Tag: spirituality

Malachi 1:7-8 ” You place defiled food on My altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled You?’ By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you? says the Lord Almighty.”

Leftovers.  For many, they’re not very appetizing.  So why  do we repeatedly offer them to the Lord ?  Those remaining bits and pieces of our time and money in a rather half-hearted attempt at devotion.  God doesn’t want our leftovers.  He wants our utmost.    He doesn’t want what’s left…He wants our very best.

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.”

Elsewhere in Isaiah it says, “The Lord Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,  and as I have purposed, so it will stand.’ ”  Lord, I give You thanks and trust that everything, both big and small,  that happens in my life has been prepared long ago.  Each wonderful, miraculous, and extraordinary thing that has and will happen to me  You have planned out far before I was even born.   And I know you have much more for me to be doing, and I look with eager anticipation to the future and Your plans for me.     And everyone said,   Amen.

Jeremiah 35:6 ” But they replied, ‘We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine.’ “

The Lord had directed Jeremiah to invite the Recabite family in and serve them wine.  But when he did, they responded with this covenant they had kept for generations.  None of them had ever drank wine.    The Lord then used this example to show how the Recabites had continued to uphold their forefather’s commandment…yet the people of Judah and Jerusalem couldn’t seem to  keep God’s commandments.

Exodus 4: 11-12 ” The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’ “

Moses had many excuses of why he wasn’t the person to go to the Pharaoh and demand release of the Hebrew children.  But the Lord countered with an airtight defense of why Moses was just the right  man for the job.  We want to argue with God, but speaking from very personal experience…you’ll never win.  We can object all we want, but God desires obedience exclusively.  For if He calls you to something,  He can and will give you whatever skill is needed to accomplish that task.  With God, arguing will get you nowhere…obedience on the other hand, will move His Kingdom forward.

Psalm 52: 8 ” But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever. “

I am planted like a thriving tree in Your presence Lord…grafted securely to the root of Jesse…my dependence is on You and You alone.  I praise You Lord  for Your never-ending  mercy and kindness.  I thank You for Your everlasting and eternal love.  Amen.

James 2:17 ” In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. “

Prayer is good…action is good, but the Lord wants us to do both together in wisdom.  In Nehemiah 4: 8-9 it says, “They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.  But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to met this threat.”  Prayer will give you God’s vision.  It will give you courage and resolve to move out in discernment and a clearer understanding of the problem you face.  Prayer is good…action is good, but they need to go hand in hand to be the most effective.

Colossians 3:22 ” Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.”

In ancient Greco-Roman Society,  slaves were looked upon as a commodity…but often it was slaves that served in stations of great responsibly, with rank and privilege.   Fast forward to modern times and the common work place.  Your approach at work  will speak louder than any Bible verse you have taped up at your desk.  Your manner of helping others without an ulterior motive will shine brighter than any religious plaque .  When you honor God in the everyday grind  by being that positive, giving individual…(even when the boss isn’t watching)…you show others what it’s like to be Christ-like.  Like the ancient slaves, you have been given great responsibility in your workplace…it’s to be an ambassador for Christ,  and a lover of people.

Colossians 3:19 ” Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.”

I cringe inwardly every time I over hear a married couple bickering in public.  It hurts my heart to hear a husband belittle his wife, and she return it with a volley of  sharp and biting comments.  The type of love in this verse that the Apostle Paul is talking about is a love rooted in the mind and will of the person, and means to value, esteem, prize…to treat as precious.  The fastest way to embitter a person is to make them feel devalued, worthless, and unappreciated.

Proverbs 13:10 ” Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Taking offense against another person only fosters conflict and produces  anger.  When our feelings are hurt, we rise up in righteous indignation and can easily allow arrogance to take over at that moment.  We feel disrespected and insulted, not even listening to the wise counsel…for all we hear is an attack on our  belief system…even if that belief system is  corrupted.  The world likes to take offense  over the craziest things…But as a Believer, we need to be wary of allowing pride to color our interactions with others.   Proverbs 9:9 states, ” Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.”

Acts 18: 9-10 ” One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘ Do not be afraid; Keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ “

Satan would like us to think we’re out there working for the Lord alone…like the Lone Ranger, isolated and unaided by others.  Satan would like us to be fearful in talking to others about the Lord…not wanting to offend…wanting rather,  to be “politically correct”, even if it goes against the Word of God.  Satan would like us  to keep quiet, not rocking the boat of this modern liberal society.  Satan doesn’t care if we read the Bible or pray…just as long as we don’t do it in public.  But Satan also knows the power of the spoken Word, and what a transformation could take place… if Christians weren’t silent.