RANDOM RAMBLINGS 31

            Ever wonder what it would be like if we got whatever we wanted whenever we wanted it? What a chaotic mess that would be. The impulsive person inside of us would want all sorts of things that we would rarely, if ever, use. Our needs would get lost in the midst of a sea of desires. It’s a good thing God knows our needs better than we do, because if not our world would be a lot more cluttered than it already is.

            God watches out for us. He takes care of us. How do people live this life without the forgiveness and subsequent hope that God provides? I don’t know the answer to that; all I know is that I appreciate from the bottom of my heart what God has done for me. So I weigh that which I think I might want with that which I know I need and decide appropriately. I look at the pros and cons of acquiring my want and take the time to seek the wisdom of God (most of the time). Those things that I wanted but truly didn’t need end up gathering dust and taking up space; those things that I truly needed are consumed and then reacquired. God knows what He’s doing. It’s not all about us, but about God.

            There are so many times that we make poor decisions based on faulty information or frivolous desires. Almighty God has a solution for that; simply give our lives over to Him lock, stock and barrel. Seek His face daily and find out what His perfect will is for your life. As a result of doing that you will more than likely become refocused and redirected back onto that narrow path that leads to your eternal home.

            Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

THE MONEY TRAP

Proverbs 23:4-5 “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”

          Wealth is a deceptive thing. One day it is there, the next day it is gone. People who amass fortunes see it slip away by way of lawsuits or poor investments. It seems as though everyone wants a piece of the proverbial money pie. ‘If I could just hit it big I would have it made’, says the person playing the lottery. While there is nothing wrong with attaining wealth in and of itself, making it our sole goal in life is dangerous for then we are placing all our faith and trust in our own abilities and in the money we have acquired.

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

          The pursuit of wealth is a full time endeavor. Once a person gets sucked in they are hooked, believing that the answer to every problem is more money. While it can solve a certain set of problems that require money, it cannot purchase forgiveness and it cannot buy them peace. Money is emotionless and cannot provide a way to heaven. One cannot hope to achieve anything of eternal value with money. They may receive the accolades of this world, but at what cost? It is in the acquiring and the use of money that the key lies. If we acquire wealth honestly, do not seek it to the exclusion of all else and use it for the glory of God in a humble manner, then we have achieved something. However, it takes a special individual to accomplish that, one who is well grounded in scripture and has a heart solely after God. We cannot serve two masters and if we are a slave to our money, then it is our master. Don’t be duped into thinking you can control money, because in the end, it controls you. Anything that is truly important in this life is tied to God.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

FINDING PEACE

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

          Here in Philippians, the Apostle Paul not only tells us not to be anxious, but tells us how to acquire the peace that surpasses all understanding. Every time we encounter a difficult set of circumstances we are to pray. It is a good practice to praise and thank Him for who He is and who we are because of what Christ has done for us first. If we are praising and thanking God we aren’t worrying. It is very human to worry, but we don’t have to. The peace that God gives us flows through us and cannot be comprehended by mortal man; it is a supernatural phenomenon. It isn’t conjured up by us, but rather administered to us by the Holy Spirit. In our busy, crazy, chaotic world where we run to and fro, it would be nice to have a little peace. Well it is there for the asking, but we must believe. We all know what faith is: believing in the unseen as if it can be seen; believing in things that are not as if they are. If our trust is in Almighty God, faith isn’t that much of a reach. It was required to believe in God to begin with.

          Rest your mind. “But I don’t have time.” Rest your mind. “I am too busy for that.” Rest – your – mind. It isn’t easy to relax at times., but frankly, if we have time to worry we have time to rest. We get so wound up at times that resting any part of our anatomy is near impossible, but if we seek God and ask Him to fill us with His peace He will do it. We take on too much. We don’t know how to say ‘no’. We create un-peaceful situations for ourselves at times. Take a deep breath and focus on Christ. Nothing is impossible for Almighty God; NO thing. Let His Spirit flow throughout you and you shall be at peace in the midst of any storm. God loves you; without hesitation, without conditions, without regrets.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

NOTHING ESCAPES HIS GAZE

Luke 12:4-7 “‘I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.’”

          Here we see several things in play. First off, Jesus refers to those listening as his friends. Secondly, He says to fear him who can throw a body into hell. Thirdly, He reveals the intimacy with which our Heavenly Father knows each of us. I would certainly want to be counted as a friend to Jesus. Being His enemy on the last day would be a fearsome thing for the Lake of Fire awaits those foolish enough to turn away from God. To fear God means to treat Him with reverence and awe rather than being scared of Him. Otherwise, why would He tell us not to be afraid two verses later.

          I would like to spend the most time on the last verse of our text: the very hairs of your head are all numbered. For those who wonder if God truly cares about the minutia* of our lives, understand this, there is nothing that escapes His gaze. Since I realize that those who are bald may feel slighted, let me take the liberty to restate this truth: God knows us so well that He has every cell in our bodies counted. Our earthly parents know us so well that they know our likes and dislikes, our habits and our tendencies while we were under their care growing up. Why would God, who created us in the first place, be any different. We can rest assured that our lives, when given over to God, are well taken care of. Even when it seems as though the train has run off the tracks, God is still in complete control and will provide assistance to us at the perfect moment in time that will be for our greatest benefit and to His greatest glory.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

* minor details

DON'T BE A RUDDERLESS SHIP

Psalm 19:14 “May (the) words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

          As true believers in a dark and unbelieving world, it can be difficult to say and do that which is pleasing to our Lord. We encounter stresses that tend to wear us down and cause us to lose sight of our ultimate goal, which is to honor God with our thoughts, words and deeds. It’s a common malady. We get so caught up in our daily routines that we forget that which is of paramount importance. I often think to myself sadly, what if God forgot about me for even one day? My words slip away from me and I meditate on nothing. Fortunately, God is gracious and patient with us all. He truly is our rock and our redeemer. Without Almighty God to guide us and teach us by His Holy Spirit, we would be like a rudderless ship, directionless, floundering in an open sea of regret.

          A day without the word of God on our lips and their meditation in our hearts is a day without focus. Praying, listening and hearing from the Holy Spirit, partaking of even one verse of scripture to feed our weary souls that thirst for the living water it provides helps give us direction. Ask the Lord to speak to our hearts each day and to use us; we get so easily entangled with the events of the day if we don’t. Discipline; we need to learn to discipline our minds. Submission; we need submit to His leading. I am certainly not exempt from these issues. We are in this together. God is ready, willing and more than able to guide us through the treacherous waters of life, but we need to ask for His help. Once we take the time to realize He truly is in complete control, perhaps then we will learn to make our words and meditations honor Him. It is a learning process that is acquired through deliberate effort. God loves us without condition and without hesitation. Allow that love to determine your words and actions this day.

WALK WITH THE KING AND BE A BLESSING!!

DO YOU SEE HIM?

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; …”

          In all the hustle and bustle of each day God stands. We don’t notice Him because He is not in the hustle and bustle. We veer around Him and never even see Him standing in our midst. God is not in the chaos, but rather in the stillness. We see Him when we take the time to quiet ourselves. We feel Him when we sit by the ocean and soak in the sights and sounds of the incoming waves. We sense His presence in the woods or by a babbling brook. We know Him by spending time with Him. It is not in talking to Him that we experience His true nature, but rather in the listening. Talking comes easily to most, but listening and actually hearing something or someone is an acquired skill for us.

          We play our music loud, our TV’s blare away and conversations with others go on and on and all the while God is there. The Creator of the Universe is quietly observing, patiently waiting for us to notice Him. It is not when we are ‘vegging out’ or ‘chilling’ that we find God, for it takes a conscience effort to see, hear and feel Him. When we take the time, when we literally seize time by the throat and slow down even for a few moments, and make a concerted effort to experience God that we will know He truly is the great and awesome I AM THAT I AM, the Almighty Jehovah God. He is our provider and sustainer. He wishes to meet with us regularly because He loves us and desires our company. He doesn’t need it, but rather desires it. What an incredible thought!

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 30

            Sitting on the back porch in the cool of the morning sipping on my coffee, I quietly look at the scene around me; trees rustling in the breeze, birds chirping and flitting about, a lone butterfly fluttering from tree to shrub to tree. The blue skies are dotted with clouds. It promises to be a very nice day. As I sit, I ponder God’s creation; those things that are natural and those that are manmade.  How must things have looked even 100 years ago, untouched by humanity.  In the name of progress we tore down only to build up again … monuments to our intellect and know how. However, in that moment all is serene. They say silence is golden and that is very true. I enjoy sitting on the porch soaking in the silence. It seems to clear my head and firm my resolve to do great things for God. I thanked Him for all the things in my life that have helped mold my character. I wouldn’t be who I am without the gracious hand of God moving upon me. His forgiveness and mercy are undeserved, yet appreciated, for I know that without God’s redemptive act in my life I would be lost. I reflect on the scene around me once again and find peace in the quiet. It promises to be a very nice day.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!