Missing the Signs

Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.  Robert H. Schuller

I was driving to work this morning and since we had ice everywhere the past few days I noticed signs missing on the freeway.  By missing I mean they had been knocked down by motorists who lost control and took out the signs.  They were no longer standing. 

I started thinking about how often we miss God’s signs.  Every day we are given signs by God.  Sometimes we miss His signs because we are in too much of a hurry and we neglect time with our Heavenly Father.  How many times do we decide to put off today because we think we can do it tomorrow?

There is no person on earth that is guaranteed tomorrow.  God wants to draw us nearer to Him but how many times are we distracted by other stuff.  Sometimes God is speaking to us through other people, or through the things that happen in our life and we miss the signs.  If we believe Romans 8:28 “that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” then we should be continuously looking for His signs.      

How do we not miss God’s signs?  First, we need to be constantly searching for what He wants us to learn.  If there are problems in your life ask yourself, “What is God trying to teach me or show me?”  Second we need to always be alert.  We can learn all kinds of things about God by observing our surroundings.  Third, we should listen to those around us, evaluate what they are saying and if it follows what the Bible teaches us then we should dig deeper.  On the other hand if what someone is telling us goes against God’s Word then beat a hasty retreat. 

God is waiting for each of us to follow Him.  Don’t miss the signs.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, as I drove by signs this morning that were mangled and lying on the ground I missed what they were trying to tell me.  I often do the same thing with people in my life or circumstances.  You are trying to point me in the right direction but sometimes I miss them, not because they are lying on the ground, but because I am running through life too fast.  Help me to slow down and always be on the lookout for Your Signs.  

      

Scripture: Do Not Neglect Salvation

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?  Hebrews 2: 1-4

The Narrow Gate

He that will be knighted must kneel for it, and he that will enter in at the strait gate must crowd for it--a gate made so on purpose, narrow and hard in the entrance, yet, after we have entered, wide and glorious, that after our pain our joy may be the sweeter.  Thomas Adams

If the way to heaven is so narrow, and so few find it, what will become of those who never seek it? William Tiptaft

This week has been an interesting weather week in Texas.  On Monday we had ice everywhere.  So much so that my office was closed and then yesterday the bad weather lingered so we opened late and then today we are expected to have 2-3” of snow.  I know that doesn’t seem like much to anyone living up north, but those of us who live in Texas are better at handling 105 degree temperatures than 20 degree temperatures.

So yesterday our office opened late, (10:00am), mainly to make allowances for our ineptness on icy roads.  I saw one woman on TV ice skating on her street.  But that is a whole other story. 

Back to my story.  I left work around 9:00 and was at work by 10:00.  My husband left to go to work after I did.  So late morning or early afternoon I get a call from my Mom, who had received a call from one of our neighbors that there was a truck in our front yard.  Some of you may remember my previous devotional in January about another vehicle in our front yard. 

I’m beginning to think our yard is a Dodge magnet.  Both vehicles that ended up in our yard were big, (the one yesterday was a double cab), Dodge trucks.  Why couldn’t someone driving a Smart car end up in our yard?  Since my husband works closer to our house he left work to go back home and check out our front yard.  I’m starting to think we should just cement our whole front yard and charge people for parking. 

Anyway, an 18 year old driver with no license and driving his Dad’s brand new Dodge truck was driving too fast down our street.  Did I mention that there are often cars parked on both sides of our street so there is only a narrow one car lane in the middle of the street?  Did I also mention that the reason we didn’t go to work until mid-morning was because there was ice everywhere. 

My husband’s truck was parked in front of the house.  This driver hit an icy patch under some overhanging trees.  He veered to the right and hit the curb, dug dirt out of the neighbor’s yard as his wheel went over the curb.  This action threw him across the street backwards over our curb and into our yard.  As he flew by my husband’s clean truck, he was throwing clods of dirt and grass from the neighbor’s yard and ours all over his truck.   He was going so fast that the truck swung around and the right front fender hit our cypress tree in the front yard.  The tree then knocked him back into the middle of our yard and he came to rest straddling our sidewalk.  This kid was going backwards so fast that he left skid marks on the street.   The kid’s dad came to survey the damage and both the son and the dad received tickets for you guessed it, “wreckless driving and unauthorized operation of a vehicle”. 

When I got home from work I went into the front yard to survey the damage.  There was paint and glass embedded 5 feet up our tree.  We have tire tracks a foot deep in our yard.  As I looked at the damage and the tire tracks that tracked back into our yard I first thought about how blessed we were that the tree we have been talking about cutting down because of all the cypress knees; saved our living room and spare bedroom from having a Dodge in it.

Then it made me think of the verse in Matthew 7: 13-14.  It talks about how the gate is narrow to get to heaven.  There is a much wider and broader gate that leads to destruction.  There are going to be few who will go through the narrow gate.  The most profound statement in this scripture to me is “Difficult is the way which leads to life.”  As I looked at the narrow space between my husband’s truck and the tree, it made me think of these verses.  Too many times I think we expect the Christian life to be easy.  God wouldn’t tell us the way is difficult if He didn’t mean it.  When the difficulties of life get in your way, remember that it leads to everlasting life.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am amazed at how that truck ran between my husband’s truck and the tree.  I think that must be what the gate to heaven is like.  There is very little room for error.  Keep me on the path to that narrow gate where I will find life everlasting.   

  

Scripture: The Narrow Way

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.  Matthew 7:13-14

Change You

Every man's character remains as it is, or continues in the direction in which it is going, until it is compelled by IMPRESSED FORCES to change that state. Our failure has been the failure to put ourselves in the way of the impressed forces. There is a clay, and there is a Potter; we have tried to get the clay to mould the clay.  Henry Drummond

Have you ever wanted to be different?  The key to being different is understanding what needs to change, knowing what can be changed and ensuring that you keep what God created you to be. 

If we want to be like Christ there are things we probably need to change and we are in control of some of those things that need to change.  Here is an example from my personal experience.  I grew up being a people pleaser.  I wanted people to love me and I thought that if I just did everything they asked and kept them happy with me; that would make them love me. 

It took me a long time to understand that I wasn’t doing myself any favors by being a people pleaser and I wasn’t doing the other person any favors either.  Here is what happens.  You agree with everything the other person wants, (even when that something could be harmful to them), and it keeps that person happy but it is harmful to both parties.  It means you are not truthful with the other person or yourself. 

The second thing it does is it puts the other person ahead of God in your life.  God should be my number one focus and guess what.  He loves me already.  I don’t have to win his love, I already have it.  Isn’t that the most beautiful thing you have ever heard?  God loving you because He created you and you don’t have to sacrifice truth for love.

What are the things in your life that need to change and that you have the power to change?  You can’t change who your parents are, you can’t change the talents God gave you and you can’t change some of the things that happen to you in life.  What you can do is identify the areas you can change and then change them.  Speaking from experience, this is not an overnight process so you will need to be prepared for a long journey.  Make God your focus and change will happen.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank You for changing me.  There are days I struggle with changing myself for the better, but the one thing that remains constant is always You.  Thank you for loving me enough to show me where I need to change and then giving me the strength to get through the process.  

  

Scripture: For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.  Galatians 1:10

What Example Do You Show Others

When are Christian folks going to remember that every time you call yourself a Christian, you invoke the name of God, and that if you then walk a walk that does not reflect the presence of Christ in your life, cast a vote that does not reflect the presence of Christ in your life, then you are taking the name of the Lord your God in vain?  Alan Keyes

A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip.  Billy Graham

I had a conversation with someone recently who gave me a picture of how other people see Christians.  It wasn’t pretty.  Sometimes we tarnish the Christian example we are supposed to be. 

Have you figured out that when you claim the title of Christian; you will be scrutinized more and your actions will sometimes mean the difference in someone coming to know Christ or never knowing Him. Your actions will be under close scrutiny and if you are like me, you will often fall far short of the name.

This particular individual who was talking to me made a statement that didn’t surprise me but it did remind me of how hard it is to be a Christ like Christian.  She was talking about a family member who goes to church every week multiple times; but she doesn’t reflect the behavior of what non-Christians expect of a Christian.  They got into an argument and she made this statement to the other person who claims to be a Christian; “You’re the reason I don’t go to church.  You go to church every Wednesday evening and Sunday pretending to be a Christian; but your actions are just the opposite.”     

If we claim the title of Christian we need to live it.  We can’t go to church on Sunday and act the part and then as soon as we walk out the door we take on our other persona.  If we are ever going to be a light in this dark world; we need to be different.  Different means you don’t walk out of the church doors and yell at your wife, husband or kids.  It means you take time to love and help others.  It means you are the same person when you walk through the church doors as when you walk through your office doors or the front door of your home. 

If we are going to take on the battle of a dark world, we must first work on us.  If church is a hospital for sinners then you and I should be the ambulance that gets them there.  Take this job seriously because God certainly does.    

   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, more often than not I am a bad example of what a Christian should be.  I fail over and over again and I don’t always reflect who You are or do a good job of showing others what an amazing Father You are.  Thank you for reminding me that I always need to be working on me so that when I claim the title Christian; I will live up to the name. 

      

Scripture: Behave Like a Christian

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:9-21

Pain & Purpose

How glorious that, when we resist God's purpose and all but wreck ourselves, He will remake us again. Truly we would be a hopeless race but for the fact that we have a mighty God who is able to remake us even when we have rebelled against Him and have thwarted His blessed plans for us.  Clovis G. Chappell

Have you ever thought about the number of times we miss out on God’s blessing on our life because we decide to go against what he tells us to do?  We are often headstrong and want to do things our way and when that happens we lose.  It is kind of like a train wreck looking for a place to happen.  How many times have we wrecked our lives because we think we know better than God what we should do?

When we willfully decide to do something that goes against everything God tells us; we will lose.  God has a purpose for our life and He wants what is best for us.  Sometimes we bring on our own pain and at other times someone else may be the cause of it. 

If we are going to get the blessing out of what God wants us to learn we need to turn to Him and ask “What do you want me to learn from this pain?”  There is a lesson within any trouble we face.  Sometimes it may be that we need to share that lesson learned with another who is struggling with the same pain.  Other times it is to teach us that God is there and we should cling to Him with everything in us.  Still other times it is to teach us to obey Him no matter what occurs. 

How many times do we reject God because we think we know better or we think we are in control of everything in our lives?  Thinking we are in control is one of the biggest mistakes we often make where God is concerned.  Take your mistakes and sorrows and hand them to God.  He can turn your pain into great purpose.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I fail you so many times. When I start believing that I am in control of everything in my life, I am heading into dangerous waters.  Remind me that You want what is best for me and if I depend on You; You can turn my pain into purpose.  

       

Scripture: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  Romans 8:35,37

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.  Romans 8:28-30

The Roadrunner

Doth not all nature around me praise God? If I were silent, I should be an exception to the universe. Doth not the thunder praise Him as it rolls like drums in the march of the God of armies? Do not the mountains praise Him when the woods upon their summits wave in adoration? Doth not the lightning write His name in letters of fire? Hath not the whole earth a voice? And shall I, can I, silent be?  Charles Spurgeon

My Mom and Dad have a roadrunner at the farm.  I’ll admit the only roadrunner I have ever seen was in a museum and he was stuffed.  Although I guess I could qualify as a roadrunner.  I drive 74 miles to and from work every day so that would make me one too.

Anyway, I was at the farm this weekend and had the opportunity to see the roadrunner in action.  I had my camera with me so I was able to get some close up photos of him.  Did I mention that he is fast?  He also has a crazy hairdo.  When he sees his prey, his hair sort of stands up in a crazy way.  He looks like a cross between Lyle Lovett and Elvis.  I decided to call him Elvis. 

He also doesn’t stand still for long; hence the name roadrunner.  As I watched him running back and forth across the lavender field it made me think of us.  We are always running.  We hate waiting in line, we get impatient when the stop light doesn’t change quick enough and we always have a whole list of things that need to be done. Or do they really? 

How many times do we sacrifice God time for roadrunning?  God time can be just sitting quietly without all of the things that we need to do running through our head distracting us from Him. 

One of the things I enjoy doing is watching nature.  Maybe because it reminds me so much of God and His creation and it calms me.  I live near a major freeway but our patio faces away from it so I can sit on my patio and watch nature and you can’t hear the sounds of traffic.  I often take my camera with me because it has zoom on it so I can get up close and personal with nature without disturbing it.  I have photos of redbirds, blue jays, doves, lizards and squirrels to name a few.  

When I watch nature I see God at work. He created in them a need for survival and they go at it with gusto.  Yesterday my husband went to the store and came back.  He walked into the house and said “I think we have a dove sanctuary in our backyard.”  There were doves in the bushes behind our fence and the pair on our patio are already nesting. 

Take time to slow down and observe what God created.  There are amazing things to be learned by watching God at work in nature. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, when I watched the roadrunner this weekend, he reminded me of Your great creation.  I often get so busy that I don’t take time out to appreciate what You have made.  When I lose focus and take my eyes away from You, I miss seeing You in action.  Help me to slow down and rest and meditate on You.

     

Scripture:  Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1:20-25

Treasure In Heaven

The kingdom of heaven is worth infinitely more than the cost of discipleship, and those who know where the treasure lies joyfully abandon everything else to secure it. D.A. Carson

So where is your treasure?  I asked myself this question because too many times I focus on this earthly life.  We lose our God focus when we start worrying about the everyday things of life. 

There is an old folk song from the 60’s that talks about keeping your hand on the plow and in another version it is referred to as keeping your eye on the prize.  Too many times I think we are like the horse with blinders on.  We forget that we are supposed to be storing up treasure in heaven and instead we store it up here.

Hand on the Plow

Hold on, Hold on
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on

Hold on, Hold on
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on

Heard the voice of Jesus say
Come unto me, I am the way.
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.
When my way gets dark as night,
I know the lord will be my light,
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.

Hold on, Hold on
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on

You can talk about me much as you please
the more you talk, gonna stay on my knees.
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.

When I get to heaven, gonna sing and shout
Be nobody there to put me out.
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.
I know my robe's gonna fit me well,
I tried it on at the gates of Hell.
Keep your hand on the plow, hold on.

One day we have the opportunity to be joint heirs with Jesus Christ.  Will there be treasure for us stored up in heaven when we leave this earth?  If our eye isn’t on the right prize; probably not. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I need to be reminded that the things that happen here are not important.  Please help me to keep my eye on the real prize (heaven).  If I am diligent and trust in You, I will have untold treasure stored in heaven.       

Scripture: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:16-19

The Harvest of the Seeds We Sow

Do not lose yourself in your everyday work and activities. Rather, lose yourself in God. When you are doing work, let your innermost heart be centered on Him. Live in His presence and abide in Him. Then your work will follow you into eternity, and you will reap a rich harvest.  Basilea Schlink

I was thinking about how each of us will have a harvest when it comes time to face God at the end of this world.  There will be many who will have no harvest.  There will be nothing to show for their time on earth. 

Many years ago I read a book by Bill Hybels called Walk Across the Room.  It talked about how each of us has a responsibility to take those first steps to another person to show them who God is.  He also talked about how sometimes we will be someone’s 1, 3, 5 or 6.  What he meant was that some of us will plant a seed that will be the first step of many that the other person will take to get to God. We will be that person’s 1.  We might be the one who brought God up in conversation.  Then there will be those who will be their 5.  These are the ones who walk alongside the person in times of trouble and remind them that God is still there watching over them.  Then there will be the 10’s.  These are the ones who have the opportunity to see another human being accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

What he was trying to get across is that we each play a part in another person’s life.  We can play a part in their walk to faith.  We don’t have to be their 10.  Being their 1 is just as important as being their 10. 

One day we will see the harvest of the seeds we’ve sown in another’s life.  What a glorious day that will be.  Will the seeds you plant today bring a glorious harvest?  Consider planting some seed today and look forward to the harvest. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, there was a time in my life when I didn’t think much about sowing seeds or reaping a harvest.  Remind me that this is my purpose in life; to bring other souls to You.  Help me to plant the seeds of a lifetime for eternity.   

     

Scripture: Be Generous and Do Good

Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.  Galatians 6:6-10

What Do You Sow?

Many, I fear, would like glory, who have no wish for grace. They would want to have the wages, but not the work; the harvest, but not the labor; the reaping, but not the sowing; the reward, but not the battle. But it may not be.  J.C. Ryle

I was driving to work this morning and I saw an eighteen wheeler a mile or so ahead of me on the freeway.  All I could make out was that it had several tall things on the bed and they were wrapped in tarps.  The tarps had filled with air and it reminded me of my grandmother’s hairnet.  When I was little my grandmother would go to the hairdresser to get her hair fixed.  In today’s terminology that would be translated; she would do to a stylist for a haircut.  But back then my grandmother would go to a hairdresser to I guess “dress her hair”. 

Anyway, when I would stay overnight with my grandparents, my grandmother always wore a hair net over her hair to protect her hairdressing from getting mussed.  My grandmother had this elaborate pink hair net that had a pink pompom on the top.  I think the pompom was to kind of dress it up, but it was really quite unusual.  It was stretchy and would fit over her hair and protect it while she slept.  I don’t know about you but when I get up after sleeping on my hair I look like a cross between a woodpecker and a rooster, so I don’t really understand how my grandmother slept on her hair and it didn’t come out looking like mine does.  I’m beginning to think it was a magic hairnet. 

As I got closer to the truck I realized that it had trees on it.  The tops of the trees were covered with tarps to protect them and the tarps had filled with air and were billowing about.  I started thinking about these giant trees and how each one started with a seed.  Someone had to plant a seed for these trees to grow.  

Our Christian life is no different.  God created us to plant seeds.  If I want to grow wheat, I don’t plow the field and then watch to see if something comes up.  If I do that I will probably grow weeds.  I must first go out and plant the seeds to produce the crop.  I think the problem is we don’t understand what Jesus meant in John 12:24 when He said, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”  In Romans 6:4 it says “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

If we are not planting seeds in others then we are not producing.  What we sow we will reap.  If we don’t sow anything there won’t be a crop.  Jesus Christ died for our sins so that we could live and produce an abundance of saved souls.  Where are you planting seeds?  Are you planting them in your children, your friends or acquaintances?  Every day each of us has the opportunity to plant seeds in other people so that they can have eternal life.  What seeds are you sowing?

   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior; I gave up my old life.  I was born into a new life where my time and energy should be spent sowing and reaping an amazing harvest.  Help me to become a better farmer of souls.  

      

Scripture: The Fruitful Grain of Wheat

But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

New Phones

Our God has boundless resources. The only limit is in us. Our asking, our thinking, our praying are too small. Our expectations are too limited.  A.B. Simpson

Faith in a prayer-hearing God will make a prayer-loving Christian.  Andrew Murray

We have new phones at work.  You’re probably saying “so what”?   Well, the phones were changed out on Friday.  When we came in on Monday we had this nice new phone on our desks that has 22 buttons on it; all for different functions.  Did I mention that this phone is so complicated that we had to have a training class to figure out how it works?  With 22 buttons and multiple user screens, I’m surprised it can’t drive me home. 

  

When I tried to login the first time it asked for a new password.  I entered a new password and a lady came on and told me unacceptable password.  So when all else fails, go to the manual.  Did I aIso mention that the manual is 322 pages long?  Anyway, back to my password.  I tried my old password, made up a new password, tried someone else’s password and I actually got stuck in a continuous loop.  When I was able to get in it kept taking me back to the same message, “invalid password, please try again”.   I finally hung up on her.

The interesting thing was everyone who came in the office stopped by to ask me how to log into their phones.  Like I had time to read 322 pages of instructions and was an expert or something.  There is even a section called the Grand Tour in the manual.  I don’t need a Grand Tour; I need a semester of college to get through the manual. Then there was the whole microphone thing.  When I went to record my name and voice message I would hear the beep and then I would speak into the phone but when I pressed replay to listen to my message there was nothing but silence.  I finally figured out by trial and error that I had to hit the microphone button in order to record my message.

Then there was the Park Orbit button.  That sounds kind of like an oxymoron to me.  How can I park and orbit at the same time?  I stay away from that button.  Another interesting button is the Page All.  This is the one that puts you on the loud speaker so that everyone in the office can hear you.  Another great feature to this multi-talented phone is that now people can call me and since I requested some special feature prior to setup, (what was I thinking), it allows my voice mails to be sent to me by email and it is translated into a wave file that will allow me to listen to my messages from my desktop.  (I read that in the manual so it must work, although I haven’t received a message yet so maybe my messages are in orbit or a black hole). 

When I was thinking about my phone it reminded me that God is always available.  The amazing thing is; I can speak to God by thinking of Him, singing praise to Him and meditating on Him and His Word.  There are no complicated processes to reach Him, no multiple buttons that require a college degree to understand and the Manual is pretty straightforward.  Follow Me. Love Me.  Believe in Me.  Accept Me.  How amazing is it that we can have eternal life and it is easy if we believe. You don’t need a special wave file to be able to communicate with our Heavenly Father.  Trust in Him, believe in Him and talk to Him.  He is there waiting to hear from you.    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, as I tried to figure out how to operate my telephone, it brought thoughts of You to mind. I praise You for allowing me to communicate with You directly.  Some of my best conversations are those I have with You.  You are my Savior and Redeemer.  Thank you for loving me enough to save me and I praise You for answering my prayers.   

    

Scripture: Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.  Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, for to You I will pray.  My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.  Psalm 5:1-3

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. Psalm 5:11-12

I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 7:17

Fred & Ethel

What is needed for happy effectual service is simply to put your work into the Lord's hand, and leave it there. Do not take it to Him in prayer, saying, "Lord, guide me, Lord, give me wisdom, Lord, arrange for me," and then arise from your knees, and take the burden all back, and try to guide and arrange for yourself. Leave it with the Lord, and remember that what you trust to Him you must not worry over nor feel anxious about. Trust and worry cannot go together.  Hannah Whitall Smith

We have a new pair of doves this year on our patio.  I was in the kitchen and I heard them cooing.  I walked to the back door and looked out and they were standing on the fan blades on our patio.  I could tell this wasn’t the pair of doves from last year because these have a perfect matching black ring around their neck.  I can also tell they had an extremely good winter because they are pleasantly plump.  I named them Fred and Ethel after the “I Love Lucy” characters.  My husband says it will be another summer of not enjoying that part of our patio while Fred and Ethel raise the babies.

As I looked at the doves it reminded me of how God promised to take care of us. I think too often we doubt God and don’t believe He will do what he says.  If as in Matthew 6:26 we are told to look at the birds of the air as our example, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them; why do we have such a hard time believing what God tells us; that He will take care of us. 

When I start to drift toward depending on my own skills, abilities and resources, God often draws me back to Him.  He often allows something to happen that reminds me who He is.  Think about it.  How many times have you saved and saved for a new house, car, air conditioner or any other number of things and just when you think you have enough to make the purchase something happens.  You get sick, your spouse loses their job, your car breaks down and then you have to reevaluate what you thought was your security. 

We should never place our faith in the money we have or how much we have the potential to make.  As I thought about Fred and Ethel it reminded me that they just showed up on the fan on our patio with nothing but themselves.  They didn’t bring any great resources, no retirement fund or nest egg.  They brought themselves.  They are going to use the twigs from last year’s nest and reinforce it with more and then lay their eggs and watch the babies hatch.  They are then going to teach their babies how to make it on their own and then they will leave. 

If you think about it we don’t bring much to the table either.  Money is fleeting and there is no security in it because it can be gone in an instant.  One disaster can wipe out everything we have ever worked for.  The one thing that is always constant is God.  He promises to take care of us and He will.  Everything in creation trusts God to take care of them; why don’t we?   Matthew 6:26 Are you not of more value than they? 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I fail sometimes because I fall back into thinking that I can provide everything I need in this world.  Remind me that You are the One who takes care of me.  It is not necessary for me to worry about any of it.  If I believe in Your promises then I need to trust that You will take care of me.  Everything else is fleeting and can be gone in an instant.  Help me to place my faith in You because You love me.   

    

Scripture: Therefore, Do Not Worry

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  Matthew 6:25-34

A Reflection of Jesus

How do we bring glory to God? The Bible's short answer is: by growing more and more like Jesus Christ.  Sinclair B. Ferguson

Have you ever thought about how Jesus would see us?  I was thinking about how Jesus lived His life on earth for the short time He was here.  Jesus was the definition of empathy for others.  He loved and cared about God’s people.  That was His sole focus.  He loved the unlovely and those everyone else forgot. 

So, how do we go from the way we are in our sin to a reflection of Jesus?  Maybe the best place to start would be to put ourselves last.  Can you picture that?  It would mean being last in line, putting other’s feelings first above ours, treating others with kindness and humility, forgiving others even when they hurt us, being longsuffering when we don’t feel like it.  

Then there is the whole meek thing.  Too many times I think we are confused about the definition of meekness.  We think that meekness is synonymous with weakness and the world teaches us that we need to be strong in the presence of others.  Meekness is about our behavior toward others and using God’s strength instead of our own. Think about having God’s strength in our meekness. 

   

Biblical meekness is not weakness but rather refers to exercising God's strength under His control – i.e. demonstrating power without undue harshness. [The English term "meek" often lacks this blend – i.e. of gentleness (reserve) and strength.]

So if we look at meekness from a Godly perspective it is a combination of gentleness and strength.  If we are going to reflect Jesus we will need to spend time working on us. 

What is Jesus seeing in you today?  Is it a reflection of who He is or is it a reflection of a messed up world?   

   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I need to work on me.  I want the world to see a reflection of Jesus and the only way that will happen is for me to become more like Him.  The guidelines are all listed in the Manual.  My bad behavior won’t change overnight and will not be instant.  It will take perseverance, dedication and a sincere desire to be better in a fallen world so that other’s will see Jesus reflected in me.  Give me the strength to pursue these qualities daily.

      

Scripture: If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

Character of the New Man

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  Colossians 3:12-17

A New You

We become like that which we behold. We will never be transformed into the likeness of God or be conformed to the image of Christ Jesus until we learn how to behold His beauty. To see Him is to be like Him. As David beheld the beauty of the Lord, as he meditated on the glorious perfections and passions of God's character, he became more like God. More than that, he fell ever more in love with God. Sam Storms

Many are ashamed to be seen as God made them; few are ashamed to be seen what the devil hath made them. Many are troubled at small defects in the outward man; few are troubled at the greatest deformities of the inward man; many buy artificial beauty to supply the natural; few spiritual, to supply the defects of the supernatural beauty of the soul.  Abraham Wright

I listen to the news in the morning before I leave for work.  There was a commercial on this morning that talked about finding the “True” you.  As I listened it talked about how this company could bring out the true you with eye lifts, face lifts, tummy tucks and any other number of external changes that would turn you into the “true” you.

I started thinking about all the surgeries this business wanted to do so that you could encounter the true you.  I admit we live in a vain society that places great value on looks.  The sad reality is we often buy into what society believes is important.  There are even some who will go into these places and pick from pictures whose nose they would like theirs to look like.  I guess that would mean you are finding someone else’s you.

It started me thinking about God the Master Craftsman.  He created each of us and we are all part of who He is.  Yet many times we want to change what He created.  We want to be taller, shorter and prettier (by the world’s standards).  In many countries there are people who are willing to allow people not trained in medicine, to perform major surgery to make them more attractive by their countries standards even to the point of death.

We have lost sight of what God created.  God doesn’t look at the outer package.  He is looking for what is inside. You can have all the surgeries the world has to offer, but if what’s on the inside isn’t pretty no amount of outer surgery will fix the inner you.  

    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, we live in a society that places great value on looks.  We spend billions of dollars every year on the external and very little on the internal.  Keep reminding me that what is on the inside is the most important.  Help me to spend my time working on the inside.  I think what we often miss is the more beautiful we become on the inside, the more radiant we are to those around us.  That is the reflection of You in us.  I pray for that radiance.  It’s called the “Light” in me.

         

Scripture: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Genesis 1:26-27

Remember Who God Is

One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as "those evil people" or "those poor people who need our help." Nor must we search for signs of "loveworthiness." Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are. Philip Yancey

Why do we have such a hard time accepting who we are?  God created us, but yet we still look at ourselves in a bad light instead of God’s light.  Why do we continue to deny Whose we are?

Maybe it is because we buy into what others say about us or to us and forget who God is. We place more value in someone we know on earth than in Our Heavenly Father who created us.  If we believe that He created us in His image; why do we sell out?

Other times I think we buy what others are putting down because of guilt.  We’ve done things wrong in our life and we start believing that God wouldn’t want us either. I believe God understands our failings.  He created us so He knows exactly what we are capable of, but He also redeems us.  He allows us to get back into relationship with Him. 

There are several things we need to understand when it comes to God.  God doesn’t move; we do.  God is there all the time.  Not just when things are going great; He is there always waiting for us to come back to Him.  He loves us that much.  The second thing is we need to admit our failings to Him.  The interesting thing about this is that God doesn’t need us to tell Him our failings so that He will understand what we’ve done.  He already knows.  Our admitting our sins and wrongs to Him brings us back into relationship with Him.

 

In Jeremiah 29:10-14 we see a picture of how God feels about us.  He loves us enough to want us back.  But he also wants us to be better.

   

For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

God waits for us to return to Him. Search for Him with all your heart and you will not be disappointed. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I want my life to be a living sacrifice to You.  I don’t always do a good job of it.  When I fail, I sometimes turn away from You in shame because I know I have failed You.  Help me to remember how much You love me and want what is best for me.  Remind me of that when shame overtakes me in my sin so that I can accept Whose I am and return to You.     

      

Scripture: But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.  Psalm 59:16

Ethics

Ethics: Moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior.

Do you ever think about what makes up your character?  Last week was all about the Super Bowl.  There was also a lot of controversy over deflated footballs from a previous game.  If you think about it; someone did something unethical.  We all know about it; but whoever did it or knew about it won’t fess up.  So now there is an investigation into who is responsible.

 

Why do we have such a hard time being ethical? I think it has to do with our character.  There is a quote by Frank Outlaw that I revised slightly.  This is what it says:  

“Thoughts become words; words become actions; actions become habits; habits become character; character becomes who you are.”

If we are to become more like God we will need to examine ourselves and most of the work needs to occur in our heart.  The heart is an amazing organ that keeps us alive, but sometimes our heart is damaged.  Sometimes what we put into our heart damages everything around us.  When we think bad things about another person long enough; eventually those thoughts will turn into words.  So we say hateful things to another person and then we make it worse with our actions.  When we repeat those actions over and over again they become a habit.  That habit then becomes who we are, or in other words, our character. 

We have to ask ourselves; What do we want to become?  Do we want to be more like God or more like the world? Do we want to sacrifice our ethics and character?  The next question is the most important.  What will we gain by sacrificing our ethics and character? 

If we sacrifice our moral principles we lose.  Our character becomes tarnished and no amount of polishing will make it pretty.  One of the best stories of this is David.  David had everything going for him and then he saw Uriah’s wife.  He sacrificed his ethics and lost.  He lost his son because of it and the sword never left his house after that.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, we live in a world where cheating, lying and lack of character and ethics abound.  We read every day about people who think they are getting away with being unethical.  I have a responsibility to live my life in a way that reflects You.  If I am doing that, my character will become who I am.  It will define me.  Give me the courage to speak and live the truth even when the consequences will not be good.     

      

Scripture: Nathan’s Parable and David’s Confession

Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”

Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’”

So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. however, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” Then Nathan departed to his house.  2 Samuel 12:1-15