We can’t do it by ourselves. We didn’t create our human bodies, fill them with a soul and spirit and place ourselves on this earth. We had no say in the matter – neither the era in which we were born, the family into which we were born, nor what race or other physical characteristics we acquired.
So why do we think we have to do life on our own? When we struggle with sin and failure we often turn from God instead of asking him to help us.
But this verse in Philippians tells us that God is always working in us both so we can do his will and for his good pleasure.
“He’s not mad at us, “ As my friend, Dave Ramsey says, “He misses us.” God wants every person to live forever with him. That’s the reason he sent his son to die for us. If he didn’t care about us, he would have just let us all die in our sins.
Don’t let guilt and shame keep you from God. He understands the struggles we have on this earth for Jesus had those same temptations. We will never be as perfect as Jesus, but God will help us become more like him each day if we allow him.
I just called a lady stupid. We’ll actually I said what she was doing was stupid, but I clearly wasn’t living out this commandment to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
If there’s anything in abundance and growing in our land today, it’s dissension and hate. It seems like our society is collapsing all around us. Lawlessness is abounding and immorality is not only accepted but encouraged and actually celebrated. Those that don’t agree are often labeled bigots.
As Christians it’s hard not to be angry toward those that we feel are causing the disruption.
Yet, God commands us to love even when we don’t see eye to eye, or we think their attitudes and decisions will cause harm to others. We can’t always condone every action of our neighbor, but we can still love the person. And admittedly that’s hard, really hard.
While it may be difficult to fight for what’s right and just and still love, we don’t change people by hating them or calling them stupid. They can only be changed by showing them the love of Christ.
So how do we love the unloveable?
We love people by telling them the truth. But if that truth isn’t delivered in love, we might as well just keep our opinions to ourself. Still our words may or may not be accepted, but that’s not up to us.
Standing up for what we believe is right may cause angry push back from those who disagree. But there’s always a way to disagree without viciously attacking someone’s character and inciting more anger and hate. A soft answer turns away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1). Try it next time your in a heated debate and watch the angry person calm down and pay more attention to what you are saying.
We love people by being there when they are hurting or in their time of need. There’s no better way to earn the right to speak truth into someone’s life. No one wants to listen to some Bible thumping obnoxious, judgmental stranger shoveling a Bible in their face and telling them they are going to hell. That tactic may have worked in times past, but it’s a big turnoff to unbelievers in our society today and, frankly, unless God has already prepared that person to receive, you won’t get very far with them.
People do respond to kindness. Especially when they are grieving the loss of a love one, battling sickness or just having a hard time. What better way to open the door for an unbelieving co-worker than to say. “Hey, I noticed your struggling and are having a hard day. Can I pray for you or get you something? They will seldom decline and when you have an opportunity to share your faith, they will be opening to listening. Even something as cup of cold water given in love can change a life. (Matthew 10:42)
This verse sounds so easy. “Just love your neighbor as yourself.” Yet it is so incredibly hard. But Jesus never promised us easy. He just promised he would always be with us
When I was a little girl I’d often spend the night with my cousins who lived with their grandparents. They had an outhouse for a bathroom. I can remember us little girls taking a flashlight after dark and following the path down the trail to that creepy toilet which was in a field behind the main house. It was always a little scary to us because we never knew what was lurking in the darkness.
This verse is a picture of what the Word of God does for us as we travel through life. It guides us through our journey and helps avoid both perceived and real dangers along the way.
The Bible remains the number one selling book year after year! Unfortunately though, many people haven’t discovered the jewels of inspiration, wisdom, and hope that are recorded there.
Some say they don’t believe the Bible, yet have never even read it. If that’s you, I’d say now is the time to dive in and discover it’s truths. The creator of the universe has given you a manuel for a successful life here in earth. Aren’t you curious to know what’s in it?
Dave Ramsey says that everyone should read the proverbs for their incredible wisdom even if they aren’t a Christian. I agree. That book alone will provide you wisdom for relationships, finances, health, and life in general.
There’s a big movement within the church today for believers to get more into the study of the Word. Many are participating in one or two year plans to read it through cover to cover. This is good because even though it isn’t written chronologically, the Bible is actually a story. It’s the story of man from his creation to eternity and God’s plan for his redemption. Reading it cover to cover allows the story to unfold.
It’s exciting to see the church gaining the wisdom presented in God’s word. As the days get darker before the return of Christ and Christian persecution intensifies, we are going to need the strength the Word of God brings more than ever.
My greater desire, though, is for those who aren’t believers to begin to search it out. For not only will they find help, wisdom, and guidance for these moments in time, they will find the keys to eternal life as well.
Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not forsakingthe assembling of ourselves togetheras the mannerof some is;but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24
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We are commanded by God to assemble together as believers; but many Christians today are being forbidden to attend church by their government, are afraid to go because of the pandemic or have just got out of the habit over the 2020 shutdown.
The Bible instructs us to assemble more as the day approaches. The day is approaching my fellow believers. Christian persecution has already began even in our beloved America.
The warp speed at which were now experiencing censorship of conservative Christian ideas is alarming.
By gathering together we gain strength and encouragement from each other. We help each other draw closer to God and live out His commandments.
If you’ve not been getting together with other believers, start this week even if it’s just a small group Bible study. We’re going to need each other more than ever in the coming days.
It was our bi-weekly Wednesday night Bible study the day after the 2020 presidential election. Naturally, the conversation turned to the election results which were, of course, still being tallied. But it was looking grim for our candidate – the man that we thought would be best to lead our country over the next four years. We were all speculating on what would happen to our country if the other candidate won. There was concern about the kind of nation we would leave to our children and grandchildren. We were undoubtedly anxious.
We ended our session with prayer and someone asked for God to give us peace.
Peace
We haven’t seen a lot of that in 2020. With Covid-19 ravaging the nation causing much sickness, numerous deaths and widespread fear, as well as prompting shutdowns, cancelled events, mandatory. business closures, illegal church services and an incident of police brutality leading to riots, chaos, attacks on police, violence and burning cities, peace has been in short supply to say the least.
How can we possibly have peace in our hearts with so much going on, especially now with the uncertainty of what a new administration might bring.
Then I was immediately reminded of this verse.
You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trust in you. Isaiah 26:3
What a beautiful promise this is for us. We can’t control everything in our world, in fact we can’t control most things, but we can choose to dwell on the Lord and if we do, he promises to bring us peace.
What can we control?
We can control our thoughts and choose to lean into Jesus, thanking him for all the goodness and blessings in our life. This will bring peace and contentment to our soul.
We can read his word to learn his ways and the promises it holds for those who love him. This will bring peace and encouragement to us.
We can fellowship with other believers in order to help each other stay focused on God during tough times. This will bring us joy and peace to each other.
And we can attend church and worship even though we may have to do it virtually for now. Worshiping God and hearing the Word of God motivates us to become more devoted to him which ultimately brings us peace.
All these things will help us keep our mind on the Lord.
Even if we get through this 2020 crisis unscathed, more turbulent times are coming. But God’s promises still hold true. He will never leave us or forsake us. (Joshua 1:5) and that’s a good verse to dwell on for sure.
Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
The birds sing to me each morning as I sit on my back deck having devotions. How do I know they are singing to me? Because I’m the only one out there!
Okay, I get it. They would be singing even if I wasn’t there because they’re actually singing to God. But I do get to enjoy listening in on their melodious tunes. A since God made the birds and He knew I’d be there, just maybe He’s allowing them to sing for me too! Nevertheless, they remind me to be as cheerful and happy as they are, inspiring me to welcome the day by offering my own praise and thanksgiving to the God who created it all.
Depending on the time of year, it’s often dark when I sleepily trek out to the deck with a cup of coffee in hand in one hand and my Bible (which is now on my phone) in the other. I don’t mind the dark because I love looking at the stars. Yet I can always tell when the dawn is about to break as the birds will start singing. It’s the first sign that the eastern sky is about to ever so slowly get increasingly lighter reminding me that God is not yet finished with mankind. He’s allowing us yet one more day.
Granted there is much to be concerned about in our world as it moans and groans from the sin that we’ve brought into it. But the birds are always happy and they faithfully keep singing their tunes. They still have something to sing about and are always excited to see the sun. Maybe they know something we don’t! They lift my spirits and encourage me to look for the things I can sing about, too. If they can be thrilled to see the dawn of a new day then so can I.
I know all the birds on the hill and all that moves in the fields is mine. Psalm 50:11
We recently witnessed an alleged scandal at the top level of the FBI. This once highly respected government agency that was created to keep America safe by going after the toughest criminals, supposedly became the criminals themselves in an attempt to overthrow our elected president.
Under the previous administration we heard stories of the IRS discriminating against conservative organizations by trying to deny them non-profit status – just because they were conservative.
Every day we’re witnessing some of our elected officials side with mobs and terrorist who burn down buildings, kill innocent people, and threaten our constitution and our safety. They pander to a few radical activist whose only desire is to overthrow the very government to which these officials were elected.
These are just a few examples of corruption in our government, It seems like we hear of a new scheme every day. Sadly, we are no longer surprised and instead we’ve grown to expect it.
Media Mistrust
The lies and propaganda put out by most mainstream news organizations are extremely obvious. We hear half-truths, important facts are omitted, and every story has a spin to reflect the agenda of that particular news outlet. Unfortunately, America’s main stream media just isn’t interested in telling us the truth any longer. Former New York Times editor, Bari Weiss, recently resigned from his job because he couldn’t take the bias any longer. He explains it well in his compelling resignation letter.
We all thought that we can trust our healthcare system. After all, one would think the Center for Disease Control would have our best interest at heart. Until we learned that many health care workers signed a declaration that protest were a civil right and should be allowed, even though these same people were against the public going to work, church, a wedding, or even a funeral for a deceased family member.
The handling of the Corona Virus has all of our heads in a spin. First it was don’t wear masks because they don’t work, then it became mandatory for everyone to wear one. At first we needed a 15 day shelter in place to flatten the curve, now four months later, we still have many businesses completely shut down. Initially, we were told the virus could live on surfaces for days, now they are saying it’s only airborne. We’ve heard about numbers being inflated by health care facilities who have counted an entire family positive if one family member is positive, counted COVID deaths from persons that died from another reason and even claiming people are positive that haven’t even been tested! Instead of telling us the truth, the CDC and news outlets are consistently making statements based on how they want us to act or think. Thus, the bias of even our health care system has been exposed and as a result it has lost credibility.
Please, just tell us the truth! The American people can handle it! We no longer have trust in our nation and we need it badly. When trust is lost, it’s almost impossible to get back and there is no way we can’t begin to solve our nation’s problems as long as the waters are muddled by so much deliberate misinformation.
So is there anything in this messed up world that we can still trust?
Thankfully, Yes! We can trust in God and His Word. Lee Strobel, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, didn’t believe the Bible was true and set out to prove his Christian wife wrong. The result was that he instead proved that Jesus Christ was indeed the son of God and published his findings in a best-selling book entitled The Case for Christ.
God never lies! There are over 3,000 promises in the Bible and you can take anyone of them to the bank. They are all true. Most don’t take the time to read them, much less act on them, but for those that do, they are an incredible, life-changing blessing. The Bible is a treasure full of comforting verses, challenging ideas, and examples on how to handle life’s toughest problems. It helps us grow into better people and ultimately live a happier, more productive life while showing us the way to eternal life.
God’s word never changes. In our world things can change in an instant. One day we have a thriving business and the next we’re bankrupt because of a stay-at-home order resulting from a virus. The Word of God is one rock we can go to anytime and know that God hasn’t changed His mind about anything. What was true in the beginning is true for the present and will be for the future also.
God put a lot of trust in mankind when He gave us a free will and dominion over His creation. We have failed Him miserably. But He has never failed us. One of His promises is that He will never forsake us, no matter what happens. (Deuteronomy 31:6) That’s one promise we can certainly cling to during these uncertain times.
Covid -19 has taken a lot from me. The loss of my brother, most of my income from my work, my freedom to go to church, visit my favorite restaurants, travel or simply get a massage or pedicure. At one point I was even afraid to hug my grand kids! But I’m not alone. We’ve all suffered loss from this pandemic.
But Covid has given me some things as well. It’s given me the gift of time. Time to slow down and reflect on what’s really important in life. Time to grow closer to God and seek more clearly His direction. More time to spend with my husband and plan the awesome trips we’re going to take when we’re set free to do so.
Four Important Lessons
Coronavirus is a serious illness. After all, it took the life of my brother. However, I can’t blame Covid entirely. He had many underlying conditions that are common in most of the Covid deaths. His death has reiterated in me the importance of taking care of my body by eating right and getting exercise. Our bodies need to be strong and healthy to fight off diseases.
It has also taught me that you can get people to do just about anything if you put enough fear in them. We all willingly shut down our businesses and locked ourselves in our homes for weeks. “If you don’t, millions of you will die” we were told. Shutting down for a few of weeks may have been the right thing to do; After all, millions of us didn’t die, but I’m sensing that there may be more fear at play now than facts now that the curve has been flattened.
I’ve learned that some people just can’t handle power. State governors were given power to oversee the proper shutting down according to the specifics of their region, and rightly so. Yet to see governors telling people which items they can buy in the store and how to walk on the beach or fining churches for having services has been very eye opening. Thank God we have a system of government that doesn’t give all the power to one branch.
Finally, I’ve learned that circumstances can turn on a dime. Just because we have a thriving business and are healthy and alive today is no guarantee that everything will be the same tomorrow.
The Bible tells us in Thessalonians to be thankful in every situation. It doesn’t say we have to be thankful for every situation, but in every situation. Frankly, there is a lot going on in America and around the world today that I’m not thankful for, but I can still find plenty for which to be grateful. Gratitude is a choice. And as tough as things are right now, the good still outweighs the bad by a long shot!
I’d love to have my brother back, but I know he is at peace and in a much better place. I’d love to have my business back, but as a Christian, I know that God has a plan for my life and I have to accept the situation He has now placed me and simply trust Him for what he has next. (Lord, help me here.) I know whatever it is, though, it will be good for He has never failed me yet.
Times of loss, struggle and trials always bring a lessons if we look for them. Our plans and desires may have been disrupted, but God’s has not been.
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. – Proverbs 16:9
We’re living in a very scary time right now. Everyday life that we took for granted just a few weeks ago, such as going to work or school, the gym or even the grocery store can now prove fatal. We wake up every day to a new Coronavirus death toll and the leaders are warning us that it’s not over yet.
I’ve always coped with loss, uncertainty, or depression by practicing gratitude. I find it lifts my spirits even when circumstances don’t change. Here’s a list of just a few of the things I’ve made a point to be grateful for today.
A Safe Place
I’m thankful for my beautiful home. It’s not a mansion but it’s plenty big enough for my husband and I. It’s a safe place to retreat, refresh and renew, and now to even work. It’s decorated to my taste and I love just being here. Working full time and being on the go the way many of us normally are, we sometimes don’t have enough time to enjoy the homes that we’ve worked so hard to build. During this time of isolation I’m thankful to have time to enjoy it. Some people lost their home just recently in tornadoes that swept through our city. Mine is still standing. I am blessed.
A Venue to the outside
I’m thankful for the internet. Up until this crisis hit, we were all feeling guilty for spending so much time on our screens. Now this technology has become our best friend. It’s allowed all of us to stay in touch with our family and friends, allowed students to continue their education, and many people to keep working and even have church! Through this medium we can shop and have our purchases delivered to our front door. The internet has been a total game changer for all of us during this outbreak and I’m grateful for the opportunities it has offered.
Able Bodies
The Lord has kept my husband and I, our children and grandchildren safe so far. We done our part by practicing social distancing and while I miss being with my family terribly, I have some assurance that those times will return soon. Unfortunately, not everyone can say this. The thought of thousands of people dying alone is almost too much to bear. Today, I’m not alone, I’m not in the hospital and I’m not dying. How can I not be thankful for that?
Unity
I’m thankful for the spirit of the America people that I see on display during this time. Although we are physically apart we are more united than we have been in a long time. Oh, there are a few small people with big microphones still trying to divide us by somehow trying to place blame on this horrible virus on one person or another, or by sitting on the sidelines and pointing out every small mistake or miscalculation made by our leaders during this crisis, but by enlarge the real patriots, the common everyday people, are giving and doing what they can with whatever they have available to serve their fellow citizens.
Everyone in sacrificing something to help bring this crisis to a halt. Our health care workers are putting their lives on the line every day to take care of the sick, business are shutting their doors to the very public that provide them their livelihood, parents are teaching their children at home while keeping up with their own work responsibilities, government leaders are working overtime to gain information, make critical decisions and keep us informed on best practices. Pastors have willingly relinquished their church services even though the gathering together of the saints is the strength of their church. People are praying for each other more than in a very long time. It’s heartwarming and I’m extremely grateful.
While at times I’m fearful and extremely sad, and never want this to happen again, I refuse to live in fear and sadness alone. A little gratitude goes a long way in helping me to keep perspective and bring joy into my life.
Take a moment to thank God for the good you still have in your life. Then feel your spirit soar.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
If you’ve lived more than 20 minutes on earth, you’ve learned this one thing – life is hard. Work is hard, doing the right thing is hard, even planning the perfect vacation is hard.
Getting into the world requires a long, hard push through the birth canal, but that’s only the beginning. Have you ever watched a baby work to get control of their motor skills? It’s very sweet. They hold up their little arm and intensely concentrate on making it move accordingly to their will. It takes focus but they don’t give up until they master it. Then by exerting a lot of effort they start to raise their head and eventually roll over. After a few months they are up on their knees and crawling. Then one day they try walking, falling countless times before they finally get it right.
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Yes, learning to walk is difficult, but is essential for us to get around in this world. Babies instinctively know they are supposed to walk on two feet and they press through until they get it.
We go to school where it takes years to master reading, math, language and science all the while most of the time as children we’d rather be doing something else. But our parents and society force us to go, to study and to learn because they know that being uneducated in today’s world would make for a very difficult life
As we grow into adulthood, we’re constantly having to learn new jobs and tasks. We’re continually being met with new challenges brought on by life situations and the different seasons of life.
Sometimes we make bad choices in the face of those challenges which compound our problems and other times we make good choices that improve our life. While Some things are totally out of our control, there is much we can control.
Here are just three hard choices that we can make that will greatly improve our life. They are hard, but so are their alternatives and the paths they lead us on are distinctively different.
Nutritional
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We can choose to exercise and eat healthy foods or we can eat junk food and lead a sedative lifestyle.
Physical exercise is hard. We don’t always feel like doing it. If you haven’t exercised it in a while, it’s even more difficult to start. But do you know what is also hard? Not being able to climb a set of stairs or walk just one block with your grandchildren because your body isn’t fit enough. I see people who are way too young struggling to get around because they are over weight and out of shape. That’s a hard life, yet so preventable just by making the choice to move our bodies more and fuel it with the right food.
Addictions
I tried smoking when I was very young and like everyone else got addicted very quickly. Thankfully, the Lord moved on me very strongly that I needed to give that up. It was difficult- very difficult, but looking back, my life would be very different now had I not done that. I wouldn’t be married to the wonderful man I have been for the past 40 plus years, because he said he could not stand a women who smoked. I wouldn’t have been able to sing in the church choir that I did for 25 years that I loved doing and by now, if I was still alive, I’d possibly have emphysema, heart attack, lung cancer or a stoke. At the least I’d have wrinkled skin and that annoying smokers cough. That would be very hard- much harder than the three weeks of withdrawal from Nicotine I experienced years ago.
Getting off any kind of addiction is extremely difficult, but never impossible. Living a lower quality of life and being a slave to any addiction is much harder. If you’re addictive to anything, get whatever professional help you need today and ask the Lord to help you. He will. He doesn’t want us to be a slave in bondage to anything.
Financial
Telling yourself or your children “no” to things you want is no fun. It’s very hard to delay pleasure. But it’s also tough being broke all the time because all of your money is going to the bank in high interest payments. If you choose to say no to yourself now, and only buy things you can pay for with cash, there will come a time when you will be able to purchase more of the things you’d like to have. Don’t be envious of what other people have. Learn to manage what God has given you and you’ll get increasingly more to manage over time. There are great books and teachings out there to help you learn to do a budget, spend wisely, avoid debt and save for the future. You’ll still have to be willing to do the hard work, but the payoff is fantastic!
One great thing about making the good hard choices is that it gets easier the more you do it. You’ll eventually start to prefer wonderfully cooked vegetables over lots of fatty meats, sweet desserts and processed foods. Exercise becomes enjoyable and you actually look forward to that walk in the park. You’ll even get excited about doing your monthly budget because now you’ve given yourself a raise and you get to choose how to spend your moneyinstead of everything just going to bills and interest payments.
Life is full of choices. God has given us all the free will to choose. Some are hard, some are easy and often times we aren’t even sure which choice to make. There is a cause and effect to each choice we make. Take the time to think those through and you’ll usually get it right.
Choose my instruction rather than silver. Knowledge rather than choice gold. Proverbs 8:10
What are some hard decisions you’ve had to make that turned out for the betterment of your life?
Duking Out Life 