Everything We Have

God owns all; He owns me; He owns my home; He owns my children; He owns my property. I have called your attention before to the fact that the modern idea of ownership is pagan. The Christian idea is this: that God is the absolute owner of all things.  Clovis G. Chappell

For more years than I care to count I considered everything that I bought mine.  I thought that since I paid for it with money I earned by working, I could do with it as I pleased.  This is one of the most difficult things for me to understand and grasp.  It is so easy to start looking at things with ownership in mind. 

We live in a society that takes pride in ownership.  We are proud of the things we acquire with our hard earned money.   The problem is none of it is ours in the first place.  God owns it all.  He created everything.  There is nothing on earth that He doesn’t own. 

I was blessed growing up in that I was able to spend many years with my grandparents on both sides of my family.  I was able to see two very different perspectives.  My grandparents on my Dad’s side of the family didn’t really own a lot of things.  They worked until they were in their late 70’s or 80’s (I don’t remember which), but they were always generous with what they had in life.  Looking back now, I can see that they taught me the blessing of giving to others and sometimes what they gave was themselves, especially my grandmother.  

My grandparents on my Mom’s side of the family lived a different lifestyle.  They were not rich by the world’s standards but they lived comfortably in their later years.  One of the things I can remember my Mom telling me about my grandfather was when he was younger there would be individuals who needed jobs or money and he would find work for them.  I can remember sitting with my Mom and looking through old documents where my grandfather didn’t have much but he would go around the neighborhood raising money for someone in need. He made a list of who gave and how much.  As I read through the list there would be $1, $5 and $10 donations all to help someone else in need. 

My grandparents weren’t perfect by any means but these were golden nuggets of wisdom that were passed down to me.

If you read about Jesus’ life he didn’t have much.  Sometimes he didn’t even have a mode of transportation except his own two feet.  Even as a young man he understood that he was here for one purpose.  He was here to go about His Father’s business.  If we ever can wrap our arms around that and aim our life in that direction there are untold riches waiting.  Those riches won’t be temporary like those we see today. 

When I think of the rich man who asked Jesus what he could do to have eternal life.   Jesus replied “sell everything you own and follow Me.”  Will I go away sorrowful as the rich man did because I think I have many riches here on earth. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of storing up treasure here on earth.  You tell me that the riches I have here will soon decay.  Help me to remember that the greatest treasure is following You above everything else.  When I have the right perspective about the things I have on earth the rest of my life will fall into place.  Thank you for helping me to see where my real treasure lies.  It is not here in this temporary life.

Scripture: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.   And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1Timothy 6:7-10

Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”  So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.  But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”  He said to Him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept from my youth.  What do I still lack?”  Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.  Matthew 19:16-22

Pearls

I wish, brothers and sisters, that we could all imitate "the pearl oyster"--A hurtful particle intrudes itself into its shell, and this vexes and grieves it. It cannot reject the evil, but what does it do but "cover" it with a precious substance extracted out of its own life, by which it turns the intruder into a pearl! Oh, that we could do so with the provocations we receive from our fellow Christians, so that pearls of patience, gentleness, and forgiveness might be bred within us by that which otherwise would have harmed us.  Charles Spurgeon

I was thinking about pearls and how they are formed.  A pearl begins as an irritant in an oyster.  It can be a grain of sand or a parasite or even a piece of shell that gets lodged into the soft inner body of the oyster.  The oyster’s defensive action against the irritant is it secretes a smooth crystalline substance called nacre.  As long as the irritant is there the oyster will continue to secrete this substance.  It forms layer upon layer and over time the irritant will be covered over and over again with the nacre.  The result of this continuous covering is a completely smooth, lustrous gem.  There is no need to polish its smooth surface.

The nacre is composed of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate perfectly aligned.  The result when light is passed along the axis of one crystal is it reflects and produces an amazing rainbow of light and color.

God created this amazing creature that can produce something beautiful from something harmful.  We are much like the pearl if you think about it.  We are born sinless into a sinful world.  What happens?  Along come the irritants of life.  What we become from there depends on how we handle the irritant.  We can cover it with love, kindness, patience, gentleness and forgiveness or we can cover it with hatred, anger, impatience, cruelty and unforgiveness.  How we handle the one grain of sand can make the difference in whether we reflect God’s light and illuminate or deflect God’s light and live in darkness. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, You give us examples of Your greatness by the very creatures here on earth.  I want to be like a pearl, where I reflect the very nature of You.  I often fail but I will never stop trying to become a person who illuminates and reflects You instead of being covered in darkness.     

Scripture:  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:13-16

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46

What Is Your Worth?

If Christ thought the soul was worth the shedding of His blood, well may we think it worth spending our sweat.  Thomas Watson

In this day and age there is great energy spent on trying to prove our worth to other people.  There are millions spent each year on advertisements telling us that we are not good enough.  I stopped and asked myself what is “good enough”. 

If I look at it from the world’s perspective I am a dismal failure in the worth department. I will never measure up to what the world expects me to be.  I will never be thin enough, pretty enough or have enough.  It is like chasing the wind or holding water in the palm of your hand.  If we understand that in this world we will never measure up to the expectations of the world, we have won part of the battle. 

It’s really ironic.  If I will never measure up to what the world expects of me why do I chase after things of the world.  If we look at it from a God perspective it is easier to understand.  If I know that Christ came to earth for me in my worthlessness to save me from utter destruction, then I must understand that I was not worth dying for, but Christ did the very thing I was not worthy of. 

Why? Because of love.  A love that surpasses our understanding.  Why is it that we can’t understand God’s love for us?  When I thought about this it made me think of times in my life where people have said things that broke me.  I thought of the long ago boss who told me I would never amount to anything.  Those are harsh words to a young college kid.  Some have even had their parents tell them they will never amount to anything.  Your perspective of your worth is shaken when you get a world view of your worth.  Why is it easier to accept an acquaintance’s or family member’s views of our worth than it is God’s?  I think it is because we don’t spend enough time reading those passages in the Bible that tell us how God views our worth.

If we understand that a Man who was God died a horrible death because of His love for us so that we would know how valuable we are, then we have seen a picture of our great worth to God.  What more do we need?  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me enough to show me that even if the world doesn’t know my worth, You do.  You would not have sent Your Son to die on the cross for my sins if I wasn’t worth something to You.  There is no greater love than Yours.  

Scripture:  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:30-32

And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.  This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.   However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 1 Timothy 1:14-16

Happy With My Portion

There is no harm whatever in having money, houses, lands, friends and children if you do not value these things or ones for themselves.  A.B. Simpson

It's about time we stopped buying things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.  Adrian Rogers

When I left work yesterday I called my husband as I usually do on my way home. Yesterday was his day off.  He had to put his truck in the shop yesterday because it had some issues.  The first is he needs new brakes and the second is his truck keeps cutting out on him.   By that I mean in the middle of driving it will just stop or stutter and stop.  This doesn’t work well when you are on the road going 60mph. 

My husband and I both drive vehicles that are eleven years old with well over 160,000 miles on them.  The beauty of this is they are paid for which means we don’t owe anyone a payment every month.  So we discussed the $700 dollars that it is going to cost to repair his truck. We discussed how much God has blessed us.  I recently had to buy two new tires, one because of a blowout and the other due to wear and tear.  God provided in our time of need.

I admit many years ago I loved having a new car.  Every four years I would either buy or lease a new one.  This started me thinking about how sometimes I long for a new car or a new house.  If I look at it from a Godly perspective, I don’t need those things.  I have a roof over my head and a vehicle to get me to work. That is all I need.  Everything else is a want.

One of the hardest things for me to learn in this life is being “Happy with my portion”.  God provides and if I understand what the Bible tells me, He will provide for my needs.  It doesn’t say He will provide for my wants.  The irony of wants is that it leads to more wants.  When we discover that what we want doesn’t fulfill us or make us happy, we turn to the next want.  I call it “Wantitus” and it is a rampant disease in this world.

If we look at Jesus’ life on earth he really didn’t have much in the way of things.  His focus was on relationships not things.  

• I read a devotional today by Rick Warren and he asked this question.    If someone were to look at your life, what would he say is more important to you: things or relationships?

If you are like me, sometimes I don’t like what others would see in me.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, many times I fail miserably when it comes to things in my life.  When I am happy with my portion in this life, that is when you give me the most wisdom.  If I am striving for more things and I make that my focus, then I have defeated the purpose of my life here on earth.        

Scripture:   Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.   My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.  Psalm 73:25-27

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”  The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. Lamentations 3:23-25 

Missed Opportunities

Cast off all bonds of prejudice and custom, and let the love of Christ, which is in you, have free course to run out in all conceivable schemes and methods of labor for the souls of men. Catherine Booth

Last weekend my Mom, Dad and I went to lunch.  As we sat down at a table to wait for our food, I looked over and saw a woman who was going through cancer treatments.  How did I know that?  First, since I am a cancer survivor, my eyes are always open to connecting with other survivors.  I like to think that it is the Holy Spirit working in me because sometimes it is just a feeling I have and nothing more. 

In this case the woman had no eyelashes or eyebrows, the effects of chemo, and I could tell she had on a wig.  I turned to my Mom and said “that is a cancer survivor”.  My Mom asked me who I was looking at.  I showed her and she agreed.  Since my Mom had candles in their car and since we give all cancer survivors candles, she told me I could run out and get one to give to her.  I moved to get out of my chair but something stopped me.  There are times when the feeling I get is that this person will be receptive to my approach and at other times the feeling is that the person will not be receptive.  This woman looked defeated by her circumstances. 

Before I could act the woman and the person she was sitting with got up and walked by our table and left.  I missed an opportunity.  These types of circumstances happen to us all the time at farmers markets.  I call it my cancer radar. 

If you have ever been around cancer patients for any length of time, there are certain characteristics that stand out.  There are those who look at their cancer as a reason to blame others for their circumstance and some will even blame God. Then there are the ones who understand that illness happens to all of us so they don’t place blame on anyone.   

Each of us comes into contact with people every day who need a Savior.  How we handle it could make the difference in that person coming to know Jesus or not.  We have to make the first move. 

Several years ago I read a book by Bill Hybels called “Just Walk Across the Room”.  In the book he gives simple steps each of us can take to point others to Christ.  What it taught me was that I must take that first step to cross the room and engage someone in the conversation.  It also taught me to listen to that small voice, the Holy Spirit’s promptings.  I also learned that the way I tell my story can be the difference between pointing someone to Christ or turning them away from Him. 

Every individual has a story to tell.  Our most important responsibility on this earth is to help others to know Jesus.  If we never get out of our comfort zone and walk across the room and engage, we will never reach our God given potential.         

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I had an opportunity to touch someone’s life for You and I missed it.  The majority of the time when that happens, it is because I fear rejection.  You tell me that I should fear nothing for You are with me, but old habits die hard. Help me to not allow fear to stop me from touching someone’s life for You.  It is the most important job of my life and I don’t want to blow it.     

Scripture:    So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”  And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.  Luke 2:48-50

Animal Sightings

Faith bears Fruit. It cannot help it, because it links the soul with Christ, so that the energy of His life pours into it through the artery of faith, and, as it comes in, so it must make a way for itself out. F.B. Meyer

The soul's deepest thirst is for God Himself, who has made us so that we can never be satisfied without Him. F.F. Bruce

Yesterday was a weird animal day for me.  I know, about now you are thinking, “Boy I wish I could drive to work with her every day because I never see the stuff she does.”

It started yesterday morning when I was driving to work I turned the corner where my office is located and I saw something black moving in the landscaping of a business.  I did a double take or repeat look and it was a skunk.  I guess he was foraging for grubs or something but he was a little too close for comfort.  All he had to do was cross the street and he could be in the landscaping at our office and a few steps further he could be under my car. 

After work I had a meeting in town so I drove over to that around 6:30pm.  As I am leaving my meeting I look out the window and there is a rabbit hopping underneath a car parked in the parking lot. This is the second meeting I have attended there where I have seen the same rabbit in the same spot.  Since the meeting had to do with Farmer’s Markets, I am thinking he hangs out there to see if there is any lettuce left for dinner.

So I leave my meeting and I am driving on the toll road and I see this hawk come out of the bushes on one side of the road and he is flying really low.  When I got closer I noticed that he had something in his claws.  He was about 10 feet in the air above my car when he flew over so I could see the legs of the rat he had caught dangling below him as he flew.

I love watching nature because it so closely resembles human nature.  Our amazing God created animals with the instincts that allow them to find food.  One of the things I find so interesting is that God created in them the knowledge that they must go out every day and forage for food.  Their very survival is dependent on it.  Pepe Le Pew can’t just go out one day and find a year’s supply of grubs and decide to retire, and Bugs Bunny doesn’t just happen upon an abundant supply of lettuce that will last for a lifetime. 

God created in our nature the need to survive but we can’t live on food alone.  If we are to live for eternity with Him we must feed our soul.  Our life with God in heaven depends on it.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, You created everything around me and I am in awe of You and Your Greatness.  As I watched the animals I saw yesterday throughout the day, it was another reminder of Your majesty.  When You fed the Israelites on manna from above, it was to teach them that they could not live without You.  If we eat the bread of heaven we will live forever.  I thank you for providing this food for the soul.     

Scripture:  And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.  So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.  Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. Deuteronomy 8:2-4

As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”  John 6:57-59

Become a Leader

Each of us may be sure that if God sends us on stony paths He will provide us with strong shoes, and He will not send us out on any journey for which He does not equip us well. Alexander MacLaren

When I was in high school I was selected as a Senior Co-Captain of our marching squad.  Our group performed at half time at every football game and we attended all the basketball games to cheer for our team. 

Being selected as a Co-Captain was a big responsibility.  Each Co-Captain was assigned a group of 50 to 60 young women to lead and we had around 200 girls.  Our responsibility was to train our group each week to learn the whistle commands so that as a cohesive group we could march in a synchronized fashion when the whole group marched together.  We taught discipline to our group.  If you chewed gum or if you were late you got demerits.  As a co-captain we were expected to lead by example.

It was a scary feeling to know that you were expected to teach these young women and the worst part was I really didn’t think I was qualified.  I was extremely shy and I didn’t like conflict and leading others means there will be confrontations and conflict.  That comes with leadership.  I mean I had never led anyone so why did I think I could lead 60 young women and teach them plus make them listen.

I was shaking in my shoes on that first summer day when we started practicing.  We would arrive at the school parking lot at 7:00am, 5 days a week, to practice before school started in the fall.  We were expected to motivate our group to yell the loudest, perform the best and do it in front of 150 other young women. 

I look back many years later in amazement.  God wants each of us to be a leader for Him.  He wants us to motivate, encourage, inspire and above all love those around us.  We can’t do that if we never step out in faith.  Back then my thoughts were not so much on faith as it was on fear of failure and that was my biggest motivation.  My life now is different.  I depend on God daily to help me make the right decisions, not based on fear, but based on my love for Him.

If I could take 60 young women and teach them to be part of a group how much more can I accomplish with God in my corner.  My strength through Him can do amazing things for the Kingdom of God, but I must step out in faith knowing that He is the ultimate strength. We are in the most important battle of our lives and we need others to step out in faith and say, “Here am I Father, send me.”  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, You give me strength to face challenges every day.  I praise You for those long ago days where I was learning the responsibility of leadership.  That training ground has given me the strength to step out in faith.  I am forever grateful to You for Your patience with a shy young girl who didn’t realize she could be a leader.     

Scripture: “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.  And he touched my mouth with it, and said:  “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”  Isaiah 6:6-8

Double Stuff

Thank God for the battle verses in the Bible. We go into the unknown every day of our lives, and especially every Monday morning, for the week is sure to be a battlefield, outwardly and inwardly in the unseen life of the spirit, which is often by far the sternest battlefield for souls. Either way, the Lord your God goes before you, He shall fight for you!  Amy Carmichael

I bought some Oreos.  I thought I was buying just the regular original Oreos.  I didn’t look at the package too closely and that was my first mistake.  It turns out I had accidentally bought the double stuff Oreos.  Have you seen how much filling is in a double stuff Oreo?  It’s a double layer of the white creamy center.  I admit I am an original Oreo kind of gal.  The combination of the chocolate cookie and a hint of white stuff is perfect.  Remember the old commercials where someone would pull the cookies apart and eat the white center first then the cookie.  Yuck!!  If Oreos gave me a bag full of the creamy filling I would never buy another bag.  That sounds like a great diet to me.

I started thinking about how the world psychologically gets us to buy into what they are selling.  Marketing is an interesting concept. Periodically I go to Wendy’s to get a Frosty.  The interesting thing about that is the last time I bought one they have changed the size of the small frosty.  It’s the size of a kids drink at about the same price as the original size. 

We are bombarded daily with advertising that claims to cure all our problems, when in reality sometimes it just creates more.  I read this weekend about how commercials are used to evoke a certain feeling in us to take action, (in other words to buy something).  The way they do it is by visually showing us how wonderful our lives will be if we purchase what they are selling.  If you listen closely you will see, as in one of the perfume commercials, where you buy the fantasy not the perfume. 

You’ve seen the Jeep commercials where four guys pile into a Jeep and take off riding over rough terrain, over mountains and through streams to finally reach the pinnacle of the mountain.  They are selling us the vision that if we buy a Jeep we can do that too.

If you think about it from an advertising perspective, the Bible is an amazing marketing concept.  Where else can you get on your knees and pray and miracles happen.  When have you ever received something without paying for it?  It doesn’t happen often in this world. Jesus gave us salvation and we didn’t pay a dime.  God gave us the Holy Spirit living in us to guide our steps.  Instead of buying into the world’s perception of what we can get here that is temporary at best, why not take a chance on what God has to offer.  Last time I looked he described a place where I can go, where there are streets of gold and pearly gates, where there is no sorrow or pain ever again.  I think I’ll take that any day over what this world offers.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I don’t deserve the future You offer in the Bible.  I sin over and over again, yet You love me enough to keep pursuing me.  I am amazed every day at Your Glory and Majesty.  Help me to keep my eyes focused on You and not what the world offers.  The Bible tells me there is a better place waiting for me in heaven.  I can’t wait.

Scripture: Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”  Matthew 16:24-28

Joy

In vain I have searched the Bible, looking for examples of early believers whose lives were marked by rigidity, predictability, inhibition, dullness, and caution. Fortunately, grim, frowning, joyless saints in Scriptures are conspicuous by their absence. Instead, the examples I find are of adventurous, risk-taking, enthusiastic, and authentic believers whose joy was contagious even in times of full trial. Their vision was broad even when death drew near. Rules were few and changes were welcome. The contrast between then and now is staggering.  Chuck Swindoll

God intends the Christian life to be a life of joy - not drudgery. The idea that holiness is associated with a dour disposition is a caricature of the worst sort. In fact, just the opposite is true. Only those who walk in holiness experience true joy.  Jerry Bridges

Have you ever lost your joy?  You get caught up in daily life and the easiest thing to lose is not your keys or your glasses.  One of the things that we lose first is our joy.  God wants us to be joyful in everything whether that everything is good or bad. 

I found myself losing my joy this week.  It was like Satan had taken up residence inside my head and he wouldn’t move out.  The only way he got in there was because I allowed it.  I started having a pity party.  When you throw a pity party everything around you seems to fall apart.  You start looking at the negative instead of the positive and it’s all downhill from there.  It is kind of like the cartoon where the snowball starts at the top of the hill and as it rolls it gets bigger and bigger. 

So this week I am working and Satan moves in and everything seems to work against me.  I sent the wrong document for my boss to a large organization that he works with and someone else noticed and pointed it out to my boss and the organization I sent it to.  I mailed a check to pay one of my boss’s utility bills and the check was returned with the wrong address and it was due the day I received it back in the mail.  This particular company is one of the few utility providers in west Texas so they will cut off your utilities if you breathe wrong.  So I spent part of this week scrambling to get them paid.  When I should have let God’s joy fill me that He provided me with a way to accomplish that, I instead let Satan steal my joy.    One of my biggest mistakes I made was starting to think that it was all about me. 

If I can’t reflect joy to those around me, I am not doing the Kingdom of God any good.  Last night I reflected on why I lost my joy and what I could do to get it back.  First, I started thinking about all the things in my life that I have to be thankful for.  One thing I have learned is that you don’t need to look far to see someone whose circumstances are worse than yours.  Recently my husband’s job was in jeopardy and we did what we always do in times of trouble.  We prayed and God answered.   I have never seen my husband happier in any other job.  God has provided over and over again in my life. When my health failed, He provided. When you reach the bottom God is there and that is the ultimate joy.

I am sure every one of you has similar stories or even worse situations in your life.  Don’t let Satan steal your joy.  God is a Mighty Provider and He will show you joy even in the worst circumstances.  Today I am kicking Satan to the curb.  I have my joy back.  Hallelujah!

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am amazed by Your grace and mercy on me.  I almost let Satan steal my joy.  When I lean on You, my heart rejoices because You are near. Your joy fills my heart and I am forever grateful for Your love for a poor sinner like me.

Scripture:   Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.  For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.  Psalms 5:11-12

 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.  Psalm 51:11-13

A Heart & A Seed

Real prayer is communion with God, so that there will be common thoughts between His mind and ours. What is needed is for Him to fill our hearts with His thoughts, and then His desires will become our desires flowing back to Him.  A.W. Pink

Have you ever planted a garden?  You buy a packet of seeds and you prepare the soil then you dig a hole to bury the seed and you wait.  I did this several months ago.  I wanted to plant herbs that I could use for cooking.  I bought special soil to plant the seeds in but I was lazy.  The seeds were so tiny that I didn’t take the time to prepare a hole for each seed to be dropped in and covered.  These seeds were smaller than a mustard seed.  So I took the shortcut and dug several big holes and scattered the seeds around and then I sat back and waited. 

Every day I would go out to see if I was producing herbs that would rival any Chef’s kitchen herbs.  So I watched and waited.  I finally started seeing something growing.  I had planted three different herbs so I sectioned the bed into three parts.  The left side produced nothing.  The center of the bed started producing basil.  The right side of the bed produced something green but I later determined that it was a weed because it didn’t look anything like the leaves on the seed packet. 

The heart of a Christian goes through the same process.  If our heart is not prepared properly for God’s seed to be planted, we will never produce fruit. We can go to church on Sunday and sit in the pews but come away with nothing.  The reason is we have not prepared our heart for worship.  The times that I know my heart is prepared are the times where I walk away from church and realize that God has spoken to me.  When you understand that the Pastor’s words were speaking to you in that moment, you know your heart was prepared for seed to be planted. 

The fruit I produce is dependent on the preparation of my heart and I will see the results of God working in my life if I am prepared. If I never open the Bible and prepare for the seeds God wants to plant, I will never grow as God intended.        

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of going to church and not being prepared to worship You.  There are times I have walked through those doors and come away with nothing.  Help me to be prepared and to open my heart to worship.  If I am prepared I can walk away with untold blessings.   

Scripture:   In the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”  Matthew 13:1-9

Which Character Would You Choose?

God is not looking for extraordinary characters as His instruments, but He is looking for humble instruments through whom He can be honored throughout the ages.  A.B. Simpson

If you could choose any character in the Bible besides God, Jesus & the Holy Spirit which one would you choose? 

I started thinking about this on my way to work and I started running through the list in my head.  Would you choose Moses?  Moses was quite a character.  He was a Hebrew raised by Pharaoh’s daughter in a wealthy household.  He murdered an Egyptian and Pharaoh wanted to kill him.  He saw God in a burning bush and he was sent by God to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go.  Can you imagine returning to the scene of the crime to appear before someone who wants you dead?  From all accounts Moses was not the best public speaker.  God chose Aaron to be Moses’ mouthpiece.  I think Moses wouldn’t be my choice.

The next character I thought about was David.  He was a brave and mighty warrior even at a young age.  He killed a giant with a rock and a slingshot.  That’s bravery.  But he also spent years running from Saul, lusted after another man’s wife and killed the man so he could have her.  I don’t think David would be my choice either.

So I moved on to Joseph.  He was Jacob’s favorite son and his brothers knew it.  When he told of the great dreams he had they hated him more.  Joseph gets thrown into a pit by his own brothers, sold to the Ishmaelites and was taken to Egypt and then he is sold again to Potiphar.  This guy just couldn’t catch a break.  He is accused of rape and sent to prison.  I’m thinking Joseph is not the character I would choose.

Then there is Peter.  He was a fisherman by trade so I am thinking, I love to fish so maybe this is the person I would choose.  He asked Jesus to call to him so he could walk on water but he lost faith when the wind picked up and sunk so that Jesus had to pull him out.  After seeing Jesus feed the multitudes with a few loaves of bread and a few fish he ends up denying he knows Jesus.  I am sure I won’t choose Peter.

In the Bible there are stories of great men who rose above seemingly insurmountable obstacles but they also all failed in one way or another and many of them failed over and over again.  I think there is no character I would want to be like except Jesus, because he was without sin and saved the world.  Since I can’t select Jesus I guess I will just be me with all my failures and sin.  If God can accomplish the things he did through the characters listed above, I know he can do amazing things through me just as I am. 
      
Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, You give me strength every day to face obstacles.  When I thought about the various people in the Bible that You used in their very weakness, I understand that you can use me too.  I pray that when those opportunities arise, that you will give me strength and courage to step forward in faith.  You are my Redeemer and Savior.  I praise Your Holy Name.
      
Scripture: Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.   And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Strongholds

Where does your security lie? Is God your refuge, your hiding place, your stronghold, your shepherd, your counselor, your friend, your redeemer, your saviour, your guide? If He is, you don't need to search any further for security.  Elisabeth Elliot

Spiritual strongholds begin with a thought. One thought becomes a consideration. A consideration develops into an attitude, which leads then to action. Action repeated becomes a habit, and a habit establishes a "power base for the enemy," that is, a stronghold.  Elisabeth Elliot

My sister sent me a scripture from Psalms 27:1 that says “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”  It made me look at the word strongholds differently. 

The definition of a stronghold is a well-fortified place. A stronghold can be considered a negative thing or a positive thing and it depends on whose side you are standing on.

We can either be on God’s side or Satan’s.  Satan uses strongholds as a weapon to make us stumble.  Our stronghold can be any sin that we keep locked up so that others cannot see it.  When we fortify our sin strongholds, Satan is able to celebrate victory over God.

On the opposite side stands God our Heavenly Father.  If we apply strongholds to God, these are the things that we use to build our fortress against Satan’s attacks.  If we use the weapons that God gives us, we can and will overcome Satan.  If we pray, study, meditate and basically live everyday buried in His Word the Bible, we have more strength than the largest armies. 

We can build a well-fortified place where God is our stronghold and the Bible is our weapon or we can build a place where the walls are blown away and Satan has free rein to enter and conquer.  Which would you choose?              

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of letting Satan take control through sin and when I do, he wins the victory.  Help me to build a strong fortress where Satan cannot enter.  If I spend time with you and meditate on your Word, Satan loses.  We are in the biggest fight of our lives and we can win only when we lean on You.  I know I cannot do it alone and I praise You for being my stronghold, my fortress against evil. 

Scripture:  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.  2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Quick, Fast & Express

The faith of Christ offers no buttons to push for quick service. The new order must wait the Lord's own time, and that is too much for the man in a hurry. He just gives up and becomes interested in something else.  A.W. Tozer

I have a debit card like most people these days and have you noticed how quickly a retailer can get your money when you use a debit card.  I went to get gas on my way to work the other day.  The Quik Trip is not far from my office so that is where I went to get gas. Getting gas quick is not the only thing quick about it.

When I arrived at the office I needed to transfer money so I logged in to transfer money from my bank account and the charge for gas had beat me to the office.  I can remember when debit cards didn’t exist so it could take anywhere from 5 to 10 days for the check to clear your bank, then the pony express to deliver the check to the other banking institution and then someone manually entered it into the system. 

We are into quick, fast and express aren’t we?  We drive by the bank and get quick cash, McDonald’s for fast food, the microwave for an express meal and we drive in the fast lane.  What does this mean for us as we live our lives every day in the fast lane?  It means we don’t have time to be patient, or kind or even polite. 

We have lost the ability to sit still.  If we aren’t able to sit still long enough to wait for a meal or care for another person, we have lost the very thing that gives us the ability to do for God what he calls us to do.  How can we care for other people and show them who God really is if we aren’t able to slow down and see that they are in need? 

Our life on earth is but a short stop on this journey.  How we spend our time here will either reflect God or it will reflect a life spent in the fast lane.  Will our legacy be that people remembered us as a person who took the time to care for others or will we be remembered for how many things we were able to get done in the shortest amount of time?  When I die I would like others to remember a person who cared and didn’t hesitate to show it.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of getting in the fast lane and before I know it I am not even thinking about the people around me.  I pray that you will help me to slow down and look for opportunities to show You to those around me.  I can’t do that if I stay in the fast lane.       

Scripture:  “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.  Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,’ and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the Lord against you, and it becomes sin among you.  You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the Lord your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand.  For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.  Deuteronomy 15:7-11

Stunt Driving

When God spoke to Moses and others in the Old Testament, those events were encounters with God. An encounter with Jesus was an encounter with God for the disciples. In the same way an encounter with the Holy Spirit is an encounter with God for you.  Henry Blackaby

Many years ago I worked with a guy who trained to be a stunt driver.  He often told stories of how they were taught to drive 60 miles per hour and jerk the wheel in one direction and the car’s momentum would turn it so that he could slide it into a parking space backwards. I don’t know how true all of that was or if he was just trying to make the conversation interesting.

This morning I practiced stunt driving.  I am going to set the scene for you.  I am driving down the freeway going about 60mph in the left lane with a concrete wall on my left, when the car in front of me on the right starts moving into my lane.  He was close enough to me that if I didn’t slam on my breaks I was going to hit him.  I don’t think he ever saw me until I went into stunt driver mode. 

I slammed on the brakes and I lost control of my car.  I swerved from my lane into the left lane and back over to the right lane, over and over again.  I was in two lanes going down the freeway.  I saw the concrete barrier on my left and then the car on my right.  I had both hands on the wheel but it wouldn’t stop.  All of a sudden a still small voice in my head said “take your foot off the brake”.  As soon as I removed my foot off the break my car righted itself and stopped swerving. 

I looked in the rear view mirror and there was not a single car near me.  I can’t say that I blame them? If I had been behind someone driving like I was, I would have backed away too.  I must admit it scared me and I shook the whole way to work. 

I immediately praised God for saving me.  I am no stunt driver so it could only be the Holy Spirit living in me that spoke and told me to remove my foot off the brake.  My next thought was what God might be trying to teach me.  I know His point wasn’t for me to change careers and become a stunt driver.  Maybe it was to get me to pay more attention when I am driving.  You know how it happens when you drive the same way to work every day you don’t pay as close attention to the people in cars around you and you start thinking about the things you need to do at work or on the weekend.  Those are the times when you get to work and you don’t remember anything from your drive or how you got there.

God needs to be in my driver’s seat with me as the passenger.  I guess that out of control feeling I felt this morning is in reality what we should feel when God takes control of our lives.  If we allow Him to be in control we can be at peace knowing that we are in capable hands.        

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I admit this morning’s trip to work scared the very life out of me.  The feeling of being out of control was overwhelming, but peace filled me when I realized You are ultimately in control of my very life and I could not be in better hands.  Thank you for saving me today and for Jesus, Our Heavenly Savior, who saves us for eternity. 

Scripture:  Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer.  From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.  I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.  You will prolong the king’s life, his years as many generations.  He shall abide before God forever.  Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!  So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.  Psalm 61:1-8