Or to paraphrase…Let us not become discouraged. When we become discouraged, it debilitates us and weakens our mind. We become exasperated at the sheer difficulty we face, and that can lead to depression. We shut down…and give up. But giving up is a decision we make…not the Lord’s will for our life.
Tag: Blog Posts
Psalm 119: 130 ” The unfolding of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
After speaking at a Ladies Breakfast yesterday, I reflected on what I had gleaned from the experience. Yes, I learn something every time I speak…for within all the preparation and presentation, the Lord speaks to me also. Insight into God’s word makes the simple wise, and I’m grasping after His truths daily. Insight into His heart is like a rose slowly unfolding its petals…becoming more beautiful and precious every day.
Matthew 5: 38-39 ” You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Jesus was quoting Leviticus 24:20 where the law stated that as a man had injured someone, so he was to be injured. But then, Jesus turned that law completely upside down by advocating loving your enemy and not repaying evil with evil…of doing good to those who hate you, and turning the cheek.
Psalm 26: 7 ” I go about your alter, O Lord, proclaiming aloud Your praise and telling of all Your wonderful deeds.”
It’s testimony Sunday, and I want to share a miracle that happen this week…especially for those who think miracles don’t happen anymore. My Daughter-In-Law was driving home with two kids, two dogs, and a newly acquired horse…a journey covering three states…when the clutch in the truck started making noise…and then the wet heavy snow began falling, making driving very difficult. After 16 1/2 hours on the road, she safety pulled into their driveway. The next morning, she got into the truck to take it to the Dealership to find the clutch was completely out…the truck wouldn’t move, and had to be towed. How many miles do you think the angels propelled that truck through the blinding snowstorm and held that clutch together so they could get home safely?
Galatians 6: 7-8 ” Do not be deceived: God can not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
We sow our wild oats, and what do we get in return? Lung cancer from damaging long-term cigarette smoke…Hepatitis C from IV drug use…Sexually transmitted diseases from promiscuous activity…Cirrhosis of the liver from chronic alcohol abuse. It doesn’t sound like great compensation for a few minutes of pleasure. That’s why God’s offer is far superior with lasting benefits…for it says in Romans 6:23, ” For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Isaiah 25:1 ” O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.”
The steadfastness and certainty of the Lord can not be more apparent than knowing that what He has planned for us was decided long before this world began. This is shown even more beautifully in Isaiah 14:24, “The Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.’ ” God and His Word does not change…nor will His purpose and plans for your life.
Philippians 2: 3-4 ” Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
What would this world be like if everyone honored and sought the good of others before themselves? If there was only humility and kindness rather than conceit and selfishness in all our interactions? What would the world be like if our focus was on becoming more like Jesus and less like the world?
Job 16: 20-21 ” My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man He pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.”
As it says in Romans 8:34, “Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us.” He is our close friend that not only knows us intimately, but knows our Judge intimately. Jesus is our mediator, our arbitrator, and the one that will always appeal on our behalf. What a friend we have in Jesus.
The Tomb’s still empty.
On that Resurrection Sunday they found the stone rolled away and the tomb where they had laid Jesus empty…and somehow we tend to forget the power it took for that miracle to happen. We forget the magnitude of Jesus taking every sin ever committed by mankind on Himself. We downplay the sacrifice He made for us while we were yet sinners. So the next time you’re racked by fear and doubt…remember the tomb’s still empty. When discouragement and anxiety try to take over your life…remember the tomb’s still empty. When the world seems in turmoil and paranoia…remember the tomb’s still empty, and God’s still in control…and if you had been the only person on earth, Jesus would have died for you.
Proverbs 15:28 ” The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.”
Elsewhere in Proverbs it says that the prudent give thought to their ways…and taking a moment to meditate before speaking is probably the most telling distinction between a righteous and unrighteous person. For you’ll find that the mouth is the external manifestation of a man’s inner character and integrity.
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