Twice recently and I had the opportunity to remember that I am not the boss. About two weeks ago I suddenly realized that my dwindling resources and lack of income necessitated a “tightening of the belt”, so to speak. Now, my sister had already commented earlier one and the fact that tightens should always be given and never forgotten. However, I decided that since there was no other readily available source of money for me, if necessary, my tithe would become a loan...which was right about the time that I got the feeling that I should -not- pursue the path that I had set before myself. At this point in time I feel the need to point out that many times in life we are confronted by a crossroads of sort. Which is to say: a decision. God doesn’t speak so much anymore with a physical voice (at least…not to me), so there is a better chance of getting it wrong when He’s talking and when it’s just our own selfish desires, or a sentience much more sinister. Anyway, I say that to say this: I’ve noticed that when it’s something that I want, it -must- be God. When it’s something I -don't- want, it’s all “I’m not so sure this is you, God. Might need a bit more guidance. In the meantime, I’m gonna do -this- over here…” :P don’t lie if you do the same thing. So, yeah. But this one was so obvious that I was just like, “Look…it’s not that I don’t trust that you can make a way from nowhere, but I’m pretty sure that you prefer to work with something. Be that as it may, I’m gonna just hold on to this just in case”. So…here’s the plot. I have one bank that basically -only- stores my tithe. Sometimes I send money there when I need to get a large amount out and don’t want to pay ATM fees. So, I transfer money from this bank to the bank that I actually use to buy and do stuff all of the time. It’s basically a statement, right? Crossing the Rhine, so to speak. A declaration of intent. So I transfer some of the money (I tend to forget to take my tithe to church, so it kind of builds up). About two or three days later, when I actually get around to checking my account, I see that the Marine Corps has issued me a check. “See? I told you”. God 1, me 0.
So something bad happened in my family, and it was time to go home. That fact was further impressed upon me by my father who gave me gas money. And then I did 2k dollars worth of damage to my car. Via Beagle. I will never like a Beagle, now. Anyway…I don’t want to get into it, but it was (obviously) an accident. It involved a Beagle. The dog. My car didn’t fair well, in the end. I was about to just stay in NC, despite God telling me to bless and be blessed, but then I remembered that my father had given me gas money. Money that I had specifically -not- touched because I have a thing about only using people’s money for what they intended it for. That’s when I actually accept it. I think my father is the only one who can give me money without a fight. And even he, sometimes, just gives up. Anyway…btw, don’t get it confused, I am -very- thankful for my father’s help, and for people in my life who would be willing to help me out financially. I am also very stubborn, proud, independent, and I’d rather someone save their money and lend me their ear or opinion when I need it instead. -That's- why I don’t want to accept money. People give you money and they feel that they’re done with the situation. “Well I gave you (x amount) of dollars, what -else- do you want from me??” “but I didn’t ask you for money” “yeah, but you took it, didn’t you?” not that that has ever happened to me so much, but I don’t want it to, either. So…I go home and I’m reading my Bible and I get the urge to share with my mother what I was reading (I Kings 19:1-4. That requires a whole separate post ), and it ends up speaking to me. She was offering me money and I’m all “I’ll be good”, until I’m saying, within the next 5-10 minutes, “sometimes it’s not always the big miracle. It seems like we’re always looking for the big miracle, but sometimes it’s just the little things that add up to the big things, and we just have to accept the help of others around us and pool our resources to…ok. Yes, mom. You can give me money if you want to” :P that’s actually about verbatim what happened. You can ask her. I literally trailed off as I heard what I was saying and it was like *God smack* “Oh”. God 2, me 0.
What am I saying? Well…I started out thinking that I would write according to one subject, but I ended up writing about another. Basically, God is in the details. Don’t forget that. And don’t overlook the power and strength of those around you. Not in and of themselves, but in the fact that sometimes they are put in your life for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:13, 14), and sometimes His strength is perfect through many other arms. And you may even gain some friends/wisdom/life lessons along the way. Don’t over look what He doesn’t. He knows the number of hairs on your head, so start paying attention. It's like the story of the (presumably) Christian man during a flood:
---A warning was announced on the local radio and TV of the immanent flood warning people to leave the area. After that, the sheriff drove around to make sure that everyone had evacuated the area. He came to one man’s house, and found that the owner was still there, so he told him to get into his jeep and avoid the coming flood. The man replied, “Don’t worry, the Lord will save me!”
Well, the floods came and the man had to go up to the second floor of his house. A rescue boat came by. “Get onboard, the flood is going to get even worse!” the rescue worker cried out.
But the man said, “Don’t worry, the Lord will save me!”
The flood did get worse! The man had to go up on his roof to avoid the rising water! A helicopter flew over his house. “Grab the rescue line,” they hollered to the man. “Don’t worry,” the man hollered back, “the Lord will save me!”
The waters rose further, the man was washed away ... and he drowned!
Thankfully, the man wound up in heaven. But, when the man saw God, he strutted right up to God and said, “Why didn’t you save me? I waited for you!”
God replied, “I sent you a jeep, a boat, and a helicopter! What more did you want me to do?! All you had to do was get onboard!!”.---
Moral of the story: sometimes God sends others to help you along and you just have to accept their help. That’s still part of trusting in Him. In fact, it can be harder cause you -know- that He won’t let you down, but people still have free will…
-Revelations
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Mountain Mover
"These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him" (John 12:16)
Now...I don't know about anyone else, but I can hold a grudge. Not that I see it that way, but apparently I can. I just see it as, "I can forgive you, but I'd be stupid to forget". You know, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". Now...that's not the grudge part. The grudge part is being able to recount every single thing that lead up to, and maintains that state. I can say that it's just a good memory, but I think, at the end of the day, that it's really just an inability to let it go. I was reading this passage and it just seemed like God was saying to me, "Son...you may not see it now, but it will all make sense some day. This happened for a reason, just as everything happens for a reason". Which isn't to say that we are never at fault for things. Sometimes the reason is just to teach your stubborn self a lesson, or that God would keep His word "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). However, sometimes it's just preparation. I went 2.25 hours last night to hear my dad speak. One of the things the he said that I really like was that he used to ask God to remove the mountains (problems) in his life. Then, one day, it seemed as though God said to him, "Son, I'm not trying to remove the mountains in your life, I'm trying to make you a mountain climber".
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Most people know the song Ain't No Mountain High Enough, but it's amazing to me how few people actually apply that to their lives. That song is beautiful in that it has so many applications. And, I don't know how many people know this, but, before music went so far down hill, a lot of great songs were written from or inspired by something in the Bible. This one is a lot more obvious than most "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). The song says, "Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you". So, first God is saying to us "don't be afraid/don't worry, I'm not going anywhere". However, there's also another connotation to it. There is no mountain, nor valley, nor river, nor ocean, nor creature that is able to keep us from our destiny. There is nothing more powerful than a determined child of God (Philippians 4:13), except the God behind the child (Matthew 28:18). God says, I have to make you a mountain climber, to build your faith in Me, that you can be a mountain mover, all by yourself (Matthew 17:20).
...-That- is powerful. You can hear a hundred sermons, and a thousand well-meaning folks, and they'll stop at God moving mountains for you. Like Miss Tawana Williams said last night (my father wasn't the only speaker at the event) "Pick up your bed and walk" (John 5:8). You see, there are certain things that you -must- do for yourself.
oh...that just gets me up on my soap box. Are my dad would say: "Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?" Are you tired of being broke? You see, being broke isn't just a monetary thing. In fact, that is most the most gentle form of being broke because it can be fixed, and because money does -not- equal happiness (even if it -is- a good down payment -paraphrased from rapper Fabolous). No, the broke I'm talking about is more emotionally broke, or broken. I've found that when you have taken all that you can take, you begin to stop feeling. That is emotionally broke. You can't afford to continue feeling a continue your life at the same time, you must make a choice. I think everyone knows what emotionally broken is. Then you have spiritually broke. You miss a Sunday, and one turns into two, and two turns into two-and-a-half, and all of a sudden your life is getting harder, your praise is a little more strained, and temptation and sin are tag-teaming to do the rope-a-dope on you. Spiritually broke. You go back to church, the preacher has a message from God specifically for -you-, and you walk out of there on cloud nine thinking "my cup runneth over" (Psalms 23:5c). There is physically broke, but I'm not a healer, I'm just saying that if you can move a mountain with faith, you can move an arthritic knee without pain. That's all I'm saying.
Actually...let me pause here for a moment. Isn't it amazing that the same people who claim that they believe God can do -anything-, and that they're trusting Him to come through for them in a mighty big way, are hesitant to believe that He can match Bengay, a warm bath, some ice, and an anti-inflammatory?? What, God isn't a healer, anymore? Or is arthritis too much for the healer of palsy? (Mark 2:3-12) Is restoring a knee harder than restoring a life?? (John 11:44) You are only bound by your faith. You are only -hindered- by your faith. That sounds weird until you think about it. If you can move a mountain with your faith (Matthew 17:20), how many mountains have you moved lately?? Well...the Bible says nothing about how you look, or how you dress, how you walk and talk, what your education is, even what your religion is (religion is just a set of beliefs, not the belief itself. -That- is a relationship. "A relationship will take you to Heaven, while religion will take you to Hell" - Myron Golden We are to be followers of Christ, the only thing that labeling a religion truly does is serve to divide us and alienate the world...but that's a different story for a different time). What matters is your faith. So, if you're being held back it's by your -own- faith. Step your faith game up (Funny thing. As I was writing that past sentence, I accidentally wrote in the name of the person about whom I need the most faith and patience. Some would call it a Freudian slip, I call it a message. It made me smile to think that He was thinking of me, so I just had to share)
I"m getting waaay off track, though. Where was I? Oh being "broke". So the question that He asks the man on his back that has had palsy for longer than I've been alive is "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6c). Now...that may seem like a callous thing to say. Of course he does, right? That's not what God is asking Him. God is asking him is he feels that he needs physical wholeness. God is asking "do you need this to feel whole? Is this going to make you happy". That might not make as much sense as I would like it to make until taken into context. -Just- before this Jesus had given the man the biggest gift that He could. He told the man "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5). Now...if anyone else is confused, there are different perspective across the different gospels. Man wrote as they were moved by the Spirit, but they still had their own ideas about what was most important. In John, the most important part, the focus, was on the man taking responsibility "wilt thou be made whole", whereas in Mark the focus was on the scribes and their lack of belief in Jesus. All that to say that this was just an aside to Jesus. "Look...if it's easier for you, you're healed. ...Is everyone happy now?" It isn't hard for Him. It never was.
So..."wilt thou be made whole"? Would you rather hold on to the things that are holding you down, or are you willing to let them go so that you can climb mountains on your journey to learning how to -move- mountains?
The choice is yours...as it has -always- been. Everything in life is choice.Even -Especially- unhappiness.
Don't hold it against them. It's not worth it, and it's probably hurting you -much- more than it will ever hurt them. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). Let -Him- work it while -you- stay in your lane.
Don't -give- up; -get- up! (Proverbs 24:16a)
Now...I don't know about anyone else, but I can hold a grudge. Not that I see it that way, but apparently I can. I just see it as, "I can forgive you, but I'd be stupid to forget". You know, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". Now...that's not the grudge part. The grudge part is being able to recount every single thing that lead up to, and maintains that state. I can say that it's just a good memory, but I think, at the end of the day, that it's really just an inability to let it go. I was reading this passage and it just seemed like God was saying to me, "Son...you may not see it now, but it will all make sense some day. This happened for a reason, just as everything happens for a reason". Which isn't to say that we are never at fault for things. Sometimes the reason is just to teach your stubborn self a lesson, or that God would keep His word "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7). However, sometimes it's just preparation. I went 2.25 hours last night to hear my dad speak. One of the things the he said that I really like was that he used to ask God to remove the mountains (problems) in his life. Then, one day, it seemed as though God said to him, "Son, I'm not trying to remove the mountains in your life, I'm trying to make you a mountain climber".
-------------
---------------
Most people know the song Ain't No Mountain High Enough, but it's amazing to me how few people actually apply that to their lives. That song is beautiful in that it has so many applications. And, I don't know how many people know this, but, before music went so far down hill, a lot of great songs were written from or inspired by something in the Bible. This one is a lot more obvious than most "Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). The song says, "Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you". So, first God is saying to us "don't be afraid/don't worry, I'm not going anywhere". However, there's also another connotation to it. There is no mountain, nor valley, nor river, nor ocean, nor creature that is able to keep us from our destiny. There is nothing more powerful than a determined child of God (Philippians 4:13), except the God behind the child (Matthew 28:18). God says, I have to make you a mountain climber, to build your faith in Me, that you can be a mountain mover, all by yourself (Matthew 17:20).
...-That- is powerful. You can hear a hundred sermons, and a thousand well-meaning folks, and they'll stop at God moving mountains for you. Like Miss Tawana Williams said last night (my father wasn't the only speaker at the event) "Pick up your bed and walk" (John 5:8). You see, there are certain things that you -must- do for yourself.
oh...that just gets me up on my soap box. Are my dad would say: "Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?" Are you tired of being broke? You see, being broke isn't just a monetary thing. In fact, that is most the most gentle form of being broke because it can be fixed, and because money does -not- equal happiness (even if it -is- a good down payment -paraphrased from rapper Fabolous). No, the broke I'm talking about is more emotionally broke, or broken. I've found that when you have taken all that you can take, you begin to stop feeling. That is emotionally broke. You can't afford to continue feeling a continue your life at the same time, you must make a choice. I think everyone knows what emotionally broken is. Then you have spiritually broke. You miss a Sunday, and one turns into two, and two turns into two-and-a-half, and all of a sudden your life is getting harder, your praise is a little more strained, and temptation and sin are tag-teaming to do the rope-a-dope on you. Spiritually broke. You go back to church, the preacher has a message from God specifically for -you-, and you walk out of there on cloud nine thinking "my cup runneth over" (Psalms 23:5c). There is physically broke, but I'm not a healer, I'm just saying that if you can move a mountain with faith, you can move an arthritic knee without pain. That's all I'm saying.
Actually...let me pause here for a moment. Isn't it amazing that the same people who claim that they believe God can do -anything-, and that they're trusting Him to come through for them in a mighty big way, are hesitant to believe that He can match Bengay, a warm bath, some ice, and an anti-inflammatory?? What, God isn't a healer, anymore? Or is arthritis too much for the healer of palsy? (Mark 2:3-12) Is restoring a knee harder than restoring a life?? (John 11:44) You are only bound by your faith. You are only -hindered- by your faith. That sounds weird until you think about it. If you can move a mountain with your faith (Matthew 17:20), how many mountains have you moved lately?? Well...the Bible says nothing about how you look, or how you dress, how you walk and talk, what your education is, even what your religion is (religion is just a set of beliefs, not the belief itself. -That- is a relationship. "A relationship will take you to Heaven, while religion will take you to Hell" - Myron Golden We are to be followers of Christ, the only thing that labeling a religion truly does is serve to divide us and alienate the world...but that's a different story for a different time). What matters is your faith. So, if you're being held back it's by your -own- faith. Step your faith game up (Funny thing. As I was writing that past sentence, I accidentally wrote in the name of the person about whom I need the most faith and patience. Some would call it a Freudian slip, I call it a message. It made me smile to think that He was thinking of me, so I just had to share)
I"m getting waaay off track, though. Where was I? Oh being "broke". So the question that He asks the man on his back that has had palsy for longer than I've been alive is "Wilt thou be made whole?" (John 5:6c). Now...that may seem like a callous thing to say. Of course he does, right? That's not what God is asking Him. God is asking him is he feels that he needs physical wholeness. God is asking "do you need this to feel whole? Is this going to make you happy". That might not make as much sense as I would like it to make until taken into context. -Just- before this Jesus had given the man the biggest gift that He could. He told the man "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee" (Mark 2:5). Now...if anyone else is confused, there are different perspective across the different gospels. Man wrote as they were moved by the Spirit, but they still had their own ideas about what was most important. In John, the most important part, the focus, was on the man taking responsibility "wilt thou be made whole", whereas in Mark the focus was on the scribes and their lack of belief in Jesus. All that to say that this was just an aside to Jesus. "Look...if it's easier for you, you're healed. ...Is everyone happy now?" It isn't hard for Him. It never was.
So..."wilt thou be made whole"? Would you rather hold on to the things that are holding you down, or are you willing to let them go so that you can climb mountains on your journey to learning how to -move- mountains?
The choice is yours...as it has -always- been. Everything in life is choice.
Don't hold it against them. It's not worth it, and it's probably hurting you -much- more than it will ever hurt them. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). Let -Him- work it while -you- stay in your lane.
Don't -give- up; -get- up! (Proverbs 24:16a)
A "Good" Day
I have asked God for "peace that passes all understanding"
I fill my quiet moments with trying to understand it
I am endlessly thoughtful
Besides: "good" is a state of mind.
and, as "of the mind",
mine is in a State ruled by me.
So, if i am -not- doing "good",
then, perhaps, it is my -definition- that is faulty.
Or, perhaps, I should not be the one
who is ruling my mind...
I have remembered how to relinquish control to Him.
He has never let me down.
And, sometimes, it is easier to follow
then it is to lead...
Yes, I am doing "good". How are you??
(And, yes. For all you grammarians out there, I know that "good" should be "well". I just don't care. "Good" works better for my purposes)
I fill my quiet moments with trying to understand it
I am endlessly thoughtful
Besides: "good" is a state of mind.
and, as "of the mind",
mine is in a State ruled by me.
So, if i am -not- doing "good",
then, perhaps, it is my -definition- that is faulty.
Or, perhaps, I should not be the one
who is ruling my mind...
I have remembered how to relinquish control to Him.
He has never let me down.
And, sometimes, it is easier to follow
then it is to lead...
Yes, I am doing "good". How are you??
(And, yes. For all you grammarians out there, I know that "good" should be "well". I just don't care. "Good" works better for my purposes)
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
A Good Woman...
First...I have to say that I am not a -true- misogynist...there are still some females that I respect. They just happen to almost all be in my family :P But seriously...having relationship issues and there are some things that I think this generation needs to realize. "A good name is better than precious ointment..." (Eccle 7:1). So, I'm feeling all self-righteous and then I keep reading... "(For) There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not" (Eccl 7:20) so...I am part to blame, as well. Which means that I need to get off of my high horse and acknowledge that, already.
I do know that what I could really use in my life is A Good Woman. Unfortunately, I am at an impasse. "...one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found" (Eccl 7:28). And thus, the source of my Conundrum. "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31)...I think I can wait. That's all that this post is about. Finding the strength to wait. Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) were promised a child by God...they didn't wait and their blunder resulted in the war between Arabs and Jews that stretches to this day (the story of Abram and Sarai's impatience can be found in Genesis 16). Man's biggest mistakes seem to be behind a female...perhaps finding the right one is one of the most important things that you could do. In the end, the wait, and possible loneliness, are both worth missing out on the pain of finding the -wrong- one. True story. So...to those that are still looking, of any age, I encourage you to continue to wait on the Lord. Seek His face and resolution sure, but wait on Him and His time...and there is a time for -everything- (Eccl 3:1)
-Peace and Unity
I do know that what I could really use in my life is A Good Woman. Unfortunately, I am at an impasse. "...one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found" (Eccl 7:28). And thus, the source of my Conundrum. "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31)...I think I can wait. That's all that this post is about. Finding the strength to wait. Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah) were promised a child by God...they didn't wait and their blunder resulted in the war between Arabs and Jews that stretches to this day (the story of Abram and Sarai's impatience can be found in Genesis 16). Man's biggest mistakes seem to be behind a female...perhaps finding the right one is one of the most important things that you could do. In the end, the wait, and possible loneliness, are both worth missing out on the pain of finding the -wrong- one. True story. So...to those that are still looking, of any age, I encourage you to continue to wait on the Lord. Seek His face and resolution sure, but wait on Him and His time...and there is a time for -everything- (Eccl 3:1)
-Peace and Unity
"The Battle is Not Yours (It's the Lord's)"
Apologies on how long it's been since I've posted. There are no excuses. Moving on, then...
So...I've been down a bit. My life has suddenly taken some downward turns relationally and it's gotten to the point where I'm actually morbidly fascinated with what's going on, it's kinda got me detached like it's not happening to me. What does continuously amaze me is how people who claim that they love you and always will seem to take some sort of sick pleasure in intentionally or negligently making your life -so- much harder. Anyway...I hadn't read my Bible in a couple of days and I just -needed- a word from God today. -Right- now. It's a good thing that I keep a Bible in my car, cause I'm out of town. Now let me just pause here a second to say...can I get a witness that God's not always on schedule, but He's -always- on time?? I mean...-wow-! So I'm all ragin about females and life and how people suck and then I'm thinkin..."I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from which cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made Heave and Earth" (Psalm 121:1-2), right? So...what am I doing depending on people to begin with?? It's not like I don't already know better from -many- previous experiences. So I crack open my Bible...and I got a testimony.
This Bible I haven't really used for anything other than church for years. But I was given this Bible December 28th, 1996 after I got salvation confirmation. I can't tell you the last time that I wrote in this Bible. So...I see notes from back when I used to outline possible future sermons (around the age of 12), and I get intrigued. Now...this is how the Lord works. I can't remember the last time that I even looked through these passages, but I look through them today, and it was -exactly- what I needed. Twice. Allow me to share it in a two part-er. This post, and then the next. The first one is almost exclusively Scripture. The Bible speaks for itself.
The passage is Isaiah 40:28-31:
"27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?(resume reading)
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.(resume reading)
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.(resume reading)
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:(resume reading)
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.(resume reading)
Now...I was -literally- about to write someone and ask what I had done to deserve something that had happened...and then I read verse 27. Every question needs an answer, right? So then there is verse 28 to answer the question. God says "What? You Don't know?? God ain't phased. You better -ask- (pronounced "ax") somebody!" Just in case you're still a bit confused, He goes on tell you that "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength (verse 29). You might have heard that another way before. It's in a song and it goes something like "All of my help cometh from the Lord" (based off of Psalm 121:2). He's saying that He doesn't need anything. He's got this all by Himself. Just trust Him. Don't try to He-man it because "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall"Verse 30. And, to wrap it all up "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Verse 31).
Those verses were referenced as "Wait Upon the Lord"
Also, this is still in the front of my Bible, there was a reference to "Fear thou not":
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10). God is once again saying, "Don't worry about it. I got it".
Let me tell you...that took about 2 minutes to make me smile and marvel at the fact that His ways are -much- higher than mine (Isaiah 55:9), which is to say, that He has plans that stretch longer than my lifetime. It's nice to know that -someone- knows what's going on and even has an intelligent design for it all. Cause Heaven knows that -I- sure don't :P
Anyway...if you'll excuse me, I have to go sharpen my nails so that I can more securely hang onto my sanity by just my fingertips :P
God got it, y'all. Now and always. It's gotta be more than coincidence, but right now I'm listenin to "The Battle is Not Yours (It's the Lord's)".
Amen.
So...I've been down a bit. My life has suddenly taken some downward turns relationally and it's gotten to the point where I'm actually morbidly fascinated with what's going on, it's kinda got me detached like it's not happening to me. What does continuously amaze me is how people who claim that they love you and always will seem to take some sort of sick pleasure in intentionally or negligently making your life -so- much harder. Anyway...I hadn't read my Bible in a couple of days and I just -needed- a word from God today. -Right- now. It's a good thing that I keep a Bible in my car, cause I'm out of town. Now let me just pause here a second to say...can I get a witness that God's not always on schedule, but He's -always- on time?? I mean...-wow-! So I'm all ragin about females and life and how people suck and then I'm thinkin..."I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from which cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made Heave and Earth" (Psalm 121:1-2), right? So...what am I doing depending on people to begin with?? It's not like I don't already know better from -many- previous experiences. So I crack open my Bible...and I got a testimony.
This Bible I haven't really used for anything other than church for years. But I was given this Bible December 28th, 1996 after I got salvation confirmation. I can't tell you the last time that I wrote in this Bible. So...I see notes from back when I used to outline possible future sermons (around the age of 12), and I get intrigued. Now...this is how the Lord works. I can't remember the last time that I even looked through these passages, but I look through them today, and it was -exactly- what I needed. Twice. Allow me to share it in a two part-er. This post, and then the next. The first one is almost exclusively Scripture. The Bible speaks for itself.
The passage is Isaiah 40:28-31:
"27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?(resume reading)
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.(resume reading)
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.(resume reading)
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:(resume reading)
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.(resume reading)
Now...I was -literally- about to write someone and ask what I had done to deserve something that had happened...and then I read verse 27. Every question needs an answer, right? So then there is verse 28 to answer the question. God says "What? You Don't know?? God ain't phased. You better -ask- (pronounced "ax") somebody!" Just in case you're still a bit confused, He goes on tell you that "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength (verse 29). You might have heard that another way before. It's in a song and it goes something like "All of my help cometh from the Lord" (based off of Psalm 121:2). He's saying that He doesn't need anything. He's got this all by Himself. Just trust Him. Don't try to He-man it because "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall"Verse 30. And, to wrap it all up "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Verse 31).
Those verses were referenced as "Wait Upon the Lord"
Also, this is still in the front of my Bible, there was a reference to "Fear thou not":
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10). God is once again saying, "Don't worry about it. I got it".
Let me tell you...that took about 2 minutes to make me smile and marvel at the fact that His ways are -much- higher than mine (Isaiah 55:9), which is to say, that He has plans that stretch longer than my lifetime. It's nice to know that -someone- knows what's going on and even has an intelligent design for it all. Cause Heaven knows that -I- sure don't :P
Anyway...if you'll excuse me, I have to go sharpen my nails so that I can more securely hang onto my sanity by just my fingertips :P
God got it, y'all. Now and always. It's gotta be more than coincidence, but right now I'm listenin to "The Battle is Not Yours (It's the Lord's)".
Amen.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Remember -Now- Thy Creator...
"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;" (Eccl 12:1)
I heard Pastor Kenny Grant preach on this subject. The entire chapter, actually. He broke it down wonderfully and showed all of us (at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Swatara, PA where Pastor Michael J Golden presides. My Uncle) something that we hadn't really seen or realized in that passage, before. Lately, I've been reading that passage quite a bit. I try to make reading my Bible the first, or -one- of the first, things that I do in the mornings. It -really- helps. True story. Anyway...what I've been seeing in it recently goes beyond "Don't wait until you're old to see out God". Allow me to share with you what it's begun to mean to -me-...
It says "remember", not "find" (Rev 2:30). Like Talib Kweli said "What do you mean, 'you back'? I ain't never went nowhere. Where -you- been, n*gga? -You- back! Apologize!!" Straight up, God never went anywhere. He's been waiting for you to acknowledge Him. And, when you push Him out of your life and walk away, He's shadowing you just waiting for you to acknowledge Him again. To look back at your life and wonder where you left Him (where it all began to go wrong). So...He never went away. -You- walked away from -Him- and He's just been waiting for you to turn around and acknowledge Him for a grip. Anyway..."Remember -now- thy Creator"
"In the days of thy youth" Before it's too late. Now...that doesn't necessarily -just- mean before you're too old. It can mean other things, too. The days of you youth, depending on how you look at the technical meaning of it, can be used to mean "soon". As in "now, as opposed to later". It seems like a small difference between old and young and now instead of later, but it's not. Let me go to the next point and I'll tie it in so that it makes sense.
"while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;" ok...now we get to the crux of the matter. This isn't always when you're an old and gray man/woman. Christopher Titus (comedian) said in "Love is Evol" that "if you've never contemplated suicide, you've never been in love". My point in that is the "evil days" and "the years...when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them" doesn't have to be when you're old. It can be so simple as when you're miserable outside of the Will of God. Especially in a relationship that you were never supposed to be in, that God is not in. It can simply read that you should seek God -now- before you regret it later. Or before you're in a bad way and miserable with your life. Think about how many miserable Christians you've seen. Now...think about how much it makes -you- want what they have. You don't. No one -wants- to be miserable. So...
Remember God -before- you're miserable. Seek His face -before- you regret it. Hindsight is 20/20, but the regret of memories -really- sucks.
"The older I get, the more I value the ability to learn without experiencing."
That's a quote from me. A'salaam Alaikum. Shalom Aleikum. Vaya Con Dios, and may the grace of God be upon you. Btw, grace is getting the good things that you -don't- deserve. So...may God grant you many good things that you do not deserve.
I heard Pastor Kenny Grant preach on this subject. The entire chapter, actually. He broke it down wonderfully and showed all of us (at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Swatara, PA where Pastor Michael J Golden presides. My Uncle) something that we hadn't really seen or realized in that passage, before. Lately, I've been reading that passage quite a bit. I try to make reading my Bible the first, or -one- of the first, things that I do in the mornings. It -really- helps. True story. Anyway...what I've been seeing in it recently goes beyond "Don't wait until you're old to see out God". Allow me to share with you what it's begun to mean to -me-...
It says "remember", not "find" (Rev 2:30). Like Talib Kweli said "What do you mean, 'you back'? I ain't never went nowhere. Where -you- been, n*gga? -You- back! Apologize!!" Straight up, God never went anywhere. He's been waiting for you to acknowledge Him. And, when you push Him out of your life and walk away, He's shadowing you just waiting for you to acknowledge Him again. To look back at your life and wonder where you left Him (where it all began to go wrong). So...He never went away. -You- walked away from -Him- and He's just been waiting for you to turn around and acknowledge Him for a grip. Anyway..."Remember -now- thy Creator"
"In the days of thy youth" Before it's too late. Now...that doesn't necessarily -just- mean before you're too old. It can mean other things, too. The days of you youth, depending on how you look at the technical meaning of it, can be used to mean "soon". As in "now, as opposed to later". It seems like a small difference between old and young and now instead of later, but it's not. Let me go to the next point and I'll tie it in so that it makes sense.
"while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;" ok...now we get to the crux of the matter. This isn't always when you're an old and gray man/woman. Christopher Titus (comedian) said in "Love is Evol" that "if you've never contemplated suicide, you've never been in love". My point in that is the "evil days" and "the years...when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them" doesn't have to be when you're old. It can be so simple as when you're miserable outside of the Will of God. Especially in a relationship that you were never supposed to be in, that God is not in. It can simply read that you should seek God -now- before you regret it later. Or before you're in a bad way and miserable with your life. Think about how many miserable Christians you've seen. Now...think about how much it makes -you- want what they have. You don't. No one -wants- to be miserable. So...
Remember God -before- you're miserable. Seek His face -before- you regret it. Hindsight is 20/20, but the regret of memories -really- sucks.
"The older I get, the more I value the ability to learn without experiencing."
That's a quote from me. A'salaam Alaikum. Shalom Aleikum. Vaya Con Dios, and may the grace of God be upon you. Btw, grace is getting the good things that you -don't- deserve. So...may God grant you many good things that you do not deserve.
All Power
(Matthew 28:18-20)
18)And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19)Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20)Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
This is a short but -very- powerful message. There are three very simple parts to it, to me.
1) All power is given unto me. God's saying "I got it. Whatever it is, I got it."
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."(Hebrews 4:15). I've heard a few people and comedians saying that Jesus having died a virgin means that there was a lot of things that He never really had to deal with. Two things to that. 1) He died at 33. That's a -long- time to be a virgin. Also...pretty sure that even in that time He had His version of groupies. I mean...He's God and He walks around performing miracles. He's freakin -perfect-! Literally. Pretty sure there were more than a few females that were interested in Him/wanted to have His kid. It's only logical. And He had no trouble hanging out with prostitutes. Pretty sure He got propositioned more than a little bit. You think that some barren woman didn't hit Him up and ask for the miracle of a child. And want -His- child?? Come on. Think about it. It's actually pretty amazing that He was a virgin for 33 years. Kinda puts a little more to the whole thing about sex being reserved for marriage. 2) Um...at the point where you know what people are thinking and you see the future, I think marriage gets a little easier. So...it wouldn't have really been harder for Him had He got married, though comedians like to say the opposite.
2)"Just do what I say in my name". You don't have to make anything up...develop any new curriculum...when in doubt, point them to the One in whom there -is- no doubt. Seems like a pretty simple formula. Besides, even if you -do- get rejected, they're not actually rejecting you. They're rejecting God's free gift. Try not to take it too personal.
3)"You're not alone". No matter what, He's there with you. "Even unto the end of the Earth": Forever and Always. No matter what you're going through, or where you are, He's there with you. And he's gone through it already (Hebrew 4:15). That means a lot, if you actually let it sink in. It's not "do as I say and not as I do/not that -I've- ever had to do it", but it's "do as I did". Period.
and then, at the end, there's "Amen". Amen means: "so be it". He says "I am with you always, even unto the end of the Earth. So Be It". There is life and death in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), and His tongue is saying that He will always be with -you-. Then He seals it with "so be it".
Think on that a bit as you go about your day and you're thinkin how hard it is to be a Christian today, and to keep a good testimony. When you think that no one's there for you and that you're not sure how you can/if you can continue to go on. He been there before, and He's there with you now. Amen
18)And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19)Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20)Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
-----------------------------------------------------
This is a short but -very- powerful message. There are three very simple parts to it, to me.
1) All power is given unto me. God's saying "I got it. Whatever it is, I got it."
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."(Hebrews 4:15). I've heard a few people and comedians saying that Jesus having died a virgin means that there was a lot of things that He never really had to deal with. Two things to that. 1) He died at 33. That's a -long- time to be a virgin. Also...pretty sure that even in that time He had His version of groupies. I mean...He's God and He walks around performing miracles. He's freakin -perfect-! Literally. Pretty sure there were more than a few females that were interested in Him/wanted to have His kid. It's only logical. And He had no trouble hanging out with prostitutes. Pretty sure He got propositioned more than a little bit. You think that some barren woman didn't hit Him up and ask for the miracle of a child. And want -His- child?? Come on. Think about it. It's actually pretty amazing that He was a virgin for 33 years. Kinda puts a little more to the whole thing about sex being reserved for marriage. 2) Um...at the point where you know what people are thinking and you see the future, I think marriage gets a little easier. So...it wouldn't have really been harder for Him had He got married, though comedians like to say the opposite.
2)"Just do what I say in my name". You don't have to make anything up...develop any new curriculum...when in doubt, point them to the One in whom there -is- no doubt. Seems like a pretty simple formula. Besides, even if you -do- get rejected, they're not actually rejecting you. They're rejecting God's free gift. Try not to take it too personal.
3)"You're not alone". No matter what, He's there with you. "Even unto the end of the Earth": Forever and Always. No matter what you're going through, or where you are, He's there with you. And he's gone through it already (Hebrew 4:15). That means a lot, if you actually let it sink in. It's not "do as I say and not as I do/not that -I've- ever had to do it", but it's "do as I did". Period.
and then, at the end, there's "Amen". Amen means: "so be it". He says "I am with you always, even unto the end of the Earth. So Be It". There is life and death in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), and His tongue is saying that He will always be with -you-. Then He seals it with "so be it".
Think on that a bit as you go about your day and you're thinkin how hard it is to be a Christian today, and to keep a good testimony. When you think that no one's there for you and that you're not sure how you can/if you can continue to go on. He been there before, and He's there with you now. Amen
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Random note:
I -love- music. If you've never seen August Rush, you probably should. Here's a snippet with the most powerful-voiced little girl (Jamia Simone Nash) that I have -ever- heard. She turned eleven a mere two-and-a-half months before this movie was released.
Seriously...this is one of my favorite movies of all time...
Seriously...this is one of my favorite movies of all time...
Happy Resurrection Day
Hey Saints...and the rest of us :P
I just want to remind you that today is -so- much more than "Jesus is coming! Quick, hide the eggs!!" (got that from a comedian). Today my pastor, Chris Phillips of River of Life in Jacksonville, pointed out something that I hadn't really thought about before. He said "The stone wasn't rolled away for Him (Jesus) to come out, but for them (everyone else) to look -in-! To see that He wasn't there!" You know...I never really sat down to think about it, but I instantly saw that he was right. Not only that, but if you read the Bible (Matthew 28:2,5-6) you'll see that Jesus wasn't even -there- when the stone was rolled away (supposition. fact: there is -not- mention of Jesus leaving after the stone was rolled away and yet the Angel who did so says "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay" Matthew 28:6). I don't know about you, it just makes me -feel- good to learn or realize something new every day. Other than that I don't really have any pressing and overwhelmingly new revelations to pass on to y'all except this one song that I keep playing over and over and over again
It won't let me embed the video, but the link is here. Donnie McClurkin - We Fall Down. It's the chorus that gets me "For a Saint is just a sinner who fell down...and got back up". Now -that's- powerful.
A couple of other favorites include
Father Can You Hear Me from Tyler Perry's movie "Diary of a Mad Black Woman;
Never Would Have Made It - Marvin Sapp;
God Is Trying To Tell You Something - Shug Avery from the movie The Color Purple;
PASS ME NOT - FANTASIA BARRINO from her movie on Lifetime, apparently;
and, of course, the new generation's "old faithful": Oh Happy Day from Sister Act 2.
And, uh...for the young(er) generation?? I didn't forget. I still rock with y'all. Like the preacher says "Hey...as long as they're praisin God's name, it's alright with me!" :P
- Peace in Unity
Be blessed
I just want to remind you that today is -so- much more than "Jesus is coming! Quick, hide the eggs!!" (got that from a comedian). Today my pastor, Chris Phillips of River of Life in Jacksonville, pointed out something that I hadn't really thought about before. He said "The stone wasn't rolled away for Him (Jesus) to come out, but for them (everyone else) to look -in-! To see that He wasn't there!" You know...I never really sat down to think about it, but I instantly saw that he was right. Not only that, but if you read the Bible (Matthew 28:2,5-6) you'll see that Jesus wasn't even -there- when the stone was rolled away (supposition. fact: there is -not- mention of Jesus leaving after the stone was rolled away and yet the Angel who did so says "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay" Matthew 28:6). I don't know about you, it just makes me -feel- good to learn or realize something new every day. Other than that I don't really have any pressing and overwhelmingly new revelations to pass on to y'all except this one song that I keep playing over and over and over again
It won't let me embed the video, but the link is here. Donnie McClurkin - We Fall Down. It's the chorus that gets me "For a Saint is just a sinner who fell down...and got back up". Now -that's- powerful.
A couple of other favorites include
Father Can You Hear Me from Tyler Perry's movie "Diary of a Mad Black Woman;
Never Would Have Made It - Marvin Sapp;
God Is Trying To Tell You Something - Shug Avery from the movie The Color Purple;
PASS ME NOT - FANTASIA BARRINO from her movie on Lifetime, apparently;
and, of course, the new generation's "old faithful": Oh Happy Day from Sister Act 2.
And, uh...for the young(er) generation?? I didn't forget. I still rock with y'all. Like the preacher says "Hey...as long as they're praisin God's name, it's alright with me!" :P
- Peace in Unity
Be blessed
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Don't Make God Jealous
(note: I was supposed to do this yesterday, but problems with my internet provided me with the excuse not to. Forgive me. I am attempting to right that now...)
...don't make God jealous? What's -that- all about?? Well, I don't know about you, but tend to forget sometimes that we have more similarities with God than we think that we do (Genesis 1:27). One of these similarities is that God does indeed get jealous (Exodus 34:14).
You see...we go about our lives and work all day for the "Root of all Evil", but God gets the time, and money, that's left over. By the way, be careful of being "married" to your job (II Corinthians 11:2). Just as there have been divorces over a spouse being too "married" to their job, it isn't that far of a stretch to all but divorce yourself from all things Godly in pursuit of that next promotion, just losing yourself in work, or what have you...the caution is because God wants us for Himself, first.
Christ is to marry the church in the last day, right? (Rev 19:7-8) Btw...allow me to add a bit of clarity to that verse. -We-, being all who are saved, called according to His purpose, are Saints by God's definition (I Corinthians 1:2, Psalms 85:8). So then...we, the Church made up of the Saints, are to be married to Christ in the last day. What does a jealous husband (or future husband) do when he isn't getting enough attention? He gets rid of the competition, or he has no more use for the bride-to-be (Joshua 24:19-20). Note: it's not that God will never forgive you, it's just that He doesn't forget, so you should be careful thinking that you can do whatever you want to because "God is love" and your every sin is forgiven before you even commit it. I mean...all of that is true, but that doesn't mean that you can't still "catch a beating", so to speak.
Examine Exodus 20:4-5 with me for a minute. We look around at this point and notice the lack of any carved images of the Buddha or whatnot and think that we're good. "-I- don't have a 'graven image' ". I want you to know that -anything- that you place before God is a form of "a god". You may say, "but I don't pray to them". So...is -that- the measure of what makes a person, place, thing, or idea holy?? Then tell me...how often do you pray to God, then??? Now subtract when you're at church, when you're about to eat, and when you want or need something and re-answer that question. Don't worry, that pricks my conscious, too. Now, in the same breath you may just about pray to your car when you need it to start in the morning to keep you from being late to work. Does this seem familiar: "Pleeease start! -Please- start!! I got to get to work on -time- today. Come on girl/man". Now...personally my little "g" god is in my relationship. I find that i put the person that I am with absolutely and unequivocally first. When my conscious, or the Spirit within me, -is- pricked, I tend to try to placate it by saying that Shee is the woman that God has meant for me, so I'm just loving her the way that I should. With all of me. Do you think that is what God meant?? I'm not bashing women, but look what happened when great men of God listened to their wives more than they listened to God. Starting with Adam (Genesis 3:6). Adam saw the face of God -daily-, and still stumbled at the buzzer-beater, so to speak, for putting the wrong one first. Abraham, progenitor of the God's chosen people, wasn't immune to listening to the wrong person, either (Genesis 16:1-5). On the other hand, we have Job who pulled a Matrix and, thankfully, dodged that bullet (Job 2:9) preserving his testimony and, I believe, his life. He definitely wouldn't have gotten the blessing that he later received (Job 42:10-17) had he heeded such terrible advice.
-----------------------------
Bottom Line:
Put God first.
Seek God early and often and He will bless you for it (Prov 8:17-18, Matthew 6:33, Psalms 91:14b).
Set nothing before Him.
It's hard to seek His face when all that you can see is what you have set in front of Him. And sometimes, He just might remove that thing, if only temporarily, just to see -your- face again. This is a two-way relationship, not just some rituals and rigamarole. Never forget that. Just as your "significant other", or even your family or closest friend(s), doesn't want to have to wait around for you to decide to pay them attention, God wants your attention.
But, being a merciful God, He's not a tyrant with your attention (Psalm 37:4). He's not trying to smother you, it's just that He's called first dibs on our meager attention spans and He wants his fair share throughout the day.
Let me leave you with this:
Pay Him attention. It's the greatest investment that you could -ever- make.
(Yeah...I know that someone will quote me on that, after they get it. I just ask for credit where it's due [II Corinthians 10:15]. Yes, you can quote me as "The Truf", also. Please and thank you)
...don't make God jealous? What's -that- all about?? Well, I don't know about you, but tend to forget sometimes that we have more similarities with God than we think that we do (Genesis 1:27). One of these similarities is that God does indeed get jealous (Exodus 34:14).
You see...we go about our lives and work all day for the "Root of all Evil", but God gets the time, and money, that's left over. By the way, be careful of being "married" to your job (II Corinthians 11:2). Just as there have been divorces over a spouse being too "married" to their job, it isn't that far of a stretch to all but divorce yourself from all things Godly in pursuit of that next promotion, just losing yourself in work, or what have you...the caution is because God wants us for Himself, first.
Christ is to marry the church in the last day, right? (Rev 19:7-8) Btw...allow me to add a bit of clarity to that verse. -We-, being all who are saved, called according to His purpose, are Saints by God's definition (I Corinthians 1:2, Psalms 85:8). So then...we, the Church made up of the Saints, are to be married to Christ in the last day. What does a jealous husband (or future husband) do when he isn't getting enough attention? He gets rid of the competition, or he has no more use for the bride-to-be (Joshua 24:19-20). Note: it's not that God will never forgive you, it's just that He doesn't forget, so you should be careful thinking that you can do whatever you want to because "God is love" and your every sin is forgiven before you even commit it. I mean...all of that is true, but that doesn't mean that you can't still "catch a beating", so to speak.
Examine Exodus 20:4-5 with me for a minute. We look around at this point and notice the lack of any carved images of the Buddha or whatnot and think that we're good. "-I- don't have a 'graven image' ". I want you to know that -anything- that you place before God is a form of "a god". You may say, "but I don't pray to them". So...is -that- the measure of what makes a person, place, thing, or idea holy?? Then tell me...how often do you pray to God, then??? Now subtract when you're at church, when you're about to eat, and when you want or need something and re-answer that question. Don't worry, that pricks my conscious, too. Now, in the same breath you may just about pray to your car when you need it to start in the morning to keep you from being late to work. Does this seem familiar: "Pleeease start! -Please- start!! I got to get to work on -time- today. Come on girl/man". Now...personally my little "g" god is in my relationship. I find that i put the person that I am with absolutely and unequivocally first. When my conscious, or the Spirit within me, -is- pricked, I tend to try to placate it by saying that Shee is the woman that God has meant for me, so I'm just loving her the way that I should. With all of me. Do you think that is what God meant?? I'm not bashing women, but look what happened when great men of God listened to their wives more than they listened to God. Starting with Adam (Genesis 3:6). Adam saw the face of God -daily-, and still stumbled at the buzzer-beater, so to speak, for putting the wrong one first. Abraham, progenitor of the God's chosen people, wasn't immune to listening to the wrong person, either (Genesis 16:1-5). On the other hand, we have Job who pulled a Matrix and, thankfully, dodged that bullet (Job 2:9) preserving his testimony and, I believe, his life. He definitely wouldn't have gotten the blessing that he later received (Job 42:10-17) had he heeded such terrible advice.
-----------------------------
Bottom Line:
Put God first.
Seek God early and often and He will bless you for it (Prov 8:17-18, Matthew 6:33, Psalms 91:14b).
Set nothing before Him.
It's hard to seek His face when all that you can see is what you have set in front of Him. And sometimes, He just might remove that thing, if only temporarily, just to see -your- face again. This is a two-way relationship, not just some rituals and rigamarole. Never forget that. Just as your "significant other", or even your family or closest friend(s), doesn't want to have to wait around for you to decide to pay them attention, God wants your attention.
But, being a merciful God, He's not a tyrant with your attention (Psalm 37:4). He's not trying to smother you, it's just that He's called first dibs on our meager attention spans and He wants his fair share throughout the day.
Let me leave you with this:
Pay Him attention. It's the greatest investment that you could -ever- make.
(Yeah...I know that someone will quote me on that, after they get it. I just ask for credit where it's due [II Corinthians 10:15]. Yes, you can quote me as "The Truf", also. Please and thank you)
Friday, April 2, 2010
"Giving Credit Where It's Due" (II Corinthians 10:15)
Good morning. I try to get something out of my Bible every morning, and I try to read my Bible every morning. The first is -immeasurably- harder than the second, some days :P
Sidebar: This is my blogging site. Which means that I just write about my day and my life whenever it strikes me. The other one ("silentexpression") is my actual poetry site. Not that I can't/won't write poetry here, that's just not really what I want to use this site for, atm. Back to what I was saying...
So, this morning I'm reading death and destruction in Isaiah like "...um...Lord? I sure do hope that this doesn't have a lot to do with me..." :P but then it made sense at the 15th verse: "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness..." (Isaiah 10:15-16a.
Let me break that down a bit. In the modern vernacular God is saying "What're you so proud of? What did you -actually- do by yourself?? You're just the instrument. The tool. You are doing what you were made to do. Good job -not- messing it up, but -I- got this". Now...we realize that God is love and all that so He doesn't really talk like me. But that's the gist of it. Then 16a says "And that why you don't got nothin now. You're so great that you did all of this? Then do it again. Don't worry, I'll wait". And this is the problem that we run into. See...ever since I was a little one two -very- important things were made known to me by my father (yes. He taught me alot. And I mention it and reference him alot because I believe in giving credit where it is due as it is laid out in II Corinthians 10:15).
The first one is that God is in the habit of giving. Ask and ye shall receive (Luke 11:19). On at least two memorable occasions my father illustrated this by giving my sister and I a hundred dollars -just- because we asked him (mind you that both of us were under the age of 12 and this was in the 90's not too long after the corner store down the street stopped selling penny candy). That lesson is -still- coming in handy. Also...if they say no, ask again. Try it a little harder or a different way. If you keep trying you'll find a way.
The second one is that God likes to be praised, too. See Above. We just tend to forget. When you do something nice for someone it makes you feel good (even if you're embarrassed and you'd really rather that they didn't) when they acknowledge it to other people. It makes you want to do more. Don't forget God and He won't hold out on you (Psalm 91:14b). Case-in-point, I have atheist friends. They are still atheists. They are -all- aware of the fact that I have a relationship with God and that I'm not too shy about it. However, I respect them while respectfully telling them that I don't agree with them, and they afford me the same courtesy. Plus...it's -really- hard to deny that someone is undeniably blessed. It's pretty freaking obvious. I think this started when my father blessed me (at birth and then numerous times like...every time he -thinks- about me :P) and God and I kinda created a pact. He continues to bless me, and I am His rather vocal example. "Do what He wants and you too can be blessed like this!" I'm workin on a deal to be the spokesperson for blessings ;) That's not meant to be blasphemy. God has a sense of humor, so lighten up. Anyway...I was talkin to one of my atheist friends the other day, and I was explaining to her that I don't really have the choice of whether or not I want to believe in God. He works in my life so strongly and often that I'd have to make a conscious -choice- to ignore Him...and that doesn't work out too well. I tried it before. Anyway...the -very- next day I've got a testimony for her. A small thing, but -never- underestimate the small things. You don't need a big miracle, all you need is a bunch of small things. They add up. Trust. Plus...which is harder to believe in, that He turned water into wine and raised the dead, or that He made sure that you had enough money to get your hair cut, and sent someone your way to fill up your gas tank?? Yeah...we don't really think about that, but the World does. So...here's the plot.
Last Sunday a woman in my church got up and the pastor is announcing that she's moving. She needs help. It's during working hours. If you've got the time, lend her a hand. I'm on terminal leave (translation: -no- working hours). So I'm like...I've got a little time. God goes "such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). Pause. I want you to read that scripture and understand that He does not -need- you. He gives you the opportunity to be blessed through blessing other people. Joseph was blessed when he didn't condemn his brothers (Genesis 45), Job was healed when he prayed for the friends that reviled him(Job 42:10), and of course Esther was blessed when she remembered where she came from (Esther 8:7). Ok...resuming. So I get the lady's information. Important note, my phone is not working at this time so I give my email and request to be contacted via email cause my phone doesn't work. The plan is to get a phone -before- I help her move at 12 so that I can get/keep in contact. Day of: I put money down on the phone and they guy let's me walk out of the store with the phone trusting me to come back on the 15th with the rest of it (blessing number 1). Then, I help the lady move and she presses a Walmart gift card on me. That seems small...allow me to explain. I moved into my apartment in November. Some of my entertainment stuff is still in a container. I keep sayin that I'm going to get a little DVD rack from Walmart for like 10 dollars, but I forget. Now, I've got stuff to do that doesn't justify the expenditure. Then, the -night- before I helped the lady move I was like "...this is really bugging me. I think I'm going to make things stretch to get that DVD rack". So...-that- was the biggest blessing because it was just so timely. So...back to my atheist friend. I tell her and her reaction is (this is a quote) "Wow...yeah...stuff like that never happened to me. Even when I was a Christian".
People...you never know just how much the little things that you might take for granted, or might think aren't really that important or interesting to other people are. I have been reminded of that time and again. One thing that I forgot...like the parable of the sower planting seed (paralleled across the gospels in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8), you have to give a blessing to get a blessing. Even if all you have left is just a little oil in a cruse (I Kings 17) and you're about to make your last hotcake so that you and your seed can die. Understand that you have to be empty to be filled, His strength is perfect when our strength is gone (II Corinthians 12:9, and that when you start, sometimes He just won't let you stop (I Kings 17:15-16! I just wanted to let y'all know that God is alive and well. He hasn't taken a holiday...He hasn't fallen down on the job...and He isn't quite sure what this whole "recession" business is about, but He's seen worse (Genesis 45:11, and He's carrying on with business as usual!
If that doesn't put a little pep in your step, then perhaps your praise is broken :P
Get your praise-game up. Just keep smiling...it confuses and annoys the Devil, and it helps to remind God that He's got a blessing coming your way "Now...did I remember to -give- him/her that blessing?...oh well. I'll just give him/her another one. I've got plenty to spare and I -like- that smile" :D
Remember: praise where it's due. And smile with me, y'all. Make someone else's day
Sidebar: This is my blogging site. Which means that I just write about my day and my life whenever it strikes me. The other one ("silentexpression") is my actual poetry site. Not that I can't/won't write poetry here, that's just not really what I want to use this site for, atm. Back to what I was saying...
So, this morning I'm reading death and destruction in Isaiah like "...um...Lord? I sure do hope that this doesn't have a lot to do with me..." :P but then it made sense at the 15th verse: "Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness..." (Isaiah 10:15-16a.
Let me break that down a bit. In the modern vernacular God is saying "What're you so proud of? What did you -actually- do by yourself?? You're just the instrument. The tool. You are doing what you were made to do. Good job -not- messing it up, but -I- got this". Now...we realize that God is love and all that so He doesn't really talk like me. But that's the gist of it. Then 16a says "And that why you don't got nothin now. You're so great that you did all of this? Then do it again. Don't worry, I'll wait". And this is the problem that we run into. See...ever since I was a little one two -very- important things were made known to me by my father (yes. He taught me alot. And I mention it and reference him alot because I believe in giving credit where it is due as it is laid out in II Corinthians 10:15).
The first one is that God is in the habit of giving. Ask and ye shall receive (Luke 11:19). On at least two memorable occasions my father illustrated this by giving my sister and I a hundred dollars -just- because we asked him (mind you that both of us were under the age of 12 and this was in the 90's not too long after the corner store down the street stopped selling penny candy). That lesson is -still- coming in handy. Also...if they say no, ask again. Try it a little harder or a different way. If you keep trying you'll find a way.
The second one is that God likes to be praised, too. See Above. We just tend to forget. When you do something nice for someone it makes you feel good (even if you're embarrassed and you'd really rather that they didn't) when they acknowledge it to other people. It makes you want to do more. Don't forget God and He won't hold out on you (Psalm 91:14b). Case-in-point, I have atheist friends. They are still atheists. They are -all- aware of the fact that I have a relationship with God and that I'm not too shy about it. However, I respect them while respectfully telling them that I don't agree with them, and they afford me the same courtesy. Plus...it's -really- hard to deny that someone is undeniably blessed. It's pretty freaking obvious. I think this started when my father blessed me (at birth and then numerous times like...every time he -thinks- about me :P) and God and I kinda created a pact. He continues to bless me, and I am His rather vocal example. "Do what He wants and you too can be blessed like this!" I'm workin on a deal to be the spokesperson for blessings ;) That's not meant to be blasphemy. God has a sense of humor, so lighten up. Anyway...I was talkin to one of my atheist friends the other day, and I was explaining to her that I don't really have the choice of whether or not I want to believe in God. He works in my life so strongly and often that I'd have to make a conscious -choice- to ignore Him...and that doesn't work out too well. I tried it before. Anyway...the -very- next day I've got a testimony for her. A small thing, but -never- underestimate the small things. You don't need a big miracle, all you need is a bunch of small things. They add up. Trust. Plus...which is harder to believe in, that He turned water into wine and raised the dead, or that He made sure that you had enough money to get your hair cut, and sent someone your way to fill up your gas tank?? Yeah...we don't really think about that, but the World does. So...here's the plot.
Last Sunday a woman in my church got up and the pastor is announcing that she's moving. She needs help. It's during working hours. If you've got the time, lend her a hand. I'm on terminal leave (translation: -no- working hours). So I'm like...I've got a little time. God goes "such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). Pause. I want you to read that scripture and understand that He does not -need- you. He gives you the opportunity to be blessed through blessing other people. Joseph was blessed when he didn't condemn his brothers (Genesis 45), Job was healed when he prayed for the friends that reviled him(Job 42:10), and of course Esther was blessed when she remembered where she came from (Esther 8:7). Ok...resuming. So I get the lady's information. Important note, my phone is not working at this time so I give my email and request to be contacted via email cause my phone doesn't work. The plan is to get a phone -before- I help her move at 12 so that I can get/keep in contact. Day of: I put money down on the phone and they guy let's me walk out of the store with the phone trusting me to come back on the 15th with the rest of it (blessing number 1). Then, I help the lady move and she presses a Walmart gift card on me. That seems small...allow me to explain. I moved into my apartment in November. Some of my entertainment stuff is still in a container. I keep sayin that I'm going to get a little DVD rack from Walmart for like 10 dollars, but I forget. Now, I've got stuff to do that doesn't justify the expenditure. Then, the -night- before I helped the lady move I was like "...this is really bugging me. I think I'm going to make things stretch to get that DVD rack". So...-that- was the biggest blessing because it was just so timely. So...back to my atheist friend. I tell her and her reaction is (this is a quote) "Wow...yeah...stuff like that never happened to me. Even when I was a Christian".
People...you never know just how much the little things that you might take for granted, or might think aren't really that important or interesting to other people are. I have been reminded of that time and again. One thing that I forgot...like the parable of the sower planting seed (paralleled across the gospels in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8), you have to give a blessing to get a blessing. Even if all you have left is just a little oil in a cruse (I Kings 17) and you're about to make your last hotcake so that you and your seed can die. Understand that you have to be empty to be filled, His strength is perfect when our strength is gone (II Corinthians 12:9, and that when you start, sometimes He just won't let you stop (I Kings 17:15-16! I just wanted to let y'all know that God is alive and well. He hasn't taken a holiday...He hasn't fallen down on the job...and He isn't quite sure what this whole "recession" business is about, but He's seen worse (Genesis 45:11, and He's carrying on with business as usual!
If that doesn't put a little pep in your step, then perhaps your praise is broken :P
Get your praise-game up. Just keep smiling...it confuses and annoys the Devil, and it helps to remind God that He's got a blessing coming your way "Now...did I remember to -give- him/her that blessing?...oh well. I'll just give him/her another one. I've got plenty to spare and I -like- that smile" :D
Remember: praise where it's due. And smile with me, y'all. Make someone else's day
Thursday, April 1, 2010
"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him" (Psalm 37:7)/aka Setting the Record Straight
1)Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
...
3)Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4)Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5)Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6)And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7)Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
More often then not, as a Christians, I think that we have a tendency to believe that we are entitled to something from God. As though it were His privilege to have us associate with His name. I don't know about anyone else, but I sometimes have a hard time divorcing success from lifestyle (ie: why is -he- doing so well living like the Devil??). Two things have occured to me that this passage drove home.
One, God doesn't need to punish "evildoers". If they're not Christians they're going to burn forever in Hell. Problem solved de facto.
Two, they're not His kids. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (Heb 12:6a). I don't know about you, but I know that in my house it never mattered what whomever was doing down the street or up the block. It was always "well, that's them", "I'm not his/her parent", or "not in my house". If you ever still have doubts that this whole "saved" thing is more of a relationship and a -lot- less a bunch of rules and regulations that we call "religion" and just borrow on Sunday, this may help you out a bit. Btw, it's not a sin to still have questions and things that you doubt because you don't understand them, or don't think them to be right. It happens sometimes: "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24b). The trick is to have those questions answered before it becomes a stumbling block...but that's for another time. Back to the matter at hand.
God doesn't have to punish anyone for not turning to seek His face. There is a price tag for sin. That is punishment enough (first point). Along with that, if He actively set out to personally make the lives of everyone who -doesn't- turn to Him a living Hell, so to speak, that puts a serious dent in the whole "free will" thing. I mean...it's a basic Pavlovian response (I'm sure that there's a Bible passage for this or something, I've just been enamored with the idea of learned behavior since I was like...17 or something). It's the way that our society is run and how (in my opinion) parents that don't know how/don't have time to properly raise their kids do it. If you do something they don't like you get punished. End of story.
Not to say that punishment is a bad thing. It made me who I am today, and I'm -very- thankful for that. I mean that sometimes you have to let them touch the stove themselves cause you've already told them a thousand times, and that little burn will teach them a lesson they won't soon forget. That, and it always helps to know -why- you're getting punished. I remember that sometimes my mother used to re-iterate to me why I was getting spanked -while- it was happening. I'm sure I'm not the only one :P let me tell you, the "do you know why I'm spanking/spanked you?" speeches used to get to me worse than the pain sometimes but, to this day, I can only remember two spankings that I got that I didn't deserve. One, my mother honestly believed that I was lying until she finally gave up and literally told me "you're either the dumbest kid in the world, or you're telling me the truth"...she had been spanking me for so long, taking breaks to give me a chance to confess, that she got tired...and I think I was numb. We haven't had much of a problem with her believing me since then, and I was no older than 12 at the time. The other time...I don't even remember the circumstances. I just know that it was made known that I hadn't done it and her reply was that it was for "something else that you did that I don't know/didn't do anything about" :P true story. I hope that you get my rambling point. If God were to punish everyone that didn't turn to His face, then a lot of them would do it simply so that they wouldn't be punished, and not because they wholeheartedly -want- to. And, I don't know about you, but I'm not going to send my Son to Earth for some ungrateful wretches that spit on Him and revile Him (when they're not asking for stuff, miracles, and proof) and finally -kill- Him, just to have them dishonor that great sacrifice by accepting the gift only because they "have to" to make their lives easier.
In summary: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31, my former "life's verse"...something I got from my Dad). Something that I realized -while- typing that...look at the chronological order of that verse.
You "mount up with wings as eagles": you feel as though you're on top of the world sometimes (like you first get saved, apparently).
You "run and not grow weary": you realize that there's a daily grind to be had. That life is a marathon and not a sprint. Someone said "To live above with those we love, -that- would be Glory. To live below with those we know? Well...that's a different story". Lastly:
You "walk and not faint": then you run into hard times. Then you start in with the Noah speech (I've been listening to Bill Cosby lately. He has this thing that he does about the speech that Noah had with God about the Ark and the animals and the idea of flooding the Earth. Hilarious and absolutely relateable) about how hard it's been for you and how your neighbors are making fun of you for building the Ark for however-many years, and how there's a -huge- mess in the bottom of the boat from all of the animals and you just -know- that it's going to be you who has to clean it up, etc. You might even have to endure the full-blown Job treatment. One of the scariest sentences in the Bible? "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job" (Job 1:8a). The response to that in the modern vernacular would be "God...how you gonna dime me out like that??" instead Job spits one of the most powerful verses in the Bible and one of the hardest lessons to deal with "...Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21)
If you haven't noticed, I'm on a complain-free kick here. It's a little rough sometimes, but it's -much- better in the long run. Trust in the Lord, wait patiently for Him (cobbled together paraphrase from Psalm 37:5 and 7).
Last thing: from the family chapter (Psalm 91) "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him" (Psalm 91:15).
Notice: "he will call...I will answer:" ie: He will "never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5), (Joshua 1:5), (Deuteronomy 31:8), (Deuteronomy 31:6).
"I will be with him in trouble;" (see above)
"I will deliver him, and honour him" now...what strikes me is that it doesn't say "he will call upon me and I will deliver him". No, the deliverance is -last-. -After- He's walked through the furnace with you. But "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid" (Mark 6:50). Sometimes we see the Hand of God moving in our lives and it disquiets or discomforts us. Don't worry, He's not in the habit of making our lives miserable for His own pleasure (Matthew 7:11), (Luke 11:13). But I want you to know something. No matter -what- you are going through, He will not allow you to be tried more than you are able to bear (I Corinthians 10:13). Even though His faith in us is a hard thing to bear some days...especially when it's greater than our own faith in ourselves and it's not Matthew 14:27 (immediately) that we see His face or His hand in our dealings. Look here: no matter -what-...when you're down to your last penny, last thought, and last prayer "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against the stone" (Psalm 91:11-12)
God's got it. Selah (pause. think about it)
Amen.
...
3)Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4)Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5)Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6)And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7)Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him:
More often then not, as a Christians, I think that we have a tendency to believe that we are entitled to something from God. As though it were His privilege to have us associate with His name. I don't know about anyone else, but I sometimes have a hard time divorcing success from lifestyle (ie: why is -he- doing so well living like the Devil??). Two things have occured to me that this passage drove home.
One, God doesn't need to punish "evildoers". If they're not Christians they're going to burn forever in Hell. Problem solved de facto.
Two, they're not His kids. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" (Heb 12:6a). I don't know about you, but I know that in my house it never mattered what whomever was doing down the street or up the block. It was always "well, that's them", "I'm not his/her parent", or "not in my house". If you ever still have doubts that this whole "saved" thing is more of a relationship and a -lot- less a bunch of rules and regulations that we call "religion" and just borrow on Sunday, this may help you out a bit. Btw, it's not a sin to still have questions and things that you doubt because you don't understand them, or don't think them to be right. It happens sometimes: "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24b). The trick is to have those questions answered before it becomes a stumbling block...but that's for another time. Back to the matter at hand.
God doesn't have to punish anyone for not turning to seek His face. There is a price tag for sin. That is punishment enough (first point). Along with that, if He actively set out to personally make the lives of everyone who -doesn't- turn to Him a living Hell, so to speak, that puts a serious dent in the whole "free will" thing. I mean...it's a basic Pavlovian response (I'm sure that there's a Bible passage for this or something, I've just been enamored with the idea of learned behavior since I was like...17 or something). It's the way that our society is run and how (in my opinion) parents that don't know how/don't have time to properly raise their kids do it. If you do something they don't like you get punished. End of story.
Not to say that punishment is a bad thing. It made me who I am today, and I'm -very- thankful for that. I mean that sometimes you have to let them touch the stove themselves cause you've already told them a thousand times, and that little burn will teach them a lesson they won't soon forget. That, and it always helps to know -why- you're getting punished. I remember that sometimes my mother used to re-iterate to me why I was getting spanked -while- it was happening. I'm sure I'm not the only one :P let me tell you, the "do you know why I'm spanking/spanked you?" speeches used to get to me worse than the pain sometimes but, to this day, I can only remember two spankings that I got that I didn't deserve. One, my mother honestly believed that I was lying until she finally gave up and literally told me "you're either the dumbest kid in the world, or you're telling me the truth"...she had been spanking me for so long, taking breaks to give me a chance to confess, that she got tired...and I think I was numb. We haven't had much of a problem with her believing me since then, and I was no older than 12 at the time. The other time...I don't even remember the circumstances. I just know that it was made known that I hadn't done it and her reply was that it was for "something else that you did that I don't know/didn't do anything about" :P true story. I hope that you get my rambling point. If God were to punish everyone that didn't turn to His face, then a lot of them would do it simply so that they wouldn't be punished, and not because they wholeheartedly -want- to. And, I don't know about you, but I'm not going to send my Son to Earth for some ungrateful wretches that spit on Him and revile Him (when they're not asking for stuff, miracles, and proof) and finally -kill- Him, just to have them dishonor that great sacrifice by accepting the gift only because they "have to" to make their lives easier.
In summary: "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31, my former "life's verse"...something I got from my Dad). Something that I realized -while- typing that...look at the chronological order of that verse.
You "mount up with wings as eagles": you feel as though you're on top of the world sometimes (like you first get saved, apparently).
You "run and not grow weary": you realize that there's a daily grind to be had. That life is a marathon and not a sprint. Someone said "To live above with those we love, -that- would be Glory. To live below with those we know? Well...that's a different story". Lastly:
You "walk and not faint": then you run into hard times. Then you start in with the Noah speech (I've been listening to Bill Cosby lately. He has this thing that he does about the speech that Noah had with God about the Ark and the animals and the idea of flooding the Earth. Hilarious and absolutely relateable) about how hard it's been for you and how your neighbors are making fun of you for building the Ark for however-many years, and how there's a -huge- mess in the bottom of the boat from all of the animals and you just -know- that it's going to be you who has to clean it up, etc. You might even have to endure the full-blown Job treatment. One of the scariest sentences in the Bible? "And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job" (Job 1:8a). The response to that in the modern vernacular would be "God...how you gonna dime me out like that??" instead Job spits one of the most powerful verses in the Bible and one of the hardest lessons to deal with "...Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21)
If you haven't noticed, I'm on a complain-free kick here. It's a little rough sometimes, but it's -much- better in the long run. Trust in the Lord, wait patiently for Him (cobbled together paraphrase from Psalm 37:5 and 7).
Last thing: from the family chapter (Psalm 91) "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him" (Psalm 91:15).
Notice: "he will call...I will answer:" ie: He will "never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5), (Joshua 1:5), (Deuteronomy 31:8), (Deuteronomy 31:6).
"I will be with him in trouble;" (see above)
"I will deliver him, and honour him" now...what strikes me is that it doesn't say "he will call upon me and I will deliver him". No, the deliverance is -last-. -After- He's walked through the furnace with you. But "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid" (Mark 6:50). Sometimes we see the Hand of God moving in our lives and it disquiets or discomforts us. Don't worry, He's not in the habit of making our lives miserable for His own pleasure (Matthew 7:11), (Luke 11:13). But I want you to know something. No matter -what- you are going through, He will not allow you to be tried more than you are able to bear (I Corinthians 10:13). Even though His faith in us is a hard thing to bear some days...especially when it's greater than our own faith in ourselves and it's not Matthew 14:27 (immediately) that we see His face or His hand in our dealings. Look here: no matter -what-...when you're down to your last penny, last thought, and last prayer "For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against the stone" (Psalm 91:11-12)
God's got it. Selah (pause. think about it)
Amen.
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