Flip a light switch in a darkened room and what happens? Suddenly, you can see clearly what was before just shadows. You can walk confidently into the room without fear of tripping over something laying on the floor. Jesus said He was that same kind of Spiritual illumination for humanity. By trusting in Him, we have assurance that God’s truth and light will penetrate even the darkest areas of our life, bringing joy and the wonderful light of eternal life.
Month: November 2012
Matthew 11:28 ” Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Do you suffer from “Super-Woman Syndrome”? Do you have a big red ” S ” on your chest? Those of us that admit we do, usually have unfortunately placed it there ourselves. We think that we can be all things to all people…but reallistically we can’t… but this doesn’t deter us from trying. In the end, we are left stressed, exhausted, and upset with ourselves if everything isn’t perfect. Only the Lord can be our all in all, only He can be someone’s Savior. It’s time to take the ” S ” off our chests, hand our cares and burdens over to Him, and enjoy the peace He offers.
Proverbs 13:13 “He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.”
Growing up, every Saturday morning there would be a list of chores waiting for each one of us. The rule was as soon as your list was completed to Mom’s satisfaction, you were free to do what you wanted. Now, I was an early riser, and could get most of my chore list done by the time my little sister was getting up, but we were both completely done by the time our middle sister rolled out of bed around Noon. Needless to say there was plenty of complaining on her part as we were off to do something fun while her chore list loomed large in front of her. Whine as she did, there was no getting out of the chore list, and sometimes it would take her all day to finish it.
Discipline is to not reject the Lord’s instruction, but to rather face it full force, with everything you have, until completed.
II Samuel 24:24 ” But the king replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.’ “
The Lord told King David to build an Altar to stop the plague brought about by his disobedience. The owner had not only offer his threshing floor, but his oxen, threshing sledges, and yokes. But King David refused…he knew that the Lord was looking for an acceptable sacrifice and not one that he had not paid a price for. The Lord is still looking for that type of offering…worthy sacrifices, full of blood, sweat, and tears that have cost us.
I Corinthians 15:33 ” Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.”
As my Grandmother use to say…”You hang around the pig pen long enough and you’ll come out smelling like one!” You keep company with questionable people, and even if you don’t partake in ________ (you fill in the blank), others will find you guilty by association. Don’t be deceived and lead astray by the arrogant notion that you are too discerning, or too intelligent, or too spiritual to not be ensnared and lured in by sin. Sadly, your good character can be tarnished by the company you keep.
I Corinthians 3:11 ” For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid which is Jesus Christ.”
What is your life built on? Maybe its education and career, or your family name, or self-made success. Conversely, it may be built on a shaky base, like a house of cards ready to fall at anytime. For our lives to be firmly established we need a “Jesus” shaped foundation. We are all part of God’s family, built on the precious saints that have gone before us, with Jesus as the solid foundation.
I Peter 3:9 ” Do not repay evil with evil or insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
Most of the time when someone gives us a snide remark or an unkind,hurtful comment, we become offended. Anger rises up, and we feel slighted, disrespected and belittled. At that very moment, the Lord is asking us to stop our inclination to confront and trade insults with the person…and instead, to be kind. We are called of God to bless rather than curse, to show integrity in the face of intentional wrongs, and to rise above petty annoyances…that we might acquire favor.
Matthew 22:37 ” Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ “
Jesus called this the First and Greatest Commandment- to love the Lord with all our mind, body, and emotions. He wants us to surrender it all to Him…every corner, every part, every area of our lives. Many of us though, put stipulations on giving everything to Him…”You can have all of me ,except for this area of my life that I want to still control.” To be wholly surrendered to God is to heed, listen and obey what He’s asking you to do.
I Samuel 16:7 “…the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Everyday we see people and make snap judgements about them, whether it’s correct or not, simply by how they look. Our first impression holds much weight in how we perceive others. It’s so wonderful then, that God doesn’t look at our crusty exteriors, but at our hearts. He searches and knows the secrets of our hearts and who we really are deep down inside. The God of all knowledge understands and knows us intimately…and yet loves us still.
Proverbs 11:2 ” When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
We were right in the middle of a huge remodeling project that Landy and I were doing in our house, when I fell and fractured my right wrist. I was casted from the tips of my fingers, to above my elbow with strict orders from the Orthopedic Specialist not to use the arm at all. For the next 8 weeks the Lord had me learn the true meaning of pride and humility. When you are forced to ask for help for the simplest of tasks, you learn humility. I was in alien territory…after all I was the person who took care of sick people…but now it was me who needed help. I learned that pride can rear its ugly head in all different forms… that not accepting help from someone is prideful, in that you are robbing them of a Blessing. I learned that accepting help from others will not somehow diminish your worth in their eyes. Finally, I learned that Landy can cook much better than I ever thought!
Safetypinlove 