Tag: #Attitude

Trust

Trust into myself? I don’t think so….

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 3:7 NASB1995

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NASB1995

Trust in God. We hear that from the pulpit, from Christian leaders, and in Bible studies. Be vulnerable, humble, helpless. The Scriptures are full of instructions on trusting God rather than man – or yourself. Society says trust your gut. Who – or what – do you believe?

“He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.”
Proverbs 28:26 NASB1995

“He only is my Rock and my Salvation, My Stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my Salvation and my Glory rest; The Rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.”
Psalms 62:6‭-‬8 NASB1995

In ALL ways trust God. Not just the big things, but the little things, too. God says in ALL things. He will not let us down. The Hebrew word for heart means our mind, our body, our soul, our life. We owe God our full trust, no matter what is happening in our lives. Solomon uses the most personal form of the word for ‘LORD’. He emphasizes “Don’t lean on your own understanding!” Our desire for self sufficiency came into being when Adam believed the serpent’s lie. He became convinced that he could discern truth without God’s guidance. It is deception of the deepest kind, and it is the enemy’s goal that we believe it. We are infatuated with relying on ourselves. Sin leads us to believe that we can believe ourselves and lead ourselves and rely on ourselves.

“…. being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; ….”
Ephesians 4:18 NASB1995

“There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God. …. Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; ….”
1 Samuel 2:2‭, ‬10 NASB1995

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8 NASB1995

Ralph Wardlaw, Scottish preacher, said that “leaning on our own understanding is essentially practical atheism… we are not relying on God, we are denying Him.” That grabs my heart! The thought that I have been denying God, and practicing atheism in my life, stops my breath. Claiming to be a Christian, yet practicing atheism, because I think I can determine my own life.

“In ALL our ways acknowledge Him.” To “acknowledge” is “to know, learn, experience, pursue.” Am I doing that? Am I studying, learning, and pursuing God? The more I invest in God, the more I know Him. He never takes a break from leading me (us) and caring for me (us). We are to submit in every area of our lives. Focused on the LORD.

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.”
1 Chronicles 28:9 NASB1995

Remeber what Joseph went through? It would be my worst nightmare to have to experience what he did, yet hear what he says about it. For myself, I struggle with forgiveness for those who have wronged me, but Joseph forgives his brothers. “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”
Genesis 50:20 NASB1995

“God writes straight with crooked lines.” – Portuguese proverb. Are we fully trusting in the LORD? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you let the Scriptures overrule your own thinking?

2. Do you believe that Jesus the only path to heaven? (i.e. Do good people go to heaven?)

3. When was the last time you took a risk to follow Jesus, placing everything in His hands?

LORD, I pray that I can overrule my thoughts with Your help. I know that Your Son, Jesus Christ, is the only way to eternal life with You in heaven. Help me as I daily struggle to to place my entire life in Your hands. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

When Will We Have Peace?

“Now may the LORD of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The LORD be with you all! I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write. The grace of our LORD JESUS  CHRIST be with you all.”
2 Thessalonians 3:16‭-‬18 NASB1995

The SOURCE of Peace: “Now may the LORD of [THE] peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The LORD be with you all!” Peace, TRUE Peace,only comes from the LORD. People ask, “When will we have world peace?” “How do we achieve world peace?” The answer is simple. World peace will only happen when Jesus returns. Until then, how can we have personal peace? There is only true peace with God. Individually, we can have objective peace within ourselves through Jesus Christ. He purchased our peace with His sacrifice.

The Peace of God (verse 16) is a sense of tranquility and calm in the heart, “when you feel all smooth inside.” Without His peace, we are in a constant, internal state of war. The Triune God is the only source of peace, the serenity of the Trinity. Through Him, transient worry becomes transcendent peace.

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”
Psalms 29:11 NASB1995

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
John 14:27 NASB1995

“In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.“
John 16:23 NASB1995

When do we have this peace? When we fully accept and rely on Christ, we can have it continually, as a constant in every circumstance; through all, in all, for all. Peace is not found in a place or circumstance, it is found in ONE person, Jesus Christ, through all and in all.

So how do we go about securing this Peace? By appropriating His Presence – His Presence is our peace. “The steadfast of mind will find perfect peace.” We secure it by walking in the Spirit – the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5). Reading and meditating on the Word, and with thankful prayer – Philippians 4:6-7(8-9) basically says `don’t worry, be thankful! Release the worries and capture the good, the blessings, and receive unexplained, unassailable peace.`Above all, look for the Second Coming; the Return of Christ. We know that it all comes together then! He IS coming, and He is bringing PEACE. Where there is depth, there is peace…. it is not on the surface!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,“
Galatians 5:22 NASB1995

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:6‭-‬9 NASB1995

Should I feel quilty that I am at peace, knowing how stressed out and worried people around me are? We have our “special forces” in the form of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I don’t believe we should feel guilty because we have found peace. Our peace can be the example, the beacon, of God’s love to those around us. If we radiate peace, they will ask how we have achieved it, leaving us the opportunity to share Christ with them. In light of everything going on in the world around us, I expect we’re going to be seeing lots of opportunities to share!

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.“
Ecclesiastes 3:1‭, ‬4 NASB1995

I Can’t Keep Up

I’ve been texting with my “little” brother this morning. He’s sending pictures of their place. The garden and greenhouse he built for them. My attempts are so feeble compared to his. It’s not that I don’t want to do better and have better, I just can’t keep up. There was a time when I could. My body has betrayed me, and I hate it. I look at my yard, and I can see how I want it…. and that’s where it remains. In my mind.

Then I opened my devotional by Max Lucado to today’s selection. Tears came. God knew I would be upset, and He arranged this for me to read today. It’s in God is With You Every Day, for May 22, titled Your Best Days. He tells the story of a little boy trying to keep up with his family in an airport, until he plops himself down on his bag and shouts, “I can’t keep up!”

That’s how I feel. “GOD, I can’t keep up!”

Max Lucado goes on to say this: “Sometimes the challenge is just too much. You want to keep up. You try. It’s not that you don’t. Life has a way of taking the life out of us. When you run out of fight,remember that the promises of God are your to claim. God’s Word dares you to believe that your best days are ahead of you. God promises you a Promised Land.”

Thanks, Max. I needed that today. My Promised Land is coming. I know that, and I need to be reminded sometimes. It may not be on this earth, but someday, I’ll have a garden that defies anything I can imagine now. Remember that. Whatever your dream is. Your Promised Land may not be on this earth. Are you confident that you will reach it? Are you a Child of the King, to claim your inheritance?

“You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your GOD gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”
Joshua 23:14 NIV

https://joshua.bible/joshua-23-14

Hello Darkness My Old Friend

O LORD, GOD of my salvation, I cry out to you by day. I come to You at night. Now hear my prayer; listen to my cry. For my life is full of troubles, and death draws near. I am as good as dead, like a strong man with no strength left. They have left me among the dead, and I lie like a corpse in a grave. I am forgotten, cut off from Your care. You have thrown me into the lowest pit, into the darkest depths. Your anger weighs me down; with wave after wave You have engulfed me. You have driven my friends away by making me repulsive to them. I am in a trap with no way of escape. My eyes are blinded by my tears. Each day I beg for Your help, O LORD; I lift my hands to You for mercy. Are Your wonderful deeds of any use to the dead? Do the dead rise up and praise You? Can those in the grave declare Your unfailing love? Can they proclaim Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? Can the darkness speak of Your wonderful deeds? Can anyone in the land of forgetfulness talk about Your righteousness? O LORD, I cry out to You. I will keep on pleading day by day. O LORD, why do You reject me? Why do You turn Your face from me? I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before Your terrors. Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.
Psalms 88:1‭-‬18 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.88.1-18.NLT

If you stop reading here, you’ll probably be filled with hopelessness and despair. This Psalm was written by Heman the Ezrahite, a Temple musician, song leader, and a wise and worshipful man. This psalm shows that anyone can suffer from depression. Even the great scholar and preacher Charles Spurgeon suffered terribly from depression. No matter how strongly you believe in God and salvation, depression can be a serious issue. There are many possible causes: situational, systemic (chemical imbalance), physical issues, satanic, or spiritual, but there are things God can teach us in the darkness that we cannot learn in the light. Like in verse 7, it can feel as though God is pouring out His wrath on us, even though we know He doesn’t do that. This Psalm shows that God truly knows how we feel.

Did you know that depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S.? Statistically, we are the saddest, most depressed nation in the world. There’s plenty to be depressed about. Man made viruses, abortion on demand, war and rumors of war, violence threatened against conservatism, out of control inflation, food shortages, the highest gas prices in decades (ever?), and the utter confusion our kids and young people are dealing with with multiple genders and the LGB+ agenda being crammed down their throats from every side. Christians are constantly being attacked, in print and in the news as being bigoted. Being white or light skin automatically labels you as racist. It isn’t okay to be patriotic for our own country or to want our own country safe from invaders ….. but you’d better support sending billions of dollars to other countries to defend their borders! (It’s kind of depressing to me to even write about it!)

What can we do? How do we deal with depression? Keep talking to GOD! Tell Him everything. Cry to Him and with Him. Even our hymns show that other Christians struggle with depression and understand our needs from being depressed: “I need You, Oh, I need You….” “I must tell Jesus”…. Be reverent, but also be honest with God. Be persistent in prayer, even if you are being repetitious. Let the Spirit speak when you can’t form the words. We deserve the darkness because of our sins, but because of JESUS, we don’t have to dwell in it! “No pit is so deep, that He is not deeper still” – Corrie Ten Boom. Don’t be ashamed or let anyone embarrass you for needing antidepressants to help you out of the pit of depression. God gave us doctors for a reason. Let the LORD set you free from the darkness!

I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.
Psalms 89:1‭-‬2 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.89.1-2.NLT

For His Name’s Sake

“For the sake of Your Name, LORD, Forgive my wrongdoing, for it is great.“
Psalms 25:11 NASB2020

https://bible.com/bible/2692/psa.25.11.NASB2020

For HIS Name. Not my name. His Name.

In 50 years (or probably less), no one outside of a few family members will remember my name, or any of my so-called achievements. I won’t be in any history books, and there won’t be any statues or streets named for me. No holidays to remember my life. My reputation and my relationships won’t be of any consequence. That’s okay. I’m not looking for fame.

Here’s what is important. GOD’S Name. His Name is eternal, and immortal. His Name is Holy. David is asking God to for his, David’s, wrongdoing for the sake of the Name above all names, the Name of God Himself. When we call ourselves Christians, everything we do reflects on God, reflects on the Name of God. Going forward, maybe we should be more concerned about the way people see GOD’S Name in us, rather than how they see our name.

Stealing My Identity

Recently I was told that calling myself a native American was offensive. I was born in America; therefore, I am a “native”. I’m not Apache or Hualapai, or Choctaw or Sioux (although I do have some Cherokee and Delaware blood), so does that negate my native status? What am I, then, if not a native American? Am I “native” to another land?

When are we going to get over this obsession with labels? “Black” America…. why do you feel the need to identify by the color of your skin? If I call Navajo friends “Red” Americans or Indian Americans, would they be offended? Probably. How about calling my friends of Hispanic or Mexican descent my “Brown” American friends? Or my friends of European descent, my “White” friends? I think this would be considered wildly offensive by most people! I could say I’m a European American, but what is the point?

I’ve written about this before, but it is really going beyond any common sense. Congress is having laws introduced calling for segregation, and the Democratic “leadership” is actually considering it. What was the Civil War, that War between the States, fought for!? What did Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King die for? They died for freedom for all Americans of all colors, to end the disparity, and to unite us. Now people want to go backwards!

You may have dark skin or light skin; kinky hair or curly or straight – blonde, brown, red, black, and all colors in between; a big bent nose or a flat nose or a pointed nose, big ears or small; blue, green, brown, hazel, or black pupils; or your ancestors may have come over on the Mayflower, or by foot across a land bridge into the North American continent thousands of years ago. Here’s the truth, straight from the Word of the LORD:

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Genesis 1:27‭-‬28 NASB2020

https://bible.com/bible/2692/gen.1.27-28.NASB2020

We all share the common ancestry of the original man and woman. We are all one tribe! I am human, descended from the original couple, and I am a native American. I don’t claim membership in any particular tribe, but I don’t begrudge anyone for being proud of their ancestry, or for claiming it. My ancestry is such that I could claim to be a European American, or German American or Irish American, but I prefer to known as an AMERICAN. Proudly proclaim that you are Chickasaw or Choctaw or Paiute or Hopi, claim your Hadzabe or Zulu heritage, Kirwan or Osraige, Aniza or Saluba, but don’t tell me I’m not native American! I wasn’t born in any other country but America, and I am 100% American. By definition, I am native.

Native: (adjective) being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being: one’s native land.

Dictionary.com

There’s a song by Imagine Dragons that goes like this:

It’s been a long time coming, coming
Seeming like we all been running, running
Feeling like the wild west, gunning, gunning
Listen to our elders shunning, shunning

All we see is faces, color, color
All the other races, other, other
Why couldn’t you just be my brother, brother?
We don’t have to kill one another, kill one another
All around the world, we are one, we are one
All around the world, we are one

So where did we all go wrong?

“…. He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,”
Acts 17:25‭-‬26 NASB2020

https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.17.25-26.NASB2020

Can it be any clearer than that?

Fear, or Freedom

“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.“
Matthew 10:26 NASB1995

https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.10.26.NASB1995

In a 1956 sermon on Matthew 10:34, Martin Luther King Jr. explained, “Peace is not merely the absence of tension, but the presence of justice.”

“Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of the LORD.”
Isaiah 26:10 NASB1995

https://bible.com/bible/100/isa.26.10.NASB1995

Pray, people. Pray for each other. Pray for people you don’t like. Pray for that person who is determined to be a thorn in your side. Pray for our nation, and pray for the world. That’s it. Just pray.

We The People….

I’m reading a book set in 1860, before Abraham Lincoln was elected President, and the controversy of slavery. It wasn’t just slavery, but a way of life for the southern states. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was popular in the North and loudly disputed as lies and falsehood in the South. Our nation was divided by state, but also within families. Parents were divided, children, brothers, sisters, cousins were adamant that their side was the right side. We know from our history that this led to the Civil War, a terrible, bloody war that destroyed families and lives. North v. South; the Republican antislavery party v. the Democratic proslavery party.

Think about that for a minute. How close are we to something very similar today? Once again, we have families divided over issues like abortion, the Black Lives Matter movement, mask and covid shot mandates, Critical Race Theory in schools, more government control/Socialism v. less government control/Freedom. Defund the Police. What’s right? What’s wrong? Is it a conspiracy theory if it’s true? All Christians should be united on all of these issues, shouldn’t they? Seems like we should be, yet I find myself at odds with Christian family members and friends over just these issues! I ask, how can a Christian support taking the life of an unborn baby? How is a person more valuable because of skin color? Should a government be able to tell me I must mask up or take a shot when the science doesn’t support it? Yes, we should “render into Caesar what is Caesar’s”, but at what point is it too much?

Many, many people are literally preparing for a civil uprising to protest against tyranny. Peaceful protests are already occurring in many cities across our nation. Personally, I’m afraid that in order to stop the tyranny occurring in our capital, it’s going to require more than these peaceful gatherings, but I continue to pray that our leadership will get the message and make the changes needed. Are Christians involved in this movement? Absolutely. Unfortunately, there are also many others involved in the violence that is happening throughout the nation.

What can we do? I believe in being as prepared as possible for this recession we are swiftly headed into. It is critical that Christians unite in prayer for our leaders, and for guidance from God on what to support, and how to support it. I try not to engage in debate with family on subjects that I know we feel strongly about, but I cannot completely back down when I know that my beliefs are biblically correct. The only answer I have to the question is to pray. What would God have me do? We each have to be patient and pray and wait for His guidance. If His answer is to resist tyranny, then that is what I will do, to the best of my ability. Remember, our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the enemy.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Ephesians 6:10‭-‬13 NASB199

https://bible.com/bible/100/eph.6.10-13.NASB1995

Give THANKS to the LORD

“O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 NASB1995

https://bible.com/verse-of-the-day/1ch.16.34/652

He is good! Give thanks for your life! Give thanks to the LORD.

For what, you ask?

Most of all, more than anything else, thank the LORD for His Son, Jesus Christ, and His life-saving Salvation!

Is your life good? Give thanks to the LORD!

Are you healthy? Give thanks to the LORD!

Are you alive? Give thanks to the LORD!

Is your life a mess? Give thanks to the LORD!

Is your body sick, ill, diseased? Give thanks to the LORD!

Are you alone, lonely, yearning? Give thanks to the LORD!

Easy to say; hard to do. Thank God today for what you have. Thank God for the hard life you have. Thank God that you can feel. Thank God for your doctors! Thank God for pharmacists and nurses and medicines; for hospitals and rehab! Thank God for the roof over your head, and for the clothing you wear. Thank Him for the good landlord and the bad one. Thank Him for the service members who protect us. Thank God for living in a free country, and thank Him for the good and the bad politicians…..