Tag: thanking god

Matthew 28:6 “He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.”

Don’t look for Him in the tomb.

Don’t look for Him in the ground.

Don’t look for Him among the dead.

Don’t look for Him bound.

Jesus has risen to new life…resurrected from the grave…no longer held by the grip of death.  Jesus has risen,  and with Him,  the hope of eternal life for us.

John 18:27 ” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.”

Several Chapters earlier in John, Jesus had rebuked Peter’s  declaration of  solidarity  –  even to the point of dying with Jesus, by saying,  “Will you really lay down your life for Me?  I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown Me three times.”  The moment that rooster crowed,  Peter realized just how fickle the human race could be.  And as the sound of the crowing continued, Peter began to sink deeply into fear and grief as  tears fell…for he profoundly  realized – he had disowned the Lord.

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.

Psalm 52:9 ” I will praise You forever for what You have done; in You name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of Your saints.”

Do you see your glass as half empty, or half full?  Rather than focus and dwell on the have nots…concentrate on what the Lord has already accomplished in your life.  Thank Him for what He’s brought you through as you expectantly wait for Him.  Linger in the miraculous happenings  of your life story with the Lord as you anticipate what He’ll do next.  As one of the faithful, your glass will never again be half empty…for the Lord’s love will fill it to overflowing.

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.

Psalm 40:5 ” Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”

I think when I get to Heaven, the Lord will show me a little slide show.  The theme will be – all the countless times He has intervened on my behalf,  saving me from  dangerous situations, and even sparing my life.  I don’t think our mind can even grasp how often God has rescued  us from ourselves and our dumb thinking.  When that slide show is over, I will then finally come to realize the enormity of His work in my life…how unaware I was about most of it…and I will love Him even more.

Ezra 4:24 ” Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a stand-still until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.”

The book of Ezra recounts the efforts of the Jewish exiles who returned from Babylon to rebuild the Temple.  Sixteen years would pass between the laying of the foundation and when work would take up again.  God gave them the vision for the Temple…it was started…but then suspended.  Just like the exiles, we too hear from God and plunge forward only to be sometimes detained.  Sadly, it’s usually at that stoppage we throw in the towel and  claim failure.  But just because there’s a delay doesn’t mean it’s a defeat. The Lord never goes back on His promises, and any vision He’s given you…even if it’s been years…is still viable in His eyes.  Remember, a delay doesn’t mean a defeat.

II Chronicles 30: 18-20 ” Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manassh, Issachar, and Zebulum had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, ‘May the Lord, Who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God – the Lord, the God of his fathers – even if he is not clean according to the rules of the Sanctuary.’ And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.”

In these verses we see the spirit of the Law vs the letter of the Law.  In Matthew 23:23 Jesus chastised the Pharisees for their legalism and in doing so losing sight of the more important matters of the Law…things like justice, mercy, and faithfulness.  The Lord always searches the heart for honesty and sincerity and will reward accordingly.

Jeremiah 6:17 ” I appointed watchman over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.’ “

It’s the age-old story of mankind’s rebellion against God.  The Lord appoints prophets to bring His Word of obedience and warning…signaling man’s need to take immediate and dramatic action or pay the price.  But what do we usually do?  We don’t heed His Word, for we want to have our own way.  Our evil hearts ever full of stubbornness and defiance when God says, “Obey Me.”  We hear the trumpet, but choose to ignore it out of spite.

John 2: 25 ” He did not need man’s testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.”

We seldom do something for others totally out of unselfish motives…for usually we have some hidden agenda, whether good or bad.   We’ll do some kind gesture,  with the inner thought of,  “what’s in this for me?”  Or we’ll go out of our way for someone, hoping others will see our sacrifice and praise us for all our hard work.  The Lord knows our thoughts and examines our hearts and will immediately  show us when our motivation is wrong.  For God can bear witness to what lies within all humans…every self-seeking, egocentric, greedy fiber and part.