circumstances we are in. This preacher had “given it his best shot,” but was ready to give up. The miner just wasn’t willing to stop till he finally understood God’s peace. Oh that I were as persistent as this minister was.

The Valley of Elah 1/10

 1 Samuel 17:8
 
 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array?
 
      I write this while licking the wounds of my heart.   After a particularly grueling battle.  It was one I’d rather have ran and hid from but it came to me.     The battle was real and visible to me.   It seemed larger than life and I felt paralyzed with fear and helplessness.   To be honest on the human realm, it was a conflict between my daughter and me.  
      Now, my daughter is a vivacious, outgoing and spirited young woman.   Me, I’m more on the quiet side.  People laugh when I say that because when I talk or laugh, you KNOW I’m in the room.   It’s the voice box God gave me.   However, I’m shy and reticent to engage people I don’t know and confrontation with people I do know is not my strong suit.  So when confrontation is inevitable, it seems particularly hard for me.
      As my daughter engaged me in conflict, I felt stunned and helpless.   The accusations flung at me I felt were unfair and untrue.   Then I remember back to the conflicts I had with my mother at the same age.   Accusations I flung at her… they were unfair and untrue also.
      As I sat during my quiet time this morning, crying out to the Lord.  “Where did I go wrong?”  “What did I do to deserve this?”  “Lord, I can’t do this!” I cried. Then the Holy Spirit spoke gently to me.    “It’s not about you.”  Ouch.   “But Lord, I feel so wounded and helpless… I don’t know what to do.”
      My daughter, like most young women her age, is trying to figure out where she fits, who she is and how to become the young woman God wants her to be. (Okay, maybe she’s not thinking so much about what God wants right now… but that’s what I’m praying.)  
      As I sat there, quietly meditating, the Lord brought Ephesians 6:12 to mind,  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.    You know, sometimes I think as Christians, we get the idea that because we are Christians, that we won’t have conflict with our children, particularly if we’ve raised them in church…. WRONG! 
      If you are one of the few that had no conflicts with your children while raising them, I’m happy for you.   However, I believe as the days grow closer toward the Lord’s return, Satan is fighting to get our children and if he can’t get them any other way, he’ll bring conflict into the home.  Sometimes when we’re in conflict with our children, it’s hard to think this is a spiritual battle rather than a physical one.   I have a good friend who speaks very candidly with me… she told me one time that the battle is not with our children but rather for our children.  I thought, how wise… it’s true. 
      The battles that I must engage in with my daughter are not with my daughter but rather for her.   Quite frankly, like the children of Israel in the Valley of Elah, I hear that old lion roaring at me saying, “why aren’t you fighting me, come on, let me whip you and get this over with!” and it paralyzes me with fear and a feeling of helplessness.  
      Then I hear a young boy’s voice say, “Is there not a cause?”   To paraphrase for my situation, “Is not my daughter’s spiritual welfare worth the effort to engage in battle?”   That word in Ephesians 6:12, wrestle… I think is very apropos.    We wrestle but we need to remember our wrestling is not with the humans in our realm, but with the spiritual forces and rulers of darkness of this world. 
      In this same passage, (Eph. 6) it says “…having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth…”  Sometimes engaging in battle means just standing still in resistance.  I was reminded recently that not all attacks need verbal response (though that sometimes is our natural inclination).
      Again, Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.  Our war is not physical and as such, our effective weapons are not physical.  
      What weapons do we have with which to fight?  The Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word.  Prayer.   Calling upon the Lord for courage to stand.   Asking the Lord to take down strongholds, in our lives and the lives of our children.   Throw out our “perceptions” of what’s real and get ahold of what REALLY is real.  Instead of fear of the enemy, the fear of the Lord is our weapon.  Our General calls us out to war under His Banner.  
      What about you?  Are you in a valley of Elah?   Goliath taunted and mocked the children of Israel for 40 days while they stood on the other side of the valley saying, “what are we gonna do, what are WE gonna do?”   David said it’s not about YOU… it’s about what the Lord can do.
      Perhaps your valley of Elah is not with a child.  Perhaps your valley of Elah is something else.  Perhaps it's with a spouse or a friend.   Perhaps it’s a trial of illness.   Perhaps it’s a comfort zone that God is asking you to break out of and yet you resist.   Perhaps it’s a feeling of incompetence.  Do you feel the enemy taunting you saying, “Your God is not big enough to deliver you.”  Perhaps he’s saying, “Your God doesn’t care.”   Perhaps he’s hurling accusations at you about you that are unfair and untrue… yet, you wonder, ‘maybe they are’.  
      Go to God… tell Him your struggle.  Cast down those imaginations!  Ask Him to help you see the victory or at least the weapon you’re not accessing to win this war.   Perhaps you’re not in a struggle yourself right now but you know someone who is.  Are you praying for them?   Prayer is one of our greatest spiritual weapons and yet so often it lays unused.  If you’re not using yours, ask God to forgive you and get on your knees!  Wars are not solitary conflicts.   They are not between only two entities.   Our spiritual enemy has a host fighting on his side and they’re active.   Prayer engages our shield with other soldiers in the fight and encourages them and us to stand.   
      God has already given us the victory, however, if we choose to stand helpless and paralyzed by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we give that victory to the enemy!  How shameful!   Are you in a conflict right now, either with another or with yourself and you cannot see victory ahead?   Remember “though we walk in the flesh, we do NOT war after the flesh.”  Determine whether a battle needs to be set in array or if you just need to stand ...then engage in your battle in the “valley of Elah”. 

Molly Winter
Col. 1:9-10

My Comments: This really hits home as there is so much for me to battle against in my desire to serve the Lord fully. I don’t feel I prepare adequately with prayer and it seems at times that there are too many battles occurring at the same time. I do believe Molly makes some great points about why we have to face the battles we face. I need to be ready and to stand!

I Trust You in the Little Things 1/10

(By list member Debbie Preuss, 1/7/08)
Lord, I trust You in the little things?
Why do I hold the big ones back?
Why can't I just trust You?
Why does my faith always lack?
I can say I trust You
Every single day that I live;
That I know that You know me;
That Your very best You'll give.
But when the big things come around
I try to do it on my own.
When they start to fall apart
I come to You and moan,
"I thought that You were in charge;
That You'd take care of me."
But I can faintly hear You saying
That You made me free;
That I can do what I want
Or I can trust in You;
That You have been here waiting
To see what I would do.
The little things are easy, Lord,
To put into Your hand.
The big ones are harder, God,
But I'm beginning to understand
That I can trust You always,
For Your love for me is true.
Help me to forever
In big and small, Lord, trust in You.
Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com/list.html

My Comments: This is quite a challenge for me. It reflects so clearly the struggle I have to remain yielded to the Lord in all the trials and tests of my life. I must leave my life and all things big and small in the Lord’s hands.

Can You Hear ME Now? 1/7

 Jeremiah 33:3
 
 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
 
        For three weeks now, I have been cellphone-less.  I’ve lost it somewhere and cannot find it.  Though the last time I remember having it I had taken it out of my car at home and shut it off and now, I really don’t know where it is.   Honestly, I feel a little exposed without it.   Having a cellphone where I live is more of a security issue than a social one.   When I leave home, there are many miles between me and town with nothing between.    I first started carrying a cellphone when I was pregnant with our daughter.   My husband and brother-in-law had their own company and felt it would be a good idea for me to carry a phone anytime I went to town.  I was very thankful for that.   I had gone from living in the busy metropolitan area of Cincinnati to living where “the deer and the antelope roam”, literally.
        It made me feel more secure knowing I could call my hubby or someone in the family if I had car trouble or needed something else while I was in town.    I admit that sometimes it’s nice to be able to just “reach out and touch someone” even while I’m traveling.   
        As I’ve pondered on my loss of my cellphone, Jeremiah 33:3 kept coming to mind.   God says, call unto Me…. The word call here means to cry out, call aloud.   It is a message usually directed to a specific person to produce a specific response.    So God says, call unto Me… and I will answer you.  
        Psalm 91:14-15 says,  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.    He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.   God wants us to call on Him.  Calling on the Lord denotes a close relationship with Him.   It indicates that we are not afraid nor too proud to ask Him for help when we are in trouble.  
        There have been times when I had my cellphone that I’d wished I’d left it at home because it seemed like everybody needed something from me.   Not having had my phone has cut my husband and daughter off from me when I’m traveling between home and town.  My daughter has not been able to call me when she needed to talk to me.  She cannot make requests of me because I’m unavailable.  Our connection has been severed when we’re not together. 
        Sometimes, we sever our relationship with the Lord.   Our “cellphone of prayer” is lost or we’ve just intentionally left it somewhere so we can’t talk to the Lord.  The thing is when we do that, we can’t hear His voice either.  When we read the Word of God, He cannot speak to us because we've left our "cellphone of prayer" somewhere else.    Now, I’m fairly certain He will survive if I never talked to Him again, but I’m equally certain that I NEED to His voice.    I NEED to be connected to Him.   He IS my security in a world that’s becoming less secure every day!
        When we lose or leave our “cellphone of prayer” somewhere, not only can we not hear Him, but we cannot make our requests to the Lord.   Though He knows what our needs are, He desires to hear from us.  For the Lord, talking to us is not a need… it’s a desire for fellowship.  It is a desire to have delight in responding to us.   For us, it is most definitely a NEED to talk to the Lord.
         Some of us just don’t realize how much we need Him.   We try to do things on our own without His help.  After all, we wouldn’t want to be accused of using Him as a crutch.   We don’t want to “bother” the Lord.  
        Psalm 91:14 says, “because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him.”   When we stay connected to the Lord through prayer and reading His Word, we’ve set our love upon HIM.     When you love someone, you desire to spend time with them getting to know them, talking to them, having conversations with them.     He promises that if we love Him and call upon Him for anything… He will answer.
        Hmmm.  What about you?  Is the Lord saying to you, “Can you hear Me now?”   Do you think you’ve found yourself in a valley where the connection has been lost and you cannot hear His voice?   God hears even in the valleys.   He hears on the mountaintop.   Do you love Him?   Are things difficult for you now?   Perhaps you’ve just found yourself so busy, you’ve not had time (or made time) to make that connection… Call upon Him now… He will answer you!
 
Molly Winter
Col. 1:9-10

My Comments: I have found in the past few months how easy it is to be cut off in my connection with the Lord. I can so easily move away or travel through a valley of trials that take my eyes and reception off of Christ and on my own self or others. I am seeing such blessing from renewing the connection and keeping the lines of communication open with the Lord through prayer and Bible study. What a blessing to know He wants us to lean and rely on Him!!!

Beatitudes for the Home 1/4

(Author Unknown, As posted in Richard Wimer's "Wit And Wisdom")
BLESSED are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate and considerate, long after the wedding bells have ceased ringing.
BLESSED are the husband and wife who are as polite and courteous to one another as they are to their friends.
BLESSED are they who have a sense of humor, for this attribute will be a handy shock absorber.
BLESSED are they who love their mates more than any other person in the world and who joyfully fulfill their marriage vows of lifetime of fidelity and mutual helpfulness to one another.
BLESSED are they who attain parenthood, for children are a heritage of the Lord.
BLESSED are they who remember to thank God for their food before they partake of it, and who set apart some time each day for the reading of the Bible and for prayer.
BLESSED are those mates who never speak loudly to one another and who make their home a place where "seldom is heard a discouraging word".
BLESSED are the husband and wife who faithfully attend the worship service of the church and who work together in the church for the advancement of Christ's Kingdom.
BLESSED are the husband and wife who can work out problems of adjustments without interference from relatives.
BLESSED is the couple who has a complete understanding about financial matters and who has worked out a perfect partnership with all money under the control of both.
BLESSED are the husband and wife who humbly dedicate their lives and their home to Christ and who practice the teachings of Christ in the home by being unselfish, loyal, and loving.

My Comments: This set of Marriage Beatitudes is something my husband and I need to strive for as we protect our marriage from the ungoldy influences and mindset that is so prevalent in our culture today. We need to spend time each day working to make these actions an integral part of our life together.

The Penny 1/3

(Author Unknown) 
[Edited]
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The first day and evening went well and Arlene was delighted.
The husband's employer was quite generous as a host and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely. As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped and a few cigarette butts.
Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.
How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value.
A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?
"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says."
She read the words "United States of America."
"No, not that; read further."
"One cent?"
"No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?"
"Yes!"
"And?"
"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it!
God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me.
Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!"
When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, "In God We Trust," and had to laugh.
Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And God is patient...
Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com/list.html

My Comments: This is such a great thought. I do need to trust in God, only and always. I’m glad He’s patient with me.

Recipe for a Prosperous, Peaceful Year 1/3

Take twelve, fine, full-grown months, see that these are free from all old memories of bitterness, rancor, hate and jealousy; cleanse them completely from every clinging spite: pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed as much as possible from the past.

Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. This batch will keep for just one year. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot in this way), but prepare one day at a time, as follows:

Into each day put...

twelve parts of faith,
eleven of patience,
ten of courage,
nine of work,
eight of hope,
seven of fidelity,
six of liberality,
five of kindness,
four of rest,
three of prayer,
two of meditation,
and one well selected resolution.

Put in about a teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

Pour into the whole love ad libitum and mix with a vim. Cook thoroughly in a fervent heat; garnish with a few smiles and a sprig of joy; then serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness, and a Happy New Year is certain.

My Comments: A neat way to think about how to look at the year before us. This can be quite a challenge if we make this our resolution.

The New Year 1/1

(by Hyacinth Kwatashin) 
[Edited/last stanza changes by Chris Long]
2008 - the New year lies ahead - 
Like an empty book, unwritten story - 
Lord I pray my days be spirit-led 
With testimonies of Your Love and Glory.
May I be sensitive to Your calling 
Obedient to Your Word and voice 
May I walk Your path without falling 
Less "feeling" and more by "choice".
Guard me against all offences 
That would hinder my walk with You 
To be sincere and avoid pretences 
Keeping my eternal reward in view.
May I be slow to judge others 
But quick to lend a helping hand 
When stress and trials do bother 
On Your promises help me stand.
In sickness may I claim Your healing 
In stress or sorrow - Your joy and peace 
Despite circumstances, faith revealing 
With strongholds, may I find Your release.
When the year ends and I reflect 
On the year right from the start 
May I be able to rejoice in victory 
May my life - my story - gladden Your heart.
Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com/list.html

My Comments: Another great poem that reminds us that our responsibility is to glorify and please God in all we do, rather than be solely concerned with our own goals and aspirations. God brings us through situations and circumstances that we may become more like Him and reflect Him to the world around us. Sometimes it is hard to yield our desires and agendas to His will.