Category: James

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Let Patience Grow

Yesterday I was having trouble with patience.

So it was important for me to pull back and get the right perspective and change my attitude – it happens sometimes, not proud of it but I am grateful that God is patient with me and continues to help me grow.

Two passages of Scripture that I have never put together before came jumping out at me. One is written by Paul and the other by James. Both sections I have seen and shared separately but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the correlation between the two, not like I have now.

“We have been made right with God because of our faith. So we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through our faith, Christ has brought us into that blessing of God’s grace that we now enjoy. And we are very happy because of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory. 3 And we are also happy with the troubles we have. Why are we happy with troubles? Because we know that these troubles make us more patient. 4 And this patience is proof that we are strong. And this proof gives us hope. 5 And this hope will never disappoint us. We know this because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit he gave us.” Romans 5:1-5 ERV

Troubles don’t come from God but can be used by Him if we keep our focus on the Father and not the problem. When we cast our care (trouble) over on the Lord he takes it and works it out. We need to be patient in the process, knowing that He hasn’t forgotten us but is working on our behalf. That’s what produces the hope we have and when we hope in Him we will never be disappointed.

Now look at what James says:
“My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. 3 You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. 4 If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be.

5 Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he will give you wisdom. 6 But when you ask God, you must believe. Don’t doubt him. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is blown up and down by the wind. 7-8 People like that are thinking two different things at the same time. They can never decide what to do. So they should not think they will receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:2-8 ERV

The hard part of these verses is the “you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy“. I admit I have been having one particular trouble for a quite a while now and some days I find very little to be happy about. Yesterday was one of those days.

However, I was able to find joy before day’s end. No, it had not been resolved but I came to the place where I was able to stop looking at the circumstance and could look to the Lord and trust Him to take care of me. (this is a continual thing, some days I do better than others)

Letting patience work in us will have a good result…if you’re uncertain about this and need wisdom, ask God is will give it freely. But don’t doubt God, He loves us and is working in our lives and on our circumstances.  

I once read that patience is not learning to wait but how we act while we are waiting.  True that. Yes, Lord; I desire to wait with joy. The work You are doing in me is much more important than the work You are doing for me.

Patience!

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R E S P E C T

How many of you were alive in 1967 when Aretha Franklin had her big hit, RESPECT?

 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB
Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respect (sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe (just a little bit)
A little respect (just a little bit)…by Otis Redding

Did that start your morning with a smile? I hope so. Do you know what the Bible says about respect?

Did you know that God is no respecter of persons?

“ Then Peter said, “I can see, for sure, that God does not respect one person more than another. 35 He is pleased with any man in any nation who honors Him and does what is right. ” Acts 10:34-35 NLV

When Peter made this statement he was in the home of Cornelius. Cornelius was a Gentile, a non-Jew, and he was considered unclean, second-rate by the Jewish people.  The Lord gave Peter a vision confirming to him that it was ok for Peter to go and preach to these people.

You see what Peter is saying here. God doesn’t prefer one race or nationality of people. What God does look at is the heart of man; does he honor God and do right.

Our respect or admiration should have the same basis. We often display prejudice because of someone’s educational or financial standing or lack of it. James is quick to point out that this is wrong. What we should be looking at is their character.

“My brothers and sisters, practice your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ by not favoring (respect) one person over another. 2 For example, two men come to your worship service. One man is wearing gold rings and fine clothes; the other man, who is poor, is wearing shabby clothes. 3 Suppose you give special attention (respect) to the man wearing fine clothes and say to him, “Please have a seat.” But you say to the poor man, “Stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor at my feet.” 4 Aren’t you discriminating against people and using a corrupt standard to make judgments?

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Didn’t God choose poor people in the world to become rich in faith and to receive the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? 6 Yet, you show no respect to poor people. Don’t rich people oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Don’t they curse the good name of Jesus, the name that was used to bless you?

8 You are doing right if you obey this law from the highest authority: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 9 If you favor (respect) one person over another, you’re sinning, and this law convicts you of being disobedient. 10 If someone obeys all of God’s laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them.” James 2:1-10 GW

And then there are those who show respect or preference to some because of occupational standing. Many times the CEO is treated with more respect than the janitor. Again this isn’t God’s way of thinking.

“Slaves, you must obey your earthly masters. Show them great respect and be as loyal to them as you are to Christ. 6 Try to please them at all times, and not just when you think they are watching. You are slaves of Christ, so with your whole heart you must do what God wants you to do. 7 Gladly serve your masters, as though they were the Lord himself, and not simply people. 8 You know that you will be rewarded for any good things you do, whether you are slaves or free.

9 Slave owners, you must treat your slaves with this same respect. Don’t threaten them. They have the same Master in heaven that you do, and he doesn’t have any favorites.” Ephesians 6:5-9 CEV

Respect, Biblical respect, has nothing to do with class, education, wealth or nationality. God says that all men and women  are worthy of respect because they are His creation, created in His image. He wants us to show honor or value to one another, displaying His love.

“Love each other in a way that makes you feel close like brothers and sisters. And give each other more honor than you give yourself.”  Romans 12:10 ERV

I realize this is an area where I still need some work. I am embarrassed by the times where I have looked at someone and judged them strictly on their appearance without knowing their character. God isn’t pleased when I do that.

I want to see through His eyes, having compassion for everyone I see. I truly want to live as Jesus did – He had no prejudice, He didn’t respect or prefer one person over another.  His love for His Father was always first and then He loved us with the same love He had for himself.

 “Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. 38 This is the first and most important commandment. 39 The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.” 40 All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40 CEV

Now back to a line from Aretha’s song:

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T…Find out what it means to me”

To me it means loving the way God does!

 

 

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The Sounds of Joy

Can you hear it…the giggles, the laughter, the squeals?

Do you remember being like these kids? What fun it was to run through the sprinkler and play with such abandon. I love it.

So does the Lord.

“Shout praises to the Lord, everyone on this earth. 2 Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the Lord. 3 You know the Lord is God! He created us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep in his pasture.” Psalm 100:1-3 CEV

There are so many verses written about joy. I can find 187 verses in the King James Bible with 34 of those being in the Book of Psalms. King David knew a thing about joy – he lead a procession, dancing with joy for all the Lord had done.

Another verse from Psalms that means a lot to me is this:

“You make the path of life known to me. Complete joy is in your presence. Pleasures are by your side forever.” Psalm 16:11 GW

Complete joy, that’s what I see in those kids playing in the sprinkler. Not a care in the world, absolute joy in the moment. God wants us to find that type of complete joy in Him. I don’t know where people got the idea that God’s wants us to be unhappy, scowling and miserable. Far from it!

Paul told the Christians at the church in Philippi to rejoice always. Get that, ALWAYS! How is that even possible? Look at his explanation.

“Always be joyful in the Lord! I’ll say it again: Be joyful! 5 Let everyone know how considerate you are. The Lord is near. 6 Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. 7 Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable.” Philippians 4:4-8 GW

Always joyful, never worry. God is working on our behalf. He can handle the needs and requests we bring to Him. When we keep thinking about things that are good, honorable and true we are focusing on the Lord. We have placed ourselves in His presence because we are allowing Him to occupy our thoughts.

When things go wrong we can still have joy.

“ My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.” James 1:2-4 CEV

In the King James version, it says “Count it all joy”. Really, count it joy when you fall into temptations – really? Yes, because the joy comes from knowing that you’re not in this alone! God has promised to never leave us or abandon us. He is constantly with us so that means we are in His presence and in His presence there is fullness of joy!

Joy in knowing we are not alone, joy in knowing that we aren’t operating under our own power or our own wisdom, joy to know that He has created us to be victorious! And when we realize all of that, we are growing and maturing, becoming more Christ-like .

In John 16, Jesus was talking with his disciples the night before His crucifixion. He was giving them last minute instructions. He told them that they would all abandon Him and that He would be alone but He quickly added that the Father would be with Him so He wouldn’t really be alone. (In His presence is fullness of joy)!

He then told the disciples that they would have troubles in this world. Not as big as the crucifixion but troubles all the same. His next words may have seemed strange to them.

He said “Be of good cheer (find joy), for I have overcome the world”.

“ The time is coming, and is already here, when all of you will be scattered. Each of you will go your own way and leave me all alone. Yet, I’m not all alone, because the Father is with me. 33 I’ve told you this so that my peace will be with you. In the world you’ll have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33 GW

Jesus had just told them how he was overcoming the trials in His life – He wasn’t looking for the support of friends and followers but He was simply looking to the One who would never leave Him, the Father, and in the Father’s presence is victory and fullness of joy.

Search for your joy today. It’s not in things, it’s not in people and it’s not based on circumstances. Fullness of joy comes from spending time in the Father’s presence.

As we give Him our time He will fill us joy. Take a run through the sprinklers, laugh, giggle, be joy-filled!

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Making the Right Decision

Our daily lives are filled with decisions. It can be as simple as what to buy at the grocery store and as life changing as who to marry?

The who, what, why, where, when and how’s of life can be paralyzing. People want answers and all too often, want to assess blame and divert responsibility.

Do we go forward or stand still? Which college, mate, career, home? How do we accomplish the goal, what steps do we take to achieve the proper outcome?

What was the dream and what does it mean?

This was the question that King Nebuchadnezzar put to his wise men and advisors. Never before had a ruler posed such a dilemma. Magicians and wise men had been interpreting dreams for years but this was different. The king had a troubling dream but when he woke, he couldn’t remember it and he wanted his council to tell him his dream and the meaning.

“he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”

4 Then the astrologers answered the king,“May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

5 The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”

7 Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

8 Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: 9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”

10 The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. 11 What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”

12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon.” Daniel 2:3-12 ERV

Can  you imagine such a thing? Their very lives depended on them giving the king the correct answer and they were at a loss.

I’ve never yet had to make such a paramount decision, one that would cost me my life and the lives of my fellow associates. All the wise men in Babylon were to be killed because of the lack of wisdom of a few.

Daniel was a part of this intellectual group in the palace. His life was on the line as well. He had not been a part of the original committee but when he realized the severity of the issue, he approached the king. He asked that the king grant him just a little more time to interpret the dream.

The king granted this request and Daniel went to his friends and asked them to pray with him and for him. He needed answers from God.

“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 18 He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven” Daniel 2:17-19 ERV

When big decisions need to be made it’s always comforting to know that you have friends who will pray with you. Even Jesus asked his disciples to pray with Him the night before the crucifixion.

Daniel went to the king with the revelation that the Lord had given him. He told the king his dream and the meaning of it. He also told the king that the only way he could know this information was because God had revealed it to him.  As a reward the king promoted Daniel to the position of governor of Babylon and his three friends were given new positions as his advisors.

Again, we may never be asked to make such a monumental decision as this but we can trust God to lead us in our everyday decisions. Some of the decisions we make are life and death without us knowing it.  Leaving for work a bit early, taking another road could help us avoid an accident.

Implanting a new safety plan at work could keep hundreds of employees from being exposed to danger. Using a new teaching example in the classroom could open the minds of our students to better understanding. Changing our attitude, being more humble could change the atmosphere in our home for anger to peace.

All of these are important decisions where we need the Lord’s direction.

I was reading in Psalm 119 this morning  before I began to read in the book of Daniel. This is what King David wrote about making wise decisions.

“Our Lord, you always do right,  and your decisions are fair. 138 All of your teachings are true and trustworthy. 139 It upsets me greatly when my enemies neglect your teachings. 140 Your word to me, your servant, is like pure gold; I treasure what you say…144 Your rules are always fair. Help me to understand them and live. 145 I pray to you, Lord! Please answer me. I promise to obey your laws. 146  I beg you to save me, so I can follow your rules.

147 Even before sunrise, I pray for your help, and I put my hope in what you have said. 148 I lie awake at night, thinking of your promises. 149 Show that you love me, Lord, and answer my prayer...151 but you are with me, and all of your commands can be trusted. 152 From studying your laws, I found out long ago
that you made them to last forever.” Psalm 119:137-152 CEV

We can trust God’s word to give us direction and when we ask for wisdom we know that He will give it to us freely.

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking.” James 1:5 CEV

It’s up to us to take time to listen and then follow His lead.

 

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Cracked or Shattered

Love it when the Lord reminds me of “things”. The other day I shared some thoughts on the prodigal son and this morning I was still going over the lessons I have learned from that story when the Lord added one more.

Sin is sin! To God there is no big or little sin, it’s sin. The younger son in the story was guilty of some pretty “big” things while the older son looked respectable, he was obviously holding bitterness in his heart toward his younger brother. So which was worse?

Neither! Sin is sin. Kind of like a broken window; if you throw a rock through it and it shatters or shoot it with a bb and leave a little hole it’s still broken.

“One law rules over all other laws. This royal law is found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.” If you obey this law, you are doing right. 9 But if you are treating one person as more important than another, you are sinning. You are guilty of breaking God’s law.

10 You might follow all of God’s law. But if you fail to obey only one command, you are guilty of breaking all the commands in that law.” James 2:8-10 ERV

The Old Testament teaches us that gossip and murder are both hated by God yet we find one as more socially acceptable than the other.

Sin is sin and we are all guilty.  The penalty for sin is not on a sliding scale.

“All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Romans 3:23 CEV

“When people sin, they earn what sin pays—death. But God gives his people a free gift—eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 ERV

That’s why Jesus words were so powerful when he spoke to the Pharisees about the adulterous woman that they wanted him to stone.

“They were saying this to trick Jesus. They wanted to catch him saying something wrong so that they could have a charge against him. But Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7 The Jewish leaders continued to ask him their question. So he stood up and said, “Anyone here who has never sinned should throw the first stone at her.” 8 Then Jesus stooped down again and wrote on the ground.” John 8:6-8 ERV

How many times have we played the role of the Pharisees or the older brother? We condemn “the idiot driver”, the person holding up the line, the unintelligent cashier, the negligent phone representative, the ill-informed newscaster or the worst of all the person with an opposite view.

What they are doing may certainly be wrong but our attitude about the situation is equally as wrong. We are to do all that we do from a loving and compassionate heart.

The wonderful news is since God sees all sin the same, He makes the payment for that sin the same as well.

“So that one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people. But in the same way, Christ did something so good that it makes all people right with God. And that brings them true life.” Romans 5:18 ERV

We have forgiveness, payment for our sin, with the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That sacrifice is available to all – we simply need to receive it!

“12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” John 1:12 KJV

So glad that God doesn’t grade on a curve but He accepts us all based not on what we’ve done but on what Jesus did!

Now that’s called grace!!!

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The Friend of God

In order to build a strong friendship men have to talk to one another; share ideas, understand one another and love each other.

Based on these qualifications it’s interesting to see that God called Abraham his friend.

“ Now you see how Abraham’s faith and deeds worked together. He proved that his faith was real by what he did. 23 This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, “Abraham had faith in God, and God was pleased with him.” That’s how Abraham became God’s friend.” James 2:22-23 NLV

Abraham and God developed a bond of trust. It would have been logical to say that Abraham called God his friend. The weaker one making friendship with someone greater but that’s not what Scripture says. It says that Abraham became God’s friend. God picked Abraham and started the relationship.

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your family and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make you a great nation. I will bring good to you. I will make your name great, so you will be honored. 3 I will bring good to those who are good to you. And I will curse those who curse you. Good will come to all the families of the earth because of you.” Genesis 12:1-3 NLV

Abram was 75 years old when God promised to bless him with land and children. Abram had neither. Just one chapter later we read that God has made Abram very rich.

“So Abram left Egypt and went to the Negev, with his wife and all that belonged to him. And Lot went with him. 2 Now Abram was very rich in cattle, silver and gold. ” Genesis 13:1-2 NLV

God always came to seek out Abram. No where in the relationship do we find Abram begging God to bless him. No, instead he was just obedient when God asked him to do something.

Abram was not a perfect man. No, much to the contrary. On two different occasions he lied to foreign kings about his wife. He said she was his sister. He was afraid that he would be killed because her beauty was so great that these kings wanted her as part of their harems.

God promised to give Abram and Sarai a son, an heir, but as time passed and Sarai didn’t become pregnant they came up with a way to help God out. (We would never do something like that, would we?) Sarai gave her maid to Abram so that they could have sex and get an heir that way.  Big NO NO!

Have you heard the term blood brothers? It was very prominent with the Native Americans and also with the tribes in Africa. A weaker person or nation would make a pact with a stronger one. Then each one would commit all that had to the other.

God came to Abraham and made a blood covenant with him.

“When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said, “I am God All-Powerful. Obey me and live the right way. 2 If you do this, I will prepare an agreement between us. I will promise to make your people a great nation.”

3 Then Abram bowed down before God. God said to him, 4 “This is my part of our agreement: I will make you the father of many nations. 5 I will change your name from Abram to Abraham, because I am making you the father of many nations. 6 I will give you many descendants. New nations and kings will come from you. 7 And I will prepare an agreement between me and you. This agreement will also be for all your descendants. It will continue forever. I will be your God and the God of all your descendants. 8 And I will give this land to you and to all your descendants. I will give you the land you are traveling through—the land of Canaan. I will give you this land forever, and I will be your God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “Now, this is your part of the agreement: You and all your descendants will obey my agreement. 10 This is my agreement that all of you must obey. This is the agreement between me and you and all your descendants. Every male must be circumcised. 11 You will cut the skin to show that you follow the agreement between me and you. 12 When the baby boy is eight days old, you will circumcise him. Every boy born among your people and every boy who is a slave of your people must be circumcised.” Genesis 17:1-12 ERV

So Abraham and all that were with him entered into covenant that day with the Lord. All that God had He was giving to Abraham. He only asked that Abraham live to obey Him. What a wonderful relationship.

The covenant that the Lord made with Abraham also applies to us also. How you ask? We’re not Jewish.

“The Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith. 7 And so, you should understand that everyone who has faith is a child of Abraham. 8 Long ago the Scriptures said that God would accept the Gentiles because of their faith. That’s why God told Abraham the good news that all nations would be blessed because of him. 9 This means that everyone who has faith will share in the blessings that were given to Abraham because of his faith… 14 And because of what Jesus Christ has done, the blessing that was promised to Abraham was taken to the Gentiles. This happened so that by faith we would be given the promised Holy Spirit.” Galatians 3:6-14 CEV

When we place our faith in Jesus we inherit the same blessings that God promised His Friend, Abraham!

God All Powerful has invited us into a relationship with Him.

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Are You Confused?

I had a situation recently where I needed to log-in to a particular app. Entered the password I thought was right but…

I know you’ve been there. Or you log-in and then are asked the security questions. After several attempts of trying to remember if you capitalized the answer or are spelling it right you are locked out temporarily. Are you kidding me, what did I do wrong? I’m so confused.

There are many things that bring thoughts of confusion our way. Jobs – Relationships – Politics – Finances – Education – Technology! What to do? Throw up your hands and walk away? Guess?

I’m so glad that our access to the heavenly Father isn’t blocked by some unknown password or security questions that we can’t remember. The password is simple, Jesus! The security question answer is less complicated than most imagine, Help!

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:6-7 ERV

Confusion is not from the Lord. Absolutely not! He promises us peace. His peace to guard our thoughts and are feelings.

He has always done everything in an orderly and well planned fashion. He created light and the dry land before He created the animals and plants. He put the grasses on earth before He created the cows, deer and elk.

He foretold the birth of Jesus hundreds and thousands of years before the event and when it came time for Jesus’ earthly entry everything was in place. The wise men followed what Daniel had written hundreds of years before.

The crucifixion was orchestrated down to the words that were spoken on the cross. Every detail had been foretold and every detail came to pass without deviation. God does things orderly. Even now, heaven is being prepared for us. Every desire and detail that will make heaven, heaven, is being fashioned as we live and breathe.

So when we look at a situation or circumstance and try to plan or gain understanding and are minds are spinning, it’s time to call on the Lord for order and wisdom.

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. 7-8 If you are that kind of person, you can’t make up your mind, and you surely can’t be trusted. So don’t expect the Lord to give you anything at all.” James 1:5-8 CEV

Once we’ve asked for wisdom we need to wait for it. Expect God to show up with a game plan. Don’t become impatient or we will be tossed back and forth in our storm of indecision and misinformation. We can trust God to provide when we ask.

The Apostle Paul says that we battle in our minds but the way we emerge victorious is to bring every thought “captive”. Rein it in, bring it under control but not a control of our own making, bring it under the control that comes from knowledge in Christ.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” II Corinthians 10:3-5

So when confusion comes and it does, it’s our duty to cast it down, take it captive and renew our minds to God’s way of thinking.

Ask for wisdom and then be still and listen for God’s voice on the matter. You have unlimited access to the throne room.

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Vocabulary of Silence

Have you ever said something and wished you hadn’t?  I’m sure we all have.

When our kids were little we used to practice the vocabulary of silence. The meaning of this was don’t say something that is unkind, cruel, sarcastic or untrue.  And it wasn’t just a rule for the kids, Dave and I were subject to it as well. Sometimes we would have a very quiet home.

“All of us do many wrong things. But if you can control your tongue, you are mature and able to control your whole body… My dear friends, with our tongues we speak both praises and curses. We praise our Lord and Father, and we curse people who were created to be like God, and this isn’t right...Are any of you wise or sensible? Then show it by living right and by being humble and wise in everything you do. 14 But if your heart is full of bitter jealousy and selfishness, don’t brag or lie to cover up the truth. 15 That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It is earthly and selfish and comes from the devil himself. 16 Whenever people are jealous or selfish, they cause trouble and do all sorts of cruel things. 17 But the wisdom that comes from above leads us to be pure, friendly, gentle, sensible, kind, helpful, genuine, and sincere. 18 When peacemakers plant seeds of peace, they will harvest justice.” James 3:2, 9, 10, 13-18

Learning to control what we say is a godly principle. In the book of Proverbs we are told that the tongue has the power to bring life or death. God created the universe and everything in it by His words. Yes, words are powerful.

“God’s Son has all the brightness of God’s own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together. After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side of the glorious God in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3 CEV

Do you remember the little saying we learned as kids? Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.  Oh but they do! Words leave a lasting hurt that sometimes take years to heal.

“Sharp words cut like a sword, but words of wisdom heal. 19 Truth will last forever; lies are soon found out.” Proverbs 12:18-19 CEV

If God, who is perfect, can forgive and love, not just us but, everyone who is living and has ever lived with all of our sins, our failures, screw ups and out and out vulgar living then we should be able to love and forgive those who live in our home, work on our job and are acquainted with on a daily basis.

God is not just asking us to do this but He is telling us we need to do this to be an example of Him. He’s never tells us to do anything that we aren’t able to do because it’s His strength and His character that are living in us.

He has forgiven us of everything! I know that all of my sins have been forgiven and even, according to Hebrews, forgotten, never to be remembered again – this is so overwhelming. Think about that for a moment.

” God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:12-17

Because we are a part of the body of Christ, we should work together to be a display of His love to the world around us. Did you notice that this peace we are told to live in comes from Christ when we let him control our thoughts?

I love verse 17 – WHATEVER you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord. If we are going to say or do something that wouldn’t represent the Lord, then we shouldn’t!  I know some days my world is really quiet because I’m holding my tongue until I can say something that would be representative of what Jesus would say if He were speaking through me. Yes, very quiet indeed!  And some days are filled with repentance for saying things before they were filtered with love.

Stop and think where you would be without God’s amazing love. Now let that love and forgiveness flow through you to those around you as His representative.

“But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 CEV

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Like A Spring Bouquet

 

There are days when life would seem so much better if we could enjoy  a bouquet of Spring flowers. The beauty, the fragrance, the color bring a comfort to the soul.

Now I know that none of you have ever been tempted to give up or to complain and quit when you have been waiting for the answer to your prayers but I have been there on occasion. In fact, I dealt with wanting to give up just this week.

However, when that temptation comes to complain or just quit, I have to go back to God’s word and find strength, encouragement and joy, yes, real joy to continue to stand.

“My Christian brothers, you should be happy when you have all kinds of tests. 3 You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up. 4 Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of nothing. 5 If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking. 6 You must have faith as you ask Him. You must not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like a wave which is pushed around by the sea. 7 Such a man will get nothing from the Lord. 8 The man who has two ways of thinking changes in everything he does.” James 1:2-7

When I wait patiently with joy the wait doesn’t seem as long somehow. Do you remember when we were a kid and our folks promised to take us somewhere? Maybe it was for an ice cream, to a rodeo, or on a vacation but we had to wait! Waiting wasn’t easy was it? Oh but the anticipation…how sweet, it was.

We knew what we were going to wear, what we wanted to see first, what we were going to get to eat, etc. The waiting was hard but when we looked ahead to what was in store it was exciting. Well, that’s how it should be as we are waiting on the Lord.

We gain strength as we wait on the Lord knowing He has our best at heart and that He will provide all we need.  Sometimes the Lord uses good friends to remind us we shouldn’t give up. Sometimes a song comes on the radio or a verse comes to mind. He uses all these things to renew our strength.

“He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength. 30 Even very young men get tired and become weak and strong young men trip and fall. 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.” Isaiah 40: 29-31

On those days, when we feel weak and want to give up or start complaining we need to draw on the strength that God provides. We aren’t joyful because of the wait but we can be full of joy during the wait because God is providing the strength we need.

 “Ezra said to them, “Go, eat and drink what you enjoy, and give some to him who has nothing ready. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

I don’t know if you’ve picked up on it here but we are dealing with two of the seeds we planted in our garden just a few weeks ago, joy and patience. They bring beauty to our lives much like the spring bouquet brings beauty to the room. 

We must keep the weeds of worrisome thought out of our gardens.

So today, count or consider it joy to be patient in trials; wait on the Lord to renew your strength. His joy will provide us with all the strength we need.

 

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Planting Time Ends With Harvest Time

I am attaching a picture today of the garden we are planting. Take a look at the harvest that is coming to our lives.

I  want to encourage you to continue to grow by following these Scriptures.

“Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God. 2 Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night. 3 So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream— a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.” Psalm 1:1-3 ERV

“The man who is right and good will grow like the palm tree. He will grow like a tall tree in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, they will grow well in the home of our God. ” Psalm 92:12-13NLV

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. Then it gives peace. It is gentle and willing to obey. It is full of loving-kindness and of doing good. It has no doubts and does not pretend to be something it is not. 18 Those who plant seeds of peace will gather what is right and good.” James 3:17-18 NLV

“No, we will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head,  and the whole body depends on him. All the parts of the body are joined and held together, with each part doing its own work. This causes the whole body to grow and to be stronger in love.” Ephesians 4:15-16

These verses below are a prophecy about Jesus and the hope he would bring to the world. Look at the end, we are called trees, the Lord’s trees. He has planted us.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. 2 He sent me to announce that the time has come for the Lord to show his kindness, when our God will also punish evil people. He has sent me to comfort those who are sad, 3 those in Zion who mourn. I will take away the ashes on their head, and I will give them a crown. I will take away their sadness, and I will give them the oil of happiness. I will take away their sorrow, and I will give them celebration clothes. He sent me to name them ‘Good Trees’ and ‘The Lord’s Wonderful Plant.’” Isaiah 61:1-3 CEV

We are always to be in a place where we are growing. Growing in our knowledge and in the character that God wants us to develop.

“…Be careful that you do not fall from your strong faith. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him, now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:17-18

We still have a few more days of planting ahead but I encourage you to search out the Scriptures and find verses, seeds, that you desire to see grow in your garden and get them planted.

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