Be Thankful!

Leave a comment

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,” Luke 17:15

“Lord, I just want to thank You!”  It’s more than an exclamation of gratefulness.  It is the life song that every Christian should continually sing.  The voice of our praise should rise to heaven in utter adoration for all that the Lord has done in our lives.

Leprosy, during the Bible era, was one of the most detrimental diseases a person could have.  It not only riddled the body with sores and pain, but socially speaking, it marked an individual as being unclean.  They had to be separated from everyone else for fear of spreading the disease and making other persons unclean, also.

To be healed of this disease is life-renewing.  It gives one a chance to come out of isolation and be restored to fellowship with others again.  It restores them to the state of being considered clean, of being good enough to rejoin the community and have close conversations, once more.

The former lepers know what life was like to meet people and to have to call out to everyone what was wrong in their lives.  But now that healing has taken place, they are not sentenced to that stigma and forced to live alone.  Rather, they can enjoy the hug of a child or a kiss from a spouse, which can be experienced again.

They are no longer an outcast.

They are no longer viewed by the blemishes that marked their skin.

Jesus released them.  Jesus did the impossible for them.  This goes beyond healing – it is total restoration.  Everything that was once lost can now be regained, thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ.  Fortunately for us, there is a greater disease than leprosy that the Lord can deliver us from: the disease of sin.

Sin has ravaged humanity since the Fall in the Garden of Eden.  It has marred us from the inside out.  It has marked mankind as being unclean and has sentenced him to a life of isolation.  It has prevented him from fellowshiping with God as he was originally designed to do.  It is the one disease in which every single human on the face of this earth needs to be healed from.  NO EXCEPTIONS!  “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Isn’t it wonderful to know that just as Jesus did not leave the ten lepers in their destitute condition, He did not leave us in that pitiful state either.  When one turns to Him, He stands at the ready to intercede and to save.  To be saved means to be delivered, and I, for one, am glad to be delivered!

When I look back on my own life and see the dreadful state I was once in, I rejoice in the Lord for cleansing me.  I thank God for healing the sin-diseased soul I once had and for letting me experience a brand new life in Him.

In the muddling of our daily lives, concerns for this and that tend to overshadow the thankfulness we should be expressing.  But, “Lord, I thank You!”  As the one leper, I come back and “glorify God!”  His deliverance has not only given me a new lease on life here on this earth, but I have gained something far more precious in the world to come.

I know my former state: “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6).  It isolated us!  “But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we are all the work of thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8).  We have been restored!  We have been remade!  And, I am THANKFUL!

Now, I have a future to rejoice in: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him,” (1 Corinthians 2:9).  I’m talking about eternity, y’all!  And, I am THANKFUL!  I know where I was.  I know where He’s taking me.  That’s enough for me to declare, “Today, I want to be THANKFUL!”

Text-Free Photo by:  Guillaume de Germain

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

The Hero’s Help

Leave a comment

The scene opens. The hero is chasing the bad guy. Throughout most of the movie, he seems to have the upper hand. Through ingenuity, skill, and a healthy dose of luck, he overcomes his adversaries and comes out on top.

But if we take stock of all the hero went through to come out on top, we will see those scenes when they didn’t do it all by themselves. There was a moment of trouble where the hero could have lost it all, but out of nowhere came a somewhat insignificant character who snuck up behind the bad guy while contending with the hero and knocked him out with a heavy object. Or a bystander who stuck their foot out to trip and hinder the progress of the nefarious one, and so on.

If we pay attention, we will see they never really do it all on their own. To achieve the victory in the end, at some point in their story, they were aided by another.

As much as that is true in the movies, it is even more so in real life. This is especially true when it comes to our Christian journey.

There will always be times when we need the help of others. After all, that is the purpose of coming together as the body of Christ.

The writer of Hebrews encourages us in this, saying, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24, 25).

When we come together, we become the strength and inspiration one another needs to continue through whatever contention or adversity they face. This increases our chances of coming out of our struggles in victory.

The plain and simple fact is, we need each other. There is not one person who will always be, on their own, 100% at the top of their game or capable of enduring without the support of togetherness. The blows of difficulties we face can often be softened when another comes alongside to help shoulder the load.

For years, I have taught, preached on, and written about what I call “The One Another Concept.” This reminds people of the importance of shedding the self-serving nature this world heavily promotes and to look to the needs of others, especially those in the body of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Galatians 5:13; 6:2).

While we are grateful for all the virtual ways people can be reached, there is nothing like worshiping hand in hand and heart to heart. Coming together with one heart and one mind, to not only lift the name of Jesus, but to lift, encourage, and edify one another as well.

And as with the hero, our chances of achieving victory in the face of adversity are tremendously increased when we are helped by one another.

No one has to journey alone. Is it time for you to reconnect with church fellowship so that you, too, can be strengthened in the fight?

Does someone else need the support that you can offer them?

Remember: “Two are better than one”:

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

The Power That Never Goes Out!

Leave a comment

When I woke up this morning, the clock was blinking at 4:40 am. It didn’t make sense because the sun was shining through my bedroom window. Confused, I grabbed my phone and realized the clock was off by several hours. At some time during the night, a transformer blew in our area, and the power went out.

We didn’t know anything had happened until we woke in the morning. While sleeping, we were oblivious to anything that was going on.

Although nothing dramatic came from it, this truth leapt in my heart: God’s power never goes out!

Whether we are lying down at night or walking throughout our day, are we ever truly cognizant of how many times God’s power has kept us, protected us, preceded before us, and provided for us?

How many seen and unseen things could have happened but were halted? How many schemes were made to cease? Dangers averted? Plans revealed?

While our clocks can be blinking the wrong time, God is always on the clock and always on time. The Bible assures us that He never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:4). There is never a moment when He is unaware of anything, and with that, we can rest assured that His power is always engaged.

Oh, what confidence we find in this truth! In our times of frailty and lapse, God is completely steady. When we are unconscious of our ways, He is very intentional. When we are asleep, He is vigilant.

And let’s be sure that I am not merely referring to our physical awareness and sleep. God is God at all times. He can never change who He is. His power is as infinite as He is. It cannot be stopped or muted. And it most certainly can never go out.

Dear one, rest your heart and still your mind in the confidence of that truth. When we don’t have it all together, God does. There is nothing that can happen in this world or in our lives that shakes, rattles, or dismisses the power of God! Therefore, in Him, we can trust.

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.” Jeremiah 17:7

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psalm 28:7

“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Psalm 9:10

“Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8

“That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:5

 

The Review

Leave a comment

Reviews. We see them everywhere and on anything. They help make decisions about products or services. They have become very valuable, especially in the world of online shopping, when we can’t touch, handle, or see the product or place firsthand.

These star reviews or individual critiques tell us what someone liked or didn’t like. I, personally, read reviews, but I have only left very few: some for likes and one for a dislike. The one negative review I left was simply to let a company know about an off product.

One thing about reviews that people forget is that, outside of visible or physical damage of a product or from a service, the review is based solely on one’s opinion. What they write is their personal commentary. Where one may give five stars, another may only give one because it was not to their taste or a good product, in their opinion.

But I find in life we “review” people in the same way. We have our opinions of a person based on what we perceive to be right or wrong, favorable or not. And often, when we share our review with others, it tends to be geared more toward the negative than the positive.

Paul teaches in Titus 3:2, “To speak evil of no man…”

How well do we practice that? Or do we have select preferences of persons we believe are deserving to receive a less-than-favorable review from us?

We do not need to fan the flames of negativity over another’s life, regardless of how we view them. The Bible tells us, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man” (Colossians 4:6). Our “review” of a person should not become the constant topic of conversation, especially if it is promoting negativity.

James agrees, saying, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity…” (James 3:5, 6a). 

As Christians, we have experienced the gift of grace in our lives beyond the measure of our understanding. God is the one who changed us, cleaned us, saved us, and gave us a new life. Something none of us deserved, and nothing we can boast of (Ephesians 2:8,9). How we view others should be nothing short of that same grace received.

Our minds and our mouths can be trained in how we view or respond to people. As water drops that flow from your roof, wherever they land, that’s where they will pool and cut a path through your yard. The same is true for both negative and positive views. The one you lean toward the most is cutting a pathway in your thinking and speech.

Our negative reviews are not helpful to us or needed by others. May the story of our redemption (Titus 3:3-5) help us to extend grace to others right where they are.

While reviews can range from agreeable to disagreeable, may our speech always be agreeably grace-filled.

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29

Text-Free Image by Pexels

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

My Just Lot

Leave a comment

Thank You for my just lot,
not too much, not too little.
What’s perfect for me
right down the middle.

Content my heart
with my daily bread
that I be not overcome
by wanting or dread.

Too much in excess,
a heart lifts without Thee.
Too little and desperate,
sins against Divinity.

But You are the provider
of all my care.
My just lot from You,
there is no err.

Tailor-made for me
and my time in this land,
according to Your love
and master plan.

“Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” Proverbs 30:8,9

“The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.” Psalm 145:15

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Luke 12:15

“He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” Ecclesiastes 5:10

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Philippians 4:11

“Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.” Proverbs 28:6

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” Habakkuk 3:17-19

Image by Lynda Smith-McDaniel from Pixabay

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Sunday School Lesson – “In the Beginning | God Created Mankind” Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7

Leave a comment

VERSE DISCOVERY: Genesis 1:26-31; 2:7 (KJV, Public Domain)

Do you know how special you are?  Do you know of the creative design that brought you here today?  Can you fully appreciate your uniqueness, being an altogether separate creature from all others God created?

As part of the human race, you are the climax of God’s design.  Oh, the stars and objects above serve their purpose and are beautiful to look at, but they are not you.  And as we look out on the horizon to view nature, we may sigh pleasantly at the glorious way the panoramic view displays His beautiful scene before us, but no scene is more beautiful to Him than those who were made in His image, in His likeness.  These are the ones specially designed for a unique relationship with the Father.

As the creation story unfolds in the beginning, may we find our place in it, our origin in it, and may those findings render a new appreciation for how special you are in the eyes of God. 

 God Created Man

Genesis 1:26-27 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

For six days, God had been creating.  With light created and darkness separated, both being defined for what they are, and with land, plant life, and celestial bodies spoken into existence and put in their places, the Creation story of the beginning of everything we know is off to a beautiful start, and it is all good in the sight of the Creator.

With sea, land, and air creatures created and placed in their proper places, it is time for the crème de la crème of all His creation to be formed.  That apex of God’s design comes when He decides to inhabit this grand earth He made with mankind.

Mankind is the most unique of all God’s creation for several reasons (and we’ll discuss those reasons in a bit), but let’s home in on the word “unique” for a moment in relation to all the elements of the Creation story already put in place.

Mankind has nothing like himself that dwells on the face of the earth outside of other members of the human race.  Yes, I know there is a scientific theory that tries to exaggerate similarities between humans and other species when, in fact, there are no other species identical to the man God formed out of the dust of the ground as his beginning origins (Genesis 2:7).  And I know there are other theories that express many ideas of suppositions of how we came to be the people we are in the place that we are in, but the Bible gives the very straightforward facts of not only our origin but also why we are so special in our uniqueness among all other creation.

For we are made in the image/likeness of God.  God, Himself, spoke on that sixth day of creation and said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

The words “us” and “our” leave many asking to whom God is talking while speaking at this moment.  Now, again, while many people have theorized several answers to that question, the most biblically based, solid answer revolves around the distinct and self-existent, unique way God is fully God as Father (1 Corinthians 8:6), Son (John 1:1-14; Colossians 1:16-17), and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2) Himself at the time of creation and throughout Scripture.

And although God, our Father, may be manifested in these three ways, make no mistake about it, there is only One God: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Then, it goes on to say, “So God created man in his own image,” using singular language and not plural.

With God having no physical likeness, the image/likeness we were made to be like has more to do with the way He created man from the inside out.  Though His thoughts are above our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9), God gave us the capacity to think and operate in this world as His image-bearers, a capacity set apart from that of all other creatures to represent His likeness.

In an article I previously published, Our True Image, I wrote:

“I believe when God spoke in the beginning that we were made in His image (see Genesis 1:27), He spoke of more than just our facial features, our physique, our height, weight, and so on.  He spoke of our representation of something the boundaries of those outer measurements can’t comprehend.  He spoke of our likeness of Him.  At that point of creation, when it came time for humanity to be put on the earth, God looked to Himself to snap a portrait of who we are truly designed to be.

Now, do I mean that you are supposed to be God sitting on the throne in heaven?  No.  But what I do mean is we are carriers of so much more.  The portrait of our lives is made to expose and reflect His glory of the greater.” (WordForLifeSays.com)

Another part of the uniqueness of created humanity is that he is to reign and have dominion over all other creatures created.  What this means is, as representatives of God on this earth, we are caretakers of the great gift of this planet and life on it that we have been given. As Adam would be placed in the Garden of Eden as its caretaker (Genesis 2:15), so, too, does all humanity have the responsibility for the world in which we live.

If you have ever been to the museum, you understand the priceless artifacts it holds and the responsibility it takes to ensure they are preserved as much as possible. Compare that with us being agents of care over this world.

One day, this earth will pass away in the great finale of the end times, but until then, every human being is given the order to care for this temporary home of ours, and all the other creatures in it.

Throughout the years, the word dominion has become synonymous with words like power, authority, and control.  And while that is a right interpretation, what’s more important is how that word is being carried out.  Are we taking for granted and treating recklessly those things placed under our control?  Or are we managing everything in a godly fashion and taking proper care of what has been given to us?  As His image-bearers, we have the responsibility to be responsible with His creation.

Both men and women carry this responsibility, for both are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).  Each bears their own unique qualities that set them apart as male and female, but each is an image-bearer created by God and His perfect design for all humans.  They may bear separate identifying markers, but as part of the human race, they are made in his own image.  Jesus once said, “Have you not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female” (Matthew 19:4).  Both have important roles in His creation.

Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Then God spoke His blessings over them with the charge to be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.  God blessed them to be reproductive so that the earth might be filled.  As God placed in all other living species of His creation the ability to reproduce (procreate) that the earth may teem with life, so He also did with humanity.  Multiplication equals increase.  Increase equals a filled earth (compare this with the events after the flood in Genesis 8:17; 9:1, 7).

And with that blessing of fruitfulness came also the reiteration of their responsibility to subdue and have dominion… over every living thing…  God placed mankind in charge.  This may make us special, and some may take for granted that top-of-the-food-chain status, but the greater reminder is that with such a heavy charge there comes more to answer for on how things/creatures/nature are used under our control/charge.  Our job is to be righteous rulers over everything God has placed in our care (compare Proverbs 12:10).

Genesis 1:29-30 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.”

Just as God has called us to the position of caring for other creatures in creation, He shows mankind some of the ways He cares for them and all living things as He supplies for their nutritional needs.  Specified seeds, fruits, herbs, and vegetation would be the meat or food source for all creatures, such as beasts… fowls… and everything that creepeth upon the earth, along with mankind, which God created.  He furnished every living thing with all that they need to survive, flourish, and multiply.

Genesis 1:31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

When God took in the scope of everything He created, He saw it was very good.  Everything was perfectly original, perfectly created, and perfectly placed.  There was no intrusion in the tranquility of His beautiful design.  Sin was not present, and the earth was as glorious as He envisioned it – unstained and unaffected by the mess we see today.

Once I wrote, “Our original design was not to live in an environment of sin and decay.  It was not designed to exist with dead and dreary things.  It was designed to behold the beauty of God through His creation.  We were designed to live in God’s best!” (Made for Green/WordForLifeSays.com). 

And, when He saw His best on display, God viewed it as very good, finishing the sixth day of creation.

Reiterating God’s Creation of Man

Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

As chapter 2 opens, discussing God finishing creation and resting on the seventh day and sanctifying it, it goes on to reiterate, with additional detail, certain aspects of the creation story, including the specifics on mankind being formed… of the dust of the ground (compare Genesis 3:19, 23).   

Opposite of everything that was spoken in creation, or the way the animals were called forth from the ground (Genesis 1:24; 2:19), mankind was the only one uniquely formed to be an image-bearer of God.  This one was special, and he required a special design.

See, I told you that you were unique and special in His design.  Then, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.  Mankind is alive because of God.  Should God take away or withhold that precious breath, mankind would cease to live (see Psalm 104:21; Job 34:14-15):  “Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein,” (Isaiah 42:5). 

God created mankind, and that’s the only true answer for our existence on this earth.  You and I are living souls because of God!

PDF Printable Sunday School Lesson Pack (With easy-to-read instructions following the P.E.A.R.L. format on how to conduct each lesson section with areas for adding personal notes): Sunday School Lesson – In the Beginning – part 2 – God Created Mankind

Suggested Activities:

Fingerprints uniquely tell who we are. There are no two sets alike, not even for identical twins.  Your fingerprints tell of the individual God made you to be, that you are individually special to God.  Using a stamper pad and the fingers of students, each student can rub their thumb on the ink of the stamper pad and stamp a piece of paper with their fingerprint.  Have them look carefully at it.  Students can even exchange them with one another to see their own uniqueness in the way God created them.  Tie this example into today’s lesson.

Younger students can work with moldable playing dough. For this example, homemade is best (I like the idea of using it organically, with no colors for the forming of man effect), but of course, any kind of moldable dough for playing will do.  Have students form “man” from the blob you give them.  Discuss how easy or hard it was.  Discuss the intricate details it took for God to make us. (Note: if you are using homemade dough, and if time allows, let the children help you make the dough, to really get involved in the “creation” of the people they make.  Find a recipe for a non-cooking version.  There are many online to choose from.)

Younger students can also put together a Made in God’s Image people necklace. Print from the outlines (below) the people templates on cardstock or glue to construction paper.  Decorate each one as you want.  Punch a hole in the top and string through with yarn or something similar.  You can even add beads for a nice, decorated effect.  They can wear it proudly around their neck because they are Made in God’s Image. PDF: Made In God’s Image Craft

Adult Journal Page: Adult Journal Page – Made in the Image of God

Kid’s Journal Page: Kid’s Journal Page – Made in the Image of God

Draw the Scene: God Created Mankind Draw the Scene

Memory Verse: God Created Mankind Memory Verse

Word Search: God Created Mankind Word Search Answers: God Created Mankind Word Search Answers

Crossword: God Created Mankind Crossword  Answers: God Created Mankind Crossword Answers

Word Scramble: God Created Mankind Word Scramble  Answers: God Created Mankind Word Scramble Answers

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

 

sun above the clouds, encouraging God is forever faithful, Hebrews 13:5

Above the Clouds

Leave a comment

This morning, when I drew back my curtains, the day wasn’t as sunny as before. Although there is no rain in the forecast, the clouds sit heavy in the sky. At a time of day when the sun is usually shining its brightest,  the heaviness of the clouds makes the atmosphere feel dull and dreary.

But then a beautiful reminder dropped in my heart: above the clouds, the sun is still shining. Though we cannot see one ray breaking through, it does not change that truth. Even when there is no evidence to speak against what you see, the sun is still there doing its thing. It has not changed or stopped being the sun.

And neither has God changed or stopped being who He is. Life’s circumstances can sometimes speak contrary to that beautiful truth, making us believe something different. Regardless of the heaviness of clouds we may face in life, our Heavenly Father is still faithfully on His throne, being the great and wonderful God that He is.

Even if we cannot see one ray of evidence, hold on, dear friend, to the faithfulness of our God who said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).

It’s not what it looks like. The clouds may be there, but they will never overcome or overshadow who God is in our lives. He is faithfully our Heavenly Father who can never be dulled or dismayed. The times may speak contrary, but He still is there, above the clouds of life, forever shining for you and me.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” Psalm 27:1-6

Blessings~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

The Truth About Comparison

Leave a comment

 

Recently, I attended a large shredding event in our area. This particular event is held every year. It allows us to declutter and safely get rid of old documents and sensitive papers.

This shredding event is quite large. To put it into perspective, I was in line for an hour and forty-two minutes before I was relieved of my boxes of clutter.

Coming in, there were approximately 8-12 lanes (or more, I couldn’t count) of vehicles lined up side-by-side. These lanes funneled into a single lane that would shortly open again into two alternating lanes. Those lanes would then take us to the trucks on either side that would shred our personal belongings for us.

The car in front of me turned to the right, and I went to the left.

I was happy with how my lane was moving, and after about another twenty to thirty minutes, I tried to assess my progress. I did this by looking for the car that was previously in front of me. I remembered passing it some time ago and wondered how far back it was now.

Looking in my side mirrors and the rearview mirror, I could no longer see it. I thought to myself that there was no way I could be that far ahead of them.

And I wasn’t. I finally spotted the car I was searching for. While I was paying attention to other things, that car had actually advanced several spaces in front of me.

Interesting, is what I thought. I wasn’t upset or put out over this, but took it as the lesson that it was.

But I cannot say that I have been untouched by the act of comparison. More times than I care to count, I have paid attention to what others were doing or their lives instead of focusing on my own.

And you know what that does? It steals your joy. You and I can be completely happy where we are in life until we look in the next lane to see where another person may be.

When that happens, we start comparing our lives against theirs, as if we are all on some giant scale to be measured by one another and weighed in the balances.

But that is a divine seat none of us are qualified to sit in. Perhaps that is why the Bible speaks against those who “measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves,” calling them “not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

Mentors and godly examples to pattern our lives after are good (1 Corinthians 11:1). But when we use other people as our yardstick to be measured by, we sell ourselves short.

Why?

Because the truth is, each of us is a unique person with our own unique plans for our lives designed by the Father. But when we fixate on others in life, or on shows, books, videos, and social media, who try to convince us that this is what our lives should look like, that comparison can sometimes cause discontent because of the feeling of not measuring up to their standards.

Individuals, families, lives, marriages, careers, cares, wants, and needs are as different as our DNA. The complexities of our human nature are as diverse as the complexity of molecules that make us, us. It is as diverse as the many cultures, peoples, and nations that inhabit this land we call Earth.

With such a wide range of beautiful diversity, why try to squeeze yourself into another’s box?

God knows the plans He has for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). His design is perfectly beautiful for you. He knows where you are best needed, and He knows what you are truly called to be and do, and it is not to mimic them.

1 Corinthians 4:5 challenges us to look at things differently, saying, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

We are not God, but we can trust God as the Potter who is molding us into this beautiful creation He needs us to be.

We cannot rely on what we see on the outside of any given situation. To properly assess another’s circumstance, we must know their whole behind-the-scenes story, their heart, reasons, motives, and hopes they have for their outcome.

Only an everlasting God can know all of that. Since we are unqualified to make assumptions about others, our focus should remain in our lane and where God has us driving.

We have our own course. Our Heavenly Father has a plan that fits us perfectly. If we continue to focus on others, we will miss our assignment.

But when we live as He wants us to, and fulfill our God-given destinies, we please our Father, and it’s His praises we can look forward to in the end.

Today, in what area can we learn to stop comparing and enjoy the beautiful life God has designed for each of us? 

Father God, help us keep our eyes and our hearts focused on You and the plans that You have for our lives. This world can be distracting at times, causing us to shift our gaze toward what is not profitable for us. We are praying for steadfast hearts and minds to go forward in faith in the lanes You have lovingly designed for us. We want to live for Your glory and for Your praise. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, AMEN!

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, X, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc., to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details. 

Undaunted! | Your Monday Motivation to Keep Moving Forward

Leave a comment

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24

Everyone has an end goal in mind when it comes to life. That goal can include anything from a higher education sought and achieved, career positions and successes, working toward optimal health for one’s individual plans and needs, familial relationships being the best that they can be, adventures to be had worldwide, and more.

But there is a robber of these goals and achievements. They come in the form of doubt and discouragement when things don’t go as planned, or some unforeseen thing comes and sidetracks us or knocks us totally off course.

When that happens repeatedly, it gets hard to believe that we can do this. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We can be and achieve.

Sadder still is when someone feels that way about their walk of faith.

But we do not have to succumb to discouragement, fear, and intimidation.

We can push forward successfully, even when it is hard. And with God’s Word filling our tanks of hope, we can be undaunted in the face of what we see and feel and believe that we can!

We can direct our hearts with the same tenacity the Apostle Paul had when he said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” Acts 20:24.

You have a course!

You have a ministry!

You have gifts!

You have something the world needs!

Now is not the time to quit!

Keep going and be undaunted as you continue to move forward.

My prayer is that the verses below will fill the places where encouragement may need to be strengthened and to stand in the gap between your heart and what you are believing for because God’s Word declares it to be so!

Blessings!

“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised.” Hebrews 10:23

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

“I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Psalm 16:8

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:36

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Psalm 22:29

“The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.”
Psalm 29:11

“He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.” Psalm 18:33

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” Colossians 3:23

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.

David Trusted God and Why You Can, Too!

Leave a comment

Years ago, I bought one of those at-home exercise kits that included resistance bands. Those bands acted in place of weights and provided tension for the exercises I was doing so that I could get the most out of each movement.

Outside of exercising, those words “weight” and “tension” don’t seem very beneficial to us. In fact, they are words that are synonymous with unpleasant things such as stress, worry, and anxiety. And when they show up, they make life even more difficult instead of being helpful.

Troubles, unfortunately, are a part of our human existence. But the stress they bring do not impact or erase who God is in our lives.

While the Bible is chock-full of encouragement in dealing with difficulties, telling us to “cast our cares” (1 Peter 5:7), and not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34), it also tells us the reason we can have confidence in the midst of life’s storms, and that reason, my friend, is God.

Stress, and what the Bible calls the “cares of this world” (Mark 4:19), try to choke out the word of truth of who God is in our lives. But David, opening in Psalm 16:1, pointed to God as the source of his trust, saying, “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”

Whatever and whomever have gained our hearts to become our “source” in life, they will be the foundation we stand upon and turn to every single time. But here’s the kicker that some get wrong: any foundation outside of God is fallible and it will fail and fall eventually. This is especially true when it is exposed to undue stress and tension.

Think of a rubber band that has been stretched too far, a bridge that snapped because of tension, or any number of things that could not endure the weight or the stretch that was being demanded from it, and it gave way under pressure.

Then, we have God. Infinitely wonderful, from everlasting to everlasting (Psalm 90:2), who cannot be stretched beyond comfort, who is not looking for a backup plan for your life and mine, who knows all things perfectly and does all things well. He is the one Proverbs tells us to, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). And that is because He is the only one who is in the position to uphold us and every one of His promises, to see us completely through, never forsaking us, without fail.

So, David says He is the one I put my trust in.

David knew enough about God to know that no matter what stresses or troubles he was facing, they could never overwhelm Him, conquer Him, discourage Him, or trip Him up.

Friends, we can have that same confidence today when we realize beyond a shadow of doubt who our God is, and we take what David knew about God and apply it to our lives.

Firstly, He is our Heavenly Father (Matthew 6:9). Although Jesse was David’s biological father, in his relationship with God, David saw Him as his heavenly Father. God made a covenant with David, one that included this beautiful title for him and his descendants that came after him (2 Samuel 7:14), where they would proclaim, “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation” (Psalm 89:26). That relationship is available to us today through our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:4-7).

“The Bible tells us, ‘You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world,’ (1 John 4:4).   As we are going about life we are to know in whom we belong.  ‘You are of God!’ the Word tells us.  Therefore, because of our holy lineage, because of how we are wired through the blood of Jesus Christ, you and I are to instinctively operate like the ‘greater’ is in you.” (Instinctively His!)

Aside from that, David, during his life span, notes that, as opposed to the ways and sources of the wicked, God is faithful, saying, “Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds” (Psalm 36:5).

Previously, I shared these words with you: “Circumstances, unsettling things, and unknown situations will periodically appear in our lives. And while that is true, we must remember that our God is not a ‘periodical’ God. He doesn’t just show up in times of happenstance. He doesn’t make His rounds to see who or what He wants to attend to and deal with at that moment.

No. But He is forever faithful. Never let what you’re dealing with shatter that wonderful truth: GOD IS FOREVER FAITHFUL!” (No Matter What It Looks Like, God is Faithful). David knew it to be true, and so can you!

In his battle against Goliath, Daivd knew God to be the power and strength he leaned upon which would never fail, saying, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Samuel 17:45).

What David knew was that God would not and could not shrink in power before any force. He would always win: “God’s track record doesn’t have marks on it to say that He wasn’t able to accomplish this task or that.  As a matter of fact, the Bible states that He is, ‘able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,’ (Ephesians 3:20).”

My friend, when you go with God you will never lose, regardless of what the circumstances look like right now.

Lastly, what David also knew was the personal love of God. He, as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22), knew what it felt like to be loved by God from His heart. To the point of proclaiming His “lovingkindness is better than life” (Psalm 63:3). “While human love can and will be fickle, God said, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you,’ (Jeremiah 31:3, NKJV).”

What David knew, was God’s greatness cannot be condensed to a small list of adjectives that try to describe everything He is and wants to be in our lives. He is just so much more.

And as that, He more than qualifies to be our trust even during the most difficult of days.

Nobody promised us this road would be without bumps and turns that we don’t like. But as long as we are traveling through this life with God as our source, we will never be without everything that He is.

While weights are good for physical exercise and endurance; other types of weights can hinder our growth and our Christian journey, and we are encouraged to lay them aside (Hebrews 12:1). The best way to do that is to trust in God as David did. And when we do, we will find in Him everything we need, and so much more, getting the most out of our Christian journey.

Blessings~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com (Sharing any posts or lessons can only be done through the share buttons provided on this site from the original posts, lessons, and articles only. You can reblog from the original posts only using the reblog button provided, or share using the share buttons provided from these social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, etc., and they must be shared from the original posts only. All other repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.