God’s Promises

Gather the riches of God's promises. Nobody can take away from you those texts from the Bible which you have learned by heart.  Corrie Ten Boom

Have you ever set a goal and failed at reaching that goal?  There is something that many of us don’t do in relation to setting goals.  We leave God out of the equation.  It’s kind of like saying 2 + 2 = 6.  The end result just doesn’t add up.  If I decide to set a goal for the year I should first look at the Bible for guidance.  If my goal doesn’t align with God’s Word and His promises then it isn’t a goal I should pursue.

Too many times we set our goal and we don’t even consult with God before we jump in with both feet.  We think we know how to reach the goal with just our abilities, knowledge and strength, but in reality we haven’t done our homework.  In reality our goals should be God’s goals backed up by His promises. 

God’s promises are often overshadowed by what we want out of life.  We forget what our true goal in life should be and we pursue stuff. 

I was reading about Abraham and Isaac.  Can you imagine waiting years to have a son and then God speaks to you and tells you to sacrifice your only son on the altar.  Can you picture walking along a dirt road holding your child’s hand in yours as you walk him to his death?  I believe Abraham had goals for his son and they didn’t include sacrificing him on an altar.  I think fear and disbelief would have been my big motivator in that moment.  Then imagine your child walking up to the altar carrying the wood and him turning to you his parent and saying, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering.”  Can you imagine looking down into your child’s trusting face realizing that he is the lamb and then tying him to an altar as a sacrifice?  That’s faith in God’s promises.That’s belief in a Great God.  

We love a Great God but too many times we forget His promises and decide that we know what is best for us.  If we don’t bury His promises in our hearts, how can we ever hope to reach the goals God has set before us?  

         

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I admit I often don’t have enough faith in You.  I often place my faith in my abilities and many times my goals don’t even align with what You call me to do in this life.  Thank You for Your patience with me.  Thank You for loving me enough to keep trying to bring me back to You.  I pray for the faith of Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his only son because he trusted in You and understood that You only wanted what was best for him as You want for me.  You are a Great God!

Scripture: “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”  Genesis 24:12-18

Broken

God is looking for broken men who have judged themselves in the light of the cross of Christ. When He wants anything done, He takes up men who have come to the end of themselves, whose confidence is not in themselves, but in God.  Harry Ironside

Have you figured out that we are all broken?  Every one of us who reach the age where we understand right from wrong is broken.  Some brokenness seems worse than others but in reality a little brokenness is the same as a lot of brokenness. 

In our broken state we all are in need of a Savior and God provided that in Christ.  The problem comes when we don't consider that the other person is broken too.  If we only see the surface we will never see the person God wants us to save on His behalf.  

When we begin to understand our spiritual need for God; that is when we fully understand our true brokenness.  If we are not able to see ourselves in the light of our brokenness, we will never be able to show mercy to others.   Mercy is what God gave us when Jesus died on the cross.  If I am unable to look at another person and see the broken person inside, I have failed the test of mercy. 

I think we all have experienced what it feels like to have someone else judge us based on what they think they know about us. Until we walk a mile or more in their shoes, we will never know what experiences are coloring their world.  The majority of the time we just look at the surface of people and draw an instant conclusion about them.  Take the time to dig deeper and look below the surface. God is waiting for us to tend His sheep just as Jesus did during His time on earth.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am a broken person living in a broken world.  Too many times I judge others without looking at the brokenness inside of them.  Help me to view them through Your eyes.  If I look deep enough I will see the broken person who needs a Savior and who may only see You through something I may say or do.

      

Scripture:  The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:15-18

Pride and Humility  

Cure yourself of the affliction of caring how you appear to others. Concern yourself only with how you appear before God, concern yourself only with the idea that God may have of you. ~Miguel De Unamuno

Here is yet another one of my struggles.  Pride and the belief that I contribute in some way to my abilities, gifts and the things that I have in this world. Those are the days when I am full of myself and do something extraordinary in my own eyes. I accomplish something even I didn’t think I could do and before I praise God for giving me the ability to accomplish the task I am already thinking about how great I am. 

It is humbling when I think about the fact that I didn’t contribute anything to my salvation.  Jesus did all the work and it had nothing to do with my abilities, skills, education or how well I do something.

Have you ever compared yourself to other believers or un-believers?  It happens every day.  We look at other Christians or non-Christians and say I would never do that, or I devote this amount of time to church activities but they don’t. Everything we have comes from God and is to be used in serving Him.  We are to humbly serve each other.  

We are to also submit to one another out of reverence to Christ. (Ephesians 5:21) This doesn’t mean always giving in to others’ demands or opinions.  It means to submit to Godly instruction and correction from other believers.  It means we must be teachable and humble enough to admit we are wrong when another believer corrects us.

If I am so busy telling others about all the good things I am doing for Christ or other people I may get accolades here on earth, but God will not be glorified and I won't receive the real blessing in heaven.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I often am so prideful that I want the praise of others.  I seek out recognition for the things I do when I should be seeking to glorify You.  I want to treat others with humility but pride often stands in the way.  Please help me to become the humble person You created me to be and to serve others with humility. 

  

Scripture:  So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?  You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.  Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.  John 13:12-17

A Dog Chauffeur  

When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don't throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer. Corrie Ten Boom

We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.  C.S. Lewis

Hot news tip for the day.  In New Zealand they are teaching dogs how to drive.  The reason behind this is that the SPCA has teamed up with a group to teach dogs in the shelter how to drive in an effort to make them more adoptable. 

This started me thinking.  God wants us to depend on Him for everything.  Not just when things are falling apart around us.  Not just in the midst of trials on this earth.  He wants us dependent on Him in everything.  God wants to be in the driver’s seat of our lives.  What this means is that He is in control and we aren’t.  What it also means is that we have to let go of our perception that we are in control because we are not in control and never have been.  We can convince ourselves that we are the boss of ourselves and that we are the master of our own universe but have you noticed that just when you think everything is going your way, that is when something happens to throw a kink in the works.

What we often fail to realize is that God is driving and we can slam on the breaks or jerk the wheel to the left or right but God is in control and sometimes the very disasters we face in this life are Gods very blessings in disguise. 

So the irony of this is our thinking we are in control is like giving our dog the car keys and asking him to drive us to work.  Do you really trust your dog to get you to work in one piece?  Not so much.  So when it comes to running my life why do I think I can do a better job at running it than God.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I wouldn't trust my dog to drive me anywhere, but I do trust that You know what is best for me and having You in the driver’s seat is where I want You to be.  Thank You for the trials you bring my way because they remind me that You love me enough to mold me to be more like You. 

           

Scripture:  Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go. Isaiah 48:17

Everything We Have

God owns all; He owns me; He owns my home; He owns my children; He owns my property. The Christian idea is this: that God is the absolute owner of all things.  Clovis G. Chappell

To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it.  Deuteronomy 10:14

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: 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

Technology Quirks   

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and raining in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

I don’t know how many of you own an iPhone but I do.  So a week ago I get one of those update notices that keep popping up on your phone until you respond.  So after I received the tenth reminder, I decided to download the update.  That’s kinda funny “download the update”.  That’s a whole other subject for a devotional.

Once I downloaded the update it gave me another message that said I was now the proud owner of “two step authentication”.  I think nothing of it until I tried to download a song from iTunes and I receive another message.  This time it tells me someone in Plano is trying to log in to my phone.  That would be me!  So I have my iPad with me and it tells me I need to go to my other device and get the code that was emailed to it and then enter it into my phone.  I go to my iPad and get the code then go back to my phone.  I can’t find where you are supposed to enter the code. 

Here is where I should have contacted my nephew who is a genius and who works for Apple, but it was 5:30am so I don’t think he would appreciate my call.  I tried to do it on my own.  As many of you know I am not a technological wizard so I went to the internet.  I tried every type of search I could think of and still couldn’t figure out where to go.  Finally I searched for “how to turn off two step authentication”.  I was able to turn it off but then I had to give answers to multiple secret questions before I could get back in. I think technology is great, but there are times where I want to throw it out the window.  What is supposed to make my life easier is more complicated. 

Then I started thinking about the lack of technology required to connect with God.  If I memorize scripture, I have God at my fingertips.  I can scroll through the folders in my head and pull out how to save a life by losing it, love others with perfect love and how to be a walking advertisement for God.  I don’t have to know a password or memorize answers to questions to access this amazing Book.  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, technology often confuses me.  It is like trying to read a manual that is written in another language.  I am so thankful that the Bible was provided as a testimony to how we should live our lives daily.  There are times when I don’t always understand it, but with faith, study and perseverance, You will reveal the truth to me.  I praise You for providing this amazing gift and for the unimaginable gift of Jesus.   

    

Scripture: He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 2 Timothy 1:9-14

Spiritual Come-Along

Experience has taught me that the Shepherd is far more willing to show His sheep the path than the sheep are to follow. He is endlessly merciful, patient, tender, and loving. If we, His stupid and wayward sheep, really want to be led, we will without fail be led. Of that I am sure. Elisabeth Elliot

Have you ever used a come-along?  Maybe I should first ask, do you know what a come-along is?  A come-along is a small portable winch that consists of a cable attached to a hand operated rachet; a mechanism that allows you to lift or pull something in one direction. 

When we were kids we had several cows.  Bertha was our prize milk cow.  She was this big lumbering bovine.  Once all the animals were fed we would let them out into the pasture or the woods behind our house.  Bertha would do what I guess most cows do every day; she would wander around eating grass. At the back of our property was a bayou.  If you are not from Louisiana you may not know what this is either.  A bayou is a slow moving body of water that is normally a small branch of a larger river. 

Our particular bayou had an alligator or two. We knew they were there but we seldom saw them.  One evening we were feeding the animals and Bertha didn’t show up at the barn.  Cows are creatures of habit, so when one of the animals didn’t show up to eat we had to go wander the woods looking for them.  We finally found Bertha.  She had gotten a little too close to the bank and being a big lumbering bovine she lost her balance and fell down the incline and got stuck in the mud at the bottom.

When you live around animals you always need to be prepared for the unexpected.  So what do you do with an overly large bovine, stuck in the mud with the potential for an alligator to come along looking for its next meal?  Plus, there is no way to get a vehicle to this part of the property to try to pull her out.  You run back to the barn and get the come-along.  You hook the cable to the cows harness and attach the other end to a big tree.  Bertha was no skinny cow.  We needed leverage to get her out of the mess she was in.  It felt like it took hours to hoist her out of the mud.  She protested quite loudly but I am sure she wouldn’t have appreciated the alternative. 

As I was thinking about this story, it reminded me of how we can be just like Bertha.  We wander away from God and get stuck in messes of our own making.  Cows are not the brightest bulb in the ceiling and sometimes we aren’t either.  We will often do things that are against everything God tells us do, and then we wonder how we got into it.  I like to think that God has a sort of spiritual come-along.  He knows when we are going to do something that will get us off track and often He will send in a “spiritual come-along” such as a friend or family member to pull us out of the mire we have gotten into. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I often get into trouble and many times it is of my own making.  Often it is because I think like Bertha, that the grass is greener on the other side and when I get there I find myself disappointed.  I praise You for sending friends and family who will speak truth to me so that I can get back on track.  Thank you for Your patience with me when I get mired in the sin of my own making.   

      

Scripture:  Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.  Psalm 1:1-6

Living for Today

There is no more blessed way of living, than the life of faith based upon a covenant-keeping God - to know that we have no care, for He cares for us; that we need have no fear, except to fear Him; that we need have no troubles, because we have cast our burdens upon the Lord, and are conscience that He will sustain us.  Charles Spurgeon

I have a cancer check-up every year with my oncologist.  When I go into the office there is always a long line of people waiting to be checked in.  It never fails to humble me as I walk through those doors.  The waiting area is large and is always full. 

  

As I sit waiting I will always see someone that reminds me of myself. When I look at all of the cancer survivors sitting in that room I catch glimpses of me 12 years ago.  You know how your mind can be like a movie reel running through scenes.  I remember when I went back to work how my clothes didn’t fit.  The next scene was at my grandmother’s funeral carrying her casket and how I was so thankful when it was over so I could take off my fake hair.

As the reels ran through my mind I remember the support group meetings that I attended and the many women I met and those who later died from this disease.  As I thought back about that time in my life it struck me that during that time I was living in the moment, on that day each and every day.  I was not looking ahead or looking behind.  My sole focus was on putting one step in front of another and just making it to the end of the day still living.  

I then asked myself this question.  Why don’t I do that every day?  Why do I constantly look behind me at the mistakes I have made in my life, or continuously look ahead to what I think I may or may not accomplish tomorrow, next week or even next year?  If I focus on today, tomorrow will take care of itself if it ever comes at all.  

 

I love the words Paul wrote in Philippians 3:20-21.  “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.  If I give myself up to God, I will no longer be worried about the broken body I live in today. 

Prayer for the Day: Father my citizenship is in heaven with You.  Living for today means my focus is on You, not on what will happen tomorrow.  If I place my trust in You and give my life over to You my goal is always in sight.  When I stop worrying about yesterday and live for today I will eagerly await our Lord Jesus Christ’s return.    

Scripture: Pressing Toward the Goal

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. Philippians 3:12-16

Is Jesus In Your Canoe?

Prayer and praise are the oars by which a man may row his boat into the deep waters of the knowledge of Christ.  Charles Spurgeon

When was the last time you considered letting Jesus in your canoe? So you are rowing through life planning everything just how you think it should go and BAM!  Life happens.  Have you noticed how we have a tendency to want to do everything on our own?  We think we know what is best for us so we barge ahead without a thought to the consequences. 

One of the things that happens is we forget to ask Jesus to get in our canoe.  He is the first one we should look to for navigation. 

When I was in college a large group of family and friends would get together on a Saturday to go canoeing on the Calcasieu River.  We would pack food and drinks and drive to the location to rent our canoe.  I don’t remember exactly how many miles we would go but there were sand bars all along the river where you could stop along the way and eat or swim. 

It was kind of interesting how we always went with an even number of people.  Why?  It was much easier and less tiring if you had two people rowing.  One person was the main paddler and the other steered.  The currents on the river could pull you in the wrong direction quickly, so the person in the back of the canoe could steer you out of danger while the one in the front would keep your forward momentum going. 

We should do the same thing when it comes to navigating the rough waters of daily life.  We need to keep our momentum going forward but we need a guidance system in the back of our canoe. 

Remember Jesus getting into the boat with the disciples and telling them to throw out their nets.  When they threw out their nets they didn’t catch fish because of their great skill as fisherman, or because the tide was just right or there just happened to be a school of fish on that side of the boat.  They caught fish because Jesus was in the boat.  Let go and let Him be your navigator through rough waters.  He is the One who can get you through any storm.      

Prayer for the Day: Jesus, the first One I need in my canoe is You.  I don’t need to think twice about who I would choose to steer my life through troubling times.  I want You to be my navigator.  The One who points me in the right direction and all I need to do is keep paddling.       

Scripture:  Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.  Luke 5:4-11

If We Were All Blind

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:13-14

Have you noticed that God has a way of getting our attention when we are at our worst?  I am ashamed to admit this, but this reached out and got my attention so I thought I would share it with you. 

I read a lot of random things so if something crosses my desk like magazines or flyers I will often stop and read them because I have something inside me that thirsts for knowledge.  I was at work on Friday and an electrical co-op magazine was in my mail.  I will normally read through them because they will often have articles about local people or recipes sent in by customers. 

So I open this magazine and there is a picture of a gentleman at the top of this article. I looked at the picture of this gentleman and immediately made an assumption.  This man wasn’t handsome by the world’s standards and they showed a photo of him standing by his truck with the article printed below.  The photo didn’t show disfiguring scars. The title of the article was “Never Let a Good SCAR Go to Waste”. 

Before I read the article I had a totally unloving thought so here is my ashamed part.  When I first looked at the photo, the shallow thought ran through my head about how this photo was not the typical picture they normally put in articles.  Then I read the title and I was drawn into the story.

This gentleman is a Vietnam vet who was injured and burned when a smoke grenade went off near his head.  He yearned to be a minister but instead enlisted in the Navy.  He had an aptitude for weapons and became a Brown Water Black Beret which was an elite riverboat flotilla that patrolled the winding rivers of Southeast Asia.  He was a 21 year old newlywed when he went to war.  When the grenade went off it incinerated his ear, hair and parts of his scalp.  It scarred his face, he lost his right eye and eyelid, split his right hand in half and tore a hole in his chest. 

In the field hospital where he was treated he saw other badly wounded men whose wives recoiled at the sight of their husbands.  As he lay there he weighed his options and decided he wanted out so he pulled out the intravenous tubes and waited to die. When his wife Brenda came to see him she didn’t recoil from his injuries.  He apologized to her that he would never be good-looking again.  She replied, “You never were that good-looking.” They are still together today. 

He took this horrifying experience and turned it into a ministry.  When September 11, 2001 happened, he saw a new generation of young men and women coming back from war broken.  He stated it best when he said, “I felt my life had meaning again.  God took the experience of my life and gave me a purpose.  Never let a good scar go to waste.”  He now runs two ranches where war veterans can go called Operation Warrior Reconnect.  Most of the vets have traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress.  He uses his experience to help others.

What did I learn from this article?  In a world where beauty his highly valued, we would all be better off being born blind.  If I never had the influence of seeing what the world believes to be beautiful, I would not make an instant assumption about another human being.  I would not know the difference between a person’s skin color or what the world thinks is beautiful.  Each person I would meet would be beautiful and I would see them from the heart not my eyes. 

Yesterday I was working on my computer and I went on Bible Gateway to look up a scripture.  The scripture of the day was the following:

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

God spoke to me and I was listening.  The Lord doesn’t see us as we see each other.  He looks at our heart.  When I looked back at this gentleman, I saw a different man.  Not because he was any different on the outside but because I am different on the inside.  I now look at his picture and see him the way God sees him. This gentleman is beautiful in my eyes.  I plan to pray for his ministry because it is sorely needed.  God bless our troops who serve so that we can be free.  

     

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I was immediately ashamed of myself when I looked at the photo in the magazine and then read the story about this gentleman. You showed me how shallow I can be and I want to be different.  Help me to see others as you do.  When I look at others I want to see their heart, not what is on the outside.  Help me to not let the world influence how I see others.  I miss the beauty of the person if I focus on the outside.   

  

Scripture: Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.  1 Peter 3:3-4

A Living Sacrifice

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  1 John 4:10

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?  When I think of the word sacrifice my thoughts turn to the Old Testament.  The people of that time offered animal sacrifices for the atonement of sin.  How then does one become a living sacrifice?

When we become a living sacrifice we turn away from worldly things that can distract us from our heavenly Father.  If we are to be a living sacrifice we must not be conformed to the world.  It means just because the world says something is ok, we often must refuse the very thing the world offers.  This is not an easy thing to do.  How many times have you watched something on TV or watched a movie knowing that it is not beneficial to the renewing of your mind?

  

When I think of Jesus’ time on earth his whole purpose was to be a living sacrifice.  He didn’t turn away from the sinners of the world.  He continuously turned to God for the renewing of His mind.  When He was tempted by Satan in the desert He fought back with scripture.  His final purpose was to be a dying sacrifice so that we might live. 

The scripture tells us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  What does it mean by “your reasonable service”?  When we fully understand what Jesus sacrifice means, it is not unreasonable to think that we would give our bodies as a living sacrifice in service to God during our time on earth for the extreme sacrifice He gave by sending His son to die on a cross for our sins. 

Spend time renewing your mind in God’s Word and you will be transformed. 

   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I want to be a living sacrifice.  If I am too busy chasing after things of this world, I will not have time to focus on what is of great importance to You.  When I spend time in Your Word renewing my mind, I will be transformed. Help me to mediate on You when things of this world distract me.

Scripture: Living Sacrifices to God

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:1-2

Don’t Delay the Pain

God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.  C.S. Lewis

I was reading Builder Magazine yesterday and there was an article by its Editorial Director John McManus.  In the article he spoke about the housing industry but the statement that struck me was this: “When we mess with things and try to “fix” them when they don’t work the way we want them to, we don’t prevent pain – we only delay it.   And, by messing with it and delaying it, we only make it worse.”

I started thinking about how we do this very thing.  Instead of depending on God to see us through the pain, we mess with it and try to “fix” it.  So in reality we delay the very thing God has allowed to happen for our own good. 

If we look at this from a physical therapy standpoint, the physical therapist doesn’t tell you to stay motionless.  If we stay motionless the muscle will “atrophy” or waste away.  The therapist will get you up and get you moving.  That moving of your body will bring pain but the result is you may be able to walk again.  The pain is worth the effort.

When we apply this to our Christian life it may go like this. We want to avoid pain at all cost.  So what do we do?  We deny it, ignore it and go around it.  Anything to avoid what we know will be painful.  The best lessons I ever learned in this life were when I was in the midst of my pain.  God didn’t create pain to punish us.  He created it to help us become stronger.   If I delay the pain, I am circumventing what God wants to teach me. 

One of the best examples of this in the Bible is Peter.  Remember when Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times.  Jesus knew that Peter would fail yet Peter said that he would die for Jesus.  Immediately following this denial, Peter wept bitterly because he knew he had failed Jesus.  But that wasn’t the end of the story.  Peter later would suffer through many trials and great pain, but that one denial was the best lesson he would ever have in life.  He later wrote some of the best scripture about life that we can still follow today.  How many people gave their lives to Christ because of the results from Peter’s greatest pain?  We will never know, but it is an example we can follow daily.  Don’t delay the pain.  Grab God by the hand and walk through it.  Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, when I suffer pain it draws me closer to You.  I am human and weak and I know I need Your strength to get me through the pain of life. You never promised life would be easy.  If pain draws me closer to You, then I am thankful for it.  One day there will be a place in heaven where there will be no pain.  I look forward to that day and that beautiful place.  

         

Scripture: Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”

And they all said likewise. Mark 14:27-31

 

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps

Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.”  But he denied it again.

And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”

 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.  Mark 14:66-72

A Whale & A Tree

It is possible to miss God's perfect will for our lives through carelessness or disobedience.  Zac Poonen

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about Jonah.  If there was ever someone who didn’t want to do what God asked him to it would be Jonah.  Remember how God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and instead Jonah ran in the opposite direction.  He even went so far as to catch a boat to another city.  When God saw Jonah running the other way, He decided to show Jonah how truly powerful He was by having a whale swallow him.  I would hope that after sitting in the belly of a fish for several days thinking about my plight, I would see the error of my ways.

The problem with Jonah is the same one we face today.  We are stubborn and we tend to run the other way when God points us in the direction He wants us to go. 

So the next part of the story we find Jonah on the outskirts of the city of Nineveh. Jonah forgot how God showed grace to him when he was sitting in the belly of the whale. Here we find Jonah frustrated because it has been many days and still the people of Nineveh have not repented of their ways. So Jonah becomes angry with God for the grace He shows to the Ninevites.

We find as the story goes on that God caused a plant to grow to shade Jonah as he sat on the outskirts of town waiting for the people to be destroyed.  Jonah was extremely happy when the tree grew and provided shade, but then God caused a worm to kill the very tree that offered Jonah shade.  Jonah was more like the worm that destroyed the tree.  He wanted to see the destruction of Nineveh, just as the worm destroyed the tree that shaded Jonah from the harsh sun. 

God asks Jonah why he has compassion for a plant that he had no part in growing.  He was trying to teach Jonah a lesson.  His purpose was to teach Jonah about the importance of the people of Nineveh.  Jonah cared more about a tree he didn’t grow than the people God sent Jonah to save. 

What can we learn from Jonah?  Several things come to mind.  The first being, when God tells us to do something; it is in our best interest to comply.  Our disobedience may not result in us being swallowed by a whale, but we see the results of our disobedience every day in some of the trials that come our way.  The second and most important thing we can learn from this is that God is more concerned about the people and we should be too.  That is our purpose in life; to have compassion for others. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, sometimes I do just the opposite of what I know You want me to do.  I become stubborn and dig in my heels because I think I know what is best for me.  When I become headstrong and plow ahead without thought to what You would have me do, I am headed into the belly of a whale (so to speak).  Help me to understand that You want what is best for me.  I can avoid many mistakes in my life if I will listen to You. Remind me that some of the very things that make me fail are the very things that are meant to draw me back to You.       

Scripture: Jonah’s Anger and God’s Kindness

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”

Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”

But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”  Jonah 4:1-11