Tag: bible

Easy vs. Important

I believe that either the entire Bible is true, or it is completely false. So, if we start on the premise that the Bible is true, let’s look at somethings we know are true.

  • God is the creator of all things. God is for us. God has a plan for our lives. God wants our lives to be abundant in every way.
  • We have an enemy who has three moves – steal, kill and destroy. His sole purpose is to keep people from becoming Christians. Once you’ve surrendered your life to Christ, you pronounce Him Lord. After this, the enemy can only keep you in darkness. He may try to douse your light and make you less effective for the kingdom. He can’t steal your salvation but he can steal your witness or your influence.
  • Christ lives in us. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us. He helps us in all areas of our life.

Think on these statements. One or two might be applicable in your life.

It’s easy to go to church and be seen. It’s harder to serve and to take the church outside the building.

It’s easy to have a 3 minute devo that you push play for. It’s harder to study the Word and learn yourself what it means.

It’s easy to work and to do your job. It’s harder to learn something new. It can be challenging to believe that perhaps the Holy Spirit is leading you in a new direction.

It’s easy to say, “Sure – I’m doing well.” It’s harder to say, I’m hurting, struggling or are sick. It’s harder to let people in.

It’s easy to scroll social media or to watch TV. It’s harder to spend time having important conversations or being with others who need you.

It’s easy to say, “Hey!” and keep on walking. It’s harder to stop and look into the person’s eyes and ask the real questions.

It’s easy to eat the carbs and sugar. It’s harder to have a meal plan and to stick to it.

It’s easy to be in a rut. You might call it a groove or the zone. It’s simple to just do the same thing day after day. It’s harder to sit in silence, to take account of your life, to inquire the Lord’s direction.

It’s easy to say – I’ll do that tomorrow. It’s harder to eat the frog today.

Some important questions to ask yourself may be – how am I spending my time? Who is first in my life? What/who am I neglecting? Am I growing? Where am I stagnate?

I am thankful that we can always ask Jesus. We can repent and surrender our lives (mind, body and spirit) to Him again. And then by all means – ask Him what He wants us to do. Where does He want us to direct our focus? Where does He want us to change? Trust that He is for you and He is with you.

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

21,335

Did you know you can find anything on the internet? It still fascinates me when I wonder about something and start researching it. I save a lot of time if I just start typing my question into the search bar.

21,335 is the number of days I have been alive.

Sometimes, it doesn’t seem like much.

There are other times when I am acutely aware of how long some of those days are.

In Psalm 39:5 David writes, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.”

The Lord has been constantly reminding me to use the time I have been given wisely.

I’m better at this some days more than others.

I had plenty of time to write yesterday. I had finished work and knew what I was going to make for supper. I had walked with Xena, the wonder dog. The time was available to me.

But I didn’t use it wisely. I thought I would have plenty of time this morning to write.

But then I had a rough night. Xena needed to go outside several times. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t get comfortable.

And then I did sleep after Tim left. I was so grateful. But now I’m ‘behind’ on what I thought I would be doing today.

Again, another reminder that I don’t know what the day holds, but I know Who holds the day.

I don’t know how many days I have left in this world. I know I have eternity with Jesus.

But, I have things to do now. Things God has asked me to do and given me time to do it. I need to stop trying to figure out how. I should just move forward and trust that He has already figured it out for me. I can rest knowing that God is for me. He will equip me to do what He has asked me to do.

I need to trust. I need to remind myself over and over and over again.

Use the time I have been given wisely.

Treasured Possession

When I lived in Florida, a tremendous thunderstorm rolled through one afternoon. I don’t remember a lot of rain. But there was a lot of lightning.

My parents were visiting for the weekend and mom and I were out shopping. The storm was getting worse so we decided to head home.

When we arrived, my dad was walking out of the house with his and mom’s clothes. He said lightning had struck the house and there was a fire.

Mom and I walked into the house. I didn’t see any flames but there was a lot of smoke. The fire was in the roof.

I told mom to get out and I would grab Spaz the cat. I found the cat carrier and the cat and then just stood there for a moment.

I was trying to figure out what else to grab. I couldn’t think of anything. The fireman arrived and strongly suggested that I leave.

While I watched the battle of fire and water, my mind thought of other things that were inside. There were precious letters from someone who was no longer living in this world. Photographs and yearbooks that showed the story of my childhood. These things were lost for good.

We all have treasured possessions. They are people and things that cannot be replaced. These are people and things we hold close to our hearts. We want to protect and love them as best as we can. We could live without them but, we do not want to.

Deuteronomy 7:6 says, “For you (Israel) are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.”

The people of Israel were God’s chosen people. They were set apart (holy) from all of the other people on the earth. They were His treasured possession.

Believers, having been adopted into this family, we too are His treasured possessions. He protects and loves us. We are prized and cherished and are precious to Him. Jesus died for you. You are worthy because God says you are worthy.

1 Peter 2:9 reminds us again that we are chosen and holy, a people for His own possession.

He chose us and made a way for us to live with Him forever.

Friend, remember today and every day that you are seen, known, and dearly loved.

Help Me to See

As my age increases, my eyesight decreases and I can’t stand it.

My friend needed glasses at an earlier age and she tried to explain to me what she saw. At that time, I didn’t understand everything being in a constant state of blurriness.

And now I do.

When I first put on my new prescription glasses, it was amazing to see things so sharply. Everything had an edge to it.

Without the glasses, I could maneuver and get by. With the glasses, I see the colors and shapes and details so much better. It adds beauty in my life that I didn’t know was missing.

I thought about this richness as I was reading Leviticus this morning.

There are rules, festivals, and sacrifices – so many sacrifices! The movie version of the ark is gold and shiny. After reading this book, I can only see it dripping in blood.

There is so much detail in the description of the sacrifices – who, what, when, how answered over and over again. I do not know how the priests kept it straight! Do I pour the blood – or sprinkle the blood? Which finger do I use? Is this for the sin offering? The guilt offering? For my sins? The peoples sins?

I have asked God to open my eyes and to let me see what He wants me to see when I read His word. Some things have come into focus.

God reminded the people again and again that He was the Lord, the One who brought them out of Egypt. He reminded them that they were chosen and they were to live differently than the people around them. They were to offer sacrifices to Him only. The sacrificed animal was to be perfect and without blemish.

Jesus was the final perfect sacrifice. One without sin who was sacrificed for my sins. His blood was splattered for my transgressions.

I think the Lord is showing me through Leviticus that on my own, I cannot atone for my sins. No matter how good I think I am or how clean I am, I am not able to pay for my own sins. Because I am not perfect.

But God. He made a way for you and me to be in a right relationship with Him. Jesus stepped in for us and was offered as the final and complete sacrifice for our sins. My sins are paid for – past, present and future.

When I focus in on this detail, I am overwhelmed at the love He has for me. I am so grateful and marvel at the detail, the beauty of this.

Do you know this beauty, this love? He made a way for us all to have eternal life with Him. Thank you, Jesus!

Truth

Psalm 33:4 For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does.

Our grandson memorized this verse for school.

It struck me how succinct and complete it was.

Fifteen words that have massive significance.

Everything in Scripture is true. It’s timeless. It’s not fresh one day and then rotten the next. It’s applicable to our current situation and will be again years from now.

We can trust what God does. What He does cannot counter who God is – His character. He is for you. He alone is worthy. He thinks about you constantly and longs for a relationship with you.

He never promises everything that happens in this world will make sense to us. It will not always be logical to our human minds. We may have wanted (prayed for) another route or solution to the problem.

But if the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything He does to be consistent with His character, then what do we have to worry about? (Matthew 6:25-34) We can cast our cares on Him because He cares for us! (1 Peter 5:7) He is the Shepherd and is guiding us! (Psalm 23) No hair falls from our head that He doesn’t know about! (Matthew 10:30) He has redeemed our lives from the pit and sets us firmly on a rock! (Psalm 40:2)

Hallelujah!

Stubborn and Unforgiving

Those two words describe people I know.

They also describe me.

I don’t like this part of myself. I want to be quick to forgive and to move on. And outwardly, I think I appear so.

But y’all, my heart is not always so. If truth be told, I wrestle with this more than I should. Definitely more than I need to.

I have been forgiven much. My Savior paid for my sins – past, present, and future – by dying on the cross for me. Why do I think I have the audacity to not forgive someone who hurt me? Someone who mistreated me or said something about me that wasn’t true?

This same Savior paid for everyone’s sins the same way – even the people who hurt me. I say everyone is redeemable. But do I believe it?

I have asked the Holy Spirit to point out things in my life that need to change, things that don’t align with who I am in Christ’s righteousness and things that are sinful and dishonoring to Him. Well, He’s done it. Again. I’ve gone around this mountain a time or three hundred.

Lord, thank you for being faithful and to keep pursuing me. I repent of not forgiving others and for being stubborn. Thank you for covering my sins and for pruning me once again. I forgive others. Please help me mean it in my heart and to walk it out in my speech and actions.

Alright – moving on!

How Many Rocks Do You Carry?

In one of my small group seasons, a leader was discussing forgiveness. I didn’t think I needed this lesson because I was sure I was not harboring any bad feelings toward anyone. It didn’t take me long to discover, however, that once again, I was wrong.

She began by describing offense as the bait used by the enemy to lure us into bondage.

My interest was piqued. I definitely don’t like giving the enemy any ground and do not want to exist in bondage. I want to live in freedom.

She said forgiveness was not minimizing what happened or even forgetting what happened. I really thought it was to forgive and forget. I thought that made me more spiritual. (Roll eyes here.)

Forgiveness allows us to remember the event without reliving the pain associated with the event. That was a big statement because there is some pretty big pain in this world.

Forgiveness also isn’t reconciliation. Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” You can only control you. You cannot control the other person. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you as to whether to even attempt reconciliation.

Some of my group members had to leave the relationship. Others reconciled. Still others are living with daily, constant, reoccurring pain because the offender is still in their life. The Holy Spirit leads and not everyone is led to the same decision.

Towards the end of our group time, my leader brought out a bag of rocks. She instructed us to take rocks equal to the number of people we needed to forgive in our lives. We were to carry that bag with us every where we went.

Pulling out that bag of rocks from my purse when I needed my wallet was fun. Oh, the looks I got! The weight of it lightened every time I chose to forgive someone and threw away the rock.

I recently revisited this object lesson. But instead of a bag of rocks, I chose a small pebble. It’s not a smooth river rock. It has multiple sharp edges. I put it in my sock.

At first, it was very uncomfortable. It jabbed me even when I wasn’t walking.

However, within a short amount of time, I became used to it and didn’t feel it anymore. It just was something to carry with me, like extra baggage.

When we don’t forgive others, it can become part of our identity. We don’t even realize the damage or heaviness. It attaches to us and if we don’t address it, becomes a brick in the wall that surrounds our heart. It may keep us from getting hurt – but also keeps up from being loved and known.

That little pebble left its mark – whether I felt the pain or not. It left an indentation on my foot. I’m sure eventually, it would have cut the skin.

Living with unforgiveness leaves a mark. We can become numb to the pain quite quickly and distracted by other things. However, left unaddressed, it will rob us of our joy, our hope and our confidence. We won’t trust people from the start.

When we choose to forgive them, we release that person from a yoke. This yoke is only around our own necks. We are freed from the weight we are carrying. We begin to walk in freedom.

Dear friend, take a moment and think about who you need to forgive. Have an open and honest conversation with God. Tell Him what happened. Give Him your pain. Tell Him of your desire to forgive the person. Choose to forgive – say it, out loud. Choices lead – feelings follow.

However – if you decide you do NOT want to forgive this person, find a rock and carry it around. Or put a sharp pebble in your sock. The Lord wants your rocks. But He’ll let you carry them as long as you want to. Then it will be yours to manage.

Because I love you…

We all know that we use the word love with a variety of meanings.

I love finding the perfect parking spot. I love clean sheets. I love Xena, the wonder dog. I love my kids/grands and Tim.

I also love God.

Why is it so easy for me to do things for Tim/kids/grands – even Xena because of my love for them but, not so easy for me to do things for God. *OUCH*

Obedience is one way to show God that I love Him. Not because I think he will punish me if I don’t. But because I love Him, I will do what He asks. I know that in my head. Please, Lord, let it penetrate my heart and my will.

Scripture is loaded with reminders of obedience and love.

John 15:10 – When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love….

John 14:23 – Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say.”

Obedience can be defined as compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another’s authority. I want to be fully submitted to the authority of God. He has created me (and you) on purpose and for a purpose. He has good plans and can be trusted. Why do I continue to disobey – or in other words, why do I rebel?

Let’s go back to scripture.

Luke 6:46 – “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?

1 Samuel 15:23 – Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.

Egad!

Lord, once again, I’m convicted of my rebellion and stubbornness. Thank you, Lord, that there is NO CONDEMNATION! Thank you for your forgiveness. Change my heart, Lord. Remind me again and again that YOU alone are worthy. YOU can be trusted. I don’t have to understand. I just need to trust.