James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourself, do what it says.
Don't merely listen to God's word or read it and tuck it away, saying it is wise, it is good.
BUT
do what it says
act on it
put God's word to use
if the word says love your neighbor and your enemy as yourself
do it
if it says to serve others
do it
if it says honor your mother and father
do it
if it says don't lie, cheat
don't do that
if it says be kind to others
do it
if it says to love God with your whole heart, soul and mind
do it
will these things be easy to do?
no, not all of them
maybe not even some of them
but what does God want us to do?
to act and not just listen
to do and not be passive
God's word is alive
it requires action on our part
don't just think about his word
but do it
act upon it
live it
love it
use it to glorify the Lord God.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Job
Job 1:1 In the land of Uz, there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.
Job was
blameless - innocent, without guilt, no one would find anything hidden in his past
upright - moral, honorable, righteous, a person of integrity
he feared God - he held God in highest honor, esteem, awe, reverence, respect
he shunned evil - he avoided sin
Yet he lost everything but his life
oxen/donkeys carried off by others (enemies), stolen, servants killed (Job 1:13-16)
sheep/servants burnt by fire from sky (Job 1:16)
camels stolen/servants killed by raiding parties (Job 1:17)
all 10 children killed by mighty wind knocking house down (Job 1:18-20)
Events happened by man and nature
bad things will happen to good people
good things will happen to bad people.
Its how we deal with the bad things that defines us.
Do we wallow in self pity?
Do we curse God?
Do we lose hope?
Do we give up?
Do we blame ourselves or others?
Job praised God (Job 1:21). He got that. It just wasn't all about getting the the good things and praising God for that, but also praising God when disaster and calamity hit.
That didn't mean that he didn't hurt.
That didn't mean he didn't cry.
That didn't mean he didn't wonder why.
But he would not curse God.
He would not blame God.
He continued to hold him in highest esteem.
I need to do the same.
Praise God - no matter what is going on around me.
Job was
blameless - innocent, without guilt, no one would find anything hidden in his past
upright - moral, honorable, righteous, a person of integrity
he feared God - he held God in highest honor, esteem, awe, reverence, respect
he shunned evil - he avoided sin
Yet he lost everything but his life
oxen/donkeys carried off by others (enemies), stolen, servants killed (Job 1:13-16)
sheep/servants burnt by fire from sky (Job 1:16)
camels stolen/servants killed by raiding parties (Job 1:17)
all 10 children killed by mighty wind knocking house down (Job 1:18-20)
Events happened by man and nature
bad things will happen to good people
good things will happen to bad people.
Its how we deal with the bad things that defines us.
Do we wallow in self pity?
Do we curse God?
Do we lose hope?
Do we give up?
Do we blame ourselves or others?
Job praised God (Job 1:21). He got that. It just wasn't all about getting the the good things and praising God for that, but also praising God when disaster and calamity hit.
That didn't mean that he didn't hurt.
That didn't mean he didn't cry.
That didn't mean he didn't wonder why.
But he would not curse God.
He would not blame God.
He continued to hold him in highest esteem.
I need to do the same.
Praise God - no matter what is going on around me.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
meaningless or meaningful
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man.
Solomon - known as the wisest man on earth - given wisdom by God in addition to riches and peace in the land during his reign.
Yet despite that - looked back at the end of his life and saw so much of it was meaningless, lacking any apparent purpose.
He had it "all" but it still wasn't enough.
Money
Possessions
Relationships (300 wives/700 concubines)
Wisdom, knowledge
Peace in his country
Prosperity
But he was not content - still was not fulfilled, still questioning his purpose, the meaning of life.
Saw it all - good people suffering, wicked people prospering
Saw death come - the finality of it; we are born naked, we die without taking with us what we toiled for so hard - leaving it behind to someone who might not appreciate it.
He sums it up - to eat, to drink, to be satisfied with one's work, to be glad in their days, then joy will accompany him in the days God has given him.
To simply be content with what God has given him and to be grateful for it.
And his final conclusion that I believe one must sear into their mind, heart and soul.
Fear God (honor him, revere him, respect him, glorify him)
Keep his commandments (his laws, precepts, word)
For this is the whole duty (purpose) of man (me).
Without doing so - one's life is meaningless (lacking any apparent purpose, empty, worthless, futile).
No matter what we achieve in fame, fortune, possession or the good we may even do to others
because all of that will be forgotten after we die, subsequent generations will not know us or remember us, but where we stand with God, what we think of him, whether we accept Jesus as our Savior, that is eternal worth, that is meaningful, that is is purpose and that is how we should live (loving God and making him known) in our days under the sun, of which there really are so few, no matter how many years we live.
May I live a meaningful life, Lord, for your glory.
Solomon - known as the wisest man on earth - given wisdom by God in addition to riches and peace in the land during his reign.
Yet despite that - looked back at the end of his life and saw so much of it was meaningless, lacking any apparent purpose.
He had it "all" but it still wasn't enough.
Money
Possessions
Relationships (300 wives/700 concubines)
Wisdom, knowledge
Peace in his country
Prosperity
But he was not content - still was not fulfilled, still questioning his purpose, the meaning of life.
Saw it all - good people suffering, wicked people prospering
Saw death come - the finality of it; we are born naked, we die without taking with us what we toiled for so hard - leaving it behind to someone who might not appreciate it.
He sums it up - to eat, to drink, to be satisfied with one's work, to be glad in their days, then joy will accompany him in the days God has given him.
To simply be content with what God has given him and to be grateful for it.
And his final conclusion that I believe one must sear into their mind, heart and soul.
Fear God (honor him, revere him, respect him, glorify him)
Keep his commandments (his laws, precepts, word)
For this is the whole duty (purpose) of man (me).
Without doing so - one's life is meaningless (lacking any apparent purpose, empty, worthless, futile).
No matter what we achieve in fame, fortune, possession or the good we may even do to others
because all of that will be forgotten after we die, subsequent generations will not know us or remember us, but where we stand with God, what we think of him, whether we accept Jesus as our Savior, that is eternal worth, that is meaningful, that is is purpose and that is how we should live (loving God and making him known) in our days under the sun, of which there really are so few, no matter how many years we live.
May I live a meaningful life, Lord, for your glory.
Monday, March 17, 2014
When I'm afraid
Psalm 56:3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
When I am anxious, I will trust in you Lord
When I am in despair, I will trust in you Lord
When I am worried, I will trust in you Lord
When I am fearful, I will trust in you Lord
One of my default settings in my life should be trust.
I should immediately go to it.
Trust in God.
When I am anxious, worried, afraid, in despair, fearful.
That is when I need to immediately default to trust in God.
Trust is how my days should be directed, how they should be lived.
When I am afraid, Lord, I will trust in you.
Help me to sear these words into my heart so they are my default mode, Lord.
When I am anxious, I will trust in you Lord
When I am in despair, I will trust in you Lord
When I am worried, I will trust in you Lord
When I am fearful, I will trust in you Lord
One of my default settings in my life should be trust.
I should immediately go to it.
Trust in God.
When I am anxious, worried, afraid, in despair, fearful.
That is when I need to immediately default to trust in God.
Trust is how my days should be directed, how they should be lived.
When I am afraid, Lord, I will trust in you.
Help me to sear these words into my heart so they are my default mode, Lord.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
show me
Psalm 25:4-5
Show me your ways O Lord (reveal yourself to me Lord)
Teach me your paths (I want to learn what you want me to learn)
Guide me in your truth (lead me in your truth, not mine, not the world's, but yours)
and teach me (allow me to learn, make me moldable to absorb what you are teaching me)
for you are God, my Savior (you are Creator, Restorer, Redeemer, Eternal, Everlasting)
and my hope is in you all day long (my hope is not in me, my thoughts, plans, on others, on the world, but in you Lord)
Show me your ways O Lord (reveal yourself to me Lord)
Teach me your paths (I want to learn what you want me to learn)
Guide me in your truth (lead me in your truth, not mine, not the world's, but yours)
and teach me (allow me to learn, make me moldable to absorb what you are teaching me)
for you are God, my Savior (you are Creator, Restorer, Redeemer, Eternal, Everlasting)
and my hope is in you all day long (my hope is not in me, my thoughts, plans, on others, on the world, but in you Lord)
Saturday, March 15, 2014
testing
Genesis 22:2 Then God said "Take your son, your own son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
The verse before this says "Sometime later God tested Abraham."
God tests our faith not for God's own good to see if we believe, if we have faith, because he already knows what we are going to do. He tests our faith so we can prove to ourselves what faith and how much faith we have in God. He allows circumstances or ordains events that give us opportunity to prove our faith to ourselves.
Honestly, this would be a hard one for me if God asked me to do this. I have one son, one daughter, I love both. I worry more about the son and have spent countless hours in prayer for his safety. He has had some rough life learning moments that each time God has allowed him to stumble, but never completely fall. Looking back on them, I can see God "had his back" in each of them and each event did build my faith more in God.
My earnest prayer is that my son will be used mightily for God's glory, but am I willing to "go the distance" if what will cause God great glory will be a tremendous sacrifice to me in pain and suffering, like those parents who have lost children to cancer or other events, yet through those circumstances people have come to know God. I would like to hope I would have the faith of Abraham. That if God directed or God ordained, I would get up early the next morning like Abraham did (Genesis 22:3) and start on their journey to obey God. And though I know God will not ask me to physically sacrifice my son on an altar, I know he could ask me to surrender him entirely to God and to allow God to work mightily in his life for God's glory. I know I surrender him to God, but take him back soon after. I hope one day to have Abraham's faith, knowing and trusting God is in control and knows what is best for my children for his glory, no matter what the cost to me.
After all, he was willing to give his son, his one and only son, whom he loves very much to the world so that we would be able to spend eternity with him.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
The verse before this says "Sometime later God tested Abraham."
God tests our faith not for God's own good to see if we believe, if we have faith, because he already knows what we are going to do. He tests our faith so we can prove to ourselves what faith and how much faith we have in God. He allows circumstances or ordains events that give us opportunity to prove our faith to ourselves.
Honestly, this would be a hard one for me if God asked me to do this. I have one son, one daughter, I love both. I worry more about the son and have spent countless hours in prayer for his safety. He has had some rough life learning moments that each time God has allowed him to stumble, but never completely fall. Looking back on them, I can see God "had his back" in each of them and each event did build my faith more in God.
My earnest prayer is that my son will be used mightily for God's glory, but am I willing to "go the distance" if what will cause God great glory will be a tremendous sacrifice to me in pain and suffering, like those parents who have lost children to cancer or other events, yet through those circumstances people have come to know God. I would like to hope I would have the faith of Abraham. That if God directed or God ordained, I would get up early the next morning like Abraham did (Genesis 22:3) and start on their journey to obey God. And though I know God will not ask me to physically sacrifice my son on an altar, I know he could ask me to surrender him entirely to God and to allow God to work mightily in his life for God's glory. I know I surrender him to God, but take him back soon after. I hope one day to have Abraham's faith, knowing and trusting God is in control and knows what is best for my children for his glory, no matter what the cost to me.
After all, he was willing to give his son, his one and only son, whom he loves very much to the world so that we would be able to spend eternity with him.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Thursday, March 13, 2014
choose for yourself who you will serve
Genesis 19:16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and led them safely out of the city for the Lord was merciful to them.
Speaking of Lot and his family before Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed. The angels urged Lot saying "Hurry, take your wife and your two daughters who are here or you will be swept away when the city is punished." (Genesis 19:15)
Direct warning/statement of what was going to happen if they stayed and Lot hesitated. He should have jumped at the chance to be out of there in a "heartbeat," but he had to be taken by the hand and led out. His sons-in-law pledged to his daughters thought he was joking when he told them to leave. (Genesis 19:14)
Lot had too much of the world in him. He was not sensitive, aware of God's voice speaking to him, advising him what to do. He liked the security of where he was (even though it was a wicked environment).
Was God merciful to Lot because Lot was related to Abraham (Abraham's nephew). Could be. Genesis 19:29 says "so when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived."
Lot had strayed or perhaps Lot never had the commitment to follow the God (True God) that Abraham followed. He chose the world and the world let him down. Abraham chose God and even though Abraham had his moments of falling away from obeying God, he still chose God over the world. God did not let him down. God was faithful and kept all promises made to Abraham.
Each of us can choose who we will follow, who will we listen to. Choose wisely for the Only One who will never let you down . He never has let me down and he never will.
Thank you Lord for your faithfulness.
Speaking of Lot and his family before Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed. The angels urged Lot saying "Hurry, take your wife and your two daughters who are here or you will be swept away when the city is punished." (Genesis 19:15)
Direct warning/statement of what was going to happen if they stayed and Lot hesitated. He should have jumped at the chance to be out of there in a "heartbeat," but he had to be taken by the hand and led out. His sons-in-law pledged to his daughters thought he was joking when he told them to leave. (Genesis 19:14)
Lot had too much of the world in him. He was not sensitive, aware of God's voice speaking to him, advising him what to do. He liked the security of where he was (even though it was a wicked environment).
Was God merciful to Lot because Lot was related to Abraham (Abraham's nephew). Could be. Genesis 19:29 says "so when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham and brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived."
Lot had strayed or perhaps Lot never had the commitment to follow the God (True God) that Abraham followed. He chose the world and the world let him down. Abraham chose God and even though Abraham had his moments of falling away from obeying God, he still chose God over the world. God did not let him down. God was faithful and kept all promises made to Abraham.
Each of us can choose who we will follow, who will we listen to. Choose wisely for the Only One who will never let you down . He never has let me down and he never will.
Thank you Lord for your faithfulness.
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