JOY IN CALAMITY

Habakkuk 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

          Habakkuk is praying to Jehovah God in the third chapter as he sees Him trample his enemies underfoot. Habakkuk is awestruck by the power displayed and the vengeance brought against his enemies. In the end of the prayer Habakkuk is resolute as he states that no matter what may happen to him, he will rejoice in the Lord. Habakkuk sees the ferocious way that God repays evil done against His children and recognizes that only God can deliver him from his calamity. He humbly acknowledges that God is the one who is over all and shall provide for and sustain him.

          If we were in the same situation, how would we act? No food, no job, no money to pay bills … what is going on? God was mindful of Habakkuk and He is mindful of us as well. We are not in danger of anything other than the discomfort of having our routine disrupted. Habakkuk, being a prophet, was targeted and in danger of death from enemies that rose up against the people of God continually throughout the Old Testament. In all three chapters of Habakkuk, the overriding theme is that the just shall live by faith. It is faith that leads to trust and as believers we need to know we can trust God. It is a conscious decision we must make; do we trust God or not? If we do then we should understand that nothing is impossible for God and His timing rarely syncs up to ours. The perfect job is coming your way; financial relief is coming as well. Your prayers shall be answered. Seek His will for your life and then praise God from whom all blessings flow.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

TIME

Psalm 90:4 “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by … “

          Time; it seems like such a precious commodity to us. We rush to and fro as if our lives depended on it. We travel on our highways as if we are in death race, darting from lane to lane. Where is everyone going in such a hurry? We live as if someone has placed an hour glass in front of us and our time is running out. It is the opposite with Almighty God. Apparently, according to the Psalmist, time means nothing to God; a thousand years goes by like nothing. When we compare our own longevity to a thousand years it is like a single drop of water in the ocean. When each day is like a thousand years patience is required. Perhaps this is why God is so patient with His creation, because He knows He has as much time as is necessary to accomplish His will for each of us. He is the creator of time so He can do as He pleases without fear of time running out for He determines when the clock stops.

          Of course, just because God controls time, this in no way means that we should be careless with the time that has been given us. Once a single minute has past it is gone; irretrievable. Our time spent each day should be thoughtfully laid out. We should make the best use of our time so as not to waste it frivolously. Matthew 6:34 tells us not to worry about tomorrow … live in the present; deal with today. Tomorrow will come soon enough so slow down. Enjoy the life God has given us. That’s right; whether we believe it or not, God gave us the time we have each day. How will we spend it? We can’t horde it like some material possession. As stated, once it’s gone, it’s gone. What have we done for Christ today? Have we blessed another or lived only to bless ourselves? Stop looking at your watch and relax; take a deep breath and live … for God.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

LOVE IS A VERB

Ephesians 3:16-19 … I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

          The love of Christ is deeper than the deepest ocean and wider than the sky; it is infinite, in that it is never ending. No matter how hard we try we could never comprehend God’s deep, abiding love for us. There is nothing on this earth that compares to it. Love was defined two thousand years ago when Christ willingly allowed Himself to be nailed to a wooden cross meant for criminals. Love is defined when we read that God loved us first. (1 John 4:19) Romans 5:8 tells us that while we were still sinners, apart from God, Christ died for us. This is how God demonstrated His great, enduring, endless love for us.

          Talk is cheap. A person can say anything, but it is in the doing where truth resides. Don’t tell me that you love me, show me. That is what Christ did. In today’s vernacular He put His money where His mouth is. The word love shows up nearly seven hundred times in the Bible. It is of paramount importance to us as human beings. We should strive to exhibit the qualities listed in 1st Corinthians with the help of the Holy Spirit. On our own we can never measure up, but with the Spirit working in us, we can achieve anything for the Lord. Love is the essence of who God is. If we are to be like Christ in our daily lives, we must learn to actively love. Love by our actions, not just by our words. Don’t tell someone you love them, show them.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

TRUE WISDOM

Proverbs 1:5  ... let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance …

wise adj 1a: marked by deep understanding, keen discernment, and a capacity for sound judgment; b: exercising or showing sound judgment.

dis•cern•ing adj 1: showing insight and understanding.

          In the introduction to Proverbs, Solomon speaks of the beginning of wisdom being reverence and awe for Almighty God. Two verses up from that is this verse which tells us that a man with keen discernment and insight can add to their learning and receive guidance from the proverbs God has passed on through David’s son. Verse 7 concludes by saying that fools despise wisdom and instruction; that could be because they have deluded themselves into believing they know all there is to know. A truly wise man is one who is open to constructive criticism and is not afraid to learn something new.

          In Ecclesiastes, Solomon chases after folly and in the end comes to the stark realization that everything is merely a chasing after the wind and therefore unattainable. He understood all over again what he already knew in his heart, that nothing supersedes Almighty God. It is sad when an individual rejects wise counsel. In the end it reveals their ignorance and arrogance. As true believers, we are told to heed the wisdom freely offered in Proverbs and in fact, throughout the Holy scriptures. The true folly is in ignoring such wisdom for it comes directly from our Heavenly Father to us.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

BECOMING FINE TUNED

1 Chronicles 29:10-12 “David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, ‘Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.’”

          The Lord God is over all things. Here is David claiming just that. David knew his God and God knew David. He was considered the apple of God’s eye (Psalm 17:7-9) and a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). David was flawed just like you and I, yet those things could still be said of him. God is over all for He has made all things. The beauty that surrounds us is witness to His creativity. We too are beautiful. We were made in His image and are unique in that not one of us is the same. Even identical twins have differences. Everything that we have is because of God. Anything that has a true value is from Him. If we are a true believer then our soul is His and our spirit can be attuned to Him.

          It's a shame that we become too busy to fine tune our spirit relationship with our Heavenly Father, yet He patiently waits for us to get our collective acts together. We should recognize and not ignore who our freedom comes from and who our savior truly is. It would take a monumental effort to secure a meeting with the President of the United States, but we can meet with the Creator of the entire universe any time of the day or night. Its’ really up to us how close we choose to get to Him. God is waiting for us to make time for Him. What would our lives be like if He hadn’t made time for us?

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

Random Ramblings 29

Sometimes You scare me by what You cause me to see
And I'm afraid of knowing who I am
Although You've changed me there's still a whole lot of old wineskin And to open up would destroy the me I'm afraid to show
One part of me doesn't want to grow
But I'm tired of this lingering winter
Tired of ground so hard and cold
Plow Your way through, I'm asking You to, Jesus
Lord, You're my only hope

Without You . . . I can't face myself

My pride wants me to hide inside myself
But I love You Lord, I don't want our love put on the shelf
I'm tired of fighting to be who I am
Jesus, make me what You want me to be
Because of You I desire reality
A love for You is what I'm dying to receive
Though I hate what I am I understand what You've promised me
You've promised me freedom in the truth
But I can only face myself when I've faced You
An' I'll be ready to face myself when I face You.

The Struggle, Colors, Resurrection Band (Light Records, 1991 Lexicon Music)

What's Your Motivation?

Proverbs 21:2 “People may think all their ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.”

          Drawing on one’s own resources leads us to feel that we are self-sufficient. While we may not feel invincible, we feel pretty good about ourselves and believe that we are right on with our assessment of a given situation. When the dust settles on the day, it is our heart’s motivation that truly matters. You see, it matters little what we accomplish in this life if our heart’s motivation is self-centered. God looks at the heart of a man. He knows the what and the why of the things we do. The why is far more important to Him than the what. What motivates us in this life? Is it worldly success? Is it personal fame or notoriety? These things are temporal and shall pass away. Only that which is done for Christ will last.

          Some folks are concerned about leaving a legacy. What will people say about them after they are gone? Did they make a difference? As believers we should want to make a difference for Christ. Our lives are mundane and lifeless without the fulfillment of exhibiting the mercy and grace of God to those around us. It is what we were born to do. Things may not always turn out as we would like them to, but if our heart’s motivation is on the mark, then God will bless our efforts. He wants to use us to share the gift of redemption to a lost and dying world who thinks they have their act altogether. God wishes to impart knowledge to us for His glory. Be still and get your motivation lined up with His.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!