Maybe it’s hearing someone’s answer to pray…maybe it’s a praise report…or maybe it’s hearing that someone you’ve been praying for has finally come to know the Lord. Whatever it is, joy and thanksgiving almost explodes from us as we listen to others praising and thanking our Heavenly Father. Sharing God’s miraculous works is so important to all of us. For when we share…we all become encouraged and uplifted!
Tag: church
Proverbs 10:4 ” Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.”
Having been in Nursing Administration most of my life, I’ve interviewed and hired a lot of staff. And the one thing I always looked for was a good work ethic. A first-rate candidate needed to be hardworking, thorough, and patient…while someone who seemed inconstant, lax, and careless would be looked over for the position. Proverbs 12:24 tells us that, “Diligent hands will rule but laziness ends in slave labor.” Developing a good work ethic will get you far, not only in your career, but your life.
Psalm 118:22-23 ” The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”
The story comes out of Matthew 21:42 where Jesus is quoting this Scripture to the chief priests and elders of the Temple…whom were not too happy about Him accusing them of rejecting the Messiah…namely Himself, Jesus. Continuing in the next verse, Jesus countered with, “Therefore, I tell you that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” Jesus was offering the gift of salvation to Gentiles…building His Church from those willing to accept Him as Savior. And as Believers in Christ, we are the Church. To paraphrase Ephesians 2:20, We the Church, are God’s people, built on the foundation of all martyred apostles and prophets, with Jesus being the chief cornerstone.
Luke 15:17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!’ “
This verse comes from the Parable of the prodigal son…a young man, who after squandering his portion of his inheritance, found himself starving to death in the middle of a pigsty. It was in those deplorable conditions, that he finally came to himself…recovering his right mind, and realizing just how far he had wandered away. Repentance is a change of mind…leading to a change of heart…which leads to a change of our actions. Unfortunately for many of us, Godly sorrow is only attained when we find ourselves in the middle of the pigsties of life.
Job 14:1-2 “Man born of woman is of a few days and full of trouble. He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.”
From the moment we draw our initial breath, to the last… our lives are but a brief time here on earth. Our bodies, just temporary vessels, that continue to fade and wither more with each passing year. Yes, our mortal life is like a fleeting shadow…passing and momentary. But our spirit within is enduring…everlasting and eternal.
Proverbs 13:3 ” He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”
How many times have you said to yourself, “I wish I hadn’t said that!” Unfortunately, we too often think about what we’ve said after, not before it’s blurted out. And regrettably, that reckless and impulsive comment can become our downfall.
I Corinthians 9:19 “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.”
Paul wasn’t legally, socially, or personally obligated to anyone…but he willingly relinquished his freedom for the sake of winning others to Christ Jesus. And as Believers, we too are free…but that freedom was bought with a heavy price. And in realization of that mind-boggling freedom…it compels us to submission…first, to yielding our will to His… and then, to thinking of others before ourselves. Yes, we are free indeed…but in love, we need to submit one to another.
Psalm 29:11 “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.”
If you’ve ever gone through a very traumatic time in your life…like me, you were begging the Lord to stop it and give you back the security and wellbeing that was woefully missing in your life. But this Psalm shows us what the Lord gives us first in the mist of that traumatic event…He gives us strength. For many times, we must walk through the situation…one painful step at a time, to find only at the end of the journey, the peace we were so desperately looking for. This Psalm wants us to remember, that with each excruciating step, the Lord is there to come along side to support, sustain, and strengthen our fragile mind, body, and soul. For He will never leave us or forsake us. And soon, that peace will come back into our lives.
Deuteronomy 2:1-3 ” Then we turned back and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea, as the Lord had directed me. For a long time we made our way around the hill country of Seir. Then the Lord said to me, ‘You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.’ “
Moses and the Hebrew children were wandering in the desert…for a long time it says they journeyed, when finally the Lord spoke to Moses…”It’s long enough.” We will all go through seasons in our lives when we walk aimlessly about, asking the Lord, “Am I going in the right direction?” We will all spend time, seemingly without clear direction, waiting for the Lord to say,” It’s long enough.” But it’s during those hard journeys that lessons will be learned…about God and ourselves. Sometimes we need discipline, or humility…sometimes it’s to get our attention or force us to look at our rebellious nature. When you wander around the same hill, the scenery stays the same…use the time to instead change yourself.
Luke 18:14 “…For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
This comes from the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector that Jesus taught to a group of self-righteous, haughty people. It says in verse 10 that both men went up to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee pushed his way up to the front of the crowd in order to be seen and heard by everyone, and once there, proceeded to pray loudly and arrogantly…basically telling God how lucky He was to have him. On the other hand, the Tax Collector stood way back in the courtyard, daring not to even look up to heaven, but rather beating his breast and whispering, “God have mercy on me.” In Jeremiah 31:19 it says, “After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understanding, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.” The road from self-deception to self-awareness requires acknowledgement…admitting I’m just as sinful as those around me and not one bit more righteous.
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